Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Great saints (Lect., Conv., & Letters)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

You have got very good example of Lord Jesus Christ, a great saint, or sādhu also. He was, of course, more than sādhu. Now, just see his behavior, how much tolerant he was. He was being crucified and he was praying God, "O Lord, forgive these people, what they are doing." That, this is the significance of sādhu. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ. For their personal sake, they're always very tolerant, but they are very kind to all people, all living entities, very kind. In spite of their all disadvantages, they try to give something, real knowledge, to the people in general. Kāruṇikāḥ. And suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. And a sādhu is not a friend of a particular class, particular community or particular country. No. A sādhu, a saint, is he who is friend of all, not only of human being, even of animals and less than animals. These are the qualification of sādhu. Ajāta-śatravaḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:
Now here is a chance to stop this nonsense of transmigrating from one body to another and suffer the material miseries. Here is a chance. And how that chance you are going to utilize? That we have already discussed. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). If somebody simply studies critically the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, the transcendental nature of His activities, simply by knowing this, the benefit will be that tyaktvā deham, after quitting this body, you are not again going to have such a material body, but tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma... (BG 4.9). Punar janma means you are not going to take your birth again in the womb of a mother of this material nature. So just believe it. It is standard. It is accepted by all the great stalwart scholars and ācāryas of repute. Just like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, great scholars and ācāryas. They have accepted it. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow the footprints of great saints and sages, those who have achieved success by this indication of Bhagavad-gītā. Don't follow your whims. Take the standard advice. Just try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Just try to understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. And the result is that after leaving this body, you are no more going to accept any material body, but you enter into the spiritual kingdom and you have your spiritual body which is eternal, full of knowledge and blissful. This is the chance.
Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām. Always glorifying, they are mahātmās. They are great souls. If you want to be great soul in terms of the Vedic literature, in terms of Bhagavad-gītā, in terms of great saints and sages, then you have to adopt this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. No other process will be possible. It is not impossible. Just imagine. A personality like Arjuna, with all facilities of life and five thousand years before the circumstances were different, and still, he denied. So yoga system... Actually, if you simply making a show, showbottle of meditation, if you are satisfied, oh, that is a different thing. Make yourself a showbottle. But showbottle demonstration will not make you successful. It is clearly according to Bhagavad-gītā. Showbottle demonstration will not make you successful. You have to be really bottle of medicine. Then it will cure.

Lecture on BG 7.15-18 -- New York, October 9, 1966:
Now, this boy was initiated by Nārada. When he saw that "This boy is determined," then he initiated him and gave him mantra, that namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. He chanted that mantra and became perfect, and God came before him. Now, when God came before him, God offered him: "My dear Dhruva, what do you want? Take whatever you like." Then Dhruva said, "My dear Sir," sthānābhilāṣī tapasi sthito 'ham, "oḥ, I was situated in this severe type of penance simply for the matter of my father's kingdom, a land." Sthānābhilāṣī tapasi sthito 'haṁ tvāṁ prāptavān deva-munīndra-guhyam: "But I have now seen You, and You who is impossible to be seen even by the great sages and great saints. So I have seen You. So what is my profit?" Now, kācaṁ vicinvann api divya-ratnam: "As if I came out of my home to find out some particles of glass, but I have found out a very valuable diamond." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "Oh, I am satisfied. I have no necessity of asking from You."
Lecture on BG 10.8 -- New York, January 6, 1967:

So the villagers understood that a vyādha, a hunter, has become a great saint. So everyone was coming and offering some rice, some flowers, some fruits. So he was executing his devotional service according to the instruction of Nārada. Then, after some time, Nārada wanted to show that devotee to his friend, Pārvata Muni, and he was coming to that devotee, hunter devotee. At that time the devotee was going to receive Nārada, and while going, he was very careful that an ant may not be killed on the path. So he was jumping. Whenever there was an ant, he was jumping. So Nārada inquired that "While you were coming here, why you were jumping?" So he said, "Sir, there were so many ants. So how can I kill ant?" Just see. The same man who was without any kindness killing so many animals, he has become kind to the ant even.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

Supplements. Because Vedic language is so difficult... It is sometimes very difficult to understand. So Purāṇa, another meaning of Purāṇa means supplement. So they are explanation of the Vedic knowledge in a supplementary way by taking references from the history, from the life of great saints and sages. So they are addition, addendum. Go on. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that the Purāṇas are not Veda. That is not the fact. Here in the Bhāgavata says the Purāṇa is part of the Vedas. As Upaniṣad is part of Vedas... It is written in simplified language so that those who are less educated, less having brain substance...

Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

When Viśvāmitra Muni went to Mahārāja Daśaratha to ask for his two sons, Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇajī, to take them to the Daṇḍakāraṇya to kill the demon, so at that time, Mahārāja Daśaratha welcomed Viśvāmitra, Viśvāmitra Muni with these words: aihiṣṭaṁ yad punar-janma-jayāya, yatraṁ punar-janma-jayāya(?). Aihiṣṭam. Just like if I meet my friend... Suppose he's a businessman. So I'll ask you how your business going on nicely. Similarly, Viśvāmitra Muni, he was not a businessman. He was a great saint, and he was living in the forest. So what was the purpose? The purpose was aihiṣṭaṁ yat tat punar-janma-jayāya. As you are trying to conquer over the repetition of birth, punar-janma-jayāya... The people do not know, at the present moment, that the business is to conquer over the repetition of birth and death, punar-janma-jayāya. They do not know that this can be stopped. Neither they have any idea that there is rebirth. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Your life is not finished. Your life is not finished simply by finishing... When the, this body is ended, it is not that you are also ended. This knowledge, there is nowhere throughout the whole world. There are so many big, big universities. That is our lamentation, that what is this education? They do not know how to direct education. In the śāstra it is said that your activities should be conducted in such a way that Kṛṣṇa becomes satisfied. Hari-toṣaṇam. But they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Hari. And how to satisfy Him, that is another question.

Lecture on SB 1.3.8 -- Los Angeles, September 14, 1972:

Third incarnation Devarṣi, ṛṣi among the demigods. Just like there are ṛṣis among the kings, they are called rājarṣi. In the Bhagavad-gītā the word rājarṣi is used. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Formerly the kings were just like great saintly persons. They were not ordinary vote collectors. They were so saintly there was no need of electing another president every five years. They are ṛṣis, these words are there. So in the third millennium, they were almost all ṛṣis. They were so enlightened that everyone of the population were just like great saints, saintly persons.

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

Pure devotion means to pray to the Lord, begging some service. "My Lord, kindly engage me in Your service." That is the perfection of life, when one is engaged in the service of the Lord in love. You can become a very great saint and live in a secluded place and become puffed-up that you have become very great personality, and people may come to see him, that "He's not to be seen, he's engaged in chanting." My Guru Mahārāja has condemned this. He said, mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava. "My dear mind, your mental concoction, you are thinking that you have become a very big Vaiṣṇava. You do not do anything and sit down in a secluded place and imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura, chanting. So you are a nonsense." Mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava. Why? Nirjanera ghare, pratiṣṭhāra tare. To get some cheap adoration as a great chanter. Because if one is actually chanting, why he should be attracted by woman and biḍi? If he is actually in such position like Haridāsa Ṭhākura then why he should be attracted by material things? That is a false show only. That is not possible for ordinary person.

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa inquired from the great saint Jaḍa Bharata as to how he had attained such a liberated stage of a paramahaṁsa, and in answer the great saint replied as follows (SB 5.12.12):

rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti
na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā
na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair
vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam

"O King Rahūgaṇa, the perfectional stage of devotional service, or the paramahaṁsa stage of life, cannot be attained unless one is blessed by the dust of the feet of great devotees. It is never attained by tapasya (austerity), the Vedic worshiping process, acceptance of the renounced order of life, the discharge of the duties of household life, the chanting of the Vedic hymns, or the performance of penances in the hot sun, within cold water or before the blazing fire."

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Vrndavana, December 2, 1975:

Prahlāda Mahārāja, our predecessor guru... There are twelve mahājanas: Brahmā, Svayambhu, Nārada, Śambhu, Kapilo, Kumāra, Manu, Prahlāda, Janaka, Bhīṣma, Bali, Vaiyāsakir, vayam. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). It is said in the Vedas that we have to follow the footprints of mahājana. Mahājana means great authorized devotees. And they have been described, twelve. Svayambhūr means Lord Brahmā; Nārada, Nārada Muni the great saint; Śambhu, Lord Śiva... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kaumāra (SB 6.3.20)—the four Kumāras, sanat-kumāra ādi. Then Kapila, Kapiladeva, Devahūti's son. There are two Kapilas. So one is imitation; one is real. The real Kapila, He is known therefore Devahūti-putra, "the son of Devahūti." Devahūti was the daughter of Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. So in this way, kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ. Then Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, the famous demon. So it is not that a demon's son will be demon. That is not. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved by anyone.

Festival Lectures

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

Just like we sometimes talk of science, of astronomy, economics, politics. We talk sometimes. But we are not going to, or we didn't study all the subject matter separately. But in course of our studying Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we know something of everything. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, tan manye adhītam uttamam: "One who is engaged in these nine kinds of devotional services directly..." So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends, kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye 'dhītam uttamam.

niśamyaitat suta-vaco
hiraṇyakaśipus tadā
guru-putraṁ cedaṁ ruṣā
prasphuritādharaḥ

As soon as he heard, "Oh, what this nonsense boy is speaking?" he became so angry that sphuritādharaḥ. When one becomes angry, his lips vi..., I mean to say, jumps. What is called? Quiver, yes. So he became so angry that it is said, sphuritādharaḥ. (He) immediately called his teacher. He's king... Because he thought, "The rascal teachers, they have taught him like this. I have entrusted the boy to the teachers, to brāhmaṇas, and they have taught this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So call him. Otherwise, how is that this small boy, five years old only, he's talking just like a great saint? So call his teacher!"

General Lectures

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 19, 1969:

So in the Vedic literature, in India, you know there were many saintly persons, great scholars from time immemorial. Even not very recently, say, five hundred years ago there were such men, personalities. Now it is almost finished, but still, if you find, you will see there are great sages, saintly persons, who understand the meaning of Vedic literature, and they live up to the standard of Vedic life. So that is the definition given by great saints and sages, this definition given by Parāśara Muni, a great sage. He was the father of Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is called Veda-Vyāsa. His another name is Veda-Vyāsa. Veda-Vyāsa means... His actual name is Vyāsadeva, but because he compiled all the Vedic knowledge in book form... Before the advent of this present age, which is known as Kali-yuga... He compiled all Vedic knowledge... Before that, there was no necessity of book writing, neither there was facility of printing books. There was no press. People had no necessity of keeping knowledge in writing. There was no necessity. Their memory was so sharp that once heard from the spiritual master, they remembered. But in this age, in this Kali-yuga, memory, duration of life, mercifulness, stature of the body, and so many things, they are reducing. They are reducing. We are not advancing. That is wrong idea. For example, in your country the stature is also reducing.

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

We say that chant the holy name of God. The vibration, the sound which you chant, that must be the holy name of God. Then it is all right. It doesn't matter what is the language. Language has nothing, no significance. But this word "Kṛṣṇa," we consider it is transcendental vibration because all great saints and ācāryas, they chanted, especially Lord Caitanya. As I explained from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam (SB 11.5.32). Kṛṣṇa varṇa, kṛṣṇa varṇayati. Lord Caitanya was always chanting, "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." Therefore He is called kṛṣṇa varṇayati, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Tviṣākṛṣṇam: by complexion He's not black. Kṛṣṇa was blackish, but Lord Caitanya, He was golden colored. So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam: always associated by followers. Yajñair saṅkīrtana, chanting and dancing with Kṛṣṇa's name. Yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ: this form of the Lord should be worshiped by persons who are intelligent. So if you follow the method, evangelist, that is also very nice, or this method... The business should be that we must realize in this human form of life what is our relationship with God. If we fail to do that, then we are misusing this human form of life.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

Everyone's heart, there is Kṛṣṇa bhakti. Otherwise, how these Europeans, Americans, Canadians, Japanese, they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? We have Muhammadans also. Many Muhammadans, they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is to be understood that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or love for Kṛṣṇa, is existing in everyone's heart. It is simply to be awakened. Nothing more. How it is awakened? Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. if you simply give your aural reception to the Kṛṣṇa kathā. Kṛṣṇa kathā means what is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, the Bhagavad-gītā, and Kṛṣṇa kathā means speeches and words which are spoken about Kṛṣṇa. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also Kṛṣṇa kathā, and Bhagavad-gītā is also Kṛṣṇa kathā. One is directly spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa, end one is spoken by Lord, I mean to say, Vyāsadeva, the great saint Vyāsadeva, about Kṛṣṇa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You preach this Kṛṣṇa kathā to everyone and then you become a spiritual master under My order."

Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

But this Kṛṣṇa name means "all-attractive." He attracts everyone. That is the real name, all-attractive. You have seen Kṛṣṇa's picture. He is attractive to the animals, cows, calves, birds, bees, trees, plants, water, in Vṛndāvana. He's attractive to the cowherds boy. He's attractive to the gopīs, He's attractive to Nanda Mahārāja, He's attractive to the Pāṇḍavas. He's still attractive to the whole human society. Therefore, if any particular name can be given to God, that is Kṛṣṇa. And Parāśara Muni, a great saint, father of Vyāsadeva, who compiled all the Vedic literatures, his father, Parāśara Muni, He gave definition of God:

aiśvaryasya samagrasya
vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ
jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva
ṣaḍ iti bhagaṁ ganā
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

By these six opulences, one can ascertain what is God. What are those opulences? That He's the proprietor of all riches. Here, we have got experience, one rich man. One may be very rich man, but nobody can say that he is the richest, there is no other man who is not richer than him. Nobody can say. But Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, those who have read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the history of Kṛṣṇa... We have described in our book, Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Śyāmasundara: Just like the seasons. We just place ourselves in the seasons, take us towards something, towards springtime. (break) Yes. So the other type of morality he calls "open morality." This is determined by individuals, in a dynamic way. You blaze new trails guided by...

Prabhupāda: As soon as it is invented by individual men or society, this is all rascaldom. It has no value.

Śyāmasundara: He calls it the higher morality. Just like St. Paul or some great saint receives inspiration from God, and he blazes a new trail to morality in the society.

Prabhupāda: That is nice. Because he is God conscious, he can dictate what is real morality.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: That can be changed according to the... Just like in some scriptures it is said that "Thou shall not kill." So the killing is ordinary thing there. But in some society killing is already prohibited by so much culture that they do not want to kill even an ant. So that depends on education of the particular society. It is not static, that "This will be like this." No. Not like that. "One man's food another man's poison." What is morality in one society, it may be immorality in another society.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. So the other type of morality he calls "open morality." This is determined by individuals in a dynamic way, blazing new trails, guided by...

Prabhupāda: As soon as it is invented by individual men or society, this is all rascaldom. It has no value.

Śyāmasundara: He calls it "the higher morality." Just like St. Paul or some great saint receives inspiration from God and he blazes a new trail to morality in a society.

Prabhupāda: That is nice. Because he is God conscious, he can dictate what is real morality.

Śyāmasundara: He's speaking of the case of St. Paul.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Questions and Answers -- September 6, 1968, New York:

Candanacarya: ...to know something about Kṛṣṇa. (indistinct) I think you have to know something about Kṛṣṇa before you know Him to love Him.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That I explained. For ordinary neophyte devotees... This is the highest stage. The stage of the gopīs or the cowherd boys playing with Kṛṣṇa, oh, they are kṛta-punya-puñjāḥ. Many, many lives they have undergone many types of sacrifices, austerities, penances, and then they have come to that stage. That stage is not ordinary stage. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtya dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena, māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). He is describing when Kṛṣṇa was playing with His cowherds boy. So he is describing that "These cowherds boy—who are they? They are living entities who have amassed volumes and volumes of pious activities." Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. "After many, many lives Just like bank balance increases, similarly, one who has increased the balance of pious activities for many, many thousands of lives, oh, such persons are now playing with Kṛṣṇa. They have taken the body of His cowherds boy, transcendental spiritual body, and just they are playing with Kṛṣṇa. And who is Kṛṣṇa?" Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtya: "The great saints and sages who are trying to understand the Supreme Brahman, here is Kṛṣṇa. That Supreme Brahman is here, playing." Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhanubhutya dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena: "The impersonalist Brahman is... Because Kṛṣṇa's effulgence is impersonal Brahman, so here is He." And dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ: "Those who are devotees, those who have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the master, for them here is Kṛṣṇa."

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1971, Gorakhpur:

Guest: What about the argument, not (indistinct), but India we see that every great saint personality has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, even Mahatma Gandhi?

Prabhupāda: No, no, no, no.

Guest: He was also taking his...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Don't say like that. Surrender of Kṛṣṇa is different. Then you have to understand what is surrender. Mahatma never surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He surrendered to yourself; therefore you killed him. (Indian laughs) He surrendered to his countrymen, and his countrymen killed him. He was working for his countrymen. That's all. He never worked for Kṛṣṇa.

Guest: But the Gītā was always with him.

Prabhupāda: But, but, no but. You see from the action.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: No, Christianity is 100% Vaiṣṇavism. I have studied Christianity very well.

Prabhupāda: Not hundred percent, but...

Dr. Patel: More or less.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Because I have studied the whole of Bible, whole of New Testament and Genesis and everything, very well, just as I have studied the Upaniṣads. And I have come to realize that Jesus has taught Vedic religion in total, and Christ was nothing but a great saint of ancient Vedic religion. That is my conjecture, my conviction. They (indistinct) may think anything else.

Prabhupāda: His commandments proved that. He said, "Thou shall not kill."

Dr. Patel: "Thou shall not kill."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: That is ahiṁsā, first principle.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation (Bullock Cart SKP) -- September 12, 1976, Vrndavana:

Lokanātha: He joined us four days back. He's from Maharastra. I'm taking him with me.

Prabhupāda: He understands the philosophy. Wherefrom it is quoted?

Indian boy: (Hindi)

Lokanātha: Saint Tukārāma.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Saint Tukārāma. He's a great saint. He is Māyāvādī or Vaiṣṇava?

Lokanātha: Tukārāma is Vaiṣṇava.

Prabhupāda: Oh! Tukārāma is Vaiṣṇava.

Lokanātha: But this is different. Tukārāma met Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Mylapur(?).

Prabhupāda: Yes. Tukārāma is a disciple of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then it is in order.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: You were surprised that he was saying at first, "Everyone is rascal."

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes.

Satsvarūpa: We were all too. When you said Gandhi, we were shocked because we thought he was a great saint. And he's also rascal.

Gurukṛpā: When you say it in public... In private meeting you say... The other night you said that this Mansingh(?) was a rascal, everyone was...

Prabhupāda: Who? Who? Whom I said?

Gurukṛpā: Mansingh.

Prabhupāda: Munsi,(?) ah, yes. (laughs)

Gurukṛpā: Everybody was, "Is it true?"

Prabhupāda: He did not believe in Kṛṣṇa. And from his character he's a rascal. I know that.

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Juggannath Babu -- Calcutta 14 March, 1949:

The method of His demonstration was also very suitable. He inaugurated the sankirtana movement accompanied with melodious song which method has been found practically very effective amongst the masses. It is not possible for the masses to study the Vedanta or to undergo the difficult mystic processes especially in the Kali-yuga when the general people is indolent, unfortunate, shortlived and always disturbed by physical and mental tribulations. So they the general mass of people are fallen in the estimation of the great saints and as such for them Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the only hope for deliverance. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited Varanasi He was invited to a philosophical discourse by the Prakashananda Sarasvati a great giant scholar and sannyasi of the Mayavadi or Sankara sampradaya and discussion was made on the Vedanta philosophy. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was victorious in that discussion and converted the great sannyasi with his 60,000 followers to His cult of devotion and established His easy method of sankirtana movement the most suitable method for the deliverance of the people in general.

Letter to Gandhi Memorial Fund -- Calcutta 5 July, 1949:

Mahatma Gandhi, although he was always busy with his political activities, never missed to attend to his daily prayer meetings in the evening. This rule he observed punctually even a few seconds before his assassination. To give a fitting memorial to Mahatma Gandhi we must follow and propagate this particular line of spiritual activities and must daily read a chapter from Bhagavad-gita in congregation. Bhagavad-gita is the world recognized philosophy of Indian culture and the favorite scripture of Mahatma Gandhi. He was a great follower of this great philosophy like other great saints and he was therefore a great devotee of Rama and Krishna and for this only he was raised to such exalted position of a saint amongst the statesmen during his very life time. The Gandhi Memorial National Fund should be utilized for training up the people in general in this line of daily prayer in different places of Gandhi memorial buildings and other similar important places.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Martin Malles -- Los Angeles 22 July, 1969:

So in this age of Kali Yuga it is not possible to faithfully follow the procedures of Hatha Yoga because our minds are too restless and our lives are very brief. Therefore, the Lord has descended upon this earth five hundred years ago as Lord Caitanya to encourage the process among all men of chanting the Holy Names of God, the Hare Krishna Mantra. This chanting will immediately captivate the hearts and minds of all sincere souls, and therefore it is the prime benediction for the most fallen souls of the age of Kali Yuga. If you will continue to come to our temple and associate with the devotees as much as possible, you will see practically how you are making very, very nice progress in spiritual advancement. Krishna Consciousness is not some invented process nor is it some brought to America in an altered form. Krishna Consciousness is the bona fide process of God-realization that has brought so many great saints and sages to the perfectional level of knowledge of God. Therefore I request you to scientifically and seriously follow the principles of Krishna Consciousness as they are recommended by Lord Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita and many other Vedic literatures, and I am sure you will come out successful. When you have questions you should consult with Brahmananda or the other devotees, and if you like you may ask your questions to me.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Lalita Kumar -- Delhi 15 November, 1971:

As for your questions, do the fallen souls leave the spiritual world all at once or gradually, we can answer, do all the prisoners in the prisonhouse free at once—no, some are coming, some are going. Our presentation of Krishna Consciousness must be always very bold-if we are king, we must act like king. The idea is if we speak the truth, those will hear who are intended to hear by being qualified or prepared. It is not that we should compromise to attract the mass—we are after the class. Still, it was my method to make Krishna Consciousness palatable to you Western boys and girls, how else could I attract you to give up your habits of sense gratification? Krishna philosophy can be approached from every angle because it is the Complete Whole, purnam. So if your scientific explanation, beginning from the point that sound vibration is the root cause of everything, and leading to the understanding that Krishna is the Cause of the sound vibration is having good effect, why not continue in this way. Only thing is to remain true to the authorities—Krishna, the great saints and acaryas—and everything you say will come out nicely. People are of different natures so we have to use our talents how to convince people in different circumstances, that's all.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Chaturbhus -- Bombay 21 January, 1972:

Lord Caitanya may have long hair in his early grhastha life, but that does not mean that we should imitate Lord Caitanya. Caitanya also had shaven head and sikha. The important thing is that we follow the regulative guidelines as laid down by great saints and acaryas in our line, and so it is recommended that we wear clean-shaven heads. but there is no hard and fast rule in this respect. If it is practical to grow hairs out, that can be done. But it is not that we may imitate Lord Caitanya by growing big hairs.

Letter to Billy Reyburne -- Vrindaban 12 March, 1972:

If any Vaisnava is writing song about Krishna, that should be from one who himself has realized Krishna, just like our great saints and acaryas like Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, Rupa Gosvami, six Gosvamis, Bilvamangala, Bhaktivinode Thakura, like that. They are self-realized souls, therefore if they write something song about Krishna, that is perfectly from the transcendental platform, without any tinge of mundane influence or nonsense imagination. Unless someone comes in the category of these great leading Vaisnava personalities, his manufacturing some songs will be misleading to himself and to others. And unless his writing of poems and songs can be accepted as gospel, as Vedas or the Absolute Truth, such writing is diverting the attention from the subject matter only and should not be regarded very seriously.

Letter to Sankarasana -- Bombay 18 December, 1972:

But as you have requested, I am your spiritual master, I must reply you to your satisfaction. So this playing guitar and writing of songs is not very important thing. You can write and play, but one cannot take it very seriously. If any Vaisnava is writing song about Krishna, he should have realized himself what is Krishna, just like our great saints and acaryas like Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, Rupa Goswami, six Gosvamis, Bilvamangala, Bhaktivinode Thakura, like that. They are self-realized souls, therefore if they write something song about Krishna that will be perfectly from the transcendental platform, without any tinge of mundane influence or nonsense imagination. Unless he comes in the category of these big Vaisnava personalities, his manufacturing some songs will be misleading to himself and to others. And unless his writing of songs can be accepted as gospel, like Vedas, then such writing is simply disturbance and is diverting the attention from the subject matter only. That songs writing we cannot regard very seriously. That will spoil the whole thing. But you can utilize your propensity to write poems and articles for BTG, for singing in the kirtana, like that. That will make you very happy. Now you just apply yourself for becoming qualified to see Krishna face-to-face, then you will be able to actually write songs about Krishna.

Page Title:Great saints (Lect., Conv., & Letters)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:13 of Jul, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=18, Con=5, Let=7
No. of Quotes:30