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External energy (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:

So when we try to connect with the Supreme, then we can understand there is God and I am also there. We have got intimate relationship. That is explained in the Vedas. Two birds are sitting on the same tree. One bird is eating the fruit and the other bird is simply witnessing. The witnessing bird is God, Kṛṣṇa, and the eating bird is the living entity. So God is witnessing all our activities, and our mental situation. So He orders māyā, the external energy, prakṛti, that "He requires to be given a body like this," and the material nature gives the living entity a particular type of body, and they are numbering 8,400,000. So there is no certainty what kind of body I am going to get next life. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is explained that if you are situated on the mode of goodness, then you will get your place in the higher planetary system.

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 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

So the material energy is external energy, and we are trying to become happy by adjusting this external energy. That is illusion. Suppose in this life you earn lots of money, make a big balance, and have a very nice skyscraper building and good ladies and friends and position. That's nice, but when you leave this body, you do not know what you are going to become. Suppose, theoretically, you become next life a cat in the same skyscraper building, then what is your value? And there is possibility, because your next body will be awarded by nature according to your work, according to your mind, intelligence. So you may have a very good bank balance and skyscraper building and dozens of motorcar, but you have created your mind just like cats and dog, then you are getting the body of a cat and dog. The most concession will be allowed—because you have got attachment for the skyscraper building—you will be allowed to live there as a cat, that's all. This is the law of nature. So if we are wasting our time in the business of cats and dogs and hogs, just try to understand how much loss you are suffering. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving you information: don't be a loser, become a gainer.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:

Just like heat and light is the energy of the sun, similarly, Kṛṣṇa's energies... There are many energies, but they have been divided principally into three: external energy, internal energy and marginal energy. So we are living entities. We are marginal energy. Marginal means we may remain under the external energy, or we may remain under the spiritual energy, as we like. The independence is there. Yathecchasi tathā kuru: (BG 18.63) "Whatever you like, you can do." Kṛṣṇa gives this independence to Arjuna. After describing Bhagavad-gītā, He said, yathecchasi tathā kuru. He does not force. That is not good. Forceful thing will not stand. Just like we advise, "Rise early in the morning." This is advised. Not that I have to force everyone. That will... Force, I may force one day, two days, but if one does not practice it, then simply force is useless. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa does not force anyone to leave this material world. We all conditioned souls, material world, we are under the influence of the material energy. Kṛṣṇa comes here to deliver us from these clutches of material energy, that "You are suffering so much..."

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- Hyderabad, November 23, 1972:

Therefore here akṛṣṇa means the yellow. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). He's always surrounded by His intimate devotees. He's surrounded by many devotees. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, wherever He was going, thousands and thousands of people were following His saṅkīrtana, but especially He, He was always surrounded by five special devotees: śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda, śrī-advaita gadādhara, śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. He's Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya; His expansion, Nityānanda; His incarnation, Śrī Advaita Prabhu; His internal energy, Gadādhara; and His external, marginal energy, Advaita Prabhu, er, Śrīvāsa. But He has got another energy, which is called external energy. External energy cannot come in front of God, Kṛṣṇa. This is māyā. Just like darkness cannot come in front of the sun.

kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra

yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

This material world is dark. It is called tamaḥ. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya. The Vedic instruction is "Don't remain in this material world. Come to the spiritual world." Spiritual world. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-kotiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam, tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtam (Bs. 5.40). So come to the Brahman platform, brahma-jyotir. Don't remain within this darkness.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Just like father says, "My dear boy, why you are acting independently? Foolishly you are suffering. Just surrender unto me. I shall give you, I shall give you protection." Similarly Kṛṣṇa is friend like that. He's always asking. He is going with me in any type of body. Even if I get the body of a dog, Kṛṣṇa is always there with me. That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is staying within the heart of every living entity. So every living entity means He is staying even with the cats, dogs, hogs, or any lower type of animal. He has no hesitation because He is not living with him. He's living in Vaikuṇṭha, but He's so friendly that wherever this friend is going, He's also going there. He is with... As Paramātmā, He is doing friendly activities. He's sending His bona fide servant as spiritual master. He's coming as incarnation. He's coming as devotee, Lord Caitanya. He's helping us in so many ways. But we are so foolish we are not accepting Him. You see. He's so... Nobody can be better friend than Kṛṣṇa. But we are so much unfortunate, so much captivated by the external energy that we don't accept Kṛṣṇa as friend. We accept so many other things as friend. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

We are under the clutches of the external energy, or material energy. Kṛṣṇa has got multi-energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport).

Māyā means energy also. māyā means energy. And māyā means illusion also. And māyā means affection. There are different meanings of māyā. So here it is said prakṛtim... Prakṛtim and māyā. Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. He has got multi-energies. That energies have been divided into three: external energy, internal energy, and marginal energy. That you will, also, you will find in the Seventh Chapter.

Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Parā-prakṛti and aparā-prakṛti. The aparā-prakṛti is this material energy. And the parā-prakṛti is spiritual energy. There are two kinds of prakṛti. So that spiritual... Because Kṛṣṇa is spiritual whole, so His spiritual energy, prakṛtiṁ svām, that internal potency, or the spiritual energy,... so His body is spiritual. His body is not material. Therefore avyayātmā, it is imperishable. These things are to be understood. Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). Again He says ātma-māyayā. He's not forced to take birth by the external energy. He appears by His own energy, internal energy, or spiritual energy. Therefore He's avyayātmā. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

But still, just to make us fit to understand Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is describing Himself, what He is. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san, prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. He comes with His own energy. He's not forced by the external energy. We are forced. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). We, as we develop different modes of nature by the association of this external energy, we get our particular body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapatti (SB 3.31.1). But Kṛṣṇa does not do so.

We have to first of all understand it that Kṛṣṇa is not forced by karma. We are forced by karma. Therefore we have got different bodies. But Kṛṣṇa is not... Although He appears in different incarnation... Keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra, keśava dhṛta-kūrma-śarīra, keśava dhṛta-varāha-śarīra, nṛsiṁha-śarīra. So Kṛṣṇa, when He comes as a boar incarnation, He's not ordinary hog and pig. These things are to be understood. He is the bhūtānām īśvaraḥ in whatever form He likes to come. That is His pleasure. Ātma-māyayā. He comes in His ātma-māyayā, not by force by the external energy. That is the conclusion.

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

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Devotee: Well, I don't fully understand in this... Something about Subhadrā. Is the relation to...?

Prabhupāda: Subhadrā? Subhadrā is the sister of Kṛṣṇa, and she is incarnation of Durgā.

Devotee: Subhadrā is the external, external energy? Is Subhadrā in the spiritual world? Is Subhadrā in the spiritual world?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Devotee: She's in the spiritual world?

Prabhupāda: No. In one sense, she is also in spiritual world because she is energy of Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa's energy is also eternal. So wherever Kṛṣṇa is there, His energy is there. But her activities are in the material world.

Just like a king is there, and he has got all kinds of officers with him, but some officer is engaged in the government house. Other officers, they are engaged outside the government house. The officers who have got engagement outside the government house they may be sitting with Kṛṣṇa, may be sitting with the governor or the king, but he has no business within the government house. In the government house there is a particular secretary, particular man in charge.

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

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

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

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

Punar janma naiti, does not mean that soul is finished. No. This body, material body, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This material body, when it is dissolved, pañcatvaṁ prāpta, mixes with these five elements, earth, water, fire, air, it does not mean that the soul is finished. The soul is there. The soul is transmigrating to another body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). By the supervision of the external energy, and superior superintendent, we are transferred to a different body by the subtle body, mana, buddhi, ahaṅkāra. But these foolish people, they do not know how the soul is... They do not know what is soul and how the soul is being transferred. But these things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like we cannot see the flavor, but when the flavor passes through carried by the air, we can smell. Similarly, we can smell how the soul is being transferred. These processes are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

Just like I am speaking, it is being recorded. When it will be replayed, you will hear the same sound, but still, it is separated from me. Similarly, this material nature is also Kṛṣṇa's nature.

Nothing is beyond Kṛṣṇa. There are two nature: the spiritual nature and material nature. So material nature means external energy, and spiritual nature means internal energy. And we, we are also spiritual nature, marginal. We can remain either in the material nature or in the spiritual nature. Therefore we are marginal nature. There are three natures: external, internal and marginal. So so long we are in the material nature, external nature, we are unhappy. This is the position.

Just like a fish, when it is put into the land, it is unhappy, or death. Similarly, if you, the creature of the land, if you are put into the water, you are unhappy. And death. So because we belong to the spiritual nature... As it is explained by Kṛṣṇa, that this material nature is aparā, aparā. Aparā means inferior, not fit for us. Therefore we are unhappy. So long we shall remain in the material nature, we must be unhappy.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

In the Bhāgavata the answer is they, they're all self-interested, but they do not know what is self-interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha. Bahir-artha means external energy, material energy. They are thinking by material adjustment they will be happy. But they do not know that self-interest is how to be again connected with Viṣṇu, svārtha-gatim. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Or to become Vaiṣṇava. Viṣṇur asya devatā iti vaiṣṇava.(?) Vaiṣṇava means one who has accepted Viṣṇu as everything. As Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

This is our business. But nobody is interested. Na te viduḥ. They do not know that this is the interest. This is the only interest, how to become reconnected with Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. Therefore we have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They do not know. Everyone, cent percent, the whole population of the world, they do not know. So rascal, so fool, they do not know their interest.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). Durāśayā, with the hope against hope which will be never fulfilled. Therefore it is called durāśayā. Why? Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are interested with this external energy. So this is our problem. But the rascals, they do not know. Śāstra... Therefore we have to consult śāstra. What is our problem, we have to consult śāstra. And śāstra, how we can consult śāstra. Śāstra, we have to go somebody who knows śāstra. Therefore the Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, śrotriyam (MU 1.2.12). If you want to know what is your actual interest, then you have to approach a guru. And who is guru? Śrotriyam, who knows śāstra. Śrotriyam. And not only knows, but the result must be there, brahma-niṣṭham, means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Brahma-niṣṭham means fully dependent on Kṛṣṇa.

This is the process. We must know, we must find out guru who knows śāstra, the essence of śāstra, Vedic, Vedas. What is the essence of Vedas? Vedānta. Vedānta means to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa says. All... There are different types of Vedas. Sāma, Yajur, Ṛk, Atharva. Then one-hundred-eight Upaniṣads. Then Vedānta-sūtra. Then Purāṇas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata. And the viṁśati, twenty kinds of dharma-śāstra, Manu-saṁhitā. So many things.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Just like a woman. Natural position is to remain dependent on man. That is natural position. But if some woman artificially tries to become man or master, that is suffering. That is suffering. We have given this example that in India the women, they voluntarily surrender to the subjugation of the husband, but there are many families, hundreds and thousands even—they are happy. That's a fact. And in the Western countries they want to remain independent, so they are not happy. This is my study because I have seen the Western world and the Eastern world. Similarly, naturally, a woman is dependent.

Similarly, we are, we are prakṛti. Prakṛti means one who is controlled. That is called prakṛti. And puruṣa means the controller. So our position in this material world, that we have revolted against Kṛṣṇa, "Why should we, shall I serve Kṛṣṇa?" Therefore we are subjugated by the external energy, Kṛṣṇa's energy, material nature. We are not supposed to be controlled by material nature so that we are now under the jurisdiction of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energy... Śakti-śakti-mator abhinnā. Kṛṣṇa's energy is also controller, Durgā. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā is the śakti, external energy. She has got also immense power. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana. The material nature is very strong, creating, maintaining and destroying. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-śaktiḥ chāyeva. But she's acting under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).

Material energy is very strong, very powerful. You can know that. If there is a strong, a strong storm immediately, so many houses, so many trees and plants can be immediately uprooted. Material nature. If there is big storm in the ocean, it can inundate many cities, many towns. Material energy is very, very strong. That is stated, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). So we are under the control of the material nature.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

At the same time, Kṛṣṇa, energy, they are varieties. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Kṛṣṇa is one, but His energies are multi-different energies. So you can take shelter of different energies or Kṛṣṇa directly. The best thing is to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa directly. That is intelligence. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

But we prefer to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's energy. That is also external energy, this material nature. So Kṛṣṇa has given us chance. You can work hard in this material energy, but that will not help you. Therefore, those who are devotees, they also take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's energy. That is internal energy, not external energy. Internal. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Daivīṁ prakṛtim means internal energy.

So our business is that we have to take shelter. Instead of taking shelter of the external energy... That is also Kṛṣṇa. There is no doubt. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's energy: nondifferent. But that is not very beneficial to us. We have to take shelter of the internal energy. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Daivīṁ prakṛtim means internal energy.

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

"Those who are always engaged in mischievous activities, those who are fools, those who are lowest of the mankind, and those whose knowledge has been deluded by the external energy, they do not make their surrender unto the Supreme Lord." But there are other persons who are virtuous. They are considered that ārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha (BG 7.16). There are other persons who are distressed and in need of some wealth or inquisitive or really research worker in the field of understanding what is the Absolute Truth. And this morning we were discussing in the morning class that the person who are research scholar in the matter of understanding the nature of Kṛṣṇa, transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, he is called jñānī, or philosopher, and he is accepted, with bhakti, with devotional service, he is accepted as special for the attention of the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

He has used very strong words, that persons who are miscreants, do not care for vice or virtue, never mind—they don't care which is vice and which is virtue—such persons, duṣkṛtina, those who are always engaged in vicious work, and those who are foolish... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. And māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ, and one whose knowledge is deluded by the external energy. These people, they do not take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa. They do not like, although the opportunity is open for everyone. But we may not be like the miscreants, foolish, and lowest of the mankind. Let us become intelligent.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

The same example. Just like the fire has got two energies, heat and light. So whenever there is heat, there must be fire. And whenever there is light, there must be fire. You cannot say that "Heat is here, light is here, but fire is not here." No, that you cannot say. As soon as even smoke is there, the fire is there. Even the smoke. This māyā, external energy, is considered as the smoke of the fire. But in the smoke also, you can perceive fire. And in the light also, you can perceive fire. In heat also, you can perceive fire. There are three things smoke, light, and heat—from fire. So one who is realized soul, he sees everywhere the connection of fire. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. He can see. This is advancement.

Just like we are offering Kṛṣṇa something prepared. So how it becomes prasādam? Others will see that "The same ḍāl, bhāta, luci or halavā, we are also preparing. How these people are calling it prasādam? And why they take with so respect?" Prasādam, that is also Kṛṣṇa. That is also.... This is the process to understand, as I have already said. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). For the neophytes, by taking prasādam, by thinking the taste of water, Kṛṣṇa, he will gradually develop his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is dormant. It is not artificial. Simply by certain process it has to be awakened. It is not something foreign.

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

So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "Because people are very much illusioned by this external energy..." The material energy is called external energy. "Because people are deluded by this external, by the glimmer of this external energy, they have forgotten that their self-interest is Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And they are conducting their life, general process of life in a manner..."

How? Now, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ: "Just like one blind man is leading several other blind men." That's all. He is the leader. A blind man has become the leader of several other blind man. So what benefit is there? If the man is blind, how can he... Because blind... Why blind? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Īśa-tantra, īśa-tantra means by the laws of God or by the laws of nature, they are bound up tight, hands and feet, and they are trying to get free from the control of the nature.

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

imilarly, 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. Their eyes... Our, because we are very small, so our senses, the capacity of the senses, they are also limited. Although we have got all the qualities, because fire and a spark of fire qualitatively the same, but quantitatively different. Similarly, we are Brahman, and Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman, 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 7.1 -- Bombay, January 13, 1973:

This is our relationship. We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is asking here: mayy āsakta. We are eternally related with Kṛṣṇa, but now, under the influence of this material energy or illusory, external energy, we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You have to divert your attention, attachment, to Me." Mayy āsakta. Mayi. Kṛṣṇa says mayi. Mayy āsakta. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Mind has to be always fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. This yoga has to be practiced. As Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did: sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). He always... He was a great emperor. He had many business, political and maintenance of the kingdom. He was always busy, great emperor of the whole world, but still he fixed up his mind always on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is called kṛṣṇa-āsakti. Kṛṣṇa-āsakti. Mayi, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Mind has to be fixed with Kṛṣṇa. The process is very simple. Process is very simple. Everyone, at home, in any condition of life, he can fix up his mind in Kṛṣṇa. Our mind has to be fixed in something, because mind is never vacant. It is always fixed up or attached to some, something. Not for a second our mind is vacant. So this vacancy has to be filled up by the presence of Kṛṣṇa. That is perfect yoga.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. The aim of life is to understand Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are trying to become happy in the bahir-artha, in the external energy of God, material energy. And the so-called leaders, politicians, philosophers, scientists, they're all blind. They do not know what is the aim of life. Still, they are leading the whole society.

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās
te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ
(SB 7.5.31)

Uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Uru means very strong, and dāmni means rope. Just like if I tie you with very strong rope, it is very difficult to open it, and you are put into difficulty. Similarly, we are in this material world uru-dāmni baddhāḥ, tied very tight with the laws of material nature. And we are declaring still, "I am free. I am independent, I can do whatever I like." This is called imperfection. So long we are in the bodily concept of life and think ourself that we are free to do anything, whatever we like, we are in ignorance, darkness, tama. Tama means darkness.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa expands by His energy, one of the energy, external energy. Therefore it is called aparā. Kṛṣṇa will explain in the next verse, apareyam, inferior energy. For Kṛṣṇa there is no superior or inferior, but for us it is superior and inferior. Because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spirit soul. Take, for example, just like electricity is producing heat and cool also. There is refrigerator. That is being worked out by the electric energy. And the heater is also being worked out by the electric energy. So we may distinguish this, that "This is heat and this is cold." But for Kṛṣṇa there is no such distinction. That will be understood by further explanation of this chapter.

So these energies, the external energy, Kṛṣṇa says, they are separated. Separated means you cannot perceive Kṛṣṇa directly from this energy. All materialistic scientists, they cannot understand that earth is also Kṛṣṇa's energy, water is also Kṛṣṇa's energy, fire is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. But they are energy, that they can understand. They are accepting... The scientists, they are accepting that these are different energies, but whose energy, that they do not know.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

Species. He may become a dog, and he may become a demigod also, according to his karma. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. Api. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni (BG 9.25). So according to his karma, he gets the next body. There is no guarantee that he'll get human body. Therefore it is very risky civilization at the modern time. They do not know what is the goal of life. Simply like cats and dogs, they are eating, sleeping, having sex life and dying. That's all. They do not know. Very risky life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). This is the statement of the śāstra, "These rascals, they do not know that what is the goal of life, to understand Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa." Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). In the external energy of Kṛṣṇa, this bhūmir āpo... Bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir artha means this external, separated energy, material en... They are trying to become happy by adjustment of this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). They are implicated with this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, external. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. So they are andha, blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. And they are leading other blind men. That's all.

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

So if we think over all these material objects, then actually, at the end we come to the platform of spirit soul. And the spirit soul, being part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, then ultimately you come to Kṛṣṇa. As such, Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything—janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1)—both material and spiritual. There are different kinds of energies of Kṛṣṇa. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). This material energy is one of them. It is called external energy. Just like my body, your body is external energy, similarly, the whole material manifestation, cosmic manifestation, is manifestation of the external energy of Kṛṣṇa.

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

Similarly, God's effulgence is the cause of material things also. That is explained in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). The five elements... (break) ...have been summarized into three: external energy, internal energy, and marginal energy. The external energy is this material expansion, manifestation. Similarly, there is internal energy, the spiritual world manifestation, and in between them there is another energy called marginal energy, taṭastha, that we are, we living entities. We are His marginal energy. Marginal energy means we can live either in this external energy or in the internal energy, in between. So at the present moment we are living in the external energy. But this external energy is also Kṛṣṇa's energies, God's energy. It is not different from Him. But the external energy means we are captivated by the external energy. But the external energy is not permanent. The internal energy is permanent. The spiritual world is permanent, and we are also permanent, jīva-bhūta. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

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

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to transfer oneself from this external energy to the internal energy. That is the purpose of all Vedic literature. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). To understand God and go back to home, back to Godhead, that is perfection of life. So here we are in the God's energy. There is no doubt. Mayā tatam, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). Everything. Bhūtāni means all living entities, anything which has grown. The trees, the plants, the hills, the ocean, the sky—everything is resting in God's energy. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ. But it is not that... The pantheists, they think that "If God has expanded in everything, then whatever I worship, that is God's worship." No. That is the... Kṛṣṇa said, "No, that you cannot take."

Lecture on BG 12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974:

As soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, as soon as you surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no more jurisdiction of māyā upon you. Then you are free. To become liberation, liberated, means to become liberated from the controller of māyā. That is liberation. Therefore, those who are devotees, they are already liberated. They are not under the control of the external energy.

māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
(BG 14.26)

People are trying to become Brahman without caring for Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible, sir.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

Just like yesterday one boy and girl came, he's poet. I asked him, "What poetry you write? What is the subject matter?" No subject matter. No subject matter. (laughter) This is pāgal, Pāgal means "mad." Piśācī pāile yena mati-cchana haya māyār grasta jīvera sei dāsa upajaya. Piśācī, ghost. Ghostly haunted. A person, when he becomes ghostly haunted, he speaks all kinds of nonsense. So māyā grasta jīvera sei dāsa upajaya. Those who have come to this material world under the influence of the external energy of Kṛṣṇa, māyā, they are all madmen.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:

But we do not know it. We are so much captivated by the external energy, māyā, that the whole program is how to forget Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But our real aim of life is to know our relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). They are trying to become happy within this material world. Durāśayā ye bahir artha-māninaḥ. Bahiḥ, bahiḥ means external energy. God has got parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He has got multi-energies. All these multi-energies have been grossly divided into three: the external energy, the internal energy, and the marginal energy. So we living entities, we are the marginal energy. Marginal means between the two: spiritual energy and material energy. At the present moment, those who are in this material world, we are under the influence of material energy.

But we can get out of this material energy by bhagavad-bhakti. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etān taranti te. By our surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, we can get out of these clutches of external energy and again become under the internal energy. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivī prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Now we are under the influence of mahāmāyā. When we put ourselves under the influence of yogamāyā, then we again go back to home, back to Godhead. So this is a great science and Vedic literature profusely has described this science, how to get out of these clutches of external energy. That Kṛṣṇa says in the next verse, ṛṣibhir bahudhā gītam.

Lecture on BG 13.15 -- Bombay, October 9, 1973:

Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, when he was describing Kṛṣṇa was playing with the cowherd boys, he is remarking, "Now, who are these cowherd boys?" Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ: "They have accumulated the highest stock of pious activities; therefore they are now playing with the Supreme Lord." What is this Kṛṣṇa? Itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā: "Those who are after Brahman, impersonal Brahman, those who after the happiness of brahma-sukha, here is the source of that Brahman." Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. Here is the source of that Brahman. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena: "Those who are devotees," dāsyaṁ gatānām, "those who have accepted the servitude of the Lord, for them, here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para... And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa: "And those who are under the influence of the external energy, māyā, they are thinking an ordinary human being, boy, nara-dārakeṇa. "But those who are playing with Him," sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11), they have accumulated pious activities for many, many lives. Now they are allowed to play with the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Bombay, October 25, 1973:

Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. These rascals are interested to adjust things materially. That's all. Durāśayā. It is called durāśayā, which hope will never be fulfilled. Therefore it is called durāśayā. The bahir-artha-māninaḥ, external energy. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Andhāḥ, blind leaders, they are leading other blind men. They do not know. They are under the stringent laws of material nature. What their program will fulfilled? Just like see, so many plans are being made, but the result is rice is selling at six rupees kilo. This is the result. The poor man... They are making so many plans, increasing wallet(?), (fault?) material comforts, but the poor man is still poor man. As I have several times told you, fifty years ago when I came to Bombay, I saw there are person care of foot path. Still there are under care of footpath.

Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

This tree, being the reflection of the real tree, is an exact replica. Everything is there in the spiritual world. The impersonalists take Brahmā to be the root of this material tree, and from the root, according to sāṅkhya philosophy, come prakṛti, puruṣa, then the three guṇas, then the five gross elements (pañca-mahābhūta), then the ten senses (daśendriya), mind, etc. In this way they divide up the whole material world. If Brahmā is the center of all manifestations, then this material world is a manifestation of the center by 180 degrees, and the other 180 degrees constitute the spiritual world. The material world is the perverted reflection, so the spiritual world must have the same variegatedness, but in reality. The prakṛti is the external energy of the Supreme Lord, and the puruṣa is the Supreme Lord Himself, and that is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Since this manifestation is material, it is temporary. A reflection is temporary, for it is sometimes seen and sometimes not seen.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

So na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). People do not know. (break)... svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. Real self-interest is to become Vaiṣṇava, servitor of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇur asya devatā iti vaiṣṇava. That is real self-interest. Why people do not become Vaiṣṇava? Generally they worship various demigods-devotee of Lord Śiva, devotee of Goddess Kali, Durgā, so many. But they have been condemned by Bhagavad-gītā, spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself: kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānā yajante anya-devatāḥ. Hṛta-jñānāḥ. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives his comment: hṛta-jñānāḥ naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ, "One who has lost his intelligence, they are inclined to worship other demigods." Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). Because they do not know what is his self-interest. He thinks that his self-interest is to give comfort to this body, the senses, sense-gratification. That is his misguided self-interest. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir-artha means external energy. This body, gross body and the subtle body, they are made of the external energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4).

Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:

The whole aim of life is to achieve the favor of Viṣṇu. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. That is the Ṛg-Veda mantra. To reach Viṣṇu. But they do not know the goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. Anyone, or any society who does not know the aim of life, they are in the darkness. Actually, at the present moment especially, the whole human society has missed the point. They are trying to be happy by material adjustment. By social adjustment, by political adjustment, by economic adjustment, or by religious adjustment, they are trying to make the whole human society happy, but Bhāgavata says, durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. This is something which is beyond the fulfillment of hopes. This hope will never be fulfilled. Durāśayā. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Because they have accepted the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bahir-artha.

Lecture on SB 1.2.32 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

These are analyzed, what is the nature of the Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. How He is? What He is? Immediately the answer is janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "From Him, everything is emanating." Everything is taking birth from Him. Janma. Not only janma, birth, but existence, maintenance, janmādi. Janmādi means birth, maintenance and death. Creation, maintenance and annihilation. Janmādi. Asya, anything you take, asya. Janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1). Janmādy asya yataḥ. From whom everything is emanating, everything is taking birth, this cosmic manifestation, it is being maintained in Him. And again, when it is annihilated, it enters into His own energy. Prakṛtiṁ māṁ gacchati. From His prakṛti, from His energy, Kṛṣṇa's energies, external energy, these five elements come out—earth, water, fire, air, sky. Five gross elements and three subtle elements—mind, intelligence ego. This is the eight, these are the eight elements of material creation. Then all the living entities, those who wanted to enjoy this material world, they are impregnated within this material energy and they come out with different bodies for enjoying different types of sufferings of happiness. There is no happiness; it is all suffering, but we take: "It is happiness." That is called illusion.

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

So the laws of nature is working. I am under, completely under the laws of nature. I may declare independence falsely. That doesn't matter. Nature's work will go on. And what is that nature's work? Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). Nature is also Kṛṣṇa's nature. This material nature is Kṛṣṇa's nature. So material nature is not bad itself. She is also engaged in service of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the police force. Police force, as the department of government, is not bad. It is doing faithfully service to the government. It is bad to me because I am criminal. Otherwise police force as it is, department, is not bad. Do you think that government is maintaining a nonsense bad department? No. It is serving the government. But it is bad for the criminals. Similarly, this māyā, the external energy, the māyā, it is bad for those who are godless, who are rascals. For them, māyā is there. Otherwise, for devotee, there is no influence of māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.5.28 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:

Great soul means not crippled souls, those who are anxious to meet the great, or the Supreme Brahman, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those who are crippled souls, they are entangled with the limited circle of material enjoyment. But mahātmā... Mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Mahātmās are not interested within this material world. They are not under the influence of the external energy. Of course, nowadays it is... Sometimes politicians are called "mahātmā." But that is not the purpose of mahātmā. Mahātmā is not interested with politics or sociology or... They are all material things. Or philanthropy. They are interested with the Supreme: Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). They're interested. Especially mahātmā is he who is interested with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.5.28 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:

Every kṛṣṇa-bhakta, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, is mahātmā, real mahātmā. How it is? Kṛṣṇa says, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ (BG 9.13). That is mahātmā. Mahātmā does not mean that if you dress yourself with a certain colored cloth and have some big hairs and beards, then you become mahātmā, no. The mahātmā is he... Who? Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ: "He is not under the influence of this external energy." Daivī-prakṛti means... There are two prakṛtis, two natures: internal and external. Internal energy is spiritual energy, and external energy is material energy. So mahātmās, they are not under material energy.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

There is a place, Śamyāprāsa, above Haridvāra, there Vyāsadeva's āśrama was situated on the river Brahmanadī, Sarasvatī, on the western side, paścime taṭe. Ṛṣīṇāṁ satra-vardhanaḥ, there all the great sages and saintly persons used to perform sacrifice. Tasmin āśrame, tasmin sva āśrame vyāso badarī-ṣaṇḍa-maṇḍite (SB 1.7.3), the āśrama was surrounded by berry trees, badarī-ṣaṇḍa. Ṣaṇḍa means trees. Āsīno 'pa upaspṛśya praṇidadhyau manaḥ svayam. So in that āśrama... Formerly, big, big saintly persons, they used to live in forest āśrama. Now they have to come far away from āśrama to South Africa because people have forgotten. Formerly, big, big persons, they used to visit the āśrama, but nowadays people are not interested. Anartha. They are captivated by the material, external energy. It is said that... Not only now, formerly also, but formerly the number of people who were not interested were very, very small. At the present moment, the number of interested people are very, very small. That is the difference. Kali-yuga. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He inaugurated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that people in this age are no more interested in their value of life. They are in darkness. Therefore Vaiṣṇava, under the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, should go door to door, country to country, town to town, and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness for their benefit.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

So Vyāsadeva, he is also living entity, although he is empowered, so apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam, he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam, and the back side is māyā. Māyā means the external energy. Just like if you stand facing the sun, the back side of your, there is a big shadow, that is māyā. So both things are there, the puruṣam, the Kṛṣṇa, and the māyā also. Both things he saw. But He is not affected by māyā. This is the special significance of Kṛṣṇa. Although māyā is there, he says, māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. Māyā is there, but Kṛṣṇa is not influenced by māyā, but He is controller of māyā. Therefore He is described, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara means controller. We are controlled by māyā, but Kṛṣṇa is the controller of māyā. That is the difference. We are not controller; we are controlled. In the next verse, it is described, therefore, yayā sammohito jīva (SB 1.7.5). This māyā is illusion, is illusion to the jīva, to the living entities, not to Kṛṣṇa. One who thinks Kṛṣṇa as like us, they are mistaken. Mūḍha. They have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: (BG 9.11) "Because I am come just like a human being, these rascals, mūḍhas, asses..." Mūḍha means asses.

Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:

So our present position is like this, that sammohita, bewildered, puzzled by māyā. We are eternal part and parcel of God, but on account of being enchanted by this material energy, or external energy of God, we have forgotten ourself, and we are now entangled. We have forgotten our goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). The conditioned soul... Conditioned soul means the living being, the spirit soul who is conditioned by these laws of material nature. The laws of material nature is that you have to accept a certain type of body according to your propensity. We create propensity. And Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He gives you the facility: "All right." Just like the tiger. He wants to suck blood. Or any man, if he wants to suck blood, then he will be given the facility of a tiger's body. If a person has no discrimination in eating—whatever available, he can eat—then he will be given facility of become a pig. Up to stool, he can eat.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

This is Māyāvāda philosophy. "Because māyā has covered me, you and everyone, therefore māyā has covered Kṛṣṇa. Unless Kṛṣṇa or the Absolute Truth, Brahman, becomes covered by māyā, he cannot take a form." This is Māyāvāda philosophy. As we have taken form, because the prakṛti, material nature, has helped us to take this form, similarly, their philosophy is, even the Absolute Truth, Brahman, He incarnates, He accepts a body of this material nature.

But that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇa said, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā: (BG 4.6) "I am not external energy. I come in My own energy." And the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not understand. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ. Therefore they have been described as mūḍhāḥ, asses, fools, rascals. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: (BG 9.11) "Because I have come here in the form of a human being, they take it for acceptance that 'Kṛṣṇa is another human being.' " But that is not fact.

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

So Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa in every respect, and if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa-sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18)—if we fix up our mind always at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then everything will follow very perfectly. That is promised by Kṛṣṇa. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). If one is engaged always in love and affection... Not as official love. Ecstatic love, spontaneous, that is wanted. That example is here in Vṛndāvana. At least, as we get information of Vṛndāvana from the śāstras, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how spontaneously the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana—the gopīs and the cowherds boys and the birds, beasts, the calves, the animals, the trees, everyone, even the flies, the bees, the insect, even the dust, the grass—everyone is..., they are all cinmaya, spiritual. They are not material. But they are attracted to Kṛṣṇa in different varieties. (break)

...varieties are not of matter. 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.

Lecture on SB 1.7.23 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1976:

So you have to remain with Kṛṣṇa in some relationship. Here our relationship is through this external energy, māyā. The relationship is there. Although we have tried to give up our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa has not given up. Kṛṣṇa is always with you. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). He is within your heart. Why? Just to give you association. Now we are rebelled. You want to do something independently. Kṛṣṇa also has agreed, "All right. You do independently. But it is not possible for you to live independently. That is not possible. So I'll give you sanction for independent living." Just see how Kṛṣṇa is friend. You cannot live independently. That is not possible. Because you are aṁśa. Aṁśa means part and parcel. Just like this finger. Finger is finger so long he's with the body; otherwise who cares his finger? Suppose a finger is cut and thrown in the street. Who cares for it? The finger is important so long it is with the body. Similarly, we are always with Kṛṣṇa indirectly or directly. But here Arjuna sees sākṣāt, directly. But we are forced to accept Kṛṣṇa indirectly, māyā. Arjuna is māyāṁ vyudasya. He has no intervention by māyā. And we have got intervention by māyā. Therefore we cannot see Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is always there. Kṛṣṇa is always there.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :

So Kuntī knew it, that "We are..., we fought the battle of Kurukṣetra, but actually Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor." Therefore he is..., she is offering her prayer, namasye puruṣaṁ tvā, "You are puruṣam." Puruṣam means the enjoyer. Kṛṣṇa is not addressed as a, a female. Just like there are, not in your country, in India there are many devotees of Durgā, that they take Durgā as the supreme. Durgā is supreme, the supreme power and energy within this material world. The supreme energy, that is external energy, that is called Durgā. Durgā means "very difficult to overcome." The, everyone is trying to overcome the difficulties of this material world, but it is very, very difficult. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā: "You cannot surpass the stringent laws of material nature." You cannot. This is our struggle for existence. Material nature is offering some difficulty, and we are trying to overcome them. This is called struggle for existence, and this is going on lfe after life. Any life, either human form of life or animal form of life, the struggle is there. There must be always anxiety, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt, because we have accepted this material body, or this material world.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

So somebody says that Kṛṣṇa appeared for this purpose, somebody says Kṛṣṇa appeared for this purpose, but the real conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa appeared for His own pleasure. Not, not being bound by any cause. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent. Just like we take our birth being bound by the cause of our karma. Kṛṣṇa does not come being bound up by somebody's request or by His karma. He comes out of His free will. Ātma-māyayā. It is said ātma-māyayā. He's not compelled by another's māyā. Just like we are compelled by the energy of Kṛṣṇa, external energy, this material energy. We are compelled to take birth. Kṛṣṇa does not take birth in such condition. Ātma-māyayā. Not by the... Because māyā is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. So how māyā can control Kṛṣṇa? One who thinks that Kṛṣṇa is also like us, controlled by māyā, they are called mūḍhas. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Read the purport little.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974:

Bahir-artha-māninaḥ means they are thinking, "By utilizing this external energy, material world, we shall be happy." Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that, especially for the human being, the destination is to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). All these Vedic literatures, all these philosophy, science and everything... That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, yad uttama-śloka-guṇānuvarṇanam (SB 1.5.22). You may be talented in so many ways. You may be very big man, politician or philosopher or chemist or physicist. So many we are; we are occupied. So why you should become big man? What is the purpose? The purpose is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Intelligent. So whatever talent you have got, it doesn't matter. Whatever you may be. You may be engineer. But if you are intelligent actually, through engineering, you'll describe Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa is the greatest engineer so that He's keeping all the planets floating in the air. That is engineer. You cannot do it.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:

Now we are under the control of this external energy, material energy. We have become controlled, just like we become controlled by the prison authorities when we are criminals, not ordinarily. Ordinarily we are free. Those who are not within the walls of prison house, they are free. They are acting wherever they like they are going, but within the law. Similarly we have got freedom. There are living entities, their number is greater. Nitya-mukta, ever liberated. They live in the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭha planets. Nitya-mukta. Nitya-mukta means eternally liberated. They never come down in this material world. And we are nitya-baddha-ever conditioned, eternally conditioned.

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

When death will come, will catch you by your neck and throw you away, your independence, nonsense independence... What is the value of this independence? Be independent from the clutches of māyā. No more death—that is independence. That is independence. No more birth—oh, that is independence. No more death. Otherwise what is the meaning of independence? You are not independent. You are under the clutches of māyā. You are struggling. You are struggling to get out of the clutches of māyā or the material nature, external energy of God. You are trying to make nice medicine to get out of the attack of disease. But you can manufacture a better medicine, but you cannot get out of disease. That is not possible. This is struggle. Now we have manufactured such a nice medicine that cancer or any other disease will not attack us. That is very nice. But find out some medicine that death will not attack you. "Oh, that is not possible." Then where is the meaning of your advancement?

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

They do not know what is the solution of world problems. What is that solution? They do not know the solution is svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum, your interest is to love God. Unfortunately, you have been misled, durāśayā, by a false hope. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ, by external energy. The leaders... Now we are preaching love of God, nobody is interested. But if we had given some political bluff that "Here will be such and such party's meeting, and it will give you heaven hand to hand," oh, people will throng. You see. Because they are cheating. Satya bole ta mare lakta(?). There is a nice poet, he says that if you tell the truth, people will come with their logs to hurt you. And chuta jagat bolai(?): and if you bluff them, they will be very nicely follower. This is the position. Actually, this is the solution. It is not that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement or Bhaktivedanta Swami who has started, he has concocted this idea." No. It is standard. You come to argument, to reason. This formula that your interest is to love God. You have no other interest in this human form of life. Then your problems of life will be solved. Otherwise there is no possibility. If any other person is giving you any other idea, he's simply misleading you.

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

So the answer is, when somebody asks you that "When one has become in contact with this material nature?" He has not become in contact. He is thinking by the influence of the external energy. Just like the same example: A man is dreaming; there is no contact with tiger. Actually he has no contact with that. Similarly, actually we are not fallen. We cannot be fallen. But we have created a situation that we are, become... Try to understand understand. It is very important point. We have simply created a situation. We have not created a situation, Kṛṣṇa has given us a situation. Because we wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa has given an opportunity: "All right. Imitate. You want to be imitation king in the stage. So feel like this. Play like this. Do like this. People will applaud. 'Oh, a very nice king, very nice.' " That is the... So everyone in this material world, they are playing some part. They wanted, "I want to be prime minister." "All right."

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

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. We are not fallen. We are thinking fallen. So we have to give up this nonsense thinking. Then we are liberated.

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.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

We forget that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa" by forgetfulness. That is explained. What is that? Ātma-māyām ṛte rājan. Ātma-māyā. It is a illusion. That forgetful... Actually there is no forgetfulness. I should not forget, but because I am illusioned, therefore I forget. Because... I forget means I am illusioned. Ātma-māyā. Influenced by the modes of material... The one who is most influenced by the modes of material nature, they forget. Just like you are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. But others, they are not worshiping. They are to be awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It does not mean they are actually separate from Kṛṣṇa. But they have to be awakened. They say man is not dead, he is sleeping. But he has to be awakened. As soon as he is awakened, he remembers immediately. This is called svapna-citta-nyāya. I am sleeping, forgetting everything. I am in a different place. But as soon as I am awakened I remember, "Oh, I have to do this, I have to go there." So this forgetfulness is a temporary illusion, that's all. Actually we don't forget. It is temporary. Ātma-māyām ṛte. It is only it is action of God's external energy. Because I wanted to forget Kṛṣṇa, therefore Kṛṣṇa has helped me in forgetting Him by His own illusory energy. Have saṅkīrtana. (end)

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

Pradyumna: "There is no predominance of the influence of time, so what to speak of the illusory, external energy that cannot enter in that region. Without discrimination, both the demigods and the demons worship the Lord as devotees."

Prabhupāda: So this is the description, beginning, just to get an idea of the spiritual world. Unless we go there... Just like we have come to Japan. We are getting direct experience. But before coming here, from books and literature and maps—it is an example—we can get some information, what is Japan. Similarly, the spiritual world, what is that spiritual world, in other places, in Upaniṣad also describes. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, this description, na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candro na pāvakaḥ (BG 15.6). There is no need of sunlight, moonlight, what to speak of the stars, neither na pāvakaḥ, neither electricity. Na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candro na pāvakaḥ. Here in this material world we cannot see things without sunlight, moonlight or electricity. We are proud of our eyes, but as soon as there is no light... Now there is sunlight; we can see very nicely. The spiritual world is not like that. There is no need of sunlight, moonlight or electricity. The first impression is there in the Bhagavad-gītā.

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

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.

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

But Kṛṣṇa or His incarnation, when He comes, it does not depend on His karma, because He is above karma. He is fully independent. Therefore it is said, ātma-māyayā: "by His own energy," not by any external energy, forced by. Just like if the governor goes to the prison house, it is not that he has been forced to come to the prison, he is a condemned person, no. He goes there out of his good will to see how things are going on. But when an ordinary person is put into jail, he has been forced. He has been proved a criminal. So if the criminal thinks that "Here is governor. Now we are one, the governor and myself, one..." The pocket, pickpocket, criminal, if he thinks like that, that... Similarly, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Therefore rascals and fools, they think Kṛṣṇa is one of them, the same thing, as the criminal thinks the governor, as... Mahatma Gandhi went to jail, and if a pickpocket thinks that "Now Mahatma Gandhi and myself are the same..." No. Therefore it is said, ātma-māyayā. Mahatma Gandhi went to jail just to show the people: "Now, if you want to drive away the Britishers, so disobey their law, and they will put us into jail, and that jail will be effective." Jail svarājyake mandira hai. Mahatma Gandhi said. That was a policy, not that Mahatma Gandhi had to go to jail; he was a fit (?) for that person. Similarly, this is an example.

Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:

Just like they think that eating, sitting..., eating and sleeping and sex life and then die. They're like animal life. This is not human life. Human life must know what is the aim of life. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). These foolish people, they are trying to be happy-durāśayā. Durāśayā means the hope will never be fulfilled. That is called durāśayā. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. These external... Here is called ātma-māyayā. But there is another māyā. This māyā is external māyā, external energy. That is this material world. They are trying to be happy in this material world by adjusting material things. That is called durāśā. It will be, never be fulfilled.

Therefore in the history we see, there have been so many material leaders, but they died simply working hard. They could not make things very properly adjusted. There was Napoleon, there was Hitler, there was Gandhi, there was Nehru, there were so many leaders. But nobody could adjust. This is not possible. That is durāśā. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Because they do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to understand Viṣṇu. And people are going on.

Lecture on SB 3.25.11 -- Bombay, November 11, 1974:

So out of many energies, three energies have been taken into account. One is the external energy, another the internal energy, and the other is the marginal energy. The external energy is this material world, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. This is material world. And internal energy is the spiritual world. And marginal energy-we, the living entities. Marginal means we may remain in this material world or we may remain in the spiritual world, living entities. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā there are two kinds of living entities who are living in this material... Kṣara, they have fallen down. Fallen down in this... And attracted in this tree of saṁsāra, banyan tree. This is described in the Fifteenth Chapter of... So asaṅga-kuṭhāreṇa. We have to disassociate with this tree. Asaṅga-kuṭhāreṇa. By detachment. To cut this tree, it is very difficult. But we have to become detached. Detached means... There is a Bengali proverb: dhari mach nacoi pane.(?) Means that "I'll catch the fish but will not touch the water." That is, that intelligence required. You see in the beach... Here we do not see many, many. But in America we see on the beach, old men. They have got no business. They simply waste their time catching fish. Yes. But they are not very interested in this way, nacoi pane.(?) They also touch water also.

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

No. Durāśayā means which cannot be fulfilled. You can hope something, you can... But it is hoping against hope. It will never be fulfilled. That is called durāśā. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Persons who are trying to become happy by adjustment of this bahir-artha, external energy, or the material energy, they do not know that happiness cannot be achieved without approaching Viṣṇu, or God. They do not know it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi... Everyone is thinking, "I must first of all see my own interest." That's all right. But what is your interest, that you do not know. First of all try to understand what is your interest. But that you do not know. Because you are thinking falsely that "By adjustment of this material atmosphere I shall be happy." Everyone is trying. Nationally, individually, collectively, everyone is trying. But it is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). It will be frustration. Therefore it is called bahir-artha-māninaḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

Simply as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), so a devotee, a pure devotee, is simply attached to Kṛṣṇa. They are not dis... A devotee is not disrespectful to other demigods. That is a mistake, that "These Kṛṣṇa devotees, they do not care for other demigods." No. A Kṛṣṇa devotee cares for the other demigods very rightly because he knows what is the position of the other demigods in comparison to Kṛṣṇa. Just like Durgā, Goddess Durgā. In the Brahma-saṁhitā the Goddess Durgā is worshiped. In which way? Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Mother Durgā is the external energy, or potency, of Kṛṣṇa, and she is so powerful that sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana, she can create, she can maintain, and she can annihilate, or bring devastation. She is so powerful. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44). And mother Durgā is so powerful alone. Chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā: "But she is acting not independently, but like the shadow," chāyeva. Chāyeva yasya bibharti bhuvanāni: by the indication of Kṛṣṇa. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā also: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).

Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974:

But that is not fact. Nature is working under the direction. This is theism. One who knows. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that these natural, I mean to say, ingredients, prakṛti, jaḍa-prakṛti, or material nature, five elements, kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, marut, vyoma, this marut, vāyu, and tejas, this sunshine, kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, and water, the seas and oceans, the land, vast land, kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, marut, vyoma, then sky—they are different manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's external energy. They are not independent. There are many śāstras. Therefore one has to consult the śāstras. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is also said, "The material nature is very powerful." Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā: (Bs. 5.44) "The material nature is so powerful that it can create, sṛṣṭi, sthiti, it can maintain, and it can destroy also." Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana: "It is so powerful, it can do that."

Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā.

Lecture on SB 3.26.9 -- Bombay, December 21, 1974:

Para, the Supreme Lord, Absolute Truth, has multi-energy. So the multi-energy is divided into three division. That is called antaraṅga-śakti, internal energy, external energy, and the marginal energy. All of them are energies, or prakṛti. So in the Sāṅkhya philosophical discussion, Devahūti—she is also the mother of Kapiladeva—she asked this intelligent question: "What are the characteristic of the prakṛti, and what are the characteristic of the puruṣa?" Prakṛteḥ puruṣasyāpi lakṣaṇaṁ puruṣottama. He (she) is addressing his (her) son, Kapiladeva, God, as Puruṣottama. Uttama puruṣa. Uttam a, madhyama, and adhama. There is a comparative. So uttama puruṣa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, or His incarnation like Kapiladeva, Ṛṣabhadeva. There are many incarnations. So they are all Puruṣottama.

Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:

So these materialistic persons, the karmīs, they are trying to be happy by material adjustment. That has been described in the Bhāgavata, durāśayā: "This kind of hope is never to be fulfilled. It will never be successful." But the karmīs, they think they will be successful. They are struggling very hard. So durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. How? Now, bahir-artha. Bahiḥ, bahiḥ prajñā, or external energy, or the material energy. The material energy is called external energy. So that is called bahiḥ. Bahiḥ means external.

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās
te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ
(SB 7.5.31)

Because they are thinking so, tied up by the rules and regulation of the stringent laws of material nature. But they are thinking... They are called karmīs.

Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum, bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha-māninaḥ, those who have been captured by this external energy, māyā, material world, they do not know what is their actual interest. The interest is to revive again his relationship with the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ. They do not know it. And,

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās
te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ
(SB 7.5.31)

Andha, the leaders of this class of man, they are also blind. We are blind, and the leaders, so-called leaders, he also does not know what is the aim of life. And they are misleading us in so many ways by so-called political emancipation, this party, that party, but they do not know actually what is the aim of life. Therefore they are andhas. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. And we are also andhas. So andha leading andha. So how there can be any peace and prosperity? Therefore the whole world is unhappy, chaotic condition, and everyone is manufacturing his own way of life to become happy. But they are not becoming happy because they do not know what is the aim of life. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 5.6.6 -- Vrndavana, November 28, 1976:

So anyone who has accepted this material world as very comfortable... It is not comfortable; it is simply suffering. Kṛṣṇa says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). And still, if we want to be happy in this material world, bahir-artha-māninaḥ. These fools, they are trying to be happy within this material world. Material means external energy. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). This is durāśayā, the hope which will never be fulfilled. But this we do not... Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). So unless there is vairāgya, there is no question of happiness. But we cannot attain vairāgya immediately; therefore the vidhi-mārga, vidhi-mārga-bhakti, to rise early in the morning, to attend maṅgala ārati, to offer Deity flowers, fruits, and in this way we shall be engaged twenty-four hours. Then vairāgya-vidyā will gradually develop. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). Then the anartha... This material life is simply anartha, has no meaning, because we are creating another life. Without any spiritual knowledge, if we simply give ourself to the action and reaction of material nature, then we are making progress on the path of mṛtyu-saṁsāra vartmani (BG 9.3). And if we attain Kṛṣṇa, then mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti (BG 8.15). The two ways.

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

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. Nothing but. Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayam. Exchange of teja, fire. Teja means fire, vāri means water, and mṛd means earth. Just like the bricks. What is this brick? You take earth, you take earth and mix it with water and put it in the fire, it becomes brick. So whole thing, either earth, stone or iron, anything, they are simply mixture of these five elements. So I am spirit soul. I have been engaged in mixing these five things and big, big lumps and gathering them just like children play in the sea beach, gathering so much sand and making like this, big house, and then it is fallen down.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

Don't make that sound. Vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. People do not know it. This whole material world, they do not know what is the actual knowledge. They are busy in temporary things for sense gratification, but they are not aware what is actual the goal of knowledge. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: (SB 7.5.31) the goal of knowledge is to know Viṣṇu, God. That is goal of knowledge. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. This life, the human form of life, is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. That is life. And without trying to understand the Absolute Truth, if we simply are busy how to eat little comfortably, how to sleep little comfortably, or how to have sex little conveniently, these are animal activities. These are animal activities. Human activity means to know what is God. That is human activity. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Without knowing this, they are struggling for existence. They want to be happy by adjusting the external energy, bahir-artha-māninaḥ. And people, leaders, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Ask big big scientists, philosopher, "What is the goal of life?" They do not know. They simply theorize, that's all. The real goal of life is to understand God.

Lecture on SB 6.2.16 -- Vrndavana, September 19, 1975:

If you say, "No, how you can say they are in ignorance? There are so many universities. They are passing M.A.C., D.A.C., doctor, Ph.D., and still they are ignorant?" "Yes." "How?" Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā: "The so-called knowledge is taken away by māyā." Otherwise why they are sticking to this material world? If you become enlightened, then you must know that this material world is not for our habitation. We must go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is preaching that "This is not your home. Don't try to be happy here." Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir, the external energy. They are thinking that "Materially, if we make some arrangement..." Some of them are trying to be happy by scientific improvement or some of them are trying to go to the heavenly planet, and some of them are trying to become this, that, but they do not know that real happiness is to go back to home, back to Godhead. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that. So this is very important movement, that we are giving them hint and education how to go back to home, back to Godhead.

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

So Śrīdhāra Swami give his comment that "Those who are," I mean to say, "involved with the material energy..." This material energy means the three modes of passion, ignorance, and goodness. Tan-māyā-mohita. This is the moha. Moha means illusion. Anyone who is contaminated by these three qualities of māyā, he is supposed to be involved in māyika, or material existence. Tan-māyā-mohitatvād na jānanti: "And anyone who is involved with the material qualities of this external energy, they cannot understand what is God." It is not possible. Aviṣayatvāc ca. This is not their subject matter at all. The subject matter for them different. Therefore we see. They are becoming educated, scientists, philosophers, but they do not understand what is God. Avisayatvāc ca. It is not their subject matter. That I repeatedly say, that one who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is, Bhagavad-gītā is not a subject matter for their study, what to speak of commenting upon it? He has no business to comment on Bhagavad-gītā because it is not their subject matter. This should be very distinctly understood.

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

So the great compiler of religious scripture, headed by Manu and others, without knowing the simple method, they prescribe gorgeous ritualistic ceremonies. Kim ca māyayā divyalam vimohitam matir ayam jana madhu, madhunam yatha bhavati evam puspitayam puṣpa-sthaniya ratavadi mano-harayam trayyam jadi-kṛta abhinivista-matir yasya ata eva mahaty eva karmany agni-stomadau śraddhayā yujyamānaḥ.(?) So being bewildered by the material or external energy, they take to these gorgeous ceremonies or sacrificial performances. Actually there is no need. The whole thing is that Śrīdhara Svāmī is giving stress very strongly that you can simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without undergoing any ritualistic ceremonies. Actually it is very difficult to understand. Mādhavendra Purī, our predecessor ācārya, he also has composed a nice verse. He says, "My dear gāyatrī-mantra, I offer you my respect, but no more I can chant gāyatrī-mantra." In this way... Taking bath early in the morning, that's a good recommendation for spiritual advancement. But Mādhavendra Purī said, "Now I am unable to execute this order. Please excuse me." In this way he has described in many ways. At last, he concludes that "I shall sit down somewhere underneath a tree and simply remember Govinda's name. That is sufficient. Yes." He says, "Please excuse me, please excuse me, please excuse me."

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971:

So here it is, the word is used, durāśayā. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahiḥ. Bahiḥ, means the external. Just we are composition of external and internal energies of God. The external energy is this gross body, and the internal energy is the mind and ego, intelligence. And behind this, both energies, external... This is external gross energy and external subtle energy. This body made of earth, water, air, and ether, this is called gross external energy. And there is subtle external energy. What is that? Mind, intelligence, and false ego. And behind that, I am. The soul is there. I am the proprietor of this body made of... Just like you are covered by the shirt and coat. The shirt and coat is external body. Real body you are. Similarly this body, this gross body made of earth, water, air, fire, that is gross external energy of God, or Kṛṣṇa, and the mind, and ego, and intelligence, they are subtle. So we are covered. So one who has taken... Just like if I think that "Simply by having nice shirt and coat I will be happy," is it possible? Unless you eat nicely, unless you sleep nicely, unless you have got your sense gratification, simply by putting on costly nice shirt and coat, will you be happy? No. That is not possible.

So here we have taken this... Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. We want to be happy by adjustment of this external energy. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. That cannot be. You are spirit soul. You must have spiritual food. You must have spiritual life.

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971:

Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa or the Supreme Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead, we are actually crying for Kṛṣṇa. But these false leaders, these blind leaders, they do not know. They are giving... Instead of bread, they are giving stone. How one can be happy? That is the position. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahiḥ I have already explained—external energy, gross external energy and subtle external energy. So those who are interested with the gross external energy and subtle external energy, their ambition of life will never be fulfilled. Durāśayā. Those who are interested with Viṣṇu, and one who is showing the path of Viṣṇu, he is his real friend. One who is giving Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is the real friend of the world. All others, leading to the external energy, they cannot give any happiness to this human society. That is the explanation given by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31).

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahiḥ. Bahiḥ means external. This material world is the external energy of God, and the spiritual world is the internal energy of God. So we are in the external energy of God. The external energy of God means although we are eternal, we have to accept different types of body according to our desire, according to our tendency to enjoy this material world, and therefore that facility is given in this material world. In the spiritual world there is only one aim—they are all eternal servitors of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They have no other desire. That is spiritual world. So you can transform this material world into spiritual world if you have got only aim to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then it can be transformed into spiritual world, although spiritual world is differently situated. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another nature which is spiritual world. They have no information. But we get information from Bhagavad-gītā and other śāstras that spiritual world is still bigger. This material world is the one-fourth of the God's creation, and the spiritual world is the three-fourth. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, ekāṁśena sthito jagat.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976:

So aindriya sukham, sense pleasure, that is available everywhere. Even cats and dogs, they have got sense pleasure. But human life is not meant for that purpose. Human life is meant for, this is the idea: yathā hi puruṣasyeha viṣṇoḥ padopasarpaṇam. This is required. They do not know it. Prahlāda Mahārāja another place said, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Generally, those who are not trained up by guru, they do not know the svartha-gatim is Viṣṇu. Durāśayā. They are trying to be happy with this external energy. Bahir-artha, bahir, bahir-aṅga-śakti. Bahir-aṅga-śakti means this material world. So one who does not know what is the goal of life, they are interested in this bahir-aṅga-śakti, external energy. Therefore guru required. how to get him delivered from the clutches of external energy. Therefore guru required. One who is interested to get out of these activities of external energy, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21), for him, guru is required. Don't make a guru as a fashion. That is useless. Then you get some guru who can manufacture gold, and you are interested in gold, so that kind of guru will be... No. Here it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapad..., tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum (MU 1.2.12). Tad-vijñāna means spiritual science. For that purpose, one requires a guru. Not for any other purpose.

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

No. Utopian, yes. That is the exact word. You are thinking something, building castle in the air. So Bhāgavata says durāśayā, utopian theory. He's thinking that "I shall be very great by doing this business or doing, having this education," or this or that. So many things. Everyone has got his own plan. But Bhāgavata says durāśayā, "This is utopian." Why this utopian they have taken? They are so much educated, they are so much wealthy, beautiful, and intelligent. Why durāśayā, utopian? Because bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They have taken their basic platform—the external energy. So what is the fault there? Because external energy is itself temporary. The Māyāvādī philosophy, it is called false, but we say temporary. So what is the profit by temporary achievement? Just like... There are many instances. President Kennedy: with great endeavor he became a president. Temporary. The post is temporary, say five years or four years. But still, people, they exert so much energy. And even if he is president, if there is something wrong in somebody's mind, he is killed. So is it not utopian? His energy should have been utilized for self-realization, "What I am?" But if somebody wastes his energy to capture some utopian post which will be finished at any moment, so is it not utopian?

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

Therefore Bhāgavata says they do not know their self-interest. Bahir arthaḥ maninaḥ: "Being captivated by the external energy." Na te viduḥ svārtha gatiṁ hi viṣṇum durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). But why they are so much captivated? Andhā yathāndaiḥ upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Because they follow rascal leaders. Their leadership is andha. Andha means blind. And they are following the blind leadership. They are themselves blind. Why blind? They cannot see future. They do not know what is going to... Because they have no understanding that "I am eternal." This temporary body is only a flash in my life. I've changed so many bodies. Just like in this present existence I have changed my body so many times from my childhood to this old age. Similarly, I am changing my body. So this life, this body is temporary. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Andhā, and I do not see my future; therefore I am blind. And the leader which is leading me, he is also blind. So a blind man leading other blind men, what is the result? The result is catastrophic.

Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:

Dayānanda: "O my Lord, the supreme eternal, by expansion of Your plenary portion You have created a subtle body, the living entity, through the agency of Your external energy. And thus the living entity becomes entrapped with different varieties of desires through the mind, consisting of unlimited desires to be fulfilled by the Vedic direction of karma-kāṇḍa, fruitive activity, and the sixteen elements. Who is there who can come out of this entanglement without taking shelter at Your lotus feet?"

Prabhupāda:

māyā manaḥ sṛjati karmamayaṁ balīyaḥ
kālena codita-guṇānumatena puṁsaḥ
chandomayaṁ yad ajayārpita-ṣoḍaśāraṁ
saṁsāra-cakram aja ko 'titaret tvad-anyaḥ
(SB 7.9.21)

This is the description of material existence. So, first thing is, our mind is polluted. The simple statement of a Vaiṣṇava poet,

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
pāsate māyāra tāre jāpaṭiyā dhāre

Actually our position is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is real position. Caitanya Mahāprabhu starts His instruction from this point, that we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, and because we have rebelled not to serve, therefore Kṛṣṇa, out of His unlimited mercy and compassion, He comes down and teaches, "You rascal, surrender. Why you are suffering unnecessarily?" Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ: (BG 18.66) "You rascal, you give up all these so-called engagements. You surrender to Me."

Lecture on SB 7.9.30 -- Mayapur, March 8, 1976:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Translation: "My dear Lord, You alone manifest Yourself as the entire cosmic manifestation because before the creation of this cosmic manifestation You were existing, and You exist also after the annihilation. Therefore, between the beginning and the end, You are the maintainer. All these things are being done by Your external energy through the action and reaction of the three modes of material nature. Therefore the conclusion is that whatever is existing, it is You only, externally and internally."

Prabhupāda:

ekas tvam eva jagad etam amuṣya yat tvam
ādy-antayoḥ pṛthag avasyasi madhyataś ca
sṛṣṭvā guṇa-vyatikaraṁ nija-māyayedaṁ
nāneva tair avasitas tad anupraviṣṭaḥ
(SB 7.9.30)

Very interesting. This is realization of God. There is difference, varieties; at the same time they're one, unity in variety. So in the Brahma-saṁhitā also it is stated, eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. There are many millions of universes, jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means this universe, and koṭi means millions. Don't think this is the only universe. There are many millions' universes. In God creation there is no limitation. Everything unlimited. Even this universe, to us it is a great, wonderful thing. We do not know even what are there in the four corners of this universe, millions and millions of stars, millions of planets, millions and millions of oceans, mountains, and what to speak of living entities? Everything unlimited.

Lecture on SB 7.9.41 -- Mayapura, March 19, 1976:

We are all rascals. We are trying to create peaceful condition. It is not at all possible, peaceful condition. This rascal must know it clearly that there cannot... By your manufacturing some League of Nation or United Nation, it is not possible. In the New York we have seen the United Nation, and every year a flag is increasing—another flag, another flag, another flag. Where is "united"? Increasing of flags. That means disunity. "I don't agree with you. We don't want to remain with you. We must have Pakistan. We don't want to remain with Hindustan." So "All right." "We don't want this. We don't want this"—this is fighting, going on, sva-para-vairam. This is the condition of this material world. And we must suffer the threefold miseries. So where is happiness? But because we are illusioned by the external energy, therefore we think that "We are making good arrangement to live peacefully, and we shall live peacefully." Where is peace? You have to die. You don't want to die; you have to die. You don't want disease; you must suffer from disease. You don't want to become old man; you must become old man. So where is your happiness? This is all foolishness. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, hanteti pāracara pīpṛhi mūḍham: "We are rascals, fools, so we are suffering in this way. Kindly save us."

Lecture on SB 10.22.35 -- Bombay, March 19, 1971:

So, people should be engaged, in the human form of life, for activities of ultimate goal of life, and that is Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Being captivated by the external energy, māyā, we have forgotten our interest. We are working for a different interest. That is preya, not for śreya. The śreya is Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. So I do not wish to take much of your time, you are all busy men. And I thank you very much that you have come. And we require your cooperation, prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. Somebody should dedicate his life for this great movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So these American boys, European boys, and there are some Indians also, they have dedicated their life for this purpose—to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Similarly, if one cannot dedicate his life, then he should dedicate his money as far as possible. According to our Gosvāmī's program, everyone should sacrifice fifty percent of his income for Kṛṣṇa. And Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī' actually did it. It doesn't matter whether your income is five lakhs per month or five rupees per month. You should sacrifice the major portion of your income to the Supreme.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

They are seeing Kṛṣṇa or his worshipable God... Kṛṣṇa has many forms. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu. Kṛṣṇa has His form as Lord Rāmacandra, as Varāha, as Kūrma, as Nṛsiṁha. Ananta-koṭi. Innumerable forms He has got. All of them are Kṛṣṇa. So a devotee, on account of his eyes being smeared with the ointment of love of God, he sees Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours within his heart. That is the vision of the devotee. Atheist class will say, "Where is God?" Because he has no eyes to see the God. But a theist class or a devotee, he sees God, or Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours. He does not see anything else. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, sthāvara jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti (CC Madhya 8.274). A devotee, mahā-bhāgavata, highly advanced devotee, he sees trees, but he does not see the tree. He sees Kṛṣṇa. How? Has he gone mad? No. Actually he sees. But what is this tree? The tree, outwardly, is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Your body, my body, the trees's body, the dog's body, the cat's body. What are these bodies? The bodies are made of the external, material energy. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). The material elements, they are simply Kṛṣṇa's external energy. So as soon as a devotee sees anything material, he sees immediately the energy of Kṛṣṇa, and along with the energy of Kṛṣṇa, he sees immediately Kṛṣṇa. Reactory. He actually. With reference to the context.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

So in the beginning certainly one who is not advanced, he cannot see Kṛṣṇa properly. Kṛṣṇa, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is not alone. Just like if we speak of king, "The king is coming," it does not mean the king is coming alone. The king is coming, his ministers, his secretaries, his military commanders, his queens, his servants, so many other servitors of the king, they are also coming. Similarly, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa does not mean alone Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Kṛṣṇa is the root of all emanations. Kṛṣṇa's energies, Kṛṣṇa's expansion, Kṛṣṇa's different types of energies, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He has got multi-energies, out of which the ācāryas have taken three principal energies, the external energy, the internal energy, the marginal energy. Kṛṣṇa's incarnation, expansion. All together means Kṛṣṇa. So the kaniṣṭha adhikārī, in the lower stage, he thinks that he's worshiping the Deity very nicely, he has realized Kṛṣṇa. No. Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. We have to make further advancement. Kṛṣṇa does not mean alone. Especially Kṛṣṇa's devotees. They are always with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore when we can recognize a devotee of Kṛṣṇa and offer him the respect as devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that is further advancement.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 10, 1973:

Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Vigraha means form, but not this form. Those who have no knowledge about Kṛṣṇa, they are thinking Kṛṣṇa is māyā. These bhaktas, they are worshiping the māyā form. Their philosophy is when Kṛṣṇa comes, when God comes, He takes a material form. No, that's not right. Kṛṣṇa says, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā, the ātma-māyayā means cit potency. These Māyāvādī philosophers they have no information that cit potency. That is ahlādinī śakti, that is Rādhārāṇī. They have got experience of this material potency. External energy. Durgā. But they have no information of the cit potency. Therefore, they think that Kṛṣṇa appears in the form of māyā. Just like we have got this body, material body, this is gift by the māyā.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not material. The Lord has generally three energies, namely, the external energy, the internal energy, and the marginal energy. The living entities are called marginal energy and the material cosmic manifestation is the action of the external or material energy. Then..."

Prabhupāda: So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The Supreme Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, has got innumerable, multi-energies. Out of that, learned scholars, devotees, they have divided the whole energy into three, external, internal, and marginal. So the living entities, they are production of the marginal energy. The living entity is energy, prakṛti. Not the puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. We are all prakṛtis, all living entities. Prakṛti means predominated, and puruṣa means predominator. Just like we see, ordinarily, husband and wife, the husband is predominator and the wife is predominated. Although there is no difference between husband and wife. They are one, divided into two. Similarly, prakṛti and puruṣa, they are one. They are not two.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

It is explained by Svarūpa Dāmodara: rādhā-kṛṣṇa-prakr..., praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api purā deha-bhedo gatau tau. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, They are one. But, although They are one, They bifurcated Themselves as Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So there is no difference between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā is the superior energy, or spiritual energy. And Kṛṣṇa is the energetic. Similarly, this material world is external energy. Similarly, the living entities, they're marginal energy, between the external and internal energy. The living entities are called marginal energy because the living energy has to act under another energy, that either material energy or spiritual energy. So when the living entity is under spiritual energy, that is his normal condition, and when he's under the material energy, that is his abnormal condition. We should always remember. Material energy means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Just like in this material world, everything is there, but it is lacking in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You travel all over the world, you'll see there is profuse arrangement of sense gratification, but there is no arrangement for understanding Kṛṣṇa. This is called material energy. But if you bring in Kṛṣṇa in the so-called material energy, it becomes spiritual energy.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is awakening that spiritual energy of the living entity. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). The mahātmā and durātmā. What is the difference? The difference is the durātmā is under the influence of external energy. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). When we are too much engrossed with the concept of bodily life, "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," when we are influenced by the bodily concept of life, that is called material energy. And when we are influenced by the spiritual energy, we always think that "I am servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir. "I am neither brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya and śūdra or sannyāsī or brahmacārī." This, this is a verse given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He denies any material designation, and He informs us also that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). When we feel actually that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is our liberation. Hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). This is svarūpa. When you are existing as servant of Kṛṣṇa, then you are mukta, liberated. You haven't got to endeavor separately for becoming free or liberated.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

Pradyumna: "Then there is the spiritual world, which is a manifestation of the internal energy. The living entities who are called marginal energies, energy, perform material activities when acting under the inferior, external energy. And when they engage in activities under the internal, spiritual energy, their activities are called Kṛṣṇa conscious. This means that those who are great souls, or great devotees, do not act under the spell of material energy, but act instead under the protection of the spiritual energy."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). They do not act under the influence... Ordinary persons, they see that "Devotees are acting like us." No. Their activities are under the influence of spiritual energy. It, it, it looks similar like the karmīs, jñānīs, but bhaktas are different from karmīs and jñānīs. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). They are not influenced by the tenets of jñāna and karma. They are influenced by activities which can satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Anuśīlanam activities, culture. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. So they are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa activities. Although it looks similar to the ordinary activities. Therefore they misunderstand. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is fighting and another soldier is fighting the other side.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

We do not say mithyā. Vaiṣṇava philosophers, they do not accept the jagat as mithyā. Why? If it is emanation from the Absolute Truth, it must be true. It is not mithyā, but we accept it as temporary. We do not accept as permanent. The permanent jagat is the spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another spiritual world; that is sanātana, that is permanent. This world is not permanent. So even though it is not permanent, it can be utilized for the service of the Lord. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. That is our philosophy. We don't take the jagat as mithyā; we take it as fact, because it is emanation from the supreme fact. So just like gold earring is also gold—that is not iron—similarly, the, this material world is made of the external energy of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we do not find anything here wrong. We try to dovetail everything in the service of Kṛṣṇa, because it is Kṛṣṇa's. Just like one's property must be enjoyed by the proprietor. Kṛṣṇa says that bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's the proprietor of this world. Therefore everything dovetailed in His service for His satisfaction, that is devotional service. That is the professional (perfectional?) stage of serving Kṛṣṇa. So we don't take the world as mithyā.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

To reach impersonal feature of the sun or the sunshine is not approaching the sun. It is approaching and not approaching. It is approaching in the sense that directly in touch with his energy, but still, the sun globe and the sun-god is far away. Similarly, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). To approach the impersonal feature of Brahman is not sufficient. We have to approach Kṛṣṇa. So the Rādhārāṇī, the personal,... His energy's also personal. So mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). If we take shelter of His external energy, where forgetfulness, Kṛṣṇa, is very prominent, then we become far and far away from Kṛṣṇa. But if we take shelter of the internal energy of Kṛṣṇa, Rādhārāṇī, because She's directly serving Kṛṣṇa... Just like in Vṛndāvana, they always speak of Rādhārāṇī because they have taken shelter of Rādhārāṇī to approach Kṛṣṇa very easily. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. The facility of Vṛndāvana is that you take shelter of Rādhārāṇī directly and She will help you to approach Kṛṣṇa very soon. This is the idea of coming to Vṛndāvana. Go on.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Atlanta, March 1, 1975:

So (reading:) "A person in the conditional stage of material existence is in an atmosphere of helplessness. But the conditioned soul, under the illusion of māyā or the external energy, thinks that he is completely protected by his country, society, friendship and love, not knowing that at the time of death none of these can save him." This is called māyā. But he does not believe. Under the illusion of māyā, he does not also believe that what is the meaning of saving. Saving. Saving means saving oneself from this repetition, cycle of birth and death. That is real saving. But they do not know. (reading:) "The laws of material nature are so strong that none of our material possessions can save us from the cruel hands of death." Everyone knows it. And that is our real problem. Who is not afraid of death? Everyone is afraid of death. Why? Because any living entity, he is not meant for dying. He is eternal; therefore birth, death, old age and disease, these things are botheration for him. Because he is eternal, he does not take birth, na jāyate, and one who does not take birth, he has no death also, na mriyate kadācit. This is our actual position. Therefore we are afraid of death. That is our natural inclination.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.3 -- Mayapur, March 3, 1974:

So here Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the teachings of Lord Caitanya and His life, practical life. He's Kṛṣṇa, and He's personally speaking. Kṛṣṇa first of all spoke about Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, but foolish persons, mūḍha... Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ (BG 9.11). So Kṛṣṇa was misunderstood. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). People misunderstood. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His five opulences—Himself, His expansion, His incarnation, His energy, personal energy and marginal energy... There is no association of the external energy, as it is said here, that guru-tattva-kahiyāchi, ebe pāñcera vicāra. Guru-tattva is also along with Him. He's also representative of the Supreme Lord. Acāryāṁ māṁ vijānīyān (SB 11.17.27). So, that guru-tattva has been explained by the author, Kavirāja Gosvāmī in five chapters, six chapters, and the seventh chapter he's describing the five tattvas.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.109-114 -- San Francisco, February 20, 1967:

Creates, the Supreme Lord. The creator, therefore, cannot be under the material nature. If I am creator of something, so I cannot be under the, that particular thing which is created. It is logical. So therefore, because the Supreme Brahman, or Bhagavān, is the creator of this material nature, He cannot be under the control of māyā. He is... And that is also stated in Bhagavad-gītā, many places. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). Ātma-māyayā. Not this māyā. Māyā means potency. So we have got the experience of this potency, material potency, but there is another potency which is called spiritual potency. So spiritual potency is the internal energy of Kṛṣṇa, and material potency is the external energy. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Whenever I come," yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7), "whenever there is discrepancies in the discharging of religious principles," adharmasya abhyutthānam abhyutthānam adharmasya, "and there is great predominance of irreligiosity," tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham, "I, at that time, I come." Paritra... Why? Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: (BG 4.8) "Just to save the pious and the righteous and to vanquish the impious."

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.149-171 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1967:

Māyāvādī sannyāsīs of Benares. There are two kinds of Māyāvādīs. The word Māyāvādī is very significant. I saw yesterday in your iṣṭagoṣṭhī you have tried to understand what is this Māyāvādī. Māyāvādī means materialist. Māyā, this matter, the external energy, the inferior energy, and those who want to stick to this inferior energy, never mind what class of philosopher, what section of philosophers they belong, if their idea is only within the boundary of this material energy, they are called Māyāvādī. They have no information of the spiritual energy. They are called Māyāvādī. So chiefly the impersonalists and the void philosophers, they are called Māyāvādī, because they have no other information. They want to simply negate, nullify, but they have no positive information, so they are called Māyāvādī. So the Śaṅkarites... Śaṅkarites, of course, they give positive information. Brahma satya jagan mithyā. They say that this world is false and Brahman is reality. But because we want reality in variety, therefore impersonal philosophy, although we take it as a matter of sectarian philosophy, it does not appeal to the heart because by nature we want enjoyment. And whenever there is question of enjoyment, there must be variety. Variety is the mother of enjoyment.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.121-124 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

So these things are going on. Actually, we are suffering and we are in dangerous position step by step. But by the influence of this material, external energy, we are covered, illusioned. We are thinking, "Yes, I am very happy." And if somebody tries to come out of it, then he is also advised by the material nature, "Oh, why you are doing all this nonsense? You are very happy." Yavaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. The atheistic theory... The atheist... Nowadays there are atheists, not that... Atheist class of men there are always. Maybe number of the atheists are now greater than before, but there was a great atheist in India. There are six kinds of philosophical theses. Out of those, atheism is one of them. So that atheism... Cārvāka Muni. He was, Cārvāka, the leader of the atheists. His theory was that ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet: "Just beg, borrow or steal. You must eat butter. Never mind." Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet, yāvan jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet: "So long you shall live, you must live very comfortably." Then one may say, "Oh, beg, borrow, steal, and who'll suffer the sins? If I borrow, if I cannot pay? If I commit sins? If I commit burglary? Oh." The Cāṇakya, the Cārvāka Muni replied, bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar-āgamano bhavet: "Well, when your body will be burnt into ashes, who is coming here and who is going to be responsible? Don't think all these." So this is atheistic theory. They don't believe that there is transmigration of the soul. He has to take another body and he has to take body according to his work, and there are 8,400,000's of different kinds of bodies, and human body is the most benefactory. So they do not know all these things. So this is called āvaraṇātmikā, covering influence.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.121-124 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

These, I mean to say, illusioned, māyā-mugdha, illusioned living entities, they have forgotten. They have forgotten their relationship with the Supreme Lord. Mostly: "Oh, what is God?" Somebody says, "God is dead." So these things are going on. Not now. Now the number has increased. It is always. So long the world is there, the material world is there, this sort of thing is going on. So māyā-mugdha, illusioned by this external energy, they have no memory that how they are connected with the Supreme Lord. They have no memory. They have forgotten. That there is something like God, altogether they have forgotten by the illusion. Yes. Māyā-mugdha jīvera nāhi kṛṣṇa smṛti-jñāna. And just to revive their memory, Kṛṣṇa... Jīvere kṛpāya kaila kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa. Veda-purāṇa. Veda means the Vedic literatures. Veda, real literal meaning is veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vido jñāne. There is a Sanskrit root, vid-dhātu. From that vid-dhātu, veda. Veda means knowledge. And Purāṇa, Purāṇa means supplementary, Vedic instruction described in story form. That is called Purāṇa, story. This Bhāgavata is also one of the Mahā-purāṇa. Mahā-purāṇa means the science of Kṛṣṇa is described in story form. This is called Purāṇa. People better understands in stories, in history.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:

Māyā ca yat, yaya sammohito jīva. So this māyā, Kṛṣṇa's māyā, this illusory energy, external energy, also saw. Vyāsadeva saw. He saw Kṛṣṇa, apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. He saw the Supreme Personality as well as His māyā. So māyā, yad-apāśrayam. Māyā cannot come before Kṛṣṇa. Because... Just like the sun. Sunshine, there ignorance or darkness cannot come, cannot approach. So he saw. Vilajjamānayā yasya sthātum īkṣā-pathe amuyā. The māyā is ashamed to come before Kṛṣṇa because she is entrusted with very thankless task. Māyā is entrusted by Kṛṣṇa to take the conditioned souls and take charge of them. And māyā has taken charge of all us conditioned souls, and her task is to punish, simply beating. So that is a very thankless task. She is discharging the duty entrusted to her by Kṛṣṇa, but everyone, especially the transcendentalists, oh, they are hating, "Oh, māyā, māyā, māyā." Nobody will like, transcendentalists, māyā. Either personalist or impersonalist. But she's engaged. Just like police. Police is engaged by the state, but nobody likes police. Everyone will criticize police. Thankless task. Because they, unless they become strict, unless they become red-hot iron (?) they cannot execute their duty. That is their way of punishing. But people do not like them. Nobody likes police. You see. Even a police comes all of a sudden here to sit down here to hear us, we'll suspect, "Oh, he has come with some purpose." (laughs) It is such a thankless task. Similarly, māyā is entrusted with thankless task. She cannot approach Kṛṣṇa, neither she is liked by the conditioned souls.

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

So that sir, he was honest man to admit, "It is God's grace that so many patients are being cured in my hand, but I say I have no credit." This is really. So we should not take any credit. Everything is under the laws of the Supreme Lord, through the agency of this material external energy. Just like a government is working under different departments, similarly, God is working under His different energies. That's all. He's sitting with you, He's seeing everything, He knows everything. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). He knows your past, present, and He knows your mind. As you wanted to do something, He will remind you, "My dear boy, you wanted to do this. Do it. And you wanted to place your hand on the fire. You've forgotten. Just place your hand on the fire and see. Test it." So this is going on. This is nature's law. And they are suffering. They are being kicked by the material nature, still, they have no sense. "I am God. I am God." These fools these rascals have created havoc in the world. Godlessness.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 7 -- Los Angeles, May 10, 1970:

When one understands that things are manifested in this system exactly like the fire, heat and light... Fire is the original cause of heat and light. Similarly, whatever we see within this universe, within material world and spiritual world, the spiritual world is expansion of Kṛṣṇa's internal energy, and this material world is Kṛṣṇa's expansion of external energy, and we living entities, we are expansion of marginal energy. So three energies. He has got multi-energies. All the multi-energies grouped in three headings: antaraṅga-śakti, bahiraṅga-śakti, taṭastha-śakti. Antaraṅga-śakti means internal energy, bahiraṅga śakti means external energy, and taṭastha-śakti means these living entities. We are śakti; we are energy. We are not the energetic. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that because the energies are not outside Brahman, therefore they're all the same. This is monism. Our Vaiṣṇava philosophy is that energy (is) simultaneously one and different. When you perceive heat, we understand, "Oh, there is fire." But that does not mean that because I am getting some heat, I am on the fire. Try to understand this philosophy. Therefore here it is said vijānataḥ.

So their ekatvam, Māyāvāda philosophy's ekatvam, oneness, and our ekatvam of oneness—a little different. They say that the energy's false; the Brahman is real. Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā. We say that because Brahman is truth, therefore His energy's also truth. That is the difference between Vaiṣṇava philosophy and Māyāvāda philosophy. We cannot say that energy is false. Energy is temporary; this external energy is temporary, not false. Although... Suppose we have got some trouble. There are so many kinds of troubles pertaining to the body, mind, external affairs. But that trouble comes and goes. But when the trouble is there, it is true. We feel the consequence.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 33 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973, Upsala University:

The Lord... Everything is not material. That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. His form is eternity, blissful and full of knowledge. So all His paraphernalia in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, that is His expansion of that quality, eternity, blissfulness and knowledge. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis. His gopīs, His consorts, His father, His mother, His friends, His trees, His flowers, His calves and cows—everything is spiritual, expansion from Him. Everything... The... We are also expansion from Him. We are marginal potency. And this is spiritual potency. So everything is expansion. Therefore the Vedic literatures say, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: "Everything is Brahman." We are now combination of two energies, marginal energy and the external energy. But in the spiritual world, everything is only spiritual energy. So we are constitutionally spiritual energy. Somehow or other we have been entangled with this material energy. So if we try in this human form of life, we can get out of this material energy and again go back to the spiritual energy. That is the opportunity. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37).

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

The Lord, every (indistinct) is not material. That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. His form is eternity, blissful, and full of knowledge. So all His paraphernalia in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, that is His expansion of that quality—eternity, blissfulness and knowledge. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ. His gopīs, His consorts, His father, His mother, His friends, His trees, His flowers, His calves and cows—everything is spiritual expansion from Him. Everything... We are also expansion from Him. We are marginal potency, and this is spiritual potency. So everything is expansion. Therefore the Vedic literature says, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: "Everything is Brahman." We are not (?) combination of two energies: marginal energy and the external energy. But in the spiritual world everything is only spiritual energy. So we are constitutionally spiritual energy. Somehow or other, we have been entangled with this material energy. So if we try in this human form of life, we can get out of this material energy and again go back to the spiritual energy. That is the opportunity. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37).

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Where is that girl? (break)

Girl devotee: Why does Kṛṣṇa have an external energy?

Prabhupāda: Why not? First of all say why not? What is your objection?

Girl devotee: Well, if He is pure, everything about Him is pure...

Prabhupāda: He is pure. He is pure, always pure. Suppose you are very nice girl, nice, but because you pass some urine or stool, does it mean that you are bad? Does it mean? Then? The urine may be bad, the stool may be bad, but because you passed urine or stool, you are not bad. Is it clear? Kṛṣṇa has got this external energy. That does not make Kṛṣṇa bad. Try to understand it. If somebody asks, "Oh, you are so nice girl, nice... Why you are passing stool and urine?" Is that any argument? I am just speaking on the argument's sake. Is that any good argument, that "Because we are very good, we shall not pass stool or urine"? Or "Because you are very good, therefore your urine and stool also will be very good"? Is that any argument? So similarly, if Kṛṣṇa has created this external energy, that is for His satisfaction. That's all. But why should you take? If we are confident about Kṛṣṇa's goodness, why should we bother about Kṛṣṇa's stool and urine? Why not directly Kṛṣṇa? Let Kṛṣṇa pass any amount of stool and urine.

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

I mean to say, if this is an argument, that "Because Kṛṣṇa is good, He should not pass urine and stool," that is no argument. It is not... External energy is not affecting Kṛṣṇa. The urine and stool is affecting... There are some worms, they are very much attracted with the stool. You see? They are also creatures of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, this material nature, external energy of Kṛṣṇa, is Kṛṣṇa's. There is... Undoubtedly, it is Kṛṣṇa's. But that worm class of living entities, they are attracted by it. You see? So we should not be attracted. That should be our... Because we are not going to be worms of the stool. Kṛṣṇa, if He cannot... There are many arguments. If you ask question, "Why the government has created this criminal department?" Is that valid question? The jail department is criminal department, prison, where citizens are put into jail and given trouble. So if the prisoner says, "Why the American government has created this prison department?" is that valid question? The American government may create prison departments, but why you are interested there? Why you are going there? The real position is: because you are criminal, therefore government has to create such department.

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

Are you God? But you have got this mentality, that "I am God." You cannot qualify yourself. You do not know what is God, what is the meaning of God. You are claiming God. Because you do not want to serve God, that is your mentality. So for these last, lowest class of men, there is external energy. (break) ...class of men, they will not abide by the laws of the state. They'll repeatedly break it. Therefore, "All right, you go there and do whatever you like." That is not government's intention, that people go there and indulge in unrestricted gambling and there... That Mr. Bhaṭṭācārya told me that sometimes some rich man goes there with all his wealth and stake it, and when he's lost, he fires himself, and the gambling managers puts him down and throws him in the... There is no law for such killing or such homicide or anything. Do whatever you like. You see? So there is a class of men. Just like a liquor shop. Liquor shop is licensed by the government. Does it mean the government is encouraging, that "You become drunkard"? But government is giving this license because there is a class of men who must drink, and they will violate all... Say, "All right. Let them have it."

Similarly, there are two kinds of living entities: nitya-baddha, nitya-mukta, eternally liberated and eternally conditioned. You see? So for the conditioned... They will never agree to abide by God. Therefore, for them, this material world, the external energy: "All right, you do whatever you like. You do according to..." But still, there is canvassing work. Oh, God sends His son to canvass, "Oh, this is not your right engagement. Please come back to home, back to Godhead." Kṛṣṇa comes. God Himself comes.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

In another place, in the Brahma-saṁhitā, it is said, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā-śakti, or external energy, Durgā,... Durgā means the superintendent of the fort. Durgā. Durgā means fort, where you cannot get out or cannot enter very easily. That is called durgā. Dur-gamana. So Durgā means the superintendent deity of this material world. So she is very powerful, Durgā. How much powerful? Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktiḥ. She can create, she can maintain, and she can destroy the whole material energy, whole material cosmic manifestation. She's so powerful. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva (Bs. 5.44). Still, she is working not independently. Chāyeva. Just like chāya, or reflection, or shadow. Not independently. The material scientists who think that the material energy is working independently, they are mistaken. Material energy cannot work independently. We have got experience. However gorgeous a machine may be, unless there is touch of the spirit soul, the machine cannot work.

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- London, August 29, 1971:

Just like the same example, as a big man has got many assistants and secretaries so that he hasn't got to do anything personally, simply by his will everything is done, similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has got varieties of energies, and everything is being done so nicely. Just like this material energy. This material world, where we are now living... This is called material energy. Bahir-aṅga-śakti. The Sanskrit name is bahir-aṅga, external energy of Kṛṣṇa. So how nicely it is being done, everything in the material energy. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My superintendence the material energy is working." The material energy is not blind. It is... On the background there is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). Prakṛti means this material energy. Similarly... This is external energy. Similarly, there is another energy, which is internal energy. By the internal energy the spiritual world is being manifested. Parās tasmāt tu bhavaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). Another energy, parā, superior, transcendental, the spiritual world. As this material world is being manipulated under the external energy, similarly, the spiritual world is also conducted by the internal potency. That internal potency is Rādhārāṇī.

Initiation Lectures

Detroit Initiations -- Detroit, July 18, 1971:

Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Don't laugh. Then... Bahiṣmatī, one of the daughters of Manu. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know, what are the rules? Tell me. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Come on. Next. Who's this? Oh, all right. Then how many still remaining? All right. (chants japa) First of all grains mixed up. (more japa) Come on. Take your. Come on. Whose beads are lying on the floor there? Whose beads? Oh, you never put it in the floor. When there is no bag, you put like this. Mahāyajñi, Mahāyajñi is a name of Lord Śiva. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take. (more japa)

Uttamaśloka. Uttamaśloka means Kṛṣṇa who is chanted with best verses. Come on. (more japa, devotees chant prayers). You keep it. You keep it. (prayers continued) So where is that, he has come? Waiting. I'm going just now. (more prayers, japa)

Bhagavatī. Goddess Durgā's name. Goddess Durgā, external energy of Kṛṣṇa. (more japa, prayers) Tapasvinī: who performs great austerity. Svarga dāsī. (Prabhupāda leaves, devotees continue prayers) (end)

Initiation Lecture -- London, August 22, 1971:

So just like here also, the father is diseased, the son gets the body diseased, infects. If the father is healthy, the son is also healthy, child is also healthy. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda vigraha, if Kṛṣṇa is the original father, then we are also sac-cid-ānanda vigraha (Bs. 5.1). But at the present moment, what is our condition? Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Now because we have got this material body, we have come in contact of this external energy, material energy, we have got this material body; therefore we are engaged in struggle for existence with mind and the material senses. That is our position. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi-prakṛti-sthāni. Prakṛti-sthāni means material. Karṣati, hard struggle. So this is our position. And if you want to get out of it... If you are foolish, that "Whatever it is, that's... Let it... Let us enjoy now. Don't talk talk of all these...," oh, that is another thing. But those who are sensible, those who are actually after knowledge, those who actually want a solution of this material miserable condition of life, they must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Śyāmasundara: But what about a principle, like "Two plus two equals four"?

Prabhupāda: Principle is truth, but the manifestation is temporary. Principle... Just like earth. Just like we hear from Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca: (BG 7.4) "This earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, ego, they are My separated energies." And because it is Kṛṣṇa's energy, and Kṛṣṇa is true, therefore that energy is true. But this interaction of the energy, manifestation of different things out of that energy, that is temporary. Therefore it is called material energy or external energy, temporary manifestation.

Śyāmasundara: What about the proposition that "Two plus two equals four"?

Prabhupāda: That is also temporary.

Śyāmasundara: That disappears when this universe disappears?

Prabhupāda: Yes. When the universe disappears, everything disappears. Who is going to calculate "Two plus two equals four"? Everything is finished.

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Śyāmasundara: The principle does not carry on, despite...

Prabhupāda: The principle will carry on when again there will be manifestation. Just like this waterpot, it breaks, it becomes earth, and again from earth we make waterpot. Therefore this principle that the waterpot is made out of earth, that is a fact, but the waterpot as we see, that is temporary. Creation of the waterpot from earth is a fact. Similarly, this material world is a creation out of Kṛṣṇa's external energy. That is a fact. Kṛṣṇa's energy is fact. Kṛṣṇa is fact.

Śyāmasundara: What about something that cannot be tangibly seen, like a mathematical calculation or an equation?

Prabhupāda: You cannot see so many things. That does not mean that it does not exist. Your power of seeing is limited. Why you are depending on seeing?

Śyāmasundara: No. I want to take something that we all know, like "Two plus two equals four," that principle. There's no waterpot or anything visible involved, just a purely abstract principle, "Two plus two equals four."

Prabhupāda: Abstract or concrete, it doesn't matter. What is abstract for you is concrete for other. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa is concrete. Paraṁ satya, actually that is the only truth. So this idea, abstract and concrete, that is relative.

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Śyāmasundara: He says that a proposition is a picture of reality, a picture is a model of reality, a picture is a fact, the world is a totality of facts, the totality of true thoughts is a picture of the world.

Prabhupāda: Totality of not facts, that is a combination of gross matter, combination of gross and subtle matter. But this gross and subtle matter are projection of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore totalities, they can be said Kṛṣṇa's external energy. And because Kṛṣṇa's energy, the energy and energetic, sometimes separated, sometimes mixed up; when separated, it manifests as something creation; when it is mixed up, the energy is no longer—it is merged into the energetic. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate cause.

Śyāmasundara: So the picture of reality is always changing? There are no set combinations?

Prabhupāda: Reality is not changing. The combination of different energies is changing. Reality is not changing.

Śyāmasundara: So true thoughts are not changing.

Prabhupāda: Reality is Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa has got unlimited number of energies, so the combination of different energy is making some manifestation and they are changing.

Philosophy Discussion on Jacques Maritain:

Śyāmasundara: He says that God perceives His own essence, and thus He..., everything else and all of the creation came into existence as a part of His essence of God. That everything is a part of God's essence and keeps coming into existence in different forms, different stages of actuality.

Prabhupāda: So that... They say everything is expansion of God's energy. The example is given in the Vedic śāstras, just like the fire is there in one place but the heat and light of the fire expand. Similarly, God, or Kṛṣṇa, is there in Goloka Vṛndāvana, but His energy, external energy and internal energy and marginal energy, they are expanding in this place. So what is his opinion of it?

Śyāmasundara: Well, these two types of energy he would call..., material energy he would call potential energy, and the spiritual energy, he would say is actual energy.

Prabhupāda: Well, actual, the energy is one, but it is working differently. Just like electricity is one, but it is working differently as cooler and heater, although cooling and heating are two opposites. Cooling is just opposite of heating, and heating is just opposite of cooling, but electric energy is working in both the places.

Śyāmasundara: Electric energy is also measured in terms of its potency, its potential.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: He also felt that materialistic progress is a possible hindrance.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is very good idea. That is confirmed by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava tomāra bhajane bādhā. Material progress means expansion of the external energy, māyā, illusion. So we are already in illusion, and therefore we practically see the so-called scientists, so-called philosophers, because they are materially advanced, they cannot understand even what is God and what is our relationship. So this is hindrance, the so-called advancement of material science, of material knowledge, is undoubtedly hindrance. Tomāra bhajane bādhā. They are all hindrances to the progressive march of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we minimize our necessities, that is saintly life—the bare necessities of life. We are not after very luxurious way of life. We are satisfied only with the bare necessities of life. So it is not an attempt for material progress. It is simply an attempt to make spiritual progress, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Hayagrīva: Plotinus conceives of the soul as having basically two parts: a lower part, directed toward the body, and a higher part, directed toward the spiritual.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is, he is prone to fall down because he is very minute quantity, he is small, so there is tendency of falldown. The same example: the small spark of the fire, because it is very small, sometimes it falls down from the fire. So we become, being very small, minute particle of God, we become entangled by this material, external energy. Just like the example: a less intelligent person, in ignorance, commits criminal activities and he goes to jail. He is not supposed to go to the jail, but on account of his little intelligence or ignorance, he commits something which is criminal. This criminality is done by less intelligent class of men. Similarly, persons who are coming into this material world, they are less intelligent. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. They think that they will be able to enjoy life independently, without Kṛṣṇa. This is less intelligence. Just like a very rich man's son, if he thinks that "If I live independently, without being dependent on father," that is his foolishness. How he can become happy independently, living aside from the father? The supreme father is all-opulent, full of everything, and I am minute only. So if I live under the care of the father, naturally I will live very comfortably, like rich man's son. But if I prefer that I shall live independently, that is my foolishness.

Page Title:External energy (Lectures)
Compiler:Mayapur
Created:05 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=118, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:118