Fate (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"fate" |"fated" |"fateful" |"fates"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So the brāhmanas' question was that "After departure of Kṛṣṇa, who was guiding the fates of the human being?"

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974: So the question was that "After departure of Kṛṣṇa, who was guiding the fates of the human being?" The last question was this.

brūhi yogeśvare kṛṣṇe

brahmaṇye dharma-varmaṇi

svāṁ kāṣṭhām adhunopete

dharmaḥ kaṁ śaraṇaṁ gataḥ

Dharma, religious principle... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. Glāniḥ means polluted. "Wherever there is pollution in the matter of discharging religious principles, I come down." Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. "Then I come down to settle up things." So Kṛṣṇa came for this purpose, to settle up or to purify dharmasya glāniḥ, pollution in the matter of discharging religious principles. Therefore, as soon as there is pollution, means there is a class of men who have polluted. They are called duṣkṛta, sinful. When there is increase of the number of sinful persons, there must be pollution in the system of religious life. This is the way. If everyone is following religious principle, everyone does not commit any sinful activity, so at that time, there is no chance of pollution in religiousness.

You go to astrologer, "What is in my fate?" You enquire or not enquire, if you are destined to achieve that thing, it will come automatically.

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968: Jijñāsuḥ means very inquisitive. And what sort of jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive? There must be some subject matter of inquiry. Just in the market place the businessmen, their inquiry, "What is the rate? What is the price of this thing?" He's interested in purchasing and selling. The Bhāgavata says, "Not that kind of inquisitiveness. Not for any material inquiry." There is no need of asking about any material things which are hackneyed. Jijñāsuḥ śreya. "What is my ultimate goal of life?" That inquiry. Now, everyone knows that "My ultimate goal of life is to accumulate a big bank balance." Generally, we think like that. Or somebody thinks that "If I possess a big skyscraper house and several motorcars, that is ultimate goal of my life." But Bhāgavata says, "Not that kind of inquiries. You do not require to enquire about how to achieve a skyscraper house or several motorcars or very good apartment." Just materialists, as they want. That you may enquire or not enquire. What is destined to you, it will come. It will come. The Bhāgavata says that "Either you enquire..." You go to astrologer, "What is in my fate? Whether I am getting such and such things or not?" You enquire or not enquire, if you are destined to achieve that thing, it will come automatically. Everyone is bound up by the reaction of his past work.

If we go back to our father's house, what will be our fate? Nobody will marry us.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973: All the 16,000 girls who were kidnapped by Bhaumāsura... So they prayed to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa came, killed the Bhaumāsura, delivered all the girls. So when Kṛṣṇa asked them: "Now you can safely go to your father's house," they replied: "Sir, if we go back to our father's house, what will be our fate? Nobody will marry us. Because this man, this rākṣasa, they kidnapped us." "Then what do you want." " We want that You become our husband." So Kṛṣṇa is so kind. "Yes." Immediately accepted. That is Kṛṣṇa.

We are going to the material world from Vaikuṇṭha. So what will be our fate, Sir?

Lecture on SB 1.13.15 -- Geneva, June 4, 1974: The punishment was also reward. Those who are servants of Kṛṣṇa, even they are so-called punished, there is some motive behind this. Just like Jaya and Vijaya. They were also punished to come down and..., just to become enemy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when they were very much perturbed that "We are going to the material world from Vaikuṇṭha. So what will be our fate, Sir? There is some little mistake on our part. What we shall do?" So Kṛṣṇa gave him that "If you become My enemy, then you will be relieved in three births, and if you become My friend, then seven births." So the Jaya and Vijaya agreed, "Sir, we shall become Your enemy." So what is the purport? Kṛṣṇa wanted some enemy to fight.

Anyone who listens to the commentary of the Māyāvādī philosopher, then his fate is doomed.

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975: So Caitanya Mahāprabhu warns that māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa. Anyone who listens to the commentary of the Māyāvādī philosopher, then his fate is doomed. He is finished. He will never be able to understand bhakti philosophy. It is so poisonous. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī has warned not to hear from avaiṣṇava about Kṛṣṇa. There is a very famous Bhāgavata reader in Bombay. He is a pakka avaiṣṇava. But he is going on, and he is infusing poison—means those who are hearing him, they will never be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. They will never be able. It is so poisonous. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī says, avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam: "Avaiṣṇava, who is not Vaiṣṇava, who is not devotee, if he speaks about Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, nonsense..." He will speak nonsense. So it is not good. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam: "You should never hear." On principle you should avoid hearing from such rascals. This is the injunction of Sanātana Gosvāmī. "Why? He is speaking Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Why one should not hear? Bhagavad-gītā is very nice." That's all right. He gives the example, sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Milk... Everyone knows milk is very good food. But if it is touched by the lip of a serpent, then it is finished. Then it is finished. He will die. If you take such milk, then your destiny is to death.

You surrender to Kṛṣṇa; then your fate is changed. Otherwise it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Nature has made you a dog. Why should you remain a dog? You should become a human being. That is your duty.

Guest (3): My question: Do you think your quality to change... A person, if that sould becomes fate or lift...

Prabhupāda: No fate can be changed. I understand. These questions are generally put. Fate can be changed.

Guest (3): By name.

Prabhupāda: By Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs. 5.54]. Others cannot change their fate, but only the devotees can change. How? Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg. 18.66]. Kṛṣṇa says, "I shall give you protection from all the resultant action of your sinful life." That is fate changed. If you don't surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then you have to suffer or enjoy the actions of your fruitive activities. But when you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, He takes charge of squaring up all your sinful activities and their reaction. That is... So you surrender to Kṛṣṇa; then your fate is changed. Otherwise it is not possible.

This is actually study—that you cannot change your fate. Already fixed up. The material condition of life, as soon as you get a certain type of body, your pains and pleasure already fixed up within the body routine work.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973: Just like people are going from this country to that to improve economic condition. But it is a common saying that "Wherever you rascal go, your fate will go with you." Either you go to England or India or here and there... Because people are struggling for economic development. But he does not know that I cannot make an inch of development beyond the destiny which is already fixed up. Already fixed up. Don't you see that two men, they are working day and night, very hard. One man has become all of a sudden millionaire, and another man, he has no employment. Why? Why this distinction? Both of them have worked hard to improve economic development, but one has become very quickly millionaire, another is still struggling. He does not know how to eat tomorrow. Why this arrangement? Who has made this arrangement? So this is actually study—that you cannot change your fate. Already fixed up. The material condition of life, as soon as you get a certain type of body, your pains and pleasure already fixed up within the body routine work. You cannot make any change. Just like the—I have given many times—the pig, he's destined to eat stool. Therefore he has been awarded that type of body. So however you canvass this pig, "Why you are eating the stool? Take this halavā," he'll not take. It will not take. Because his destiny means he has got that particular type of body. So these are finer studies.

You can change your fate if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973: So according to the body, everyone's happiness and distress is already fixed up. You cannot change it. That is called fate. That is called fate. But you can change your fate if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is possible. So far your body is concerned... Take for example, just all of you, you were accustomed to the Western way of life, eating meat or drinking or illicit sex or so many things. But because you have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you have stopped. Nobody can stop. No government can do it. Is there any possibility? Not possible. Not possible. Therefore, if you want to change your lot, your destiny, then you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other way.

My dear Lord, You are going to Jagannātha Purī. What will be my fate?

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969: Haridāsa Ṭhākura, because he was born in a Muhammadan family, he would go... Caitanya Mahāprabhu transferred Himself to Jagannātha Purī after taking sannyāsa. So he requested Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "My dear Lord, You are going to Jagannātha Purī. What will be my fate?" "Oh, you also come there. You live with Me." So Haridāsa Ṭhākura also went to Jagannātha Purī, but because he was born in a Muhammadan family, the priest class, they would make howling, "How this Muhammadan is entering?" So he never entered the temple. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him just an apartment where He was living, just by the side. And every morning Caitanya Mahāprabhu was coming to see him.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

It doesn't matter—my fate, my honor, my money, my prestige. He doesn't care. Kṛṣṇa must be satisfied.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 26, 1972: The first principle is that one should be prepared to sacrifice any, everything for Kṛṣṇa. Everything. It doesn't matter—my fate, my honor, my money, my prestige. He doesn't care. Kṛṣṇa must be satisfied. Just (like) Arjuna did. Arjuna didn't like to fight, to kill, on the other side his brother, his grandfather. No. But when he understood, "No, Kṛṣṇa wants it. Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73]. That's all right." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No consideration for anything else. Simply to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Satisfy Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's representative. The same thing. That is bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Jñāna. Jñāna, it should be, it should not be tinged by jñāna. This is jñāna. "Oh, I am going to speak lie. I'll go to hell. I am going to kill my grandfather. I'll go to hell." This is called jñāna, knowledge. But the definition is, jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. It should be untouched by jñāna and karma. Untouched. Yes.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Wherever you go, your this fate will go with you.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand: The birds, they have no problem. Early in the morning they rise up, and they are certain, somewhere there is some fruit. They will eat and sleep in the top of the tree. They haven't got to make arrangement, economic development. It already is there. But it is very difficult to understand that these material necessities of life is already arranged. You cannot get more, cannot get... Suppose some of our Indian friends, they come to this country, far away. Does it mean that simply by coming here he has become millionaire? No. In Bengali it is said, yadi gar baṅge kaphala yabe saṅge (?), Wherever you go, your this fate will go with you. If you are meant for getting ten thousand, you'll never get ten thousand, one hundred. You'll get, either you remain in your country or go to hell. Destiny. This is called destiny.

General Lectures

In those days they selected a place, and "Let us fight and decide our fate," kṣatriyas. Why the public should suffer?

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972: Two groups of cousin brothers, they wanted to fight to settle up. Formerly the war was declared—the leader of the war, if he is killed, then the other party is victorious. Not that unnecessarily killing the civil citizens, no. This was nonsense. If there was fight between two kings, the citizens, they were unaffected, not that there is fight now between two parties, there is immediately siren, (imitates siren:) gaw, gaw, gaw, gaw, now bomb and the civil..., the most uncivilized way of war. In those days—those days means at least five thousand years ago—they selected a place, and "Let us fight and decide our fate," kṣatriyas. Why the public should suffer? So in this way Kurukṣetra was selected to fight between the two parties. And still it is existing. It is a great field. And dharma-kṣetre... Just try to understand that there is no need of our imperfect comments on the Bhagavad-gītā. That is my point.

The two groups of brothers, cousin brothers, they assembled there for fighting to decide their fate.

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972: So yuyutsavaḥ means when two parties are fighting, they are called yuyutsavaḥ, "Desiring to fight, they prepared." So actually these two groups of brothers, cousin brothers, they assembled there for fighting to decide their fate. So everything is clear. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā [Bg. 1.1], assembled, yuyutsavaḥ, for fighting. And who are they? It is the question of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the father of the Duryodhana, and he is asking his private secretary, Sañjaya. Sañjaya was relaying the fight in the battlefield, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind. Just like television. So he was seeing the fight from the heart. It means there is still more finer science, that you don't require machine to see it by television, what is going outside. You can see within your heart. So this Sañjaya was seeing the battle, and he was relaying to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

Philosophy Discussions

We are trying to do that by introducing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to make the world Vaikuṇṭha.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Śyāmasundara: He has an optimistic side to his philosophy in that he says the fate of the world depends upon man's decision. Obviously, if men decide to do things properly, the world would be a better place.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We agree with that. We are trying to do that by introducing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to make the world Vaikuṇṭha. That is our philosophy. Anyone can come to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become happy. But that is not a blind decision. We take decision from higher authority; therefore it is perfect. We are taking decision from the ācārya, Kṛṣṇa.