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Estimate (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Now, according to māyā..., Māyāvāda philosophy, they say that there is no duality. It is a kind of illusion that we see difference between God and ourself. That is māyā. Then Kṛṣṇa is not advocating herewith about the impersonal feature of the Lord. He says, ah, He represents... He is God himself. He says "I, I was existing as I am existing now, and in future also, I shall exist like this." So He was speaking as individual person. So in the past He says that "I was individual person." And in the present He's individual person. So why these Māyāvādī philosophy, philosophers, do not understand this direct version from the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Because āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). The Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not accept the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. They think God is as good as they are. Therefore they introduce themselves as Nārāyaṇa. But according to Vaiṣṇava philosophy, Nārāyaṇa cannot be equal to any one of us. What speak of us, Nārāyaṇa cannot be equally estimated even with great demigods like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva. That is... The Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa says, yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, samatvenaiva vīkṣeta sa pāṣaṇḍī bhavad dhruvam: (CC Madhya 18.116) "Anyone who calculates Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, equal with such demigods, not, what to speak of ordinary human beings, even big, big demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, he immediately becomes a pāṣaṇḍī, atheist." So if... The Māyāvādī philosophy, they put forward this argument that "Because we are now in māyā, we are thinking that we are different from God." But Kṛṣṇa is making thus such differentiation that... He's making, He's saying, "You and I and all these." So does it mean that Kṛṣṇa is also covered by māyā or illusion? Because He is very clearly differentiating between Him and the living entities, all individuals. So if the Māyāvādī philosopher is right that this differentiation is due to our illusion, then we have to accept Kṛṣṇa is also in illusion.

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

And aprameyasya. Aprameyasya, immeasurable. It cannot be measured also. In the Vedic literature the measurement is described there, but you cannot measure it. Anything, so many things are described in the Vedic literature. So you are so advanced in scientific knowledge, but neither you can say that it is not fact. Neither you can estimate. Just like in the Padma Purāṇa, the varieties of living entities are expressed: jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. The aquatic animals or living entities are nine hundred thousand. So you cannot say, "No, it is not nine hundred thousand. It is less or more." It is not possible for you to see within the water how many varieties of. You might have, the biologists, they might have experimented, but it is not possible to see nine hundred thousand forms. That is not possible. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati.

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

Otherwise, you have no knowledge. You cannot calculate. You cannot go to Brahmā, you cannot go even to the moon planet. And what to speak of Brahmaloka is the ultimate, the remotest part of this universe. So by your direct experience, you cannot calculate, and neither you can go. They estimate, the modern aeronautics, they estimate, that in order to go to the topmost planet will require forty thousands of years by going in the light year. Just like light year, we have got calculation.

So we cannot estimate by direct perception, even in this material world, and what to speak of the spiritual world. Not (possible.) Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām (Bs. 5.34). By mental, muni-puṅga means mental speculation. You can go on mental speculating, but if you do even for many hundreds and thousand of years, it is not possible to calculate.

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

You see? And that we have already discussed. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like very learned man, but you are number fool one." Yes. This is the, I mean to say, reward given. "You are, you are declining to fight? This is your nonsensical." Now, just see. The things which are estimated in the public eyes very nice, very good, that is condemned by God. Condemned by God. We have got so many examples and experiences life that what is eulogized by some of our friends, it is condemned by others. So whole thing, our perfection of any act, that should be certified by the Supreme Lord. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām... (SB 1.2.8).

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

That means he is controlling his senses from fighting. But after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he says, "Yes, I'll fight." Just see. Before hearing Bhagavad-gītā, the position of Arjuna, that "I," "I will not fight," and after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, the position of "I," "Yes, I will fight." Two contradictory. Before hearing Bhagavad-gītā, the position of "I" was negative, and people may estimate this nonviolence attitude of Arjuna very nicely. But after Bhagavad-gītā, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he said, "Yes." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava: (BG 18.73) "Yes, I shall fight." Now, do you mean to tell that he degraded? First of all he was nonviolent. He was not willing to fight. Now he has degraded after hearing Bhagavad-gītā? Is it..., is the conclusion? No. He has improved. He has improved. Why he has improved? Because he has understood how to use the senses. That's all. In the beginning he did not know how to use the senses. Therefore he decided, "I shall not fight. I shall not fight." That is his material calculation.

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

And that process is described here. We have to take it very seriously. Just like the first Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa to sun-god. It is not that Kṛṣṇa was speaking Bhagavad-gītā for the first time to Arjuna only. No. It was spoken long, long ago.

Long, long ago. If you make an estimate of the time, then that estimation also, we can make from Vedic literature. That estimation is... I have made an estimation. It is about four hundred millions of years before, it was spoken. So far, as far as we get the information of Bhagavad-gītā, from Mahābhārata, we understand that this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to Arjuna about five thousand years before. But we have to calculate in the fourth chapter that the Lord says that "I spoke to the sun-god, and sun-god spoke it to Manu, and Manu spoke to Ikṣvāku."

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Demigod is also like you. Just like in the human society there are difference of bodies. One body is richer than the other body. One body is happier than the other body in material estimation. Similarly, in the higher planets there are different bodies who are happier than persons who are living in this earthly planet. It is estimated that their standard of living is higher.

Just like in this planet there are different nations and different people and they have got different standard of living also. Your European and American people, your standard of living better than our Indian people so far material consideration is there. You have got very nice toilet room, but the Indians go to the field to evacuate. So in that way this country is advantageous.

Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:

That is real life. Ātmavat... yaḥ paśyati. One who has such vision of life, he is called learned. He is called learned, not by educational qualifications. One who has acquired... phalena paricīyate. Education is understood, how far a man is educated, by his behavior. By his vision of life, it will be estimated, not by the degree. Ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ. Similarly, here also, here also the word paṇḍita, paṇḍita has been used.

So I have just given you some explanation of paṇḍita from different angle of vision. And budha also. Budha. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find the definition of budha. Budha means well-versed. Well-versed. Well-versed means who has got, studied lots of books of knowledge. He is called budha. Now, how one becomes budha? By studying, one should have concluded this. What is that conclusion? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā by Lord Kṛṣṇa, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

"Oh, today is very sunny day, nice." So sunlight is always there, but it is being covered. The sunlight is not covered, sun is not covered, but our eyes are covered. Suppose there is cloud. A cloud may expand, say, a hundred miles. But do you think the sunlight is a hundred miles? You cannot estimate, millions and millions of miles. So what hundred-miles cloud can cover the sun? The hundred-miles cloud can cover my eyes. And we say, "Today sun is covered by the cloud." That is our ignorance.

Similarly, the Supreme Brahman, who is spreading the effulgence of light, He cannot be covered. We are covered. We, the small particles, we are covered. Mohita. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitam. Mām eva nābhijānāti. In the Bhagavad-gītā this is. They are bewildered by this external energy. Their eyes have been covered.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

Supreme Brahman. Nityo nityānām, the chief of the all eternals. Cetanaś cetanānām. He is the supreme living entity of all living entities. He is also living entity. So if I am a living entity, I have got a form, so why the supreme living entity will not have a form? This is poor fund of knowledge. He is not nirākāra. But we cannot estimate His ākāra. That is nirākāra. Nirākāra means to estimate. We cannot estimate how big He is. That means nirā... Nirākāra does not mean formless. When there is in the śāstra, nirākāra, this word is used, nirākāra means He has no prakṛta-ākāra, material form. That is nirākāra, not that he has no form. That is poor fund of knowledge. He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: (BG 9.11) "My original form is like human being." And the Bible also it is said, "Man is made after the form of God."

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

Sat means eternal. So therefore, His body is distinct from our body. Our, this body is not eternal within the history. When this body is created by the father and mother, there is a date, beginning. And when this body is finished, annihilated, there is another date. So anything within the dates, that is history. But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Anādi. You cannot estimate when Kṛṣṇa's body began. Anādi. Ādi, again ādi. He is the beginning of everyone. Anādi. He Himself is anādi; nobody can find out what is the date of His appearance. He is beyond history. So but He is the beginning of everyone. Just like my father is the beginning of my body. Father is the cause of the beginning of my body or your body, everyone. So therefore He has no beginning, that He has no father, but He is the supreme father. That is the conception, Christian conception: God is the supreme father. That is fact because He is the beginning of everyone. Janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

"What is that vast water?" "Atlantic Ocean." "How big it is?" "Very, very big." So the Dr. Frog is thinking, "Maybe four feet. This well is three feet. It may be four feet. All right, five feet. Come on, ten feet." So in this way, speculating, how the frog, Dr. Frog, will understand Atlantic Ocean or Pacific Ocean? Can you estimate the length and breadth of the Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, by speculation? So by speculation, you cannot have. They are speculating so many years about this universe, how many stars are there, what is the length and breadth, where is the... Nobody knows anything even of the material world, and what to speak of the spiritual world? That is beyond, far beyond.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Jagad-aṇḍa means the universe. Koṭi, many millions clustered together, that is material world. And beyond that material world there is spiritual world, another sky. That is also sky. That is called paravyoma. So by your sense perception you cannot estimate even what is there in the moon planet or sun planet, this planet, within this universe. How you can understand the spiritual world by speculation? This is foolishness.

Therefore śāstra says, acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Acintya, which is inconceivable, beyond your sense perception, don't try to argue and understand it and speculate. This is foolishness. It is not possible. Therefore we have to go to the guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). This is the process. But the demons, they do not know, this process. They speculate; they manufacture.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.5-6 -- London, August 23, 1971:

Adhītāni means "You have read." And "You have explained." In this way the śaunakādi ṛṣis... There were thousands of ṛṣis in Naimiṣāraṇya... When you go to India, you must see this place, Naimiṣāraṇya. It is very, very old place. At least, from historical point of view, modern estimate is it is five thousand years old, because the first Bhāgavata discussion took place there after instruction of Vyāsadeva. So in India there are many places very suitable for spiritual advancement. Still they're existing from the very, very old time, historical time.

So the itihāsa... Itihāsa means history, and purāṇāni, purāṇāni means old itihāsa. All the statements or narrations described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they're all historical evidence, they're not imagination. Sometimes the so-called scholars and research students, they say it is fancy or something imagination. No.

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

That is progress. Not, that is not progress, material comforts, that is not progress. Material comforts according to the body, that is already settled up, deha-yogena dehinām. As we have got body, a particular type of body given by nature, the machine... Just like your comfort of driving car is estimated according to the car you have got. If you have got a very nice costly car, then it drives very comfortably, but if you have got a less costly, cheap car, then you are not so comfortable. Similarly our comforts and discomforts are already settled as soon as you have got a particular type of body. There is no necessity to improve it. We cannot improve it. For example, just like a hog, he has got a particular type of body, he can eat stool. You cannot improve his eating process by giving him halavā, that is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, deha-yogena dehinām. Our material comforts, standard of material comforts, are already settled up by the body which you have got.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is a description of the age of Kali. Age of..., this is age of Kali. According to Vedic understanding, there are four ages: Satya-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, Tretā-yuga, and Kali-yuga. This age is called Kali-yuga. It has begun about five thousand years ago, after the battle of Kurukṣetra. The duration of this Kali-yuga is estimated four hundred thousand..., four hundred and twenty-seven thousands of years. Out of that, we have passed only five thousand years. So the symptom of the human being in this age is that prāyeṇālpāyuṣa: people will become very short duration of life. It is said that time, at the end of Kali-yuga, the, if somebody lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as very old man. So gradually the food grains like rice, wheat, milk, and sugar will disappear. In this way, in the Kali-yuga, prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.7.8 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1976:

That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you associate with sattva-guṇa, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system: Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka. But these rascals, they do not know; still they make an estimate. And what is that estimate? Wherever they go they find only rocks and sands. That's all. There are so many lokas. Each loka is full of living entities, and these rascals are simply taking photograph of rocks and sands. Just see their position. And they are passing on as scientist. How misleading these things are, and how people are being misled. You see.

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

Just like the sun is ninety-three millions of miles away from this earthly planet. Still we are getting heat and light energy of the sun. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Although He is in the Goloka planet, which is the topmost planet in the spiritual world... You cannot estimate the how far the spiritual world is from this material world. From material calculation they say it takes about some forty thousands of years to go to the limit of this universe. Then beyond that universe there is the spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ (BG 8.20), another nature, avyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Then you pass through the spiritual world, brahma-jyotir. There are innumerable, unlimited number of Vaikuṇṭha planets. Then, above all of them, there is the planet Goloka Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa resides.

It is said in the Brahma-saṁhitā, goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43).

Lecture on SB 1.7.34-35 -- Vrndavana, September 28, 1976:

Those who are trying to study Kṛṣṇa by these blunt senses, they'll never understand Kṛṣṇa. They'll never understand.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa is regretting, that "This rascal, they consider Me as human being." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). They have been described as rascals. One who estimates Kṛṣṇa from material point of view, material vision, he is mūḍha. Therefore he cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Lowest of the mankind, narādhama. Why lowest? Sinful? Duṣkṛtina? These things are there. If we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then we should take the prescription of Kṛṣṇa. What Kṛṣṇa said? Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: (BG 18.55) "One can understand Me by the process of bhakti." Never said, Kṛṣṇa, that "Yogi can understand Me," or "The jñānīs can understand Me" or "The karmīs can understand." Never. Nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu.

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- Mayapura, October 1, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa is para. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). In the Bhagavad-gītā we get this information. There is another nature exactly like this. But these so-called scientists, they are so ignorant, they cannot estimate that there is another nature, there are spiritual planets... This... They do not know even how many planets are there, how they are situated, how they are inhabited. They think simply this planet is full of living entities; in other planets, there is no living entity. But that is not the fact. Every planet, every planet is full with living entities. Even in the sun planet, moon planet. So this is a subject matter we have discussed many times. So Kuntī has already pointed out that Kṛṣṇa is īśvara and He's beyond the jurisdiction of this material world. That Kṛṣṇa, when He comes here... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). He comes.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:

That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, athavā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna, viṣṭabhyāham... (break) ...this universe is only one only. That also, we cannot estimate what is the length and breadth, how many planets are there, and still, we are proud of becoming God. But God creates such millions of universes. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭim. Koṭi, million. Yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ. He is creating, and everywhere He is present. How He is present? Aṇḍāntara-stha. He's present within the universe and within the heart of all living entities, even within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara... That is Kṛṣṇa. That is only by His one part. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

Lecture on SB 1.10.20 -- London, May 24, 1973:

And that is called Veda. So Veda does not mean it is meant for the cats and dogs. Vedas means knowledge, this knowledge, is meant for the human beings. Vedic... Therefore Indian civilization, based on Vedic knowledge, is estimated so high, perfect. Perfect scheme system for human society, based on Vedic civilization. Everything is correctly visioned, and the ideas are given by persons who are above material contamination. Mukta-puruṣa. Mukta-puruṣa means one who is not affected by the material incompetency. There are material incompetencies. We commit mistakes. We are illusioned. Our senses are imperfect. And sometimes... Sometimes not. Always. We want to cheat. These are the defects of material knowledge. And one who is above these material incompetencies, he's called mukta-puruṣa. So one has to become mukta-puruṣa. That is called Vedic knowledge. That is called Vedānta. Vedānta-sūtra. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:

Some of the woman denizens, they became Kṛṣṇa's wife, and some of them became their sons. In this way, a huge family of Kṛṣṇa, Yadu dynasty. One crore, very big family, 16,108 wives. Each wife had sons, ten sons, and each son had ten sons. In this way children, grandchildren, and the whole family, big dynasty, Yadu family. It is estimated 100,000 hundred times. So many. Now, Kṛṣṇa wanted to leave this planet. So what will happen there? If they remain... Although Kṛṣṇa knew that they have come from different planets, but they knew that "We are sons and grandsons and grandchildren of Kṛṣṇa." They were very much puffed up. So what is the difference between a demon and devotee? A demon is puffed up. That's all. Falsely. That is demon. And a devotee is submissive, meek and mild. This is the difference. The demons will... We go, "My dear sir, we have got these books to understand Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. So you kindly read this book. You will be benefited." "Ah, what is God? Who is God? I am God." This is demonism.

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

"My dear Dhanañjaya, there is no more superior power than Me, or greater than Me." So if we accept the statement of Kṛṣṇa, then we understand Kṛṣṇa immediately. Otherwise, by speculation, it is not possible. That is the fact. There are so many... Such a person, such a big, who is estimated as very, very big person, Mahatma Gandhi, he could not understand Kṛṣṇa. From his writing we see. He said, "I don't believe that there was any person Kṛṣṇa living ever." Just see. He could not understand. Similarly, Dr. Radhakrishnan, Tilak, so many big, big scholars, they have written comment on Bhagavad-gītā, but they, still they have proved that they're rascal number one. Because they did not follow the process of understanding Kṛṣṇa, therefore they could not understand. And here even a child, our Śyāmasundara's daughter, (s)he used to go to somebody and ask him, "Do you know what is Kṛṣṇa?" He says, "No, I do not know." "He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Just see.

Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

And I personally, one side." So Arjuna (Duryodhana) thought that "What shall I do simply by taking Kṛṣṇa? And He says that 'I'll not fight. If I go to any side, I'll not fight.' " So Arjuna (Duryodhana) thought it wise that "Let me take His soldiers, eighteen divisions, many thousands of elephants, horses, chariot." There is estimate, very big number of elephants, horses. I don't remember exactly. But... So Duryodhana decided to take the soldiers of Kṛṣṇa. (aside:) That child may be... But Arjuna thought that "If I get Kṛṣṇa in my side, that is sufficient. I don't want His soldiers."

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says that "By My one plenary portion I'm possessing or controlling the innumerable universes." We have no information of one universe. Universe, that is also, we cannot estimate. But the innumerable universes are estimated to give us some glimpse of knowledge. In the Brahma-saṁhitā,

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.48)

There is one feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is called Mahā-Viṣṇu. That Mahā-Viṣṇu, that is the origin of this material creation. So Mahā-Viṣṇu is in sleeping condition. So in sleeping condition, with the breathing, universes are coming. And when it is inhaled the whole universe is annihilated, dissolved. So this is only one portion. There are many devidences(?).

Lecture on SB 3.26.18 -- Bombay, December 27, 1974:

Just like the heat and light. Just like in the material world, we have got experience. The whole system of the material world is going on under the heat and light. The sunshine is diffusing unlimited quantity of heat and light, and on this heat and light the whole material existence is there. That is scientific estimate. Because the sunlight is there, the heat and light is there, the whole planetary system is rotating, there is vegetation and varieties of fruits, flowers, varieties of manifestation. This is heat and light.

Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975:

This is the transformation of the elements, how from sky, the air; from air, the fire; fire, water. Everything in that proportion is explained by Sāṅkhya philosophy, how one after another, the form, taste, smell, touch are appreciated in different objects differently. Just like some eatable things—the form is appreciated by taste. The flower—the form is estimated by its smelling, aroma. So that is being explained. You can read the purport.

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

And there are innumerable... In each and every universe there are innumerable, these planets. This is called material world. You cannot estimate how many universes are there and how many planets are there. But this is only one-fourth manifestation of God's creation. All these universes taken together, ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42)—this is only one-fourth manifestation. Therefore the Vaikuṇṭha, spiritual world, is called tripāda-vibhūti, three-fourth. This is one fourth. So just imagine. We cannot have any estimation even the one-fourth manifestation of the one-fourth energy of God, and what to speak of the three-fourth energy manifestation, opulence, everything. In the spiritual world the number of living entities are far greater than the number of living entities here in this material world.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

It is very easy to understand—because the energy is there. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa may be far away from us, even we think... Kṛṣṇa is not far away. Kṛṣṇa is within our heart. But even if we think that Kṛṣṇa is living in Goloka Vṛndāvana, which is unlimitedly far away from here...

Because this universe, you cannot estimate. You can see the border of the universe, the round sky, but nobody can reach there. There is no such means. The scientists calculate it will take forty thousands of years to reach there by the light year. So they are so much proud of material science. They see the sun, the moon. They cannot go there. Cannot go there. There are so many planets; we see at night. They are actually planets like this planet. But who can go there? You are so limited. So how you can go to the planet where Kṛṣṇa lives, Goloka Vṛndāvana? You cannot go even to reach these material planets, what to speak of the spiritual planets.

Lecture on SB 5.5.10-13 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1976:

Formerly it was less, because this ugra-karma... These factories means ugra-karma, unnecessarily severe, hard work. Unnecessarily. We have seen in Detroit, they are manufacturing one Ford, manufacturing Ford, simply wheels of the motorcar. Huge stock wheels. And somebody is manufacturing tire, huge stock of tire, and they are giving estimate: "Up till now, so many millions of tire we have manufactured." Well, you know all this. It is in your country. And then there are so many motor parts, there are three thousand small parts. So big, big factories, they are working to manufacture the parts of the motorcar, different parts of the motorcar, day and night working. And ultimately, they are preparing one car, and people are using huge quantity of cars. This is called karmānubaddha, unnecessary, ugra-karma.

Lecture on SB 5.5.33 -- Vrndavana, November 20, 1976:

He could see, but he was refused by Lord Viṣṇu, and he came back to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, and Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was standing without asking any food, that "This brāhmaṇa came at my place. Somehow or other, unnecessarily he became angry and he has left. So unless he comes back, I cannot take any food." So he took only one year. The modern scientists, they are estimating that to go to the topmost planet of this universe, it will take forty thousands of years. That is their estimation. Now, Durvāsā Muni, by his yogic power, he not only crossed over this material space and the material universe, but he went to the other space, paravyoma, where he saw Lord Viṣṇu, and he came back within a year. So that is yoga. One can reach even the sun planet by the beams. This is yoga practice. By touching the beams he can go to the sun planet. There are so many wonderful things. So Durvāsā Muni was a great yogi. He knew all these things.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

You can have an idea of the Viṣṇuloka, or Vaikuṇṭhaloka. From this study, we have to understand that there is a spiritual sky, and that is far, far extensive than the material sky. You cannot even measure the sky covered by one universe, and there are innumerable universes. That is... All together, that is one-fourth of the whole sky. It is a rough estimate only, according to the Vedic scripture. And the three-fourths of the sky is spiritual sky. The population in the spiritual sky is far, far greater than the material sky. Only a few living entities who are rebelled... Just like the population in the prison house is insignificant compared to the whole population of the state, similarly, the living entities who are here in this material world, they are very insignificant. Including all the universes, all the planets together, they are an insignificant portion of the whole living entities. Ananta. Hy anantāya kalpate. The living entities, there is no counting, ananta, unlimited number of living entities.

Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- Los Angeles, June 3, 1976:

To become fatty, to have more power for sex, it is not meditation, but medicine. So this is wanted. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). That is the supermost, topmost position of yogi. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). In this material world the jñāna-bhūmika, or the modes of goodness, that is very estimated. So, transcending that position also. Karma is lower position, karmīs... (aside:) That child is disturbing. Hm. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Simply remain prepared how to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena. "Kṛṣṇa says this; now I must do it." That is vāsudevokta-kāriṇaḥ. Ukta means whatever He says.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, June 8, 1976:

You cannot go. How you can say in other planets there is no life? You cannot go. According to the scientists' calculations, they say that to go to the topmost planet it will take forty... Eh? Forty thousands of years. Who is going to travel forty thousand years? But we are seeing. The planets are there. Go there and see. You cannot estimate of one universe, which you are practically seeing. And in the śāstra we hear that there are millions of universes.

Lecture on SB 7.6.20-23 -- Washington D.C., July 3, 1976:

And below this there are Vaikuṇṭha-dhāmas, unlimited number of Vaikuṇṭha-dhāmas. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī-maheśa. Devī-dhāma, this is called Devī-dhāma, this material world. And Maheśa-dhāma, the Śivaloka. And devī-mahesa, hari-dhāmasu. Hari-dhāmasu means Vaikuṇṭha. So these are the different status of dhāma. We cannot calculate, estimate even this Devī-dhāma. This is called Devī-dhāma. This material world is called Devī-dhāma. It is controlled by Devī, Goddess Durgā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:

The spiritual platform, the spirit soul has no connection with these material qualifications. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Even though a brāhmaṇa has got all the qualifications..." They are all, after all, material qualifications. The brāhmaṇas means they are situated in the modes of material goodness, the kṣatriya means they are situated in the quality of material passion, the vaiśya means they are situated in the mixed quality of passion and ignorance, and a śūdra means who is situated in the material quality of the modes of ignorance. And those who are less than that, the śūdras, they are called caṇḍālas or śvapaca. So a brāhmaṇa is estimated the high-class man. Why? That is also materially estimation. But if he has no devotion to the Lord, then that is... That means he has no spiritual qualification. Then a person who is born in the family of dog-eaters, if he has got this bhakti, spiritual qualification, he is more than that.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the original living entity. Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Ādi-puruṣam means original. And from Him everything has expanded. Eko bahu śyāma. He has expanded Himself in many. So some of them are in the Viṣṇu category. The Viṣṇu category means they are almost equal to Kṛṣṇa. It is estimated the Viṣṇu categories, They have ninety-four percent opulence of Kṛṣṇa. And the next category is Śiva category. The Śiva category has eighty-four percent of all the opulence of Kṛṣṇa. And the next category is Brahmā category, Brahmā. Brahmā category means living entities, when they are perfect, they can obtain seventy-eight percent of the opulence of Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is cent percent, Viṣṇu or Nārāyaṇa is ninety-four percent, Lord Śiva is eighty-four percent, and we, in our perfection, we are seventy-eight percent. Is that clear?

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1974:

"You kindly write a translation of Śrī-Caitanya-caritāmṛta." He thought that this business I can do very nicely. So I took the initiation from this gentleman and began to write. Now it is almost complete. I am now translating Madhya-līlā, Twentieth chapter, the discussion, 'sanātana-śikṣā.' So it is estimated that ten volumes like this... (aside:) You think like that? Ten volumes like this, that will complete Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the postgraduate study of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Bhagavad-gītā is the A-B-C-D to entrance, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the graduate study, and Śrī-Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the postgraduate study of spiritual life. My Guru Mahārāja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, whenever he got some time he used to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta. And he predicted that the whole world like to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and for this reason they'll learn Bengali.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.146-151 -- New York, December 3, 1966:

Kṛṣṇera svarūpa ananta. The transcendental forms of Kṛṣṇa, innumerable, vaibhava, and His opulence, that is also innumerable. Nobody can estimate. How many forms are there of Kṛṣṇa or how much opulent He is, nobody can estimate; nobody can measure. This is inconceivable. The first proposition. Cic-chakti māyā-śakti jīva-śakti āra. And His potencies are also unlimited, out of which, three potencies are generally accepted: cit-śakti, spiritual potency; material potency; and marginal potency. These three potencies I have described many times. Cit-śakti, the spiritual potency, is a manifestation of the spiritual world, and material potency is a manifestation of this material world, and the marginal potency, we are, we living entities. We are marginal potency.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.146-151 -- New York, December 3, 1966:

All these things we have to learn very nicely. After learning these perfectly, then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. So in the nine cantos of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, all these different nine manifestation of His energies are described. If we can understand... Just like if we can study the sunshine, the energy of the sun, then we can estimate the value of sun: "Oh, what sort of temperature is there." So if you want to study God, if you want to know God, then you must first of all study His energies. God is all-pervading by His energy. You study. Just the scientists, what they are studying? They are studying a portion of the energy of God, only a portion of the energy of God. That is also not perfectly. So the energy is so vast and immense that one cannot study even the energy. Therefore those who are studying about God, after finishing the study of the energies, they are at a loss to understand how so much energy can be emanated from the person. Therefore they cannot conceive any personal idea of God. The energy is so vast and immense that they are bewildered in the energy.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.154-157 -- New York, December 7, 1966:

So Lord Caitanya has explained the particular features of Kṛṣṇa, and He's giving evidence from Brahma-saṁhitā and other authentic Vedic literatures. So we have concluded that Kṛṣṇa is the origin. Origin. There are many demigods, gods, and living entities, energies, millions and millions. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). There is no estimate. But He is the origin of all. Just like in your New York City there are so many manifestation of electricity, but the origin is the powerhouse, similarly, He is the origin, powerhouse. Sarvādi, sarvāṁśī. He is the whole, and everything is part. And He is always just like a young boy of sixteen years old. And His body is transcendental, spiritual, full of bliss, eternity, and He is the shelter of everything. On Him everything is resting, and sarveśvara, He is the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.154-157 -- New York, December 7, 1966:

And, simultaneously, when He comes, all these miscreants, they are killed. They are annihilated. Vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya, and reestablishing the principle of religion. Yuge yuge sambhavāmi. The Lord says, "I come in different millenniums."

So that is going on. There are innumerable universes, which you cannot estimate, and each of the universes, the Lord is incarnating Himself by one of His plenary portions. Kṛṣṇa is present in some of the universes even now. We do not know where is that universe because we cannot see. What is information we have got? We do not know anything about this universe. We see so many stars in the night, so many sun, moon, but what do we know about them? Still, we are claiming that "We are very powerful. We are very advanced in knowledge." This is our poor fund of knowledge. Anyone who is claiming that "I am God" or "I am everything," he is a fool number one. Take it for... Immediately take as fool. What does he know? So indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam (SB 1.3.28).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.1-10 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

That is not possible for any material scientist to find out where the spiritual sky is. But you can understand from authoritative scriptures and from authorities like Lord Caitanya. He says that for each of the expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, there is a separate, I mean to say, planet into the, in the, I mean to say, spiritual sky. Pṛthak pṛthak vaikuṇṭha nāhika gaṇane. Pṛthak pṛthak. Each of them has got a separate Vaikuṇṭha planet, but how many planets are there nobody can count. Nāhika tara gaṇane.

So some estimate? The Lord says,

śata, sahasra, ayuta, lakṣa, koṭī-yojana
eka eka vaikuṇṭhera vistāra varṇana

There is no question of voidness or impersonalist. He says that all those Vaikuṇṭha planets are so big that some of them, hundreds, some, millions and millions of miles, I mean to say, area. What is called? Round. Eka vaikuṇṭhera vistāra varṇana. Vistāra means very much expanded.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.29 -- San Francisco, January 21, 1967:

The Brahman, as explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's summarizing, Brahman means the greatest. Greatest means... How we can estimate greatest? "Oh, he is the greatest rich man. He is the greatest strong man. He is greatest man of knowledge. He is greatest the man of beauty. He is greatest man of..." That is God. That's all. You find out any person in this world who is greatest rich man—you won't find. Therefore nobody's God. You find out any man, he is the greatest strong man. There is no such thing. If you find me greatest strong, and after a few days you'll find, "Oh, Bruce is stronger than Swamijī." Then, if you conclude there, you'll find, "Oh, Dvārakādhīśa is stronger than Bruce." You go on. You find stronger and weaker, both. You'll find weaker than you and stronger than you. Even if you find an elephant-he's supposed to be the strongest animal-oḥ, the lion is stronger than him.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.29 -- San Francisco, January 21, 1967:

The man is so much advanced his knowledge, so-called, that they cannot put a literature like Bhagavad-gītā or they can understand fully. Even Dr. Radhakrishnan fails and other fails.

So God means the greatest. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains on that line. Brahman means the greatest, the Supreme. And how we can estimate one's greatness? These are the symptoms of greatness. So how He can be impersonal? If the Brahman is the richest, if the Brahman is the most beautiful, if Brahman is the most learned, then where is the question of impersonality? Can any impersonal thing become learned? Can any impersonal thing can become richest? That is... Who can challenge this explanation? If you say "God is great," then how we estimate God is great? These are the symptoms. He must be great in richness. He must be great in strength. He must be great in beauty. He must be great in knowledge. He must be great in renunciation. These are the symptoms of greatness.

Initiation Lectures

Sannyasa Initiation -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

The high-court judge is selected amongst the lawyers in the court. It is not appointed from outside. The... A lawyer who has done his legal profession very nicely, the government offers him the post, that "You become a high-court judge." So this quality and work is estimated everywhere and in all circumstances. So Bhagavad-gītā recommends—Kṛṣṇa says personally, the Supreme Personality of Godhead—cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). So that process is applicable at all times. And Nārada Muni, he also gave description to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja while they were talking about the varṇāśrama. So Nārada Muni gave different symptoms of different varṇa: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra.

General Lectures

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

Student (4): Your Holiness?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Student (4): Could you estimate how many people in India have found true spirituality through Indian religion?

Prabhupāda: What do you mean by Indian religion?

Student (4): By any of the true religions which are offered in India. Not only yours, but...

Prabhupāda: You do not know what is Indian religion. The Indian religion is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Have you read Bhagavad-gītā? Then you do not know what is Indian religion. Indian religion is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says, there is no greater higher authority than Kṛṣṇa. You can accept it. At least, the Indians, they accept. So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said in the beginning that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati: (BG 4.7) "Whenever there is discrepancy in the matter of discharging religious principles, I appear." Now, if you accept this religion means the Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion or Buddhist religion, Kṛṣṇa does not propose such religion. He, at the end of Bhagavad-gītā, He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all other religious principles. You simply surrender unto Me." So religion, either you take it Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion, religion means to surrender unto God.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

Love is not definition; love is the action. Yes, love. I love God. Love is my activity. But there must be some definition of God. That also you know. You now forget. Now, in one word, they say "God is great." So how do you test one's greatness? Next point. If you say that "This man is very great," now there must be an understanding how you estimate that he is great. These are different stages of understanding. So how do you understand that God is great? What is your calculation, that from, on this point, God is great? Just like in your Bible it is said, "God said 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation." Is it not? Is it not statement? So here is greatness. He simply said, "Let there be creation," and there was creation. Can you do that? Suppose you are very nice carpenter. Can you say, "Let there be a chair," and at once there is a chair? Is it possible? Suppose you are manufacturer of this watch. Can you say that "I say, let there be watch," and there is immediately watch? That is not possible. Therefore God's name is satya-saṅkalpa.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

"Now, this material world is simply a fractional part of My creation." And what is this material world? This material world, we cannot even estimate one universe, what is the length and breadth and how many planets are there, how they are working. We have no information. And we are very proud of advancement of knowledge. And there are innumerable universes. All taken together, that is called material world. Yasya prabhā prabhavato... (Bs. 5.40).

In the Brahma-saṁhitā we get this information: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa. Jagad-aṇḍa means universes. Koṭi means innumerable, hundreds of thousands multiplied by another hundred, hundred, hundred. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that this universe is a grain of mustard seed in the bag of a mustard seeds. Just imagine.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

So we cannot imagine what is the potential power, energy of the Supreme Person, just like we cannot estimate what is the temperature of the sun globe, sun-god. It is in our front. We have got aeroplanes. We can go there. But before going there we will be finished, the temperature is so high. Everyone knows it. So if the ordinary sun-god or sun globe is such high temperature, how much higher temperature is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His potency, His power. We say God is almighty, all-powerful, but we have no idea what is meant by "all-powerful." We think that all-powerful means "I am so much powerful. He may be ten times powerful than me." Or somebody says, "twenty times." "All right, let us compromise. Fifty times." (laughter) This kind of speculation is like the frog's speculation within the well. There is a frog within the well, and one of his friends came to him, "My dear friend, I have seen a vast mass of water, Atlantic Ocean."

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: No. Your geologists have given, "It may be millions of years ago." They say like that.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They estimate.

Prabhupāda: Estimate.

Śyāmasundara: They estimate, but there must be some basis for their estimation.

Karandhara: They don't even agree amongst one another. They argue. I attended college with scientists, and they argue amongst one another. They don't agree on their own scientific evidence.

Śyāmasundara: But at least they all agree that there is several million years old, many millions of years old, at least.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Prabhupāda: That's right. There are souls, innumerable souls. Anantāya kalpate. Nobody can count how many souls are there. So all the souls are as described above. They have got the same qualities of the One, in minute quantity, but some of them are fallen. Just like in the fire there are so many sparks, but one or two may fall down from the fire. Others remains in the fire. Those who are not falling down, they are called nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated. They are never conditioned. And those who have fallen within this material world for sense gratification, they are baddha. They are called nitya-baddha, eternally conditioned. And eternally means that nobody can estimate how long one conditioned soul within this material world is existing here, because the creation is going on perpetually—sometimes manifest, sometimes nonmanifest. But the conditioned soul without Kṛṣṇa consciousness is continuing to exist in this material world. Before the creation he was there in dormant condition. Again with the manifestation he comes out. This is going on. They are conditioned.

Page Title:Estimate (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:05 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=53, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:53