Guru Nanak

Expressions researched:
"Nanak" |"Nanak's" |"Nanakji"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

So anyway, here the point is that in any religion there is a conception of worshiping God or symbol of God. Even in Jain philosophy they also worship Mahāvīra. In Buddha philosophy they worship Lord Buddha. In India there is Jainism. That is almost like Buddhism. They have got also exactly the same process of worship. Temples they have got. Big, nice, costly temples they have got. And they come to see, visit the temple, offer their worshipful offerings, flowers, fruits, everything. Same thing.

Similarly, in the temple of Guru-dvāras, Sikhs... (break) ...like the Hindus. And they also offer flower, fruits, and sweetmeat, but they read their Granthasahib. As we are reading Bhagavad-gītā they read Granthasahib enunciated by Guru Nanak. So this temple worship or accepting some authority, either you accept Kṛṣṇa or you accept Lord Jesus Christ or Jehovah or Lord Buddha or Guru Nanak, that is a different, I mean to say, kinds of faith, but this acceptance of authority is there in everywhere. Now who is the highest authority, that we have to see by understanding Vedic literature, by our arguments, by our sense, by our understanding. But this acceptance of authority is there.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974:

We will not try to understand Kṛṣṇa, we will not take Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Why it is so? Māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14), that is very strong. As soon as I try to accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, māyā will whisper in my ear, "No, no, no. There are many gods, why you are accepting Kṛṣṇa?" Immediately, "There are many gods, why you are accepting Kṛṣṇa?" But śāstra says, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28), īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). That we will not hear. I will not take lesson from the śāstra, from the ācāryas. At least in India we have got big, big ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, even Śaṅkarācārya, even Guru Nanak, they have accepted, all, Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why should we not? Why you? I shall be another competitor to Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune.

General Lectures

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

Guest (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the Sikh-dharma they say to chant the holy names of God, and so far I haven't encountered the name "Kṛṣṇa" in the scriptures. I have encountered "Govinda," "Mukunda," "Rāma" and..., but the main name that is chanted is Viduḥ. And I was wondering if you could comment on..., on the Sikh-dharma.

Prabhupāda: It is very good. It is very good. Guru Nanak, he chanted the name, holy name of Rāma, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. So if we follow Guru Nanak, we are fortunate. Anyone who presents a science of God, it doesn't matter whether he is this man or that man; he is our guru.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- September 18, 1973, Bombay:

Guest (2): What is the position of people like Guru Nanak, Muhammad, and other people?

Prabhupāda: They're servants of Kṛṣṇa. They are serving on behalf of Kṛṣṇa among certain people who cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Just like a student in the primary class, he does not know what is M.A. examination. Therefore teacher is teaching according to his position. But he's a teacher, he's an authorized teacher, appointed by the school, authority.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 10, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...about Guru Nanak's statement that...

Indian man (4): Rāma gao rāvaṇa gao.

Prabhupāda: You just explain that.

Indian man (4): (Hindi) (break)

Prabhupāda: As soon as he said that, he was killed immediately. That is the atheistic version. "I don't care for God," So as soon as he became atheistic, he was killed, and so long he was chanting, "Rāma will kill me, Rāma will kill me," so he was not killed.

Indian man (4): He was a bhakta at that time according to the... (break)

Prabhupāda: He was chanting the holy name of Rāma.

Indian man (4): He was chanting Rāma, Rāma, Rāma.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...yogino 'nante satyānande cid-ātmani, iti rāma-padenāsau paraṁ brahma ity abhidhīyate. So so long one chants Rāma Kṛṣṇa, who can kill him? Yes. That is the point.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 7, 1975, Perth:

Amogha: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Sikhism there was Guru Nanak and Guru Granth Sahib. Is that actually a real scripture, and was Guru Nanak actually a devotee? Or is that not correct?

Prabhupāda: They created a system of religion which can include Hindus and Muslim. That was at the time needed. But that is not a good system of religion.

Paramahaṁsa: You mean a compromise between the two.

Prabhupāda: Compromise, yes. There was too much strain between Hindus and Muslims, so he wanted to make a compromise. Actually there was only Vedic culture all over the world. As the things deteriorated, new systems of religion came in. Either the Sikh religion or the Christian or this religion, Muslim religion. They are, what is called, deformed type of religion. Religion is that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ (BG 18.66). That is religion. These are later on deformed.

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: So we accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So if you don't accept, then you must have your own God. Do that. But the followers of Vedic principle, they will accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). I think somebody was telling me that Guru Nanak also accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme father. Is it a fact? I do not know.

Yogi Bhajan: No, we have in Siri Guru Grantha lot of things about Lord Rāma, about Lord Kṛṣṇa, about...

Prabhupāda: Now, what is Kṛṣṇa? How Kṛṣṇa is accepted? Is He accepted as the Supreme Lord?

Yogi Bhajan: Kṛṣṇa is accepted as incarnation of God.

Prabhupāda: Well, incarnation of God and God, there is no difference.

Yogi Bhajan: That's it. Also there is a fundamental message in that, that as God created everyone, God created all of us, and in Sikh dharma God, whatever we want to call it, ultimate reality, beyond sunya-samadha, the truth, and Lord Kṛṣṇa in His incarnation taught, Lord Rāma taught. And what our problem at this time at the humanity is: the humanity is divided in many forms. And it is the inner hatred which people want to expel (spell?) out.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say that every, at least, religious sect... I don't say others, nonreligious or agnostic. There are Christian, Mohammedan, Hindu, Sikhs, or any religious system, they have accepted that there is God, Supreme Truth.

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Yogi Bhajan: No, there is one fundamental thing which this movement may not know. In Dasan Grantha, Guru Govind Singh wrote down Kṛṣṇa avatāra.

Prabhupāda: Avatāra...

Yogi Bhajan: Kṛṣṇa avatāra is in his own poetry. It is about Lord Kṛṣṇa. If somebody of these people who know Sanskrit and who know guru-mukhi can translate that part...

Prabhupāda: No, translate or not translate, we have already accept Kṛṣṇa God. So if Guru Nanak has described Him as God, that's all right. Then if Kṛṣṇa is God, accepted by Guru Nanak, and Kṛṣṇa is God, accepted by us, why not put this God, one God?

Yogi Bhajan: Yeah. One God is all right. That everybody will agree. But everybody...

Prabhupāda: That one God, Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the same, I am the one God, that Supreme Lord." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat. Where is...? Find out this verse. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kincid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: And so all the ācāryas of India, including Guru Nanak, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Śaṅkarācārya, Guru Nanak, they have accepted God Kṛṣṇa. So why not present this God all over the world?

Yogi Bhajan: Yeah, but question is very simple. Present it among the other Gods. Time has come of a mutual presentation.

Prabhupāda: No, mutual presentation, simply talking will not do. Suppose we are presenting from India. If we accept Kṛṣṇa... We have accepted, as you say. As so far other ācāryas, namely, Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, the Viṣṇu Svāmī, and then, Nimbārka, Lord Caitanya, and Guru Nanak-practically the whole India, they have accepted Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Lord.

Yogi Bhajan: Um hm.

Prabhupāda: Now, in India, I think, people ask me the "How many they are Kṛṣṇa conscious?" "Everyone in India." At least in India everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious. So the majority of people... And why majority? The whole India. Even there are many Mohammedans who also worship Kṛṣṇa. So if Kṛṣṇa is God, we, in this conference, why not present, "Here is God, whose name is Kṛṣṇa."

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: "Out of many millions of person," kaścid yatati siddhaye, "somebody is trying to become unlimited." And yatatām api siddhānāṁ: (BG 7.3) "Those who have become unlimited, out of millions of them, one can understand Me, Kṛṣṇa." So Kṛṣṇa understanding, God understanding.... When I say Kṛṣṇa, God. God understanding is for the perfect unlimited, not for common man. Common man should accept the ācāryas. They must follow. Ācāryopāsanam. Just like in India the Sikhs, they follow Guru Nanak. So Guru Nanak says, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa, incarnation of God." So they should accept, that's all. Not that every Sikh is expected to be unlimited as Guru Nanak. That is not expected. But they should follow Guru Nanak. Then they will understand. Guru Nanak says, "Kṛṣṇa is incarnation of God." The all the Sikhs should accept, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is..." Then it is all right. It is not expected that every Sikh will understand Kṛṣṇa. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). The mahājana, the ācārya, what path they have shown, that will show. All the ācāryas, they have accepted Kṛṣṇa. And Arjuna, who directly listened Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, he accepted, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So in this we have to follow. Otherwise it is not possible. What they will understand? They must follow the ācārya. If Guru Nanak says "I accept Lord Kṛṣṇa as God,".... God's incarnation and God—there is no difference. Then why the Sikhs should not accept Kṛṣṇa as God?

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: That leaders... the leaders are already there. Now, suppose Guru Nanak says "Kṛṣṇa is God," so will the Sikhs follow Guru Nanak or their own whims?

Yogi Bhajan: No, no, Sikh will follow the instructions...

Prabhupāda: Of Guru Nanak.

Yogi Bhajan: ...Guru Nanak.

Prabhupāda: The Guru Nanak says Kṛṣṇa is God.

Yogi Bhajan: That's very true. Kṛṣṇa is God.

Prabhupāda: Then why don't you follow Kṛṣṇa's instruction?

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Yogi Bhajan: Kali-yuga mem kīrtana pradhana. Now Śrī Guru Grantha says, Guru Nanak writes himself, correct versions are many, but my idea is: it is good to hear from you.

Prabhupāda: That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Yogi Bhajan: I know.

Prabhupāda:

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ

yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ

namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā

nitya-yuktā upāsate

(BG 9.14)

This is upāsate. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Indian man (3): Prabhupāda, if I am allowed, I could just say what Guru Nanak said. He said (Hindi). He said, "Lord Father does not have the cycle of birth." Therefore, I mean...

Prabhupāda: So (Hindi).

Indian man (3): My interpretation...

Prabhupāda: Then why interpretation? (Hindi) Na jāyate na mriyate vā.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Seattle 10 October, 1968:

Regarding the Sikh gentleman's request to use our temple for performing some Sikh religious ceremony: You know that we have refused even the Hindu people to hold demigod worship in our temple, and what to speak of the Sikhs, who are not to the standard of Vedic principle. As a matter of fact, we should not allow anyone to hold any function in our temple, otherwise than Vaisnava principle. In your temple, if your finances condition is going on nicely then there is no need for allowing anyone to hold ceremonies against Vaisnava principle. If anyone wants to hold some function, they should pay to the temple at least $50.00 and we shall prepare Krishna Prasad, offer to the Deity, and as we do generally, and the same Prasad may be distributed to anyone, may he be Hindu, Christian, Sikh, etc. So if Mr. Singh agrees to this principle, then he may pay you the required money to prepare Prasad, which after offering to the Deity, you can hand over to him, and he can offer to Guru Nanak or anyone else, and then you can distribute to the devotees. There cannot be any separate distribution of foodstuff save and except Krishna Prasadam according to our own principles.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Caitya-guru -- Honolulu 10 June, 1975:

Will you kindly let me know what Guru Nanakji has said about Lord Krishna and Lord Rama in his Granth Sahib? How we can cooperate with the sikh community?

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Dhawan -- Vrindaban 2 April, 1976:

You are mentioning the Holy Names of Nanak, Krishna, Kabir, Christ, Mohammed, etc. Out of all of these names we accept Krishna as the Lord and all others representative servant of God, Krishna. In the English dictionary, it is said God is the Supreme Being, and when Krishna appeared on this earth He proved to be the Supreme Being in all respects. We are spreading this Krishna Consciousness Movement all over the world and if all the leaders would accept this philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, then I am sure that the world would be fortunate to follow one type of religion, and accept one God without any faulty conviction.