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Judge (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973:

So Arjuna was a kṣatriya, trained up by Droṇācārya how to kill. This is the... Nonviolence is not the business of the kṣatriya. That is cowardice. They are taught how to become violent. Otherwise, they cannot rule over. Formerly the judgement was given by the king, immediately finished. Not go to the court and wait for the judgement for ten years. In the meantime everything is finished. Not like that. Anything, there was regularly, the king used to sit in his assembly, and all the criminals, culprits, they were judged by the king himself. Sometimes the king had to kill personally with the sword.

Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:

Dvija-bandhu. One may become a friend of the dvija. One may become a son of a high-court judge, but that does not mean he's also high-court judge. But now they are taking: "Because my father is brāhmaṇa, therefore I am brāhmaṇa." No. That was not accepted.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972:

Actually, from literary point of view, interpretation is required when things are not understood very clearly. The interpretation required. In the law court, when the lawyers try to interpret before the judge, when the terms are not very clear... That is the same way, in, in, amongst the associates and society of learned scholars.

Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973:

Parantapa is, this word, very word, is used that "You are a kṣatriya, you are king. Your business is to chastise the mischief mongers. That is your business. You cannot excuse the mischief monger." Formerly the kings were so... The king himself used to judge. A criminal was brought before the king, and if the king thought it wise, he would take his own sword, immediately cut his head.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- London, August 20, 1973:

Anywhere, a man is promoted or degraded when all the liabilities and assets are taken and judged, "Yes, this man has done nice, so give him promotion." And if he has not done nice, "Degrade him." Or "Don't give him promotion."

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:

Actually, the bench is to be used by the head of the executive power, the king or the president. But the high-court judge is the representative of the head executive; therefore, he sits on that bench.

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

Just like under the order of high-court judge, one body is being executed. So that is not violence. A justice of higher order is not meant for committing violence. It is justice. Similarly, when, under the direction of the supreme justice, Kṛṣṇa, anything is done, apparently, although it appears violence, it is not violence. It is justice. This is to be understood.

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

If there is some evidence in the Vedas... Just like in law court, if there is some section in the lawbook, then the lawyers, the judge, accept it. "Yes, it is like this." Similarly knowledge. Vedas means knowledge. So perfect knowledge is there.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

Suppose a high-court judge gives sanction that "This man should be condemned to death. He should be hanged," Does it mean the high-court judge is your enemy and hanging you? He has nothing to do to become your enemy or friend. You have committed situation that you should be hanged. He's giving order: "Be hanged." That's all. So your business is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and act according to His instruction. Then you'll be happy. Otherwise not.

Lecture on BG 2.26-27 -- London, August 29, 1973:

Just like the high-court judge, he is giving judgement according to the case, different cases. Similarly, our goodness or badness will be decided according to our karma. That is also fact. Then what is the use of accepting one God? If I do my duties very nicely, then He must give me nice result. Why shall I worship Him? Why shall I become a devotee of God? It is His duty.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Jaya-gopāla: I was allowed to preach in court.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Jaya-gopāla: I preached to the whole court. And I had a lady judge, she let me. So she suspended my sentence.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Jaya-gopāla: She suspended the sentence and took the (indistinct) and (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Oh. So she has suspended.

Jaya-gopāla: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh. All right. Where is that book, Bhagavad-gītā? You must have the book in your hand, everyone. (laughter)

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

So when the director is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, is directing, so there is no cause of stopping it. He has His plan, He knows. We cannot judge. So He's the Supreme. So that war is necessary because it is desired by the Supreme Lord. To maintain the laws of the world, as to maintain the laws and order of a state, there is violence department, the police department, the military department.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Somebody may say, "Oh, this is also sex life, that is also sex life." But there is much difference. Similarly, apparently, a thing may appear to be the same, but it has got great significance. That is to be judged by higher authorities. That higher authority, supreme authority, is there, Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973:

So if one follows these four principles, naturally he is sinless automatically. And if the whole population is sinless, then where is the possibility of judging or bringing the criminal? When Kali was awarded four places. He was first of all ordered by Parīkṣit Mahārāja.

Lecture on BG 2.33-35 -- London, September 3, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa says that "You have got recognition from big personalities. So if you don't fight, then not only you shall be irreligious but also you'll lose your reputation." Tataḥ sva-dharmaṁ kīrtiṁ ca hitvā pāpam avāpsyasi. Pāpam means sin or sinful reaction. So it has to be judged, when... Sometimes fighting is pāpam, means sinful activity, and sometimes fighting is puṇyam, pious activities.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

Otherwise there is no secluded place. Māyā is everywhere. Māyā will dictate, "Oh, you are so tired. Why don't you come out and smoke a cigarette?" Yes. And he thinks he's advancing, the nonsense is advancing. No. Phalena paricīyate. By the result one has to be judged how far he has advanced. Similarly, there are so many persons, they are meditating.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

Meditation? That you can see from the result. You'll find so many persons meditating, but see their life. Phalena paricīyate. One has to be judged by the result. You have worked very hard and supposed to be very rich man, but if I see that you have no nice apartment, neither any car, neither any opulence, so what kind of businessman you have earned? That can be understood immediately.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

But according to śāstra, scripture, such persons are not called brāhmaṇas. They are called dvija-bandhu, "a friend of a brāhmaṇa." So just like "I am," "I am the son of a high-court judge." That does not mean I am also high-court judge. I must be qualified to become a high-court judge. But if I go on, that "Because my father is high-court judge, therefore I am also high-court judge..." So these things are going on now in India.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Just like everybody has got some personal affair and some public affair. Everybody. A man, high-court judge, he may be, as a public man, he may be a different personality in the high-court bench. But at home he's a different person, a different person. In the high-court bench one has to address that person, "My Lord," but at home his wife addressing him by his own name, "Mr. Harry! Harry! Why don't you do it?" Oh, there is no question of "My Lord."

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

In other words one who is actually engaged in devotional service, he has already realized brahma-sukha. That means... Just like a man is offered that, "If you become a high-court judge, you'll get $4,000, or $15,000 salary per month." So if one is getting $16,000 per month, that means he has become already high-court judge, in a diverse way. That means one who is seriously engaged in devotional service, he's already Brahman realized. He's on the Brahman platform.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. So he is to be understood that he is already Brahman realized. It is not that you have to... This is the spiritual. Material, suppose if you have to accept the post of high-court judge, then you have to gradually qualify yourself. But spiritually, if you immediately engage yourself in the service of the Lord, then you become a high-court judge immediately. You are brahma-bhūtaḥ. That is the difference between matter and spirit. It is unconditional. Ahaituky apratihatā.

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

It is not made according to my order supply. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You are given a chance to act here, but according to your act, it will be judged, what you are going to have in your next life. That is your problem. No, don't make this life of fifty years, sixty years, or seventy years, or hundred years, as all in all. You have got a continuous life of transmigration from one body to another. It is going on.

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

Just like ignorance is no excuse in the law court. Suppose you have done something wrong and if you say to the judge, "So I, I did not know, sir, this law," oh, that is no excuse. You'll be punished. You'll be punished. Now, in the śāstra, in the Vedic literature, it is said that "Everything belongs to God. Everything is manufactured by God.

Lecture on BG 5.7-13 -- New York, August 27, 1966:

You can understand that a person who is criminal, who is condemned. Now he's condemned to death or he is condemned to be imprisoned. Now he makes appeal that "Oh, excuse me, what was done(?)." But the judge puts him into the jail or condemns to life. So he thinks that "The judge has condemned me to death or the, he has put me into jail." But is the judge enemy of a particular person that he puts somebody into the jail and condemns to death? No. I have created. I have created my jail life before. The judge is simply giving me the direction. "Oh, you have done this. Now you have to go." He is not responsible.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

If you can question the high-court judge why he is ordering somebody to be hanged, then what will be the answer? The high-court judge orders somebody to be hanged and somebody to take degree for one lakh of rupees. Is there injustice? It is the law.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." But why don't you do it? That is māyā. It is up to you. Therefore you create māyā. Kṛṣṇa does not create. A man is hanged. Does it mean that the high-court judge who orders that "This man should be hanged," the high-court judge is enemy of that man he's hanging? No.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

Just like here. Take practical example. They are not worshiping demigods. How they are advancing. You see practically. And what the Sarasvatī worshiper has advanced? They fight simply. During the martial (?) ceremony in Calcutta... So what is benefit? You should judge by the result, not by sophisticated ideas. There is no necessity.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

You are being educated with the expectation of being situated, posted in some nice occupation, but that occupation will depend on your work in student life. You may become a high-court judge, you can become a great engineer, you can get so many things, or you could not get anything, such post.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

So today I may be minister, and tomorrow, after death, I may become a dog. But that is not in my control. You cannot say that "I am minister. I am this. I am that. I am high-court judge or very important man. So I am ordering material nature. Although I shall die, next life I shall become again high-court judge or Nārāyaṇa, something." No. That is not possible. You are fully under control.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

Now, we understand from śāstra that after sex between man and woman, the matter is emulsified and creates a situation wherein the living entity takes shelter. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). So, living entity, every one of us, dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), we shall get another body. So what kind of body we shall get? That is karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. That will be judged by higher authorities according to our karma. If we have done work like human being, then further promotion will be given.

Lecture on BG 7.15-18 -- New York, October 9, 1966:

Just like Socrates. Socrates was condemned to death because he believed in the..., an immortality of the soul. So he was condemned to death, and he was asked to take hemlock or something like that, poison. And the judge wanted: "Well, Socrates, how do you want to be put into the grave?" He replied, "First of all, you catch me. Then you put me into the grave. (laughter) You are dealing with my body, nonsense. I am out of this. So you kill me or you put me into the grave or whatever you like, I don't mind. First of all, you catch me. Then you put me into the grave."

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. We do, we act according to our whims, but that whims is judged by daiva-netreṇa, by a higher, superior authority, just like Yamarāja. Then we get another body. This is the process. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran lokam tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Bhagavad-gītā also says. We should be very, very careful.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:

Gurukṛpā: If Kṛṣṇa is perfect and complete, then why does He need little entities like us?

Prabhupāda: So a high-court judge, why his son becomes a loafer?

Gurukṛpā: If there is a high-court judge and he has a son, why does the son sometimes become a loafer?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Guest (2): I do not know.

Prabhupāda: Is it guaranteed that because one is son of high-court judge, he'll also become a high-court judge? There is no such guarantee. Everyone is individual. We are sons of God, that's all right, but we have got little independence. If we misuse our independence, then we become lower.

Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:

Guest (3): I'm asking this question. I'm concerned about the perverted caste system in India, right? I'm asking this question on a brāhmaṇa, the varṇāśrama-dharma system. If one of your brāhmaṇa initiated disciples falls from this platform, leaves the temple and commits offenses, then returns, demanding respect, should he be allowed to keep the sacred thread or should he be engaged in menial service, which never fails to cultivate humility?

Prabhupāda: Well, that is to be judged by the spiritual master. You cannot judge.

Guest (3): Well, I'm asking this because...

Prabhupāda: You cannot judge who is following, who is not following. That is not your jurisdiction. Therefore he has accepted a spiritual master, his jurisdiction. He'll do whatever necessary.

Guest (3): Has there been a case...

Prabhupāda: So that case you cannot judge. The case has to be judged by the spiritual master.

Guest (3): Could you give me an example of a case that has been...

Prabhupāda: Just like if somebody has done something wrong he is taken to the court and the judge gives his decision, whether he is criminal or not. The man who has arrested him, he cannot give the decision. It has to be tried by the higher authority. Then the judgment will be.

Lecture on BG 9.15-18 -- New York, December 2, 1966:

Just like in the ordinary life. You are working in office as a clerk. You cannot expect the salary of the high-court judge. How can you expect? As you are working, you'll get a salary. Similarly, everything is God. That's all right. Everything is government service. But a foolish constable is not equal to the magistrate. He can say, a constable also can say, that "I am in government service." That's all right. But you are not equal to the magistrate. You are not equal to the high-court judge. You may be government servant.

Lecture on BG 9.27-29 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

Same example we can give: Just like a person is ordered by the high-court to be condemned to death. He will be punished, death punishment. Does it mean that the high-court justice is enemy of that particular person? No. He is not enemy. He has created such situation that he is condemned to death. The high-court judge is not responsible for that. He simply administers the, I mean to say, intricacies of law, of the state. Similarly, there are agents of Lord in the material nature and so many, there are agents we do not know. But there, in the śāstras, we have the Yamarāja, or there is justice department. Everything is there.

Lecture on BG 9.29-32 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

Just like in the material world, suppose if you want to sit on the bench of a high-court judge, you will have to acquire so many qualifications. You have to be a very big lawyer, and government must recognize that you are good lawyer. Then there will be so many recommendation by the Bar Association, by the lawyers. Then you can be recommended. But here the process is just that any way you sit down on the high-court judge, then all education will come to you.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:

Just like high-court judge is a qualification. It is not by birth. The high-court judge's son is not a high-court judge unless he has the qualification of a high-court judge. Similarly, a son of a brāhmaṇa by birth is not a brāhmaṇa. When he has got the brahminical qualification, then he becomes brāhmaṇa. That qualifications are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is not imagination.

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

It is not śāstra, it is the opinion of medical science also. The medical science. In India there was a case, a murderer. So his pleader, lawyer pleaded that "This man, when committed this murder, he was insane." So the judge called for the civil surgeon to examine him whether he has got such tendency, insanity.

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

Just like a son of a high-court judge, he can say—he has got the right—that "I am friend of my father, of my son of high-court judge." That you can say. But you cannot say that you are high-court judge. It is a qualification. Even though you are a son of a high court judge, if you have no qualification, how you can say that "I am court judge."

Lecture on BG 13.21 -- Bombay, October 15, 1973:

Prakṛtiḥ. Just like one criminal is punished by the magistrate, that "This man should undergo six months imprisonment." So the judge or the magistrate superficially is the cause of his punishment, but actually he's not. He's giving him punishment according to law. I have created such a situation, I have made myself a criminal, and the magistrate, according to law, giving me punishment.

Lecture on BG 16.1-3 -- Hawaii, January 29, 1975:

In the Western countries there is only one philosopher, Socrates. He was condemned to death because he was speaking that "I am soul. I am eternal." That was his fault. So the judges enquired, "Mr. Socrates, now you are going to die, so what kind of grave you want?" So Socrates replied, "First of all capture me. Then you put me into the grave." That is the fact.

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

There is no impediment to become divine. Simply you have to practice for the post. Just like everyone can become a high-court judge. Everyone can become the president of United States. There is no bar. But you have to be qualified.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

The man or woman becomes lusty accidentally, and there is sex and therefore the creation of the child. This is their theory, not that "This child is a living entity, and he is coming from his last birth, and he's taking particular type of body according to his last birth," no conclusion like that. "God is the judge what kind of body he should get." Daiva-netreṇa.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hyderabad, December 15, 1976:

Ācāra and vicāra, there are two things. Vicāra means consideration. That is vicāra. Just like vicāra prati. The high-court judge is called vicāra prati. Two opposite party presenting their grievances and he will consider and give his judgment. So vicāra-paṇḍita.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

When you are caught and you are convicted, then if you say, "By chance, I became convicted"? By chance? No. You committed theft, you were arrested, there were due judgment, and the judge has given you punishment. You must suffer. It is not a chance. And if you say, "By chance, I am now convicted," that is not chance. There is no question of chance. This is a false logic, chance.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Anardhena nyāya-rahitam.(?) In this Kali-yuga, if you have no money, then you will never get justice because you have to bribe up to the high-court judge. That is going on. At least in India it is going on. You bribe, and you take favorable judgment. Is it not? Yes. And that is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Anardhena nyāya-rahitam. Everywhere you have to bribe.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:

Just like I am sitting on the seat or you are sitting on the floor. We are sitting on something. It is not false; it is fact. I am not sitting on the air. You are not sitting on the air. So how we can say it is false? No. Therefore our philosophy is... That is fact. One may consider. One who is philosophically inclined, he can judge the statement, of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī says,

prāpañcikatayā buddhyā
hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ
mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo
vairāgyaṁ phalgu kathyate

He says, "The material things..." Prapañcikā means material. So this house is material. It is made of wood, stone. So we are giving up all material connection. Then why shall we live in this house? This is material.

Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:

Śāstra says, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ: "In this age, Kali-yuga, mostly all of them are śūdras." No brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya, no vaiśya, according to qualification. You can, by force, you can say, "I am brāhmaṇa; because I am son of a brāhmaṇa, I am brāhmaṇa." That you can do, but that is not the qualification. If somebody says, "My father is high-court judge. Therefore I am a high-court judge," is that very nice proposal? One must attain the qualification of high-court judge, even though he's a son of a high-court judge.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975:

Hṛdayānanda: (break) ...until you have arrived here, there was no possibility of liberation for humanity?

Prabhupāda: That you can judge. (laughter) If I say, it will be self-advertisement. But you are intelligent. You can judge. But I have not brought something invented by me. I have brought the Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. That's all. That's all.

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

So actually, the preacher's seat is Vyāsadeva's āsana; it is the seat of Vyāsadeva. Just like in the high-court the seat of judgment, or what is called? That seat nobody else can sit there, in that seat. Only the high-court judge, representative of king for giving law to the citizens, he can sit down. Similarly, the vyāsāsana is occupied by the representative of Vyāsadeva, who can speak on behalf of Vyāsadeva. This is the system.

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

Just like at the present moment. They are introducing themself as brāhmaṇa, but degraded. Actually, they are not brāhmaṇa-degraded. Dvija-bandhu, friends of brāhmaṇa. Just like if I am son of a high-court judge, unless I am qualified to become a high-court judge I cannot say myself, "I am high-court judge." No. Simply by becoming the son of high-court judge, one does not become a high-court judge. He must have the qualification. So when one is simply proud of his high parentage, he is called dvija-bandhu.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

You have to, after death you have accept another body. But what kind of body you are going to accept, that you do not know. But there is superior judgement that "You have done such-and-such karma, you accept this body." How can you deny it? Just like in the court the judge is giving different judgement, "Yes, you have to receive this one lakh of rupees from this person. I give you decree." And another person is given order, "You go to jail for six months." The judge is the same.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

So you are obeying Lenin, and I am obeying Kṛṣṇa. So where is the difference between you and me in philosophy? Now, the things remain to be judged, whether by following Kṛṣṇa I shall be happy or by following Lenin you shall be happy. That is to be judged, not that you, Communist party, you can do without following a superior person. That you cannot do. That is not possible." That is natural.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

Just like a child is being educated for future happiness. But this happiness, this material happiness, is temporary. Even if you are educated very nicely, become a big lawyer or high-court judge or anything big post, they are all temporary. Because as soon as the body is finished, everything is finished. Then again you have to take birth.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Our only request is that "Please try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement." Just like in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says that caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. It is not blindly accepting. Vicāra. Just judge yourself how great important this movement is. Caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. Vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra. If you are sober, thoughtful, you'll find it is sublime. It is sublime.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

You can become the King of heaven, provided you have got a mass of pious activities. You are promoted. Just like if you have got sufficient education, you can become high-court judge. It is not very difficult. Similarly, this Indra, Candra, Brahmā, big, big demigods, they have got all these posts on account of their great pious activities. Puṇya. Puṇya-karma. Similarly, the hogs and dogs and other animals, they are due to the pāpa-karma, impious activities. So both of them are resultant action of our karma.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Los Angeles, August 27, 1972:

So foolish activity has no meaning. Without brain, simply active, that is dangerous. Sober activity is required. Just like a high-court judge. He is paid very lump sum, money, but he's sitting on his chair and simply thinking. The others may think that "We are working so hard, we are not getting so big salary, and this man is getting so big salary. He's sitting only."

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

We are all living entities, jīva-tattva, and the Viśvātmā, the Supersoul, is the same in everyone's heart. Why they are acting differently? This is the proof that there is individual soul, jīvātmā, and the Paramātmā, Paramātmā is sanctioning. The same example: the magistrate, or judge, is giving different judgment because the criminals, or the complainers, they are different. Nāneva bhāti viśvātmā bhūteṣu ca tathā pumān.

Lecture on SB 1.3.30 -- Los Angeles, October 5, 1972:

Ordinarily, suppose you are working somewhere. So your service record is there. Now, at the end of the year, or at the end of some period, the service record is checked, and you are given promotion or increase, increment. So many things are judged. Similarly, all our activities what we are doing now, that is being recorded. There is record. And after death, you are taken to the court of Yamarāja, the days of judgment, and the decision is made by the higher authority what kind of body I or you shall get. This is the way.

Lecture on SB 1.3.30 -- Los Angeles, October 5, 1972:

Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). Jantu means living entities. For giving him a body, it is decided by the higher authorities. You cannot say, "Now give me the body of a king." Now you are American. You cannot say, you cannot dictate, that "Give me again the American body as the son of Rockefeller." No. That will be judged, what you have done.

Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976:

So yad brahma-bandhoḥ. Brahma-bandhu, or kṣatra-bandhu, a person born in the family of a brāhmaṇa but has no brāhmaṇa qualifications, he is called brahma-bandhu, "friend of a brāhmaṇa." Bandhu means friend. A person, a man, his father is high-court judge. So there is no harm that he belongs to the family of such and such high-court judge—but that does not mean he is high-court judge. This should be noted. That is the difference, brāhmaṇa and brahma-bandhu.

Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976:

When the 1914, the war was going on. So it is understood that in high-court, Calcutta high-court, there is leisure hour, tiffin hour. So all the judges were sitting. So one English judge, he asked Sir Asutosh Mukherji, "Mr. Mukherji, now the Germans are coming, and if so, what you are going to do?" Mr. Mukherji, Sir Asutosh Mukherji, he replied, "Yes, as soon as the Germans will come, we shall offer our respect in this way, 'Come on sir.' " "So you'll not counteract? Why?" "You have taught us to make like this, so we shall do that. Because you have simply taught us this, how to obey your orders. So anyone who will come, we shall do this." The idea is the slave mentality...

Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976:

Just like if you are the son of a high-court judge, you can be called, you have got the right, that "son of a high-court judge." That is all right. But you cannot claim to become the high-court judge. That is not possible. Unless you are qualified, unless you are actually acting as high-court judge, you cannot be called a high-court judge. Simply by becoming the son of a high-court judge you cannot become the high-court judge. Similarly, simply by becoming the son of a brāhmaṇa, you cannot become a brāhmaṇa. A woman, vāma-svabhāvā, she can accept that "Because he's the son of a brāhmaṇa, he's brāhmaṇa." Therefore this word is used, vāma-svabhāvā.

Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- New York, April 12, 1973:

Suppose one man is born the son of a high-court judge. So it does not mean that because he's a son of a high-court judge, he is also high-court judge. This is going on. Because one happens to take birth in a brāhmaṇa family, without any qualification, he claims to become a brāhmaṇa. That is the falldown of Vedic civilization in India.

Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Mayapura, October 3, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa hasn't got that aptitude. He's a master. Just like "King can do no wrong." This is the British Constitution. You cannot accuse the king in any way, neither you can judge. That is British Constitution. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, as it is stated in the Īśopaniṣad, apāpa-viddham. He cannot be criminal like us. He's above. He cannot be charged with any criminal charges.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Los Angeles, April 17, 1973:

Just like a token punishment. Sometimes in the courts a big man is culprit. So say, if the judge wants 100,000 dollars, he can pay immediately. But he asks from Him: "You just give one cent." Because that is also punishment. But minimizing.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974:

Therefore our test tube is: if one does not know Kṛṣṇa, if one does not know how to follow Bhagavad-gītā, we immediately take him as a rascal. That's all. Never mind he... He may be prime minister, he may be high-court judge, or... No. "No, he is prime minister. He is high-court judge. Still, mūḍhaḥ?" Yes. "How?" Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ: (BG 7.15) "He has no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. He is covered by māyā." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Therefore he's mūḍha. So straightly preach.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

Good lawyer in the court—who can give reference from the lawbooks: "My Lord, you refer to such and such section of such and such law book, and you will find what I am stating." And the judge, when he sees: "Yes, it is all...," then his case is owned. So authority. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājana. Authority means mahājana. Ordinary, common people is called jana, ordinary man. And those who are authority, they are mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.9.3 -- Los Angeles, May 17, 1973:

So it is stated that without money, you cannot get justice even. In the court of justice, everyone is expected to get proper behavior, but in the Kali-yuga it is stated (that) even in the court of justice, you cannot get justice without money. That's a fact. If you have no money, then you cannot appoint a good lawyer. And sometimes you have to bribe the judge also. This is the position now.

Lecture on SB 1.9.3 -- Los Angeles, May 17, 1973:

Now in your country so many big, big men have been arrested or something like that for their dishonesty. So Kali-yuga is so polluted that the minister is dishonest, the judge is dishonest, and what to speak of ordinary men. So only thing is that you get money some way or other. Then you can pass on as a nice gentleman, polished.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

Therefore in India sometimes, when, a hundred years ago, some students would come in England, especially London, and make a European, English wife... In old days they are doing that. So people would say that "This man is maintaining one white elephant." Because a European wife means very much expenditure. So one Mr. P. R. Das, he was high-court judge. So he was taking bribe on account of maintaining white elephant. He married one European wife.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

In those days for Indian it was a fashion to get a European wife. So this man married one European wife, and his expenditures was very, very heavy. So high-court judge, he was getting only four thousand rupees, and his expenditure was ten thousand rupees, and therefore he was taking bribe. He admitted.

Lecture on SB 1.13.15 -- Geneva, June 4, 1974:

So when he was condemned to the śūla punishment, then the king heard that "Maṇḍūka Muni, the great sage, he is punished like that?" Immediately he stopped. "What is this nonsense that Maṇḍūka Muni has been punished? He is a great sage." So the king stopped the punishment and immediately came to see what has happened. Then he was immediately released. But he was very sorry, that "Why the judge Yamarāja punished him like that?" So he asked Yamarāja, "Why you have punished me like this?"

Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:

In comparison to India, every American is rich man, because any ordinary man earns here at least four thousand, five thousand rupees. And in India, even the high-court judge, he cannot earn so. Utmost four thousand. So you should be conscious that by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, you have got all these things. There is no poverty, there is no scarcity, there is good chance of education, and you are wealthy, beautiful, everything.

Lecture on SB 1.15.24 -- Los Angeles, December 3, 1973:

Discretion is the better part of valor, and one must learn how to discriminate between actions which may be pleasing to the Lord and those which may not be pleasing to the Lord. An action is thus judged by the Lord's pleasure or displeasure. There is no room for personal whims.

Lecture on SB 1.15.24 -- Los Angeles, December 3, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa's action is daiva, superior. Just like the high-court, the judge is... Somebody condemning somebody that "This man should be hanged," and other man, "Yes, he must get the degree. He will get the millions of dollars from that person." Now, is he partial? He is giving somebody millions of dollars and somebody is ordered to be hanged. Is he partial? No. He is not partial. He is simply administering the law. That's all.

Lecture on SB 1.15.46 -- Los Angeles, December 24, 1973:

If you have no money, then you will never get justice in the court. This is Kali-yuga. Nowadays the high-court judges, they are taking bribe, to give you a favorable judgment. You can purchase judgment. So if you have no money, then don't go to court. To push good money after bad money. No.

Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973:

Every field, there must be mahā-bhāgavata. So my Guru Mahārāja used to say that when we shall see that the high-court judges are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, then our preaching will be somewhat forward. So that is the aim of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that everyone, at least those who are ruling, those who are on the executive function, they must be all mahā-bhāgavata. Under them everything should be ruled.

Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974:

Yamarāja's business is to see how much sinful this living entity is, and he is offered a similar body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). You will be judged after your death, every one of us. Of course, if he takes Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, then the path is automatic.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

Devotee: ...one is sufficient to ask is that are Siddha-svarūpānanda Gosvāmī and Tuṣṭa-kṛṣṇa Mahārāja and their followers more advanced in their understanding of Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master than the other devotees in ISKCON; and secondly, are they, have they advanced beyond following the rules and regulations of ISKCON?

Prabhupāda: That is up to you to judge—by the result. If they are actually advanced, why they should leave this company of ISKCON? Therefore, I know they're very good souls. They might have done some mistake out of misunderstanding, but you invite them to come back again and take their position. It is not very good sign that they have left. They'll never be happy. That's a fact.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Hawaii, January 19, 1974:

There are four classes of men: lazy intelligent, busy intelligent, lazy fool and busy fool. (laughter) So first-class man is lazy intelligent. Just like you'll see the high-court judges. They're very lazy and most intelligent. That is first-class man. They are doing everything very soberly. And the next class: busy intelligent. Intelligence should be used very soberly. And the third class: lazy fool-lazy, at the same time, fool. And the fourth class: busy fool. Busy fool is very dangerous. So all these people, they're busy.

Lecture on SB 1.16.35 -- Hawaii, January 28, 1974:

The fire ceremony means, fire is also representation of yajña-puruṣa, and through fire, the yajña-puruṣa eats, puruṣottama. So there is fire, there is spiritual master, there is śāstra, there is Kṛṣṇa, before—they are all witness. Just like before the high-court judge you promise, "Yes I'll speak... Whatever I'll speak in this court, it is all truth." So this promise the judge knows, and he gives his judgment on that.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

So in this Kali-yuga, rājarṣi, this rājarṣi... Rājarṣi, he's saintly person. Now, we'll find this Parīkṣit Mahārāja, as soon as he'll find this one demon is trying to kill another cow, he immediately took his sword. If he's a ṛṣi, one may inquire that "If he's a saintly person, how is that he's going to kill another person?" So killing is not always bad. But it is not to be judged by you. It is to be judged by the same saintly person: when killing is required, when not killing is required.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

So field is open for everyone. It is not, the government is giving a special facility for somebody, and he's becoming rich, and another man is forbidden to use the government facilities, therefore he's becoming poor. No. It is not that. Government is giving facility everyone equally. You become educated, you become high-court judge. And if you become criminal, then go to jail. So similarly, God, He's equal to everyone.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11 -- Tokyo, April 27, 1972:

So anyway, then Bhāgavata says anadhena nyāya ratim(?): "If you have no money, then don't expect justice. Don't expect justice." Even high-court judges, they take bribe to give you favorable judgement. In India we have seen so many bribe. Police, you give bribe; high-court judge, you can give bribe. This is the position of Kali-yuga, horrible position.

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

I cannot demand that "Next life I will have like this." No. That is not possible. Next life you will get according to your karma. Just like you are being educated. You cannot say that "Make me the high-court judge." That is not possible. If you are qualified, then you become. Similarly, karmaṇā... You have to qualify yourself.

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

Daiva-netreṇa, by superior observation. Kṛṣṇa is seeing that "This living entity wants a body so that he can eat anything up to stool." So He has to judge; He has to give. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1).

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:

Similarly, we may think something that it is divine, but who is judging that this is divine or not divine? Therefore you have to learn how to serve divinely, then you can serve. Without knowing, you cannot. That will be disastrous. Everything requires expert knowledge; otherwise it will be disastrous.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

If he is born brāhmaṇa, then where..., there is no need of saṁskāra. There is no need of education. Suppose a person is born the son of high-court judge. Does it mean that he is high-court judge? No. He requires education, he requires training. But he has a good chance to become a high-court judge.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

Because his father is high-court judge, he knows how to train his sons, how to educate him how to become a lawyer, and he has got influence in government society. He can recommend him. He has got the chance to become a high-court judge. But not that because he is born of a father who is high-court judge, therefore he is high-court judge. That is going on.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

So one who has become Vaiṣṇava, does it mean he is fool still? No. Training. Training is there. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa recommends, ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim? To become high-court judge, does it mean it is ordinary qualification? If you say that "That man has become high-court judge and the other man who has seen him before, that he is not born 'No, no. How you can become high-court judge? No, he is born of a very low-class family. No.' " "No, no, he has become a high-court..." "No, no. I don't believe." "No, I have seen it." This is possible.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

It is not that because one is born in low-class family he cannot become high-court judge or he cannot become a Vaiṣṇava. Oh. He can be.

Lecture on SB 5.5.31 -- Vrndavana, November 18, 1976:

If you have done something wrong, sinful, you must suffer. There is no escape. But He can do that. Just like if you are condemned by the law court to be hanged, nobody can change it. Even the judge who has given you the punishment, even if you appeal to him, "Sir, excuse me," no, he cannot excuse you by law. But if you file petition to the president or the king—that is called king's mercy—he can change.

Lecture on SB 5.6.1 -- Vrndavana, November 23, 1976:

So if you remain a minister, a president or some very big man, but if you are not a devotee, then you have to accept another body. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). You have to... Daiva-netreṇa, by superior management, superior administration, you'll be judged what kind of karma you have done. Although you are minister, but you have done, acted like a hog, like a dog, then you have to accept the body.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

Four bodily necessities of life means we require some eating. The cats, dogs, human being, or high-court judge, or anyone—they require some eating. They require sleeping, apartment. So that is... The cats and dogs can sleep without apartment, but the sleeping required. That is fact. Eating required, that is fact. And sex life, that is also fact. And defense, that is also fact. But these things are common to the cats and dogs and man, human being.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

So how do you think that the nature machine is working without the supreme operator, God's instruction. How do you think it? This is not very reasonable. We have to judge. There are different evidences. One of the evidence is hypothesis. That hypothesis is that "Because we see that no machine works without operator, therefore we should conclude it, even though we do not know what is God, what is the nature, we must conclude it that the nature is working under some supreme operator. That is God."

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

That statement of my Guru Mahārāja, "the society of the cheaters and the cheated," is a fact everywhere. In a law court also, you bribe; you get justice. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Arghyeṇa nyāya-rahitam: "If you have got no money, then you cannot get justice in this age. You cannot get justice." It is clearly stated here. That is the symptom of this age. In the law court you have to bribe. In the judges...

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

I know so many cases. The judges are bribed and they give favorable judgment. You bribe any judge, then he accepts. One big judge and a big man's brother, P.R. Das. He was a very famous judge in high-court and, in Patna high-court, and he is the brother of a great pleader, C.R. Das. So he was taking bribe. He was taking bribe. And this was known to the other judges and the chief justice also. Complaint was there by other judges that "He takes bribe."

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

So that means that was the last day of his sitting in the court, and he retired. I think that man is still living or dead? He was taking. And when he was asked by his friends that "Why did you take bribe?" So, "I get only four thousand rupees. I have got expenditure, ten thousand. What can I do?" You see? A big judge. He was doing that business. That is within our experience.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, June 8, 1975:

According to Vedic culture, one has to judge by the result. Not by if you simply talk nonsense, one has to accept. What is the result? Suppose if one says that "I have done very good business. I have earned so much money I have got in bank balance..." You can say all these thing.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Nellore, January 5, 1976:

So just like in our ordinary life if we commit some sinful activity and if we plead in the court, "My dear judge, I did not know the law," so this kind of pleading will not help him. Ignorance is no excuse. Therefore human life is distinct from animal life. If we live in human life without caring for the supreme laws, then we are destined to suffer.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, May 8, 1976:

Ordinary, anyone can understand that in the human society if you want to become high-court judge, you can become. And if you want to become a criminal in the prisonhouse, you can become. Everything is open. Not that government says that you become a criminal and he prefers somebody, "You become a high-court..." No. Everything is in your hand. If you like, you can become so. Similarly, if you like, you can go back to home, back to Godhead. That is perfection of life. And if you don't like, then remain here.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971:

As I explained the other day, that a murderer should be killed, that is mercy upon him. The, when the king orders... It is very old law. It is not new law, "Life for life." So that, when the king awards, or the judge, high-court judge, that "This man must be hanged," the judge is not the enemy of that man, but, according to law, in order to save him from further trouble in the next life, this prescription of hanging is there.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975:

And according to the personal propensities and desires, Kṛṣṇa is giving us different opportunities, and that is different body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Just like in the court, the..., everyone is judged as person, not wholesale. The judge not says that "Now all you have come here"—some of them are complainants and some of them are respondents—"so you stand together. I give this judgment." No. Everyone is personally judged. And everyone is given reward or punishment personally. So where is the question of imperson?

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

That is another thing, but that is judged by the expert lawyer that your interpretation is right. And when interpreted. Not ordinarily interpret everything. When it is not distinct. The law point, when it is not distinct then interpretation required. When it is distinct, is there any necessity of interpretation? It is clear. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says, "I am God. I am the Supreme." So how you can interpret that "No, no, not Kṛṣṇa. Something within Kṛṣṇa." Dr. Radhakrishnan says like that. Yes. That is foolishness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 and Room Conversation -- Bombay, November 15, 1970:

I do not wish to name, but there was a big high-court judge. He was taking bribe, and he was detected one day. When he was just to deliver one judgment, the chief judge called him and he asked him that "You immediately resign on health condition and go away." But when his friends asked him that "Why you were doing so?" he replied that "I have got expenditure, ten thousand rupees per month, and I get only four thousand. What can I do?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 and Room Conversation -- Bombay, November 15, 1970:

Even a high-court judge, because he has to spend more than his income, he adopted these vile means of living. The trend of modern civilization is like that. They unnecessarily increase their expenditure and adopt these all vile means.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

So Yamarāja is the superintendent or the judge for considering what kind of punishment should be given to a certain sinful person. After death, those who are sinful, they are taken to Yamarāja for judgment, what kind of punishment one has to be given. And those who are pious devotees, they are taken charge by the Viṣṇudūta.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

So this is the chance. We should not neglect. So if we misuse this human form of life like animals, then we are punishable. Then you have to go to the Yamarāja and he'll judge what kind of body you'll get. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Just like if you are criminal, then you are put into the magistrate's court and the magistrate decides what kind of punishment you must be given. So don't think you are, we are, every one of us, independent. No. No independent.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

You can falsely become proud so long this body is there. You can talk all nonsense. But when the body is finished, now you are completely under the control of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. Then your quality will be judged. Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27).

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

The subtle body with the semina of the father, it is injected in the mother's womb, and then again you will develop another body. This is the process of transmigration. So this body, how you'll be transferred to another body, that will be judged by the Yamarāja. Daiva-netreṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). By our activities we shall be judged. Those who are criminal, they will be judged, not that everyone will be judged. So, and because those who are devotees, they are... Mad-yajino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). Those who have devoted their life, dedicated their life only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are sure. Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). That is sure. They are going back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

Just like the other day I gave you the instance of a big high-court judge, because he was also of that type. I know his private character. He was most debauched and therefore he wanted money, ten thousand rupees per month. And in spite of his position as a high-court judge and getting four thousand, five thousand salary, he could not check from his falldown.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Why we should interpret? You know, you, as a lawyer. When there is legal point, if it is not clear, one lawyer is trying to extract some meaning and the other lawyer is extract... It is... After all, the judges (indistinct) give the judgment. So this interpretation between the two lawyers are there when the subject matter is not very clear.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

Guest (3): ...amongst the judges now they have passed a...

Prabhupāda: But judges are not perfect, and the law is also not perfect. But I am simply speaking of the procedure. The law is not perfect because it is man-made, and judges, because he is human, he is also not perfect. So that imperfectness you must find. But I am speaking of the procedure.

Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Chicago, July 9, 1975:

They cannot believe that here there is ball dance and there is Kṛṣṇa dancing with the gopīs—it is the same thing. So how it is reality? This is their misfortune. They cannot judge that unless in Kṛṣṇa there is ball dance, how this ball dance can be shadow? The variety is there. But unless there is reality, how the shadow... We are after shadow. Shadow is not reality. But there must be reality.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Indore, December 15, 1970:

Therefore purposely they commit sinful activity and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa to counteract. That is also greatest offense, that "Because I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa..." Just like some government officer, because he is in higher post... Just like the other day I cited the high-court judge. So "I shall take opportunity of taking bribe on the strength of my superior post in government service." According to law, that is greatest offender, the greatest criminal according to law.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:

Dharma-rājasya śāsanam. There is a ruling all over the universe under the jurisdiction of Dharmarāja, or the supreme judge, for considering sinful and pious activities. There is a big government within this universe. But those who are thinking very poorly, without any advanced knowledge, atheist, they think that everything is coming automatically.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:

If we deny the supreme ruler, we may do it madly, but there must be a systematic action, reaction. So here is Dharmarāja. Just like we have got magistrate. So magistrate's duty is, when a criminal is brought before him, to judge what kind of punishment he should be allowed. Justice there is. Similarly, this Dharmarāja means the criminals are brought before him.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:

Dharmarāja is appointed magistrate by the Supreme Lord. So everyone, after death, he is brought before Dharmarāja, the Yamarāja, and he judges what kind of next body this criminal will have. That is Dharmarāja. He is judged by his work. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha-upapattaye (SB 3.31.1).

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:

So many big, big leaders have been arrested. But they are not put in the same level of ordinary criminals. They are given all facilities. They are given nice house, servants and newspaper. They are given all facilities of indepen..., outside life, according to the position. They are called first-class prisoners. And there are similarly second-class prisoners, third-class prisoners. So this is judged by a person.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- San Francisco, July 18, 1975:

So Yamarāja is also one of the twelve exalted officers or representative of Kṛṣṇa. But still, he has gone to take charge of the judicial department for judging the sinful—not all, only the sinful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- San Francisco, July 20, 1975:

So first question was, brūta dharmasya nas tattvaṁ yac ca adharmasya lakṣaṇam. When there is some vicāra, judgment, it must be done very nicely. A criminal is judged before the magistrate. He is taken just to make proper judgment, "Whether this man is punishable? He committed some criminal activities." The circumstances, the condition of the mind—everything should be judged. This is called judgment.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- San Francisco, July 20, 1975:

Sudāmā: Take the children out.

Bahulāśva: All the children should go out.

Prabhupāda: No, that's all right. (some devotees say "Jaya!" and applaud) So, children are not punishable. (laughter, more applause) Neither the women. (more applause, laughter) Hm. But don't take advantage. (laughter) And here we have got these brāhmaṇas, saintly persons, women and children. So who is to be punished? (laughter) Yes.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- San Francisco, July 20, 1975:

Kathaṁ svid dhriyate daṇḍaḥ. So the judge must know who is to be punished. That is judgment. Kathaṁ svid dhriyate daṇḍaḥ sthānam. Deśa-kāla-pātra: according to time, according to circumstances, according to the subject, everything scrutinizingly judged, not whimsically. Nowadays it is the time for emergency. Anyone can be punished without any judgment. But this is not good position.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:

Perhaps, you doctor, know, that one Dr. Lalman Ghosh in Calcutta, he analyzed this cow dung and he was a professor in the medical college. He has declared that cow dung is full of antiseptic properties. So Vedic injunction is... That is right. But sometimes it appears to be contradictory. But we cannot judge how it is so contradictory. We have to accept like that. That is the following of Vedic rules.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, July 23, 1975:

So we have to give up this nonsense idea as knowledge. We have to understand God as it is said in the śāstras. Practically, you have to judge. Then we shall understand God, His intelligence, how He is working. Because in the previous verse it is said,

yena sva-dhāmny amī bhāvā
rajaḥ-sattva-tamomayāḥ
guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair
vibhāvyante yathā-tatham

Everything is being supplied by the nature. By the order of Kṛṣṇa, according to the modes of nature, we are contaminating guṇa-nāma.

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

Here are the so many witnesses. Iti śuśruma. Hear. You cannot say there is no witness. You hear from the Vedic literature how many witnesses are present there for all your activities and how they are becoming recorded minutely, and everything will be judged. Therefore the Yamarāja is there.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:

So dharma and adharma, these two things, are there. You serve either of them. But the result—according to your service. If you are serving as high-court judge, that salary, and if you serving as ordinary, what is called, washer of dishes, that salary cannot be equal.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:

You cannot expect, becoming a dishwasher, to draw the same salary as the high-court judge is drawing. That is not possible. Therefore it is said, sa eva tat-phalaṁ bhuṅkte. You get... You can become high-court judge. There is no, I mean to say, obstacle. You could be qualified like the high-court judge. Now you are qualified like this, so you have to accept this.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:

Just like a boy takes education, expecting to become one day high-court judge. But one who has not taken education—he simply played in the street—how he can become a high-court judge? It is not possible. Therefore it is said, sa eva tat-phalaṁ bhuṅkte tathā tāvat amutra, "in future life." But these rascals, they do not know what is future life. This is modern civilization. They are so rascal. But there is future life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975:

Just see that everyone's mind is not of the same category. There are difference of mind also, according to the position. That we have got experience. A high-court judge's mind and ordinary person's mind—far different. The judges can immediately understand what is the position. So this is also God's gift. Different people have got different power of the mind. That is also through Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975:

Anumīmāṁsati apūrvaṁ manasā. That is also by his mind. He is so powerful. Therefore he has been addressed as Bhagavān. Anumīmāṁsati. Just like the judge. He is hearing the case. That is everyone. Anyone who is hearing something, so he makes a conclusion, "This should be done like that."

Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975:

There was one story. It is not story; it is fact, that two pleaders were talking about the activities of a criminal, and the judge was dozing. So his clerk said, "Sir, you are dozing. The two big lawyers, they are arguing, and what they will say?" That means he warned.

Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975:

The judge said, "I have already made my judgment. Let them go on talking." So actually, it is done. A very important judge, he, by hearing the preliminary points of the case, he makes his judgment. But because the two lawyers want to fight, because they are paid for that, so they go on fighting. But the judge, he has already concluded what judgment should be given. Similarly, Yamarāja is judge. He has got everything recorded in his mind of a sinful man's activities in the past. So immediately he decides that "This soul should be given such and such body." So we are getting body.

Lecture on SB 6.1.52 -- Detroit, August 5, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller, but He is controlled by devotee. That is, Kṛṣṇa is bhakti-vatsala. Just like a big father, a high-court judge and There is a story that the Prime Minister Gladstone, somebody came to see him.

Lecture on SB 6.2.4 -- Vrndavana, September 8, 1975:

Nine cantos to explain what is God. Then Tenth Canto, God, Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is there, not Tenth Canto immediately. So everything is misused only for "Money, money, money. Bring money." This is Kali-yuga. Everything will be judged by money. And as soon as there is money there will be hiṁsa. Therefore this bhāgavata-dharma is not for this class of men. Dharma-projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2).

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

So many judges and high-court retired justice, they also came. And one retired judge, Gaṅgeśvarānanda, he admitted that "Swamijī, for the first time it is my experience that you are explaining Personality of Godhead so nicely." He was also under the impression God is impersonal.

Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:

Arjuna says also in the Bhagavad-gītā, "It is very difficult to understand Your personality." Everyone becomes... The other day in the Melā, Māgha-melā, one Gangeshvarananda, retired high-court judge, he said that "This is the first time, Swamijī, that we are hearing from you on solid basis about the Personality." The whole world, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi... Nirviśeṣa... Means the impersonalists and voidists, that's all.

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

Although their position, facilities, all the same, still, the chief justice position and the other judges' position is little different. (pause) You are little bit late. We began at five-thirty. Yes.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971:

Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He is enemy of his son, five-years-old son. So you don't think that because one has become Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no enemy. Don't judge in that way: "Oh, he is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Why there is enemy? Why somebody criticizes him? Why one finds fault with him? Then he is not kṛṣṇa-bhakta." The enemies will do that.

Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

As Caitanya-caritāmṛta author says, caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. Vicāra. Just put your judgment. Try to understand with logic and try to understand with philosophy. Not as a fanatic. Vicāra. Vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra. And if you rightly judge this movement, you will find it very sublime.

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

Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Daiva-netreṇa, "by superior supervision." You cannot order that "Give me the body of Brahma. Give me the body of Indra or a king or something exalted." That is not in your hand or in my hand. That will be judged by the superior agent of God, Kṛṣṇa, and you will have a body. Therefore it is our duty to prepare a body which will help me to go back to Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

So even one has got nice guru, he cannot also get Kṛṣṇa consciousness if he has determined himself to remain in this material world. Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā. And svato. Svataḥ means by mental speculation, judging, considering oneself personally. And parato means taking instruction from others. Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā mitho 'bhipad... Mitha, meeting.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 12, 1968:

If you want that in this street find out some boys who have passed their M.A. examination and Ph.D. examination, hardly you will find one or two. But if you try to find out the illiterate or without any education, you will find many. So we should not judge by the number. We should judge by the quality. What is the quality.

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

Just like a student educates himself with an ambition that "When I am grown up I shall have this standard of life. I shall become a high-court judge, I shall become a military man, I shall become a very good businessman." As there are different ambitions, similarly, for your next life also you can maintain different ambitions. That is in your hands.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

If that suffering is for all, why the other man is not suffering? Why you are suffering? That means you are cause for the suffering. The same reasoning, that if somebody says, "Oh, the high-court judge is so unkind to me. He has ordered for me hanging," is that correct? You have caused your hanging.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

The high-court judge has simply given the judgment that "He should be hanged. He has committed murder. He should be hanged." Therefore your commitment, you committed murder, that you caused your hanging, not that high-court judge is your enemy, and he is giving you order to be hanged. You are the cause of your hanging. Similarly, God is impartial.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:

So the faith, there are different standards of faith. One faith is trying to exact, and one faith is trying to give everything. So these two types of faith. So which one is better? Anyone can judge. Just like Arjuna, in the beginning he had faith in Kṛṣṇa. He said, "Kṛṣṇa, please give me instruction. I am not talking any more as friend. I accept You as my spiritual master."

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1976:

Just like you cannot become a high-court judge simply by becoming the son of a high-court judge. No. You must be qualified how to become a high-court judge. Then you'll be accepted. Not that... You cannot say, "I am... My father is high-court judge. I am high-court judge." That is going on. No. So here are the qualities of a brāhmaṇa, dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād viprāt.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:

There are many snake charmers in India, by mantra they can charm the snakes. But a person who is envious, you cannot pacify him in any way. Therefore sarpaḥ krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. Just like Jesus Christ was crucified by some envious persons. Even the Roman judge denied that "This man should not be... There is no such fault." But because they were envious, they were persistent, "Yes, he should be crucified." So this is the nature of envious person.

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

So this is not God's creation. We should know that it is my creation. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, evaṁ sva-karma-patitam. Just like a man is condemned to death. In the court the judge gives the judgment that "This murderer should be hanged." So it is not the judge that he is giving order to the murderer to be hanged. It is the murderer who has created his situation, to be hanged. This is to be understood.

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

Not that the judge is partial, he's giving order to somebody that he must get decree for two millions of dollars, "He must have it," and another man is condemned to death. It is not that the judge is partial, he's giving somebody two millions of dollars and somebody is ordered to be hanged. The judge is impartial. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). This is the version.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). Our next life means according to the karma, activities, in this life. They're judged at the point of death. The, our activities are judged and then we are given opportunity by the laws of nature to be carried in another mother's womb to get another gross body. We have got two kinds of bodies, the gross body and the subtle body. When this gross body is stopped working, the subtle body works.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the short-cut. Just if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious fully, if you are trained up, just after death, you go to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Immediately.

Woman (2): How does it compare with other movements?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Woman (2): How does it compare with other movements?

Prabhupāda: That you have to judge. What can I say? If you don't want to go to Kṛṣṇa, you can do anything else.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

There is no relative understanding, "This is good for God, this is bad for God," as (if) God has come before me to be judged by me. You cannot judge God, Kṛṣṇa. What He does... Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa: sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava (BG 10.14). "I accept whatever You say in toto, without any distinction." That is acceptance of Bhagavad-gītā and Kṛṣṇa. That is the way of understanding Vedas.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

You cannot judge the conclusion of the Vedas. You have to accept as it is. Because we are conditioned. We have got so many defects—we are illusioned, we commit mistake, our senses are imperfect... So many defects.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī therefore explains that unless we believe (in the) inconceivable potency of the Lord, then we cannot understand that activities... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, svābhāvikī-jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). We cannot judge how things are happening, but we have to believe. Therefore Vedic knowledge is so important. We cannot make research. We cannot judge.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

So people do not understand, do not consult this Vedic literature, how it is stated the Supreme. How one can become Supreme? The Supreme... We judge the Supreme in the same philosophy, frog philosophy. "Atlantic Ocean? Oh, it may be a little bigger than this well. That's all." So our calculation of God is always like that.

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

Don't try to interpret. According to ordinary, I mean to say, dealings, suppose in the law court there are two parties. Two lawyers are fighting on the principle of one clause or section in the lawbook. One is interpreting in a different way, one is interpreting in a different way, and the judges give their judgment.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya—all these authorities, they are accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then how is that—a less intelligent class of men, they are commenting differently? That is not good. They may comment, they go on talking all nonsense, but no sane man will accept them. That is a different thing. But those who are sane, they should judge over this, that "Why we should deny, that 'God is impersonal'? God is person. Kṛṣṇa came." Kṛṣṇa exhibited His godly potencies, energies, when He was present.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.164-173 -- New York, December 13, 1966:

Just like a person, high-court judge, where you will find his real feature? His real feature you will find at his home, not on the bench. In the bench, even his father comes, the high-court judge's father, he will have to address the judge, "My lord." That is the court.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra and Press Conference -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

Even in some literatures of your Christian religion I find that Lord Jesus Christ also went to this Jagannātha temple and lived there for sometimes. Of course, how far it is true, that is to be judged by you, but I have read this information in a Christian book, Aquarian Gospel. So if we take this incidence that Lord Jesus Christ also went to Jagannātha temple, then from historical point of view it is two thousand years old.

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

So dehān uccāvacāñ jantuḥ prāpyotsṛjati karmaṇā: "Now, these high-grade and low-grade bodies are obtained according to the work he has done." Śatrur mitram udāsīnaḥ karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ: "And one is the leader or one is a teacher or one is enemy or one is friend—everything is judged by this karma, by work." Just see how much he is giving stress on work. Karmaiva. Karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ.

Six Gosvamis Lecture, Sri Sri Sad-govamy-astaka -- Los Angeles, November 18, 1968:

Just like in British period in India, there were many responsible English officers, just like high-court judge, civil service. They were very vastly learned in Sanskrit. One Mr. Woodruff, Justice Woodruff, Englishman in Calcutta high-court, oh, he was a very great scholar, Sanskrit scholar, and he translated all the tantric śāstras. So scholarly people are always there. It doesn't matter.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Talk in Room -- Mayapur, March 23, 1975:

He understood that "Kṛṣṇa is divine. So whatever He says, that is my duty to do, not to judge Him on my platform." That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. One who does not take Kṛṣṇa in the same platform as one is but accepts Kṛṣṇa's personality, then he can understand. Otherwise how one can accept it that a person has expanded many millions of universes like this? Immediately they will they will take as mythology, because he's thinking on terms of his capacity, not as Kṛṣṇa says.

Initiation Lectures

Sannyasa Initiation Lecture -- Calcutta, January 26, 1973:

So this is sannyāsa. Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ (BG 6.1). He was first of all judging, "If I kill my cousin-brothers, my grandfather, there will be bad result. I'll go to hell." Now, later on decided, "Hell or heaven, I don't care for it." That is called anāśritaḥ. "I don't take shelter of hell or heaven. I take shelter of Kṛṣṇa."

Sannyasa Initiation -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

Everyone is accepted on quality and work. If you have got a qualification of a good lawyer and if you have done very nicely your activities, then you are selected as the high-court judge. The high-court judge is selected amongst the lawyers in the court. It is not appointed from outside.

Sannyasa Initiation -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

A lawyer who has done his legal profession very nicely, the government offers him the post, that "You become a high-court judge." So this quality and work is estimated everywhere and in all circumstances. So Bhagavad-gītā recommends—Kṛṣṇa says personally, the Supreme Personality of Godhead—cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). So that process is applicable at all times.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

As soon as you interpret, then there is no authority. Lawbook. Do you mean to say in the court if you say before the judge, "My dear lord, I interpret this passage in this way," will it be accepted? The judge will at once say, "Who are you to interpret? You have no right." Then what is the authority of this lawbook if everyone comes, "I interpret in this way"? And interpretation when required? When a thing is not understood.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). You have to see whether God is satisfied. That cause is great. Perfection of your activity will be judged whether by your action God is satisfied.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

We do not say anything outright that this is bad or this is good. We say, anything that has given satisfaction to God, Kṛṣṇa, that is good. Anything which has not given satisfaction to Kṛṣṇa or God, that is bad. Now you have to judge yourself how Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That requires training; that requires understanding.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

Just like the instruction which we get from Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna was denying to fight and he was considered by Kṛṣṇa bad, because He was not satisfied. This is the evidence. And when Arjuna decided to fight to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, it was taken as good. So whole thing should be tested, judged, by the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13).

Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:

There must be one leader. Any movement, any organization, there must be. And he must be a person. So you can judge from this how God can be imperson? He's person. And Vedic literature informs that He's a person like you and me. And your Bible also says that man is made after God. Not that God is made after man.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:

Because Christ was explaining God consciousness, that was his fault, and they crucified him. What class of men they were? Judge. His only fault was that he was explaining God, and they crucified him. The reward was crucifixion.

Lecture -- Montreal, October 26, 1968:

A śūdra can become a brāhmaṇa—if he qualifies himself. Just like a policeman can one day become the learned judge of high-court if he qualifies himself. There is chance. There is educational facilities. You educate yourself. You become doctor of law, you also one day. You become one day president. Everyone is open.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

Just like Socrates, he realized. When he was asked by the judge, "Mr. Socrates, how you want to be entombed?" he answered, "First of all, capture me; then you entomb me. You are seeing my body. You have no vision that I am soul." This is right vision.

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

So any religious person, or any person, without being religious, if anyone joins with us in this saṅkīrtana movement, his life will be sublime. And our method is very simple. We place before you to judge and join with us. That is our request.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:

A person who has no discrimination of sex life, who has no discrimination of eating, he is given the birth of a hog. He has to take the birth like a hog. Because our activities are judged by higher authorities. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). We are acting, but there is a higher authority who is judging our actions, what kind of actions.

Lecture at Indo-American Society 'East and West' -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:

You cannot live without a leader or God. I cannot live without a leader or God. That's a fact. Then where is the difference? Now it is to be judged whether Lenin is good or Kṛṣṇa is good. That is another thing. But your position is that you have to accept one leader, either Lenin or Jawaharlal Nehru or Hitler or this or Lord (?) Churchill. You have to accept.

Lecture -- London, August 23, 1973:

The whole total cosmic manifestation which is called material energy, that is also acting by the order of God. Many śāstras, we have to take knowledge from the śāstras. And if you judge from good sense and intelligence, you'll have to admit what is said in the śāstra.

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

If in the law court you say, "My lord, I did not know that by stealing one is punished," that, the magistrate or the judge, will not excuse you. The law, even this material law, is so strict, and you can imagine how much strict are stringent laws of the nature.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Śyāmasundara: Today we are discussing Immanuel Kant. Basically, his philosophy seeks to trace the relationship between a priori ideas, or those ideas of the mind which are independent of sense experience, and the a posteriori ideas, or sense impressions. He wants to unify these two positions. So he wrote The Critique of Pure Reason, in which he asks the fundamental question, "How are a priori synthetic judgments possible?" In other words, how can we decide anything, judge anything? Where does this facility come from? What is the source of knowledge?

Prabhupāda: Intelligence. The source of knowledge is intelligence. Intelligence acts through mind, and then some conclusion comes. Man is mortal, so here is a man, intelligence; he must be mortal. This a priori idea means "I know man is mortal; therefore here is a man, he must be mortal." A priori means before.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: That is preliminary knowledge, that something is missing. Something is missing. Now there are arguments, so many things, but something, that we understand from higher authority, that this something is eternal. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam, that consciousness is spread all over my body, and He says that is avināśi, eternal. Consciousness is spiritual. So then you can judge how it is eternal.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Śyāmasundara: This is an example of how one should look at his actions; that he should judge his own actions according to what he would want everyone else to do, and that these must be...

Prabhupāda: But it is not possible that everyone will be able to do. Just like you become truthful. It may be universal truth, but you do not expect that everyone will be truthful. That is not possible. Therefore it is not universal. It is meant for certain types of men.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Śyāmasundara: But he says when you see an action, the act itself cannot be judged as good or bad, but the will behind the act may be good or bad. That's how we have to judge good or bad, by the will behind the act.

Prabhupāda: That is not very important subject, unless there is willing. So that good or bad also has to be trained. The conditioned soul, anyone in this material world, he is in ignorance. It is called darkness. This material world is called darkness. Everyone, more or less, they are in darkness. The Vedas therefore say, "Don't remain in darkness. Go to the light." And the spiritual world is light. Just like day and night. Side by side there is day and night, or sunlight and darkness. So the Vedas say "Don't remain in darkness. Go to the light." So willingness in darkness is imperfect. So this willingness has to be dragged to the light. That requires superior help.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Hayagrīva: Immanuel Kant. Being a son of the Enlightenment, Kant strongly advocated the right and duty of every man to judge for himself in religious and secular matters. Indeed, he considered the motto of the Enlightenment to be, "Have courage to make use of your own intellect." The emphasis here is on individual freedom and on the ability of man to intuit the truth.

Prabhupāda: Does it mean that anyone, whatever he does, that is perfectly right? If he is given that freedom, then anyone will do anything as he likes. So it will be taken as...

Hayagrīva: Well he, at the same time, he considered the Bible to be the best vehicle for the instruction of the public in a truly moral religion.

Prabhupāda: Then he has to accept some authority. Where is freedom?

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: But here he says there's no higher body between two, jurisdiction between states, that it can only be settled by war. There's no court or higher authority for judging between states.

Prabhupāda: There is higher body if there is religion, if there is philosophy, if there is learned section, brāhmaṇas, Kṛṣṇa conscious people. There is higher authority.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: Just like between presidents, Rāma's kingdom and Rāvaṇa's kingdom, there was no judge to settle the argument, there must have been war.

Prabhupāda: No, the judge, judge was Rāmacandra Himself. He is God.

Śyāmasundara: But there was war to settle it.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: Then he describes world history to be the supreme tribunal or the higher judge of events. He says that what actually happens to a state or a people represents the final judgment as to the worth of a national policy or a course of action, that the history will bear out...

Prabhupāda: Alright, the state is imperfect; then there is no such question.

Śyāmasundara: He says that the history will bear out whether a policy is good or bad. For instance the Roman Empire came, and then it fell. So their policy is...

Prabhupāda: So we say that any empire will come, and fail. Without studying history. Because godless empire will never exist.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: What is demigod? That, there is a difference between demigod and a man. A demigod is in the better position, that's all. Just like a high-court judge and layman. Both of them human being, but the high-court judge in a better position, that's all, but both of them human being.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Śyāmasundara: So we cannot judge what is desirable. Only...

Prabhupāda: No. Therefore our philosophy is mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). The great personalities, what do they desire? Therefore we accept spiritual master, higher authority. Whatever he desires, that should be standard of desire, not my desire. Just like Kṛṣṇa desired the fight, not Arjuna's desire. Arjuna desired not to fight, but he changed his desire not to fight, to fight, because Kṛṣṇa desired, wanted it. Therefore our standard of desire should be that which is desired by greater personalities, not by me.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: So far this philosophy of religion, he says that God is good, but that he is involved in a world which is not his own making. That God didn't create the world, but that he is involved with it. Then we should be judged by Mill. God is good, but not as good as he thinks he is. That is his opinion about God.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Śyāmasundara: So practicality has to be judged on the result, what is the result of that action?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is that the end justifies the means. Means is not very important. What is the end, we have to see.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: He says that "Judgments about values are judgments about the conditions and the results of experienced objects, judgments about that which should regulate the formation of our desires, affections and enjoyments." In other words, in order to place a value on something, to judge what is the value of a particular item, that we should base this judgment upon the results of experience. Then we can guide those things which we should enjoy, where our desires should be, where our affections should lie, upon experience.

Prabhupāda: That experience we may not have personally, but if you take advice from a person who has got experience, that is as good as my experience. Just like you are going somewhere, you are purchasing a ticket. You have no experience where you are going, or you do not know whether actually you will go, but because others have gone and come by purchasing a ticket, you take advantage of that experience and you purchase a ticket.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: What is the difference between desire and highest desire?

Śyāmasundara: Well, someone may desire more broadness.

Prabhupāda: Who will judge who is highest? Everyone will say, "My desire is the highest."

Śyāmasundara: The utilitarians might say that "People desire more brothels, so let us build more brothels.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Modern world, that is the highest desire. How can you refute that if there is no standard? Everyone says, "This is my law." Unless you go to the court, who will judge?

Revatīnandana: Now he wants to make his desire the highest desire. He's got a theory now that "This is the highest thing I can think of, so this is God." That means I have the highest.

Śyāmasundara: He says that...

Prabhupāda: Our formula is perfect.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Śyāmasundara: He says that human life must be some kind of mistake, that the greatest crime of man is that he was ever born.

Prabhupāda: So that's all right, there must be somebody who punishes him for his crime. Is it not? The greatest crime, he is suffering, then there must be somebody who is judge that "You are criminal, you must suffer."

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Prabhupāda: Because in our experience practically we can show whenever there is disease, there is some treatment of it. But he does not know what is the treatment. He is speaking of sinful life, what he was saying, just like, but he does not accept who is the judge to give me resultant action of my sinful life. The world is mad, but he does not know where the treatment of madman is done. He does not know.

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Śyāmasundara: But if you judge his argument..., his whole philosophy, on only seeing part of it, then that doesn't seem fair.

Prabhupāda: Now we are coming to (indistinct). He says that we are concerned with only the phenomenon, what we see.

Śyāmasundara: Starting with that. Starting with that. Reducing everything to the...

Prabhupāda: Starting with that, that's all right. But how he'll come to the perfect knowledge? Not by speculation. That is our point.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Hayagrīva: Concerning religion, he said, "Of the reality value of most of them, of most religions, we cannot judge. Just as they cannot be proved, neither can they be refuted."

Prabhupāda: First of all, he does not know what is religion. That is the defect in him. We say religion means the order given by God. Simple thing. But he has no conception of God. How he can get orders from God? Therefore how he can understand what is religion? He has got some ideas of fictitious religion, which is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kaitava, cheating. Cheating religion. That is not religion.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Śyāmasundara: The Communists, and even to a certain extent the capitalists, believe that service for the production of goods is the only real service. So they condemn us because we are not adding anything to production. We are not working, we are not building factories. So they condemn us.

Prabhupāda: How they can condemn? We are giving service to the humanity for better knowledge. Then high-court judge, he is not producing any grain in the field, so he is not giving any service? He is sitting on the chair and getting(?) five thousand, ten thousand (indistinct). You can say, "Oh, he is not giving any service, he is simply sitting in the chair."

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like this morning I was explaining that your statement should be according to the standard process, vidhi-mārga. So sādhu-śāstra-guru, three authorities: saintly persons, scripture, and spiritual master. So all of them should be, should agree. There is a con... Just like two litigants, they go to the court and the judges give judgement. Similarly, whenever there is conflict, to come to a conclusion, we must refer to sādhu, śāstra, and guru. Then we get the right judgement.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Śyāmasundara: So by "conflict" you mean the mind's engagement with...

Prabhupāda: No. I mean to say that... Just like two parties fighting on some point. They come to the court and the judgement is given by the judge. So the decision is made on the judgement. Not by simply conflict. If two parties are fighting for life together, they cannot come to the conclusion because they are fighting on the wrong basis.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Śyāmasundara: You were speaking earlier about the conflict of the mind, mental conflict, judging...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Judgement is by the intelligence.

Śyāmasundara: So whenever there is perception coming into the mind, there is a conflict?

Prabhupāda: Yes. And the intelligence. Just like in the same example. Whether it is to be done, it is not to be done, then your intelligence gives you advice that "In the Vedas this is the right point." So you accept it. Intelligence gives you advice that "In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said like this." Then we accept it. Then that conflict is nice.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Prabhupāda: Authoritative decision. If we accept that, then that is real conclusion.

Śyāmasundara: He says that there is conflict, and you say that...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Conflict is always there. But you cannot come to the conclusion unless you take the right decision from the authority. Two litigants, there is conflict. I say that "You do this." You say, "No, why can I do it? Our agreement is different." So there is conflict. So you go to the court and take the right decision from the judge.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Revatīnandana: But Mao will say that the Russian Communism is religionism, that it is not real Communism. Therefore they are unhappy.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. The Russian Communism is failing; similarly, some days after, his communism also will fail. Because they are all imperfect. To criticize another man does not mean you are perfect. That is a different thing. You have to prove that you are perfect. "Judge not others lest you may be judged."

Devotee: "Lest ye be judged and found wanting."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So this is going on. That is not Mao is a very perfect man, his theory is perfect, he is better than... It is simply mental speculation.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Devotee: Yes. But some has to be there as the senses, which they're denying. The basis of their ideology is that conflict brings about growth or progress. If they want a peaceful society, they're still trying to get rid of their conflicts.

Prabhupāda: That we have discussed in the beginning. Conflict must be decided by higher intelligence. Just like I have given yesterday, there is conflict between two litigants and the high-court judge decides. So conflict there must be, but it must be decided by higher authorities. That's all. Otherwise it will go on. If you don't go to the higher authorities, then it will go on. It will never end, conflict.

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

Śyāmasundara: It's not that accidentally nature will evolve a race of demigods on this planet.

Prabhupāda: No, no. There is nothing accidental. It is not that accidental, one becomes high-court judge. (laughter) This is nonsense. Accidental(ly) one becomes a very high grade medical man. This is all childish proposal. They have no sense even. It is all childish. Where is the, in our practical life, where is the evidence that accidentally one has become like this? Is there any evidence of how they propose these childish things? I do not know. And they are passing as philosophers.

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

Śyāmasundara: He says that values are relative between a particular man and a particular object that one man's food is another man's poison.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like we have taken, Kṛṣṇa consciousness has value and material consciousness no value. So value also different according to the different persons.

Śyāmasundara: And he says the basis for determining or judging which values are best is by the principle of coherence, that is, by agreement among the most people willing to accept it.

Prabhupāda: That means authority. What is value. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You become Kṛṣṇa bhakta," because He is authority. The Veda says vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Veda says that "Search out Kṛṣṇa." So the authority, what the authority says, that is valuable.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Nitai-Pada-Kamala -- Los Angeles, December 21, 1968:

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura replies, vidyā-kule ki koribe tār: "If he has no connection with Nityānanda and if he does not come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his vidyā or his so-called academic education, and kula, and birth in high family or great nation, will not protect him because nature's law will act. "Either you are born in a very big family or nation, or either you have got a very advanced academic education, at the time of death your work will be judged and you will get another body according to that work. So vidyā kule ki koribe tār. Why they are doing so, these animals, human animals? Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā: "They have become maddened by a false concept of the bodily life."

Page Title:Judge (Lectures)
Compiler:Rishab, Alakananda
Created:25 of Jan, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=211, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:211