Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Kali-yuga (Lectures, SB canto 1)

Expressions researched:
"Kali-yuga" |"age of kali"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:

Prabhupāda: Vṛndāvana cannot be polluted. Just like within the heart of a hog there is Kṛṣṇa. It does not mean Kṛṣṇa's staying in polluted place. The sunshine may be in the filthy place, but sun is not polluted. But the filthy place is purified.

Guest (3): The human society is degrading so fast. You can notice it the last twenty years. Is it... Is it the age of Kali or is it the...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Due to age of Kali. Yes. Due to the age of Kali, it is degrading. So only we can save by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If not all, some of them can be saved.

Guest (3): It can be changed, the age of Kali, by presence of the devotees of Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why not? It will change in the Satya-yuga. Just like our body is changed, season is changed, similarly, this will also change.

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:

So samam āsata, they were performing the sacrifice for one thousand years. How they were able to do? Because in those days, in the Tretā-yuga... Tretā-yuga... In the Satya-yuga they used to live for one hundred thousands of years; in Tretā-yuga, ten thousands of years; and in the Dvāpara-yuga, one thousands of years. And now in this Kali-yuga, one hundred years. That also not complete. Nobody can complete one hundred years, and it is reducing. Maybe our forefathers or grandfathers might have lived for hundred years, but we are not living so much. And gradually, our children, our grandchildren, they will gradually reduce that span of life so much so that at the end of Kali-yuga, if a man would live for twenty to thirty years, he'll be considered a grand old man. Yes. We are reducing. But formerly, they were living so many years. Alpāyuṣaḥ. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ. Prāyeṇa. Almost everyone is short span of life. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Kalau. In this age, kalau. It is not for a particular nation or party or religion. Everyone is subjected to the laws of nature.

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:

So in this Kali-yuga the duration of life, the span of life will be gradually reduced. Memory will be reduced. Strength will be reduced. Mercifulness will be reduced. In this way... Now, it is a age of reduction. Not increasing. So prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalau asmin yuge janāḥ. People in this age are of short span of life. And manda. Manda means all faulty. All slow. Manda, two meaning. Either you take slow... Actually they are manda. Manda means faulty. So many faults. And slow means slow in spiritual realization. Slow. The human form of life is meant for spiritual realization. That is the distinction between human form of life and animal form of life. The animals are not interested, or they do not know what is spiritual life. But the human form of life with developed consciousness is meant for understanding our identification. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about our spiritual identity. That is real business. So in that line of thought we are manda. Manda means very slow. "All right. We shall take it later on. Now I have got strength. Let me enjoy senses. Then we shall see later on." That is called manda. Not serious.

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

So how much you have degraded, just try to understand. Which was written five thousand years ago for the less intelligent class of men, that literature is not understandable even by the highest and elevated, educated persons at the present moment. Try to understand this point. How much you have degraded! Formerly this Vedic literature was not in written pages. As soon as one will hear from... Just like Sūta Gosvāmī. There is no question of taking notes. As soon as they will hear, they'll immediately get it in the memory, and they will never forget. So memory was so sharp. At the present moment, our memory is so low-graded we cannot remember even what I have done two hours past.

So this is Kali-yuga. We are in so many degraded positions; still, falsely we are proud that we are advancing. No that. It is false prestige. Actually, we are very, very much degraded. So the only means of our being elevated to the highest position is this means: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

Devotee: "Foreseeing the incompetencies of the people in this age of Kali, or the iron age of quarrel, the sages requested that Suta Gosvāmī give a summary of all revealed scriptures because the people of this age are condemned in every respect."

Prabhupāda: But the directions should be taken from scriptures. But there are many scriptures. So ācārya means, just like Gosvāmīs, they would read all the scriptures and take the essence of it and give it to his disciples that, "You act like this." Because he knows what to give, how to manipulate, so that his ekāntataḥ śreyas will be achieved. Ultimate goal. Therefore the ācārya knows how to adjust things, at the same time keep pace with the spiritual interest(?). That is ācārya. It is not that the same thing to be applied everywhere. He is eager to engage actually the people in the real benefit of life, but the means may be different. Just like my Guru Mahārāja. He is the first time that he allowed the sannyāsīs to drive in a motorcar. A sannyāsī never drives in a motorcar, you see? But not for sense gratification. Suppose we are going by aeroplane. A sannyāsī should walk. The Jain sannyāsīs they never ride on a car, you know that. You know that. They will never ride on a car. But now they are also riding. But suppose we are preaching now. I came from India.

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

This is the condition. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ. The first qualification is short span of life, short span of life. As I repeatedly say, now in our India the average age, span of life, is thirty years. The vitality is so reduced. In this country also the vitality is being reduced, strength is being reduced. The more the Kali-yuga will advance the vitality will be reduced, the strength of the.... Therefore the span of life will be reduced. So much so that at the end, almost end, people will live not more than thirty years. Now we are seeing they are living seventy years, eighty years, or sometimes up to ninety years but gradually.... (tape is severely garbled with another recording) ...to thirty years he will be considered as a very old man. You see? Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Asmin kalau. Their first qualification is their life is very short, short span of life. Then the next, mandāḥ, lazy. They do not know, ill-educated. They do not know what is the aim of life. Mandāḥ or slow. Sumanda-matayo, and if one is really, not really, but superficially so-called spiritually they will capture some baba, some god, some yogi, some bluffer, and they will follow them. Sumanda-matayo.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- Rome, May 26, 1974:

So in the Kali-yuga especially, there is no Vedic system of reformatory process. It is the pāñcarātriki-vidhi, that anyone has got a little qualification for becoming brāhmaṇa, he is accepted by the spiritual master and he is trained up, he is initiated, just to make him a complete brāhmaṇa. (reading:) "So the sacred thread is the sign of those who are competent to study the Vedas from ācārya, or the bona fide spiritual master." The bona fide spiritual master is called ācārya, or the ācārya can become a bona fide spiritual master. Ācārya means who knows the purport of the śāstra, and he behaves himself according to the shastric regulative principle and teaches his disciple in that way. He is called ācārya. Ācārya means whose behavior, whose activities should be followed. That is called ācārya.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- Rome, May 26, 1974:

So "Generally, a man is born as an ordinary being, and by the purificatory processes he is born for the second time." This is called dvija, second time, by the spiritual master. "When he sees a new light and seeks direction for spiritual progress, he approaches spiritual master to instruct him in the Vedas." This is our process. In the beginning we do not ask anybody to become initiated or a brāhmaṇa. No. We simply invite a person to join the chanting. This is our process. We should strictly follow this. In the beginning, we should not ask that "You have to do this, you have to..." He cannot do that. That is not possible. But everyone should be given chance because in the Kali-yuga there is no reformatory system. Everyone is born śūdra and less than that, caṇḍāla. So they should not be neglected also. Not that "Because all people are fallen—they are less than śūdras and caṇḍālas—so neglect them. Let me chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." No. This is not. The duty of Vaiṣṇava is to reclaim these fallen souls. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

Vedic knowledge... Formerly, there was no need of books. Nowadays, at the present moment, our memory is not so sharp due to Kali-yuga. Therefore Vyāsadeva wrote in books, in words, because he foresaw that "The people in this age, they will be dull-headed rascals. Therefore, if they get this knowledge recorded in writing, they may be able to derive some benefit." Otherwise, formerly Vedic knowledge was never book reading. No. Śruti. Śruti means hearing. This disciple is so powerful that once he hears from the spiritual master, his memory is recorded immediately. Memory. Therefore brahmacārī record. If you remain brahmacārī, then your brain will be so nice that as soon as you hear something, it will be memorized. This is the benefit of brahmacārī. And if the students are allowed to be sexually, I mean to say, indulgent, then where is the brain? This is very scientific to remain brahmacārī, to understand from the guru simply by hearing. Once hearing.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Visakhapatnam, February 20, 1972, At Ladies Club:

In Europe and America I have seen, very few men are family men, you see, because it is botheration. They think it is botheration or it is very heavy task. Actually, in their country it is very heavy task by so many laws and so many conventions. So they avoid marriage. So therefore, in the symptoms of Kali-yuga it has been stated, dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharanam. Kuṭumba means family. If one can maintain his family, he is to be considered as very successful. No, he hasn't got to make dākṣa-yajña, or naradeva-yajña, or so many yajña. No. That he has no means. This is the position. Mandaḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10). And if anyone wants to accept something for spiritual, that is sumanda-matayo, something bogus. He will accept something bogus which has no spiritual, I mean to say, reference. He will accept, "I have... I have got this religion." Mandaḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā. Because they're all unfortunate, and upadrutāḥ, and always disturbed and anxious by so many external affairs.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

So you have got a particular type of body. You have been given the chance of particular standard of living. Similarly, in India or in Africa or in other country, the living entity has got a particular type of body and his particular type of standard of living is also there. A tiger has got a particular type of body, it has got his own standard of living. Elephant has got a particular type of body, and it has got its standard of living. Similarly, there are higher beings also, in the higher planetary system. They are called Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka. In the Brahmaloka the duration of life is so long that you cannot imagine even calculating twelve hours' time there. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Most of you have read Bhagavad-gītā, and it is stated there, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Sahasra-yuga-paryantam. One yuga... This is Kali-yuga. At the present moment it is called Kali-yuga. Before this... This Kali-yuga has passed only five thousand years, and the duration of life of this Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. Only we have passed five thousand. Before this Kali-yuga there was another yuga, which is known as Dvāpara-yuga. Before that, there was Tretā-yuga. Before that, there was Satya-yuga. All these yugas, taking aggregate years, forty-three hundred thousands of years. And multiply it by one thousand. Then calculate what is the duration of time. That is only twelve hours duration in the Brahmaloka. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17).

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the last contribution of Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is the original compiler of all Vedic literature. So he wrote so many books—all the Vedas, four Vedas, 108 Upaniṣads, eighteen Purāṇas, Mahābhārata. Rāmāyaṇa was compiled before, by Vālmīki. And in Mahābhārata there are 100,000 verses. Similarly, all these books, hundreds and thousands of verses. And the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam contains eighteen thousand verses. So in this way, Vyāsadeva compiled all these books for benefit of the people in this age of Kali. Unfortunately, people are not interested in these literatures. What to speak of other people, even our Indians are not interested. They are making research work, but what is already there by mature research work of Vyāsadeva, they are not interested. That is the misfortune of India. So Vyāsadeva summarized all the Vedic literature in the Vedānta-sūtra. Veda means knowledge; anta means end. There is... Everything, there is some summit or the ultimate goal. So about education, knowledge, the ultimate goal is Vedānta. Veda means knowledge; anta means ultimate. If you know Vedānta, then you have known everything. Kasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. So still, after compiling Vedānta-sūtra philosophy, Vyāsadeva was not satisfied. He was feeling some vacancy. He was sorry.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

"In every millennium, every yuga..." There are different periods, just like in the whole year there are different periods in your country called summer, winter, fall, spring. They are coming by rotation. Similarly, there is rotation of time which is divided into four millenniums called Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, and Kali-yuga. So Kṛṣṇa says that dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge. Now, one may inquire that "Kṛṣṇa appeared in the Tretā-yuga. And when He is going to appear in the Kali-yuga?" That is also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga there are three different incarnations mentioned in the Bhāgavatam or any other authentic Vedic literature. One incarnation is Lord Buddha, and another incarnation is Lord Caitanya, and another incarnation, in the last stage of this age, is Kalki, so far we get from the authority of Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

Now, Kṛṣṇa will appear in the Kali-yuga. His symptoms are this. Just like Lord Buddha's symptoms were described, similarly, Lord Caitanya's symptoms are also described. What is that? That kṛṣṇa-varṇam: "He belongs to the category of Kṛṣṇa Himself," or, in other words, "He is always chanting 'Kṛṣṇa.' " Kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Kṛṣṇa... His business is simply to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam. And tviṣā akṛṣṇam: "By His... But His complexion is not kṛṣṇa, black." Lord Caitanya appeared—very fair complexion, very nice, golden color. You have got pictures of Lord Caitanya, very beautiful. He was very beautiful figure. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam tviṣā... Tviṣā means "by His complexion." Akṛṣṇa. Therefore His another name is Gaurasundara. Gaurasundara means "very fair complexion." Sundara means beautiful, and gaura means fair. The another name is Gaurasundara, or Gaurāṅga, "whose body is very fair."

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:

So there was big meeting of the sages, and Sūta Gosvāmī was on the chair. So amongst the audience, one sage, his name was Śaunaka, he was putting questions to the speaker and he was answering chapter by chapter. So one question was there, that in this age, Kali-yuga... Kali-yuga means the age of dissension, disagreement. Nobody agrees with anybody. Everyone is independent. That is the sign of... They don't... Unless they are forced, they don't care for any authority. Of course, we care or do not care, the authority is there. If I do not care, then I will be forced to care. That is the law of nature. So in this age, the question was, "What is the best form of religion by which one can become elevated to spiritual emancipation?" The best form of religion.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, July 23, 1973:

Similarly, those who have come to this material world, they are all supposed to be criminals, disobedient to the laws of God. Therefore there is dharma, to teach people that "You take to religious principle, gradually become purified, and come back again to the spiritual world. That is your real abode." Here it is foreign. Here it is foreign, and you are under so many tribulations. Just like if you are in the prison house, there you cannot expect any comfort of life. That is not possible. It is meant for inflicting miseries upon you so that you can understand that you are criminal, you should not do like this and come here again. That is the process going on. Similarly, here also in this material world, we are always under troublesome condition. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga. So that we may come to our sense, if there is any possibility of making a solution of this miserable condition of life... But we are so callous, just like animals. They do not know. The animals are kept in the room for being slaughtered. They do not know. They are eating grass and very happy. Not happy. Some of them know that "We are going to be killed." They cry. But there is no escape. What can be done? But human life is not like animals. They must know that "We are in threefold miserable condition of life, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. And we do not want these all miserable condition. We want to be happy. We want to be peaceful. How to do it?"

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

That is also stated in this chapter, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ... This meeting was presided by Sūta Gosvāmī, and there were many learned brāhmaṇas, learned scholars, sages. Therefore he was addressing the audience, dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ. Dvija means twice-born: first birth by the father and mother, and the second birth by saṁskāra, or by culture. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, they have got saṁskāra. Śūdras have no saṁskāra. Saṁskāra-varjita means śūdra. In this age nobody observes the saṁskāras. Therefore in the śāstra it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga almost every person is a śūdra. Therefore there is so much chaos. The government is managed by the śūdras or less than śūdras, mleccha. Mleccha-rājendra-rūpiṇaḥ. Mlecchas have taken the post of government. It is meant for the kṣatriyas, means qualified kṣatriya, very brave, very powerful, very charitable, not going away when there is fight. That is kṣatriya's position. Brāhmaṇa means satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. So people should be trained up as brāhmaṇa, as kṣatriya, as vaiśya. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). The vaiśya's duty is to produce food grains, agriculture, and give protection to the cows, and if you have got surplus foodstuff, you can make trade where there is shortage.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, April 18, 1974:

In the Satya-yuga, they were all saintly person. So that time it was possible to meditate. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. That also Viṣṇu, meditation on Lord Viṣṇu. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. And in the Tretā-yuga by performing great sacrifices. That is also not possible. You cannot perform big, big sacrifices. It is very costly affair. You require so much ghee, grains, and distribution of so many things. That is not possible. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ, dvāpare paricaryāyām. In Dvāpara-yuga the temple worship. Now this... We have got in India, especially in South India, many temples, more than two thousand, three thousand years old. So temple worship is very old, since five thousand, six thousand years. So that is also not possible. At the present moment people are so down that they cannot also worship. It requires very vigilance, observation, that they are doing nicely. Otherwise they fall down. There are so many temples in India, they are no more taken care. Therefore somebody, they are against opening temple. That's a fact. But still, it has to be done. Anyway... But in the Kali-yuga, kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. What you attained in the Satya-yuga by meditation, what you achieved in the Tretā-yuga by performing big, big sacrifices, and what you attained by temple worship very nicely, you can attain the same result, kalau in this age, hari-kīrtanāt, by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

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

So this varṇāśrama-dharma was proposed by Rāmānanda Rāya, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, eho bāhya āge kaha āra: "This is not feasible. Better if you know something better than this, you propose." Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew that in the Kali-yuga, practically the varṇāśrama-dharma will never be observed, or it will be very difficult to observe. So people by simply observing the varṇāśrama-dharma will not be able to make very much progress in devotional service. Stereotype. In this way, gradually, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya presented so many proposals. Varṇāśrama-tyāga, jñāna, jñāna-miśra-bhakti, so many ways, and Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu rejected all of them. Eho bāhya āge kaha āra. But when Rāmānanda Rāya read one version which was spoken by Lord Brahmā,

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir
ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām

This verse, when Rāmānanda quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted, and He said, eho haya, "This is nice. This is nice." What is that? That sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. "You remain in your position." It doesn't matter what you are.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

So dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. "A" means negation, negation of pavarga. Pa means pariśrama, labor. Here, in this material world, the sense gratificatory platform is not very easy. You have to work very hard. Karma. Even Arjuna was advised, śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ: "My dear Arjuna, you are denying to fight, but you do not know that without fighting, you cannot live even. You cannot maintain your body." Śarīra-yātrāpi. Just see how hard they are laboring. Even just like an ass. In big cities, we have seen, human beings are pulling on rickshaws, ṭhelās. What for? Simply for maintaining this body. In the Kali Yuga, the working will be more harder and harder. Just like an ass. Ass, the example is given always, ass. How much hard work it carries on. Tons of cloth, carrying on the back, going to the ghāṭa. What for? Simply little grass. That's all. Therefore it is called ass. The ass is working simply for a morsel of grass. Grass, there are so many. You can get. But it is because it is ass, he's thinking that "The washerman is my master. He'll give me the grass." Just see.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

So here Bhāgavata says that dharma... You take to, to the principles of religion for going up to the point of liberation, āpavargyasya. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. This is meant for getting out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age, and disease. That is real... The first step is religiosity. Unless you are pious, religious, there is no possibility of getting liberation. Therefore there are different types of dharma prescribed, twenty types of dharma. The beginning is varṇāśrama-dharma. The people have lost even varṇāśrama-dharma, what to speak of other dharmas. The first beginning is varṇāśrama-dharma, to become brāhmaṇa, to become kṣatriya, to become vaiśya. So in the Kali-yuga the time is so bad that even there is no fixity of this varṇāśrama-dharma. Nobody knows who is brāhmaṇa, who is śūdra. Because the quality is the same now, eating, sleeping, mating—animal quality. You can become a brāhmaṇa by sacred thread. That is a different thing. But there are brāhmaṇa and brahminical qualifications. That is real brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

So this has been summarized. These are called pavarga. And apa... a means to nullify. So dharma, practice of dharma, means to nullify these conditions, these miserable conditions of material existence. That is the purpose of dharma. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. Āpavargyasya, to cease this labor. Tri-tāpa-yatana, three types of miserable condition: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. That is animal life, bodily concept of life. Therefore dharma should be practiced for nullifying. Because we do not want to work very hard, every one of us, but we have to, especially at the present moment. That is stated in the Bhāgavata. In the Kali-yuga the situation will be so much deteriorated that simply for a piece of bread, one has to work just like an ass. Very hard labor. It has come to become so. Gradually, it will deteriorate more and more. These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now rice and wheat is selling at a high price, three rupees kilo. But time will come when if you pay 300,000 rupees, still, it will not be available. Especially rice, wheat, sugar and milk and fruits. That means sāttvikāhāra. These things will be finished. Therefore they are learning how to eat beef. This is the beginning. Just like a child learns to eat, little, little. Otherwise there will be no more food. Therefore dharma is required to stop this miserable condition of life. That is real dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

That we get information from Pṛthu Mahārāja's history. When there was scarcity, Pṛthu Mahārāja wanted to kill the earthly god, or Pṛthvī. But she replied that "I have restricted supply on account of demons, because they are not actually executing the purpose of life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore I have restricted." So the more people become non-Kṛṣṇa conscious, materially conscious, the more there will be restriction of foodstuff. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the Twelfth Canto, it is stated that the end of Kali-yuga there will be no grain supply. Wheat, rice and milk and sugar will not be available. Now it is available still, because still people are little Kṛṣṇa conscious. For them only. But gradually, the things will deteriorate so much so that almost all supplies will be stopped.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

First deficiency is there is no yajnic brāhmaṇa. Formerly, the brāhmaṇas were so expert that by mantra they ignite fire, and they would test, putting one animal in the fire, they would take and make it again alive. That is the test of the mantra. By mantra, an animal, animal put into the fire, comes out again with rejuvenated life. People think that gomedha yajña, aśvamedha yajña are made for killing the animal. No. It was testing the mantra of the Vedas, whether actually being pronounced. That was the test. Just like in biological laboratory, the medical practitioner, they test with animals to observe the physiological and anatomical conditions. Similarly... But they cannot give life, they simply kill. But here in the Vedic yajña, the animal was put in the fire and it was again taken alive. Because such yajnic brāhmaṇa is not there in this Kali-yuga, therefore the all the yajñas are forbidden. Aśvamedhaṁ gavālambham (CC Adi 17.164). Aśvamedhaṁ ga... uh, pāla-paitṛkaṁ devareṇa sutot, sannyāsam pāla-paitṛkam. Even sannyāsa is also in this age. Karma-sannyāsa. That is called karma-sannyāsa. The Vedic principle of sannyāsa is to give up this karma—karma means yajña—and take sannyāsa. But vaiṣṇava sannyāsa is tri-daṇḍī sannyāsa. They, that means the living entity is offering his body, mind and words for the service of the Lord. So tri-daṇḍa sannyāsa can be accepted in this age, not otherwise. There are so many.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

We have got history in our country. Great sages, muni, ṛṣi, they used to live in the forest to culture knowledge and become detached from these material activities, jñāna-vairāgya. But that is not possible in this age. From the very beginning of our life we are brought up in big cities like Bombay, Calcutta, London, New York. Then, where is the question of going to the forest? Does it mean that if one cannot go to the forest for acquiring knowledge and detachment then he has no chance? No. Kali-yuga, there is special concession that is given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You haven't got to go to the forest of Himalaya for attaining jñāna and vairāgya. You can stay in your place. You can remain in Bombay, you can remain in London, you can remain in New York, big, big cities, and you can perform your prescribed duties. You can be very businessman. You can remain in (indistinct), or anything. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. He said also from the Vedic, sthāne sthitaḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhir, jñāne prāyasam udapāsya namanta eva, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. This was spoken by Rāmānanda Rāya, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted.

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

Dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ. In that meeting of Naimiṣāraṇya, there were all best brāhmaṇas. Dvija means twice born. Twice born, the brahmanas the kṣatriya and the vaiśyas. They are supposed to be twice-born. One birth by the father and mother, and the other birth is by the guru and Vedic knowledge. The guru is the father and Vedic knowledge is the mother. This is in Aryan civilization, this varṇāśrama, varṇa: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Śūdras are once-born. They have no ceremony for twice-born. Or one who is not twice-born, he's a śūdra. If the twice-born ceremony is not observed, is not observed, then it is śūdra. Or act..., practically at the present moment, even in India, these ceremonies are not accepted or they do not care for it. And what to speak of other countries. Therefore the conclusion of the śāstra is kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In this age of Kali, there are only śūdras. Practically there is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya, no vaiśyas. Maybe some vaiśyas. But this is the position.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:

So this requires intelligence. That intelligence is divided into this varṇāśrama-dharma. There must be intelligent class of men, brāhmaṇa. They are called intelligent class of men. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). The society must be divided into four classes for cooperation—I have explained yesterday. So at the present moment, two classes are wanting: the brāhmaṇa class and the kṣatriya class. The vaiśya class and the śūdra class and less than śūdra class are there. Because in the Kali-yuga, it is stated, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kalau, in this age, most, major portion of the population will be śūdras. Śūdras means fourth-class men. Fourth-class men means śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam. What is that? Paricaryātmakaṁ karma (BG 18.44). Just like dog. A dog, unless it has got a nice master, it is street dog. A street dog. It has no value. Anyone can kill, and it has no shelter, loitering in the street. So śūdra means dog's position. If he does not get a nice master, then he's street dog. In spite of high education, M.A., Ph.D, D.A.C, and this and that, if he does not get any employment, he's street dog. What is his value? Eh? "Oh, I have studied high technical education." But if you do not get a service for using your education, then you are a street dog. Is it not?

Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:

Everyone is searching after some service, service, service. So this service attitude means śūdra. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). In the śāstras, therefore, it is said that the brāhmaṇas, even there is some difficult time... Just like nowadays, at the present moment, we are creating brāhmaṇas, but people do not much like us. They do not care for us: "What is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?" Their street... They are thinking they are beggars. But they are the most intelligent class, brāhmaṇas. They do not honor. So this Kali-yuga, actual intelligent class of men has no honor. A third-class man, fourth-class man, fifth-class man has got honor if he gets some money. That is the system of Kali-yuga. Somehow or other, you gather money and you are fifth-class, tenth-class man—you will be honored. This is Kali-yuga. Not for your qualification, but because you have got money, you are honored. This is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Los Angeles, August 28, 1972:

Yaṁ brahmā. Brahmā is the original living creature within this universe; so he worshiped the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead. He worshiped not the impersonal brahma-jyotir; he worshiped the person. Yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra—they were the first creation, and the sages Marīci, Vasiṣṭha, Ātreya... There are seven great sages, first-born. All of them worship the Personality of Godhead. Bhejire munayo 'thāgre. Agra means in the beginning of creation. Later on they have deviated, or as the ages are going on, people are becoming degraded in their standard of spiritual understanding. In the Satya-yuga, cent percent people were aware of their spiritual necessity of life. Next yuga, seventy-five percent. Next yuga, fifty percent, fifty percent; and this yuga, Kali-yuga, seventy-five percent are rascals, and twenty-five percent, they are little wise. And out of that twenty-five percent, mostly they are fruitive actors. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3).

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

So these symptoms are Caitanya Mahāprabhu's symptoms. So when Sanātana Gosvāmī was talking Caitanya Mahāprabhu... He was a politician, minister. So he simply inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu: "Shall I take it that these symptoms, as we find in the śāstra, is the incarnation of this Kali-yuga?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu understood that "He's catching Me, he's trying to catching Me." So He immediately said, "Oh, don't bother about that thing. We shall talk..." Like that. Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is actually Kṛṣṇa, He avoided to be addressed as Kṛṣṇa. And these rascals, false, they are claiming "Kṛṣṇa." Just see. Kṛṣṇa Himself, in Vṛndāvana... In Vṛndāvana, when Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was present, many devotees used to come and address Him, "My Lord, You are Kṛṣṇa." Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to block His ears: "Don't say like that. Don't say. It is a great offense to address a man as Viṣṇu, as Kṛṣṇa." He taught us like that. And these rascals, they're declaring: "I am God. I am Kṛṣṇa." "I am God, I am Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972:

So demons are always disturbing. They'll create disturbance. That is... Their business is to create disturbance in the creation of the Supreme Lord. So this Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu, two brothers, they were creating so much disturbances. The whole world is disturbed only for the existence of the demons, asuri. At the present moment also, the world is full of demons. The devotees, their number is very, very small. Just like our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We can count within the finger how many we have got, Kṛṣṇa conscious; but demons, non-Kṛṣṇa conscious, nondevotees, there is no limit. Innumerable. So when demons are too much prominent, then Kṛṣṇa comes. So in the Kali-yuga He has appeared... Just like previously He appeared in the form of hog, similarly, Kṛṣṇa has appeared in this Kali-yuga in the form of His name. There is no difference between the form and name of God. God is absolute. Nāma-rūpe, in the form of name. So those who are disturbed by the demons may take shelter of this form of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be saved. Otherwise, the demon will put you within the Pacific Ocean water. Just like this demon. But Kṛṣṇa will save you. As Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into the water by his father.

Lecture on SB 1.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, September 17, 1972:

So this kind of rascalism is not very good. You must accept the incarnation of God according to the description in the śāstras. Not one rascal cheats you and you also become another rascal to accept it. Don't do that. You must know what are the indication of incarnation. This question was raised by Sanātana Gosvāmī to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because in this age of Kali, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation is stated in the śāstra, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the Upaniṣad, in Mahābhārata. There are evidences. He appeared as the son of Jagannātha Miśra, but His incarnation is stated in the śāstra. Therefore we accept Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu as incarnation. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never said that "I am incarnation." Rather, to warn the ordinary people that they should not accept any so-called incarnation, when somebody stated Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "You are incarnation of Kṛṣṇa," He immediately blocked His ears: "Don't say like that. It is great offense, great offense." Because He was playing the part of devotee. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was teaching us how to execute devotional service. And He deprecated Māyāvāda philosophy in so many ways. He was to establish the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He was exemplifying Himself, how to become a devotee. So He never mentioned that He is incarnation. But we understand from the features of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that He (is) incarnation of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:

So the idea is that there is no food problem. As the mother earth said to King Pṛthu that "I am restricting," so the more you become sinful, the food supply will be stopped. This is the law of nature. At the end there will be no foodgrains, at the end of Kali-yuga. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There will be no foodgrain, no fruits, no milk, no sugar. You have to live on flesh and blood. At that time, being hungry, you will kill your own children and eat flesh and blood. That day is waiting. So this is the civilization. Most heinous civilization. It can only be saved by spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Otherwise there is no way.

Lecture on SB 1.3.15 -- Los Angeles, September 20, 1972:

So here is history also. This Vedic history is not that for one thousand years or two thousand years. No, not like that. One period. One millennium, Brahmā's one day, it is millions and millions of years. So just like there is night after day, day after night, similarly, the Brahmā's day, Brahmā's night, that is calculated. And one Brahmā's day. You know, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). So Brahmā's one day means one thousand times of the yugas. The yugas means the Satya-yuga, Kali-yuga, and..., Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, and Kali-yuga. So Satya-yuga's duration is about 1800,000's of years. The next, Tretā-yuga, duration about 1200,000's of years. And then Dvāpara-yuga, 800,000's of years, solar years.

Lecture on SB 1.3.21 -- Los Angeles, September 26, 1972:

But Vyāsadeva saw that next age, this Kali-yuga, people will be less intelligent. Here it is stated, dṛṣṭvā puṁsaḥ alpa-medhasaḥ. Alpa. Alpa means the brain substance not in much quantity. This is psychologically true, that within the brain, the brain substance, if there is more, then one is more intelligent. So here it is alpa... Just see, modern scientific psychology, how it was known, long, long millions of years ago. At least five thousand years ago. Alpa-medhasaḥ. And this is scientific fact. Those who are students of psychology, they know it. I was student of psychology, and our professor... He was a Scotman. He explained this brain substance, cerebular substance, Dr. Urquhart, that the more brain substance is there, more one becomes intelligent. And it has been found that a woman does not have more than thirty-six ounce of brain substance, whereas in man it has been found that he has got up to sixty-four ounce. Now, this is modern science. Therefore generally, generally, woman, less intelligent than man. You cannot find any big scientist, any big mathematician, any big philosopher amongst woman. That is not possible. Although in your country, you want equal status with man, freedom, but by nature you are less intelligent. What can be done? (laughter)

Lecture on SB 1.3.24 -- Los Angeles, September 29, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

tataḥ kalau sampravṛtte
sammohāya sura-dviṣām
buddho nāmnāñjana-sutaḥ
kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati
(SB 1.3.24)

Translation: "Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Añjanā, in the province of Gayā, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theist."

Prabhupāda: So these words are significant. Bhaviṣyati. Bhaviṣyati means "in future He will appear." Other avatāras, just like Lord Rāmacandra, Kṛṣṇa, They have been described that "He appeared for doing this work." Similarly, in future also, who will appear, that is also listed. So no pseudo incarnation can come in, because past, present, future, everything is described there. Bhaviṣyati. This Bhāgavata-grantha, śāstra, was written five thousand years ago. Now five thousand years ago there was no Buddha. But in future He will come, and that is mentioned here: bhaviṣyati. Not only Buddha's name only, but His mother's name and the place where He would appear. This is called śāstra. No speculation. Fact. Either past, present, or future, it doesn't matter. Tri-kāla-jña.

Lecture on SB 1.3.24 -- Los Angeles, September 29, 1972:

So these śāstras are written. Just like Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is speaking that kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati. Kīkaṭeṣu means the province of Gayā, still existing. Bhaviṣyati. When? Tataḥ kalau sampravṛtte. Kalau. This age is called Kali-yuga. Sampravṛtte: "just in the beginning." So Buddha appeared 2,600 years ago. So for thousands of years, it is beginning. Just like the sunset and the sunrise, there is an intermediate period. It is neither light nor dark. That is called intermediate period. Similarly, at the end of every millennium, yuga, and the beginning of another yuga, that is called sampravṛtti, "just beginning." So sampravṛtte, just in the beginning. Because the duration of Kali-yuga... This yuga, Kali-yuga, it will exist for 432,000 of years. Altogether, all the yugas taken together, they are 4300,000's of years. Out of that, Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. So out of that 432,000's of years, we have passed only five thousand years. We have passed only five thousand years. The Kali-yuga has begun from after the death of Mahārāja Parīkṣit.

Lecture on SB 1.3.24 -- Los Angeles, September 29, 1972:

During the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the Kali-yuga could not enter. He was so strong king. Kali-yuga means these four principles: illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. This is Kali-yuga. Before the beginning of Kali-yuga, there was no such thing in the world, all over the world. With the beginning of the Kali-yuga, these things have begun: illicit sex, intoxication... Now it is so spread that every home, every house, every country, is full of these four principles of sinful life.

So tataḥ sampravṛtte kalau sammohāya sura-dviṣām (SB 1.3.24). Sura-dviṣām. Dviṣa means, "I don't like to see you." That is called dviṣa. Dveṣa. Icchā-dveṣa. We have got two kinds of likings. We want to see somebody, and we want to, we do not want to see somebody. Icchā-dveṣa. These are our activities. Icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). Our creation within this material world, icchā-dveṣa... We wanted to enjoy this material world, and we did not like Kṛṣṇa. Dveṣa. Dveṣa means, "I don't like you." There are so many things, we say, "I don't like." So as soon as we don't like Kṛṣṇa, God, and want to enjoy this material world, then we fall down, immediately. Icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarge means... This is the cause of our creation of this material body.

Lecture on SB 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972:

So this is the beginning of Kali-yuga. Only we have passed five thousand years, but the duration of Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. So only we have passed five thousand years. In this way... This is called sandhyā, junction. I have already explained that junction means day and night. Day passing, night is coming, that is called junction. Morning passing, noon coming, that is another junction, meridian. So early in the morning and during sunset and in the middle, joining of noon, morning and noon, these are called tri-sandhyā. Tri means three. Three kinds of junction. So everyone has got this tri-sandhyā of his life. Just like in our life. When we were babies, children, that is the beginning. Say, up to fifteen years, sixteen years, that is one portion, sandhyā, junction. Then another junction, youthhood; then another junction, old age. This is the nature's way. There must be three periods of anything material.

Lecture on SB 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972:

So this Kali-yuga has already begun. So in the beginning sandhyā, junction, Lord Buddha's description is given already. Lord Buddha will cheat the atheist class of men. God is very kind. So sammohāya sura-dviṣām (SB 1.3.24). Those who are atheists, just to bewilder them: "Yes, there is nothing after death, it is all zero, but you worship me," Lord Buddha said. "Yes, sir, we shall worship you." So the only business, God's business is, "This rascal may some way or other worship Me." Because they are rascals. So here Lord Buddha by policy induced them to worship Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha is incarnation of God. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra. His philosophy is "No, there is no God, but you worship me." But the policy is to worship God. But they do not know. They are thinking that "We are worshiping somebody, some great soul," but he does not know that he is God, incarnation of God.

Lecture on SB 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972:

But that is not the process. You cannot manufacture your own religion. Religion is given by God. Religion means the law of God. That's all. So how you can manufacture your law? That is not possible. Even if you do manufacture, what is the benefit? It will not be accepted. It will not work. Suppose if you manufacture some law at home, will it be accepted by the public? No. Nobody will accept. So similarly, this Kali-yuga is so dangerous that gradually we are becoming involved in more difficulties. That is the way of Kali-yuga. The symptom of Kali-yuga is disagreement, fight, quarrel. Kali means this quarreling, fighting, unnecessarily fighting. Just like recently in India we have seen. Formerly there was Hindu-Muslim riot, sporadic riot in some village. Say, some fifty men this side, some fifty men that side, they fought, say, for two hours, and it is finished. Again they are friendly. Now, since India has become independent, the Muslims have become Pakistan and the other part... They are not all Hindus. Suppose Hindus, they have become Hindustan. They organizedly fight. Now recently, last year, they fought and spent millions of dollars unnecessarily. This is going on. This is called Kali-yuga. Unnecessarily they will disagree, unnecessarily they will fight and spoil energy, spoil money. This is called Kali-yuga. The brain is so crazy that they do not consider that "Why you are fighting? Why you are spending money?"

Lecture on SB 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972:

So anyway, actually, human life is meant for some other purpose—God realization. Because this is not possible in other lower animals. And we get this chance by evolutionary process. We come to this human form of life, civilized form of life. Now we should know what is God, who is the supreme controller, who is the supreme source of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the life for inquiring about Brahman, the Supreme, the great. But we are neglectful. This is called Kali-yuga. And we are so much degraded... Gradually, we are becoming degraded. So 427,000's of years, if we again come and go, come and go... Because after... Dehāntara-prāptiḥ, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). If you continue transmigration from one body to another, then you will have to meet that age. But before meeting that age, try to understand Kṛṣṇa. This is our movement. Then, in this life in this very life, after giving up this body, you haven't got to come here again. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). No more coming to this rascal world. Go back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

So this is the policy of the demons. Therefore, indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam (SB 1.3.28). When people become, the inhabitants of all different planets, they become very much perturbed on account of these demonic... In this Kali-yuga especially, the demons are so large in number that people are actually in harassment. Every year, they are presenting taxation bill. And wherefrom the taxation will come? The taxation will come from your pocket and my pocket. They will charge income tax, and the storekeepers will increase the value of commodity. So you have to pay. So you are, we are complaining, "Oh, the things are going high price." But why? Because the demons are levying taxes. The... It is not the scarcity of goods. There is sufficient commodity, sufficient. But they have made a economic plan. Just like in your country, the government said that "You don't produce more." Why? If one can produce... Kṛṣṇa has given food. You have to simply little work and produce your food. But in order to keep the balance of price, they say, "Don't produce." Why not produce? So many people are, they are... If actually we produce foodstuff in the ordinary way, then we can produce foodstuff so much that ten times of the whole population of the world can be fed. Ten times. There is no question of scarcity or poverty. There is no question. We create. These demons, they create.

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

So in this age, Kali-yuga especially, demoniac, everything, demons, godless. Demon means godless. Indrāri. Demons means Indra, or indrasya ari. Ari means enemy. Indra is demigod. And his enemy, that is demon. Indrāri. Just like you are, when you go to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you have got so many enemies. They do not act directly, but they are very much envious: "What these nonsense are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?" You see? They want to disturb. Just like we have to close this door because the demons will disturb. You see? So demons means enemy of the demigods, enemy of the devotees. Those who are God conscious, those who are abiding by the orders of God, they're demigods. God. Demigods means they're also God, but subordinate to God. They don't say, "I am God. I am completely." No, a Vaiṣṇava will never say so. He knows that "I am eternal servant of God." Therefore demigod. Otherwise, their qualification is godly.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969:

This is very important thing, jijñāsitam. This is the beginning of life actually. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Inquisitiveness. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). One should search after a guru, jijñāsu, one who is inquisitive. That is actually life. Just like animals, they are not inquisitive. They are simply concerned with the four principles of bodily necessities. Eating... Udaram, dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. In this age, Kali-yuga, if one can eat sumptuously, he thinks that "All my interest is now fulfilled. I have eaten very nicely today." That's all. (chuckles) And dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. And if he can maintain a wife and three children, oh, he is Dakṣa Mahārāja. Dakṣa Mahārāja. This is the age of Kali. You see? If one can simply eat and if he's well-to-do, he can maintain...

And when I was in New York, one old lady, she used to come to my class. Not in Second Avenue. When I first started in 72nd Street. So she had a son. So I asked, "Why don't you get your son married?" "Oh, if he can maintain a wife, I have no objection." Just to maintain a wife is a great job in this age. Dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. And still we are very much proud that we are advancing. Even a bird maintains a wife, even a beast maintains wife. And human being hesitates to maintain a wife? You see? And they are advanced in civilization? Hm? It is a very horrible age.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

You simply vibrate Hare Kṛṣṇa wherever you are, at home or in temple or anywhere. Or in the street or in bed, or in hospital or in office, you can chant. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. So kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ, dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau... (SB 12.3.52). Kalau means this age, in the age of Kali. Hari-kīrtanāt, simply by chanting. Hari means God.

So here Nārada is asking Vyāsadeva, jijñāsitam. "You are a very perfect scholar." Now the first word is used here, jijñāsitam. A scholar is he who has perfectly inquired from his spiritual master. Inquiry. Just like in the Vedānta-sūtra, the first aphorism is athāto brahma jijñāsā. One must be very inquisitive. That... I have explained already several times, that first inquisitiveness should be "What I am? Am I this body? Oh, the bodily comforts are so many. I have got my car, I have got good apartment, I have got good wife, and... Why I am not happy? Why I am not happy? Everything is there. So am I this body?" No. Vyāsadeva here is asked this question, jijñāsitam. So jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca. Jijñāsitaṁ susampannam api: "And after inquiry, you have very nicely written all kinds of literature, authoritative literature."

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:

When there are too many materialistic activities by the people in general all over the world, there is no wonder that a person or a nation attacks another person or nation on slight provocation. That is the rule of this age of Kali or quarrel. The atmosphere is already polluted with corruption of all description, and everyone knows it well. There are so many unwanted literatures full of materialistic ideas of sense gratification. In many countries there are bodies appointed by the state to detect and censor obscene literature. This means that neither the government nor the responsible leaders of the public want such literature, yet it is in the marketplace because the people want it for sense gratification. The people in general want to read (that is a natural instinct), but because their minds are polluted they want such literatures. Under the circumstances, transcendental literature like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will not only diminish the activities of the corrupt mind of the people in general, but also it will supply food for their hankering after reading some interesting literature. In the beginning they may not like it because one suffering from jaundice is reluctant to take sugar candy, but we should know that sugar candy is the only remedy for jaundice. Similarly, let there be systematic propaganda for popularizing reading of the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which will act like sugar candy for the jaundicelike condition of sense gratification. When men have a taste for this literature, the other literatures, which are catering poison to society, will then automatically cease.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is a description of the age of Kali. Age of..., this is age of Kali. According to Vedic understanding, there are four ages: Satya-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, Tretā-yuga, and Kali-yuga. This age is called Kali-yuga. It has begun about five thousand years ago, after the battle of Kurukṣetra. The duration of this Kali-yuga is estimated four hundred thousand..., four hundred and twenty-seven thousands of years. Out of that, we have passed only five thousand years. So the symptom of the human being in this age is that prāyeṇālpāyuṣa: people will become very short duration of life. It is said that time, at the end of Kali-yuga, the, if somebody lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as very old man. So gradually the food grains like rice, wheat, milk, and sugar will disappear. In this way, in the Kali-yuga, prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. In this age, people will be of short duration of life; manda, very slow; sumanda-matayaḥ, accepting some rubbish theology. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10), almost all of them are unfortunate. Manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ: over and above that, they will be disturbed, especially by lack of rain, lack of..., scarcity of food grains, and overtaxed by the government, so much so that people will give up their hearth and home and go to the forest and hills in disappointment and confusion. So these are the symptoms of Kali-yuga, gradually degrading.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

So everyone knows I have got a father. But who is my father, that I do not know. At least, in India, one who cannot say his father's name, immediately he becomes degraded. Just like the Jābāla Satyakāma. Jābāla Satyakāma, he, he was... He went to Gautama Muni, "Please initiate me." And according to Vedic conclu..., initiation is meant for the brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya and vaiśya. Not for the śūdras. Śūdras are not initiated. And in the Kali-yuga, because everyone is a śūdra, therefore he's first of all given training to become a brāhmaṇa. Then the sacred thread is offered. This is the process. Because actually, initiation cannot be given to anyone except a brāhmaṇa. So kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ: "In the Kali-yuga, everyone is śūdra." That is to be accepted without any disagreement. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Because they have no saṁskāra. Asaṁskṛtāḥ kriyā-hīnā mlecchāḥ. One who is not undergone the reformatory processes, garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, upanayana-saṁskāra... There are ten kinds of saṁskāras, reformatory. One who has not gone, or one who is not permitted to undergo the saṁskāra, he's śūdra. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Everyone is born śūdra. By reformatory method, he becomes twice-born—by the spiritual master and Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge is the mother, and spiritual master is the father.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

She said that she had many connections, 'I do not who is particularly your father.' " But Gautama Muni immediately accepted him, "Yes, you are brāhmaṇa, because you are truthful. Nobody dares to say like that, that 'I do not know my father's name. My mother said that she had many connections.' " Because he was truthful, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā, so by the quality, he was accepted immediately, and he was initiated, that "You have the qualities of brāhmaṇa." A brāhmaṇa will speak truth, even to his enemy. If the enemy comes, if a rogue comes, "How much money you have got in your box?" a brāhmaṇa will say, "Sir, I have got one hundred dollars." (laughs) Just like the other day, in the Customs examination in Bombay, so our Brahmānanda Mahārāja was asked, "What is the value?" "No, I have purchased it." "What is the value?" "Two hundred dollars." He did not say that "I am using it for long time." No. "It is new. I have purchased." That's all right. Yes. But Kali-yuga is so implicated that sometimes we have to speak the untruth. But it is the business of the brāhmaṇa to speak the truth. No untruth.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

So we are giving education at the present moment to become śūdras. Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). To serve others. A brāhmaṇa will not serve anyone else. A kṣatriya will not serve anyone else. A vaiśya will not serve anyone else. Only the śūdras. So at the present moment we are giving śūdra education. Everyone is taking one application: "Give me some service." "No vacancy, sir." Therefore it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga everyone is śūdra. And how you can have good government by the śūdras? Kṣatriya required. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. He was touring. As soon as he saw one man is killing cow, "Who are you, rascal, killing cow in my kingdom?" Kṣatriya. Give protection. Even to the cows. Prajā means one who has taken birth in that land. Why he should not be given protection? But because they are śūdras, they do not know what is the kṣatriya's duty, what is the government's duty. This is the position. Am I right or wrong?

Lecture on SB 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:
So Kali-yuga, people are suffering. They're all fallens, all meat-eaters, all drunkards, all fifth-grade, sixth-grade men. They are puffed-up, but actually they are fifth-, sixth-and tenth-grade men, not even gentlemen. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say that "No gentleman can live here. The society is so polluted." And... But the, there is opportunity of serving Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because the society is so fallen, therefore there is good opportunity to serve Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation is to reclaim these fallen souls. So you have got the opportunity to serve Śrī Caitan..., to please Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu because He wanted the fallen souls to be delivered. Kṛṣṇa also wanted. Yadā yadā hi glānir bhavati bhārata, dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. Kṛṣṇa comes... This is... God's business is going on like that. He's very anxious to reclaim all these rascals, rotting in this material world. Kṛṣṇa is always anxious. He comes Himself. He comes as devotee. He comes..., sends His bona fide servant, bona fide son.
Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). This is the facility of this age, Kali-yuga. This is the only facility. In Kali-yuga you cannot perform meditation or perform big, big sacrifices, as they are mentioned in the Vedas. Or you cannot perform even Deity worship very nicely. There are so many flaws. Everything is very difficult. And charity... And there are so many. Śamena damena dānena tyāgena. So where is the money I shall...? There is no money even to feed me. I am eating... This morning I do not know what shall I eat in the evening. This is the position at the present moment. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ, kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. The life is also very short duration, and so many disturbances. Not only disturbance of the Kali-yuga, but the disturbance by the government also, by the demigods. There is scorching heat, there is severe cold. And ati-vṛṣṭi, sometimes more than we want, there is rainfall. Sometimes there is no rainfall. And in this way there is scarcity of foodstuff. Anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa, and taxation. These are the disturbances. So many. One side, taxation by the government, another side, by nature there is scarcity of food and there is scarcity of rain.

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

So these are stated in the Bhāgavatam. Durbhikṣa, anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9). People will be so much disturbed. It is already disturbed. Gacchanti giri-kānanam. They'll leave their home, their family, and go to the forest, go to the hills, disgusted. So this is the Kali-yuga symptoms. So how one will clean the heart? He cannot sit even peacefully for a moment. Disturbed always. Disturbed in the mind, anxiety, full of anxiety. How it will be possible to meditate? This is all nonsense. This is not possible. In Kali-yuga meditation is not possible. The so-called meditation is a farce. Those who are trying to meditate... Therefore you don't see any improvement in their life. They're making a formal meditation, but they remain what they are. Don't improve anything. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.5.29 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

There are so many mahātmās, simply by changing the dress. No. Not that kind of mahātmā. Our Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung a song, eita eka kalir celā: "Here is a disciple of Kali." What is that? Nāke tilaka galai mālā. "He has got tilaka..." Nata nara nāke tilaka galai mālā. He sings that, sahaja bhajana kache namu saṅge laiyā pare dala. (?) Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings that "He's dressed like a bābājī. He has shaven his head, and has got tilaka and kaṇṭhi. But he has got at least half a dozen women, and that is his bhajana." So not that... That is not mahātmā. That is durātmā, a cheating... Of course, in this Kali-yuga... Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, eita eka kalir celā. Kalir celā means the disciple of Kali. Dressed like a sādhu, or Vaiṣṇava, but within, all rubbish things. That will not help us. He must be mahātmā, real mahātmā. We want guru like that. Then it will be a... We must be also qualified, and guru also qualified. Therefore it is said in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa that one year should be taken to study one another, the guru and the disciple. The guru also will see whether the person is fit to become a disciple, and the disciple also will see "Whether this gentleman can become my guru."

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

That perfection, how it is made perfect? That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sa... What is that? Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). What is that verse? Dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam. Svanuṣṭhitasya... Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ. This is the word by Śukadeva Gosvā..., Sūta Gosvāmī. "You are all learned brāhmaṇas..." Dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ. Dvija means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. But śreṣṭhāḥ means brāhmaṇas. They have got... Brāhmaṇas, they are interested for spiritual advancement of life. Kṣatriyas are not so much interested, neither the vaiśyas, and what to speak of the śūdras. And in the Kali-yuga almost everyone is a śūdra. It is very difficult to find... So how they can be interested? Therefore training should be given how to become brāhmaṇa. Then he'll be interested. Otherwise, nobody is interested.

Lecture on SB 1.5.36 -- Vrndavana, August 17, 1974:

Kṛṣṇasya... Mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. (break) This is the advantage of this age, Kali-yuga. We have got many disadvantages. (break) People are implicated in sinful activities, more and more trouble. And it will be exhibited, there will be no food grains, no milk, no sugar. These things will be completely absent. Now you are getting. In the later age it will be not possible to get them. And there will be scarcity of food, scarcity of rain. Anāvṛṣṭi durbhikṣa. And other side, taxation, heavy taxation. So we should be very alert in the matter of preparing ourself back to home, back to Godhead. Otherwise, if we take birth again and again, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), then we have to suffer some.

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

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

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1976:

That was the... Yajña is required. In this age, Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to perform the Vedic ritualistic yajñas. It requires tons of ghee and food grains. And people have nothing to eat even. But śāstra has made it very easy. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). If you perform the saṅkīrtana-yajña, then it is as good any other yajña. Yajña means to satisfy the yajña-puruṣa, Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. So in the Kali-yuga, simply by performing yajñas you can satisfy the Supreme Lord. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. We have seen in many places by performing yajña, the saṅkīrtana-yajña, where it was very dry, rain has fallen. This is practical. So things are very easy. But instead of producing food grains, we are producing Goodyear tires. So how we can eat? Now when there is scarcity of foodstuff you cannot eat the Goodyear tires. But people's attention has been diverted in the industrial activities. They are given allurement, "Come here. I shall give you twenty rupees per day. You give up your agricultural activities. You come in the factory. Produce tire tube, iron stool," and so on so on. So we are violating the orders of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

In the previous verse we have discussed how to be free from the unwanted association, anartha. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣāt. Material life means to be involved with so many unwanted things. That is material life. At the present moment, especially in this Kali-yuga, we are very, very much fallen. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Prāyeṇa alpa āyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. So this human life is especially meant for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or spiritual understanding of life. Unfortunately, we are very, very slow, manda. Manda means bad, fallen, abominable. The whole population in this age, they are very, very fallen, manda. Why manda? They have advanced so much in material comforts. That is not required. Real requisition is how to develop our spiritual understanding. That is wanted. But they are not interested, manda. Manda means slow or very, very bad. They do not know.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

We have rejected the so-called Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting, and these people have taken and chanting in the street." They think that... Many students in Europe and America, Indian students I mean to say, they put forward that question to me, "Swamiji, how this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will help us? At the present moment we require technology." They challenge me. Of course, I reply. This is the position of India. They have given up Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are working very hard for getting some money for bread. It is said in the śāstra that in the Kali-yuga people will have to work so hard, like an ass, to get their morsel of food. We have seen in Calcutta, somebody with sacred thread, he was pulling ṭhelā and perspiring. And somebody known to him, he said, Panditji, palale(?), means "I offer my respect to you," and the ṭhelā-wālā says, jitalau(?). This is the position. A brāhmaṇa is pulling ṭhelā; it is working like an ass. Pulling ṭhelā is not the business of human being, but although he thinks himself to be a brāhmaṇa, he is engaged in pulling ṭhelā. This is Kali's position, manda. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10), unfortunate, unfortunate.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

Human life should be very peaceful, and without any hard work we shall get our food and save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is human life, not that for senses gratification we work so hard like an ass. This is called anartha. Anartha means unwanted things. We can see practically. The birds and beasts, they are living very easy and comfortable life without any problem. They rise early in the morning regularly. You have seen. As soon as there is little light, immediately they will rise up and they will talk amongst themselves and go, one tree to another, and he will eat one or two fruits, little fruits, ample fruit. They have no scarcity of food. And live very pleasantly. For eating, sleeping, sex life, they have no problem. These are primary necessities of life. Why there should be problem for these things? But in the human society there is problem. That is called the effect of Kali-yuga. Effect of Kali-yuga means the so-called advancement of material civilization means to become godless, immoral, and they must suffer. That is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.7.8 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1976:

So Kali-yuga is a very precarious condition: no knowledge, ignorance, and no nirvṛtti. Everyone is in pravṛtti. So whatever their condition may be, but if you want actually freedom from this material conditional life, then you should follow ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣaḥ. Ācāryopāsanam. Kṛṣṇa is personally acting as ācārya. He's coming again as ācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He has got so many representatives ācārya: Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī, so many ācāryas. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). So take lesson from the ācāryas. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is ācārya. Vyāsadeva is ācārya. He's making the next ācārya by teaching him—adhyāpayām āsa, śukam adhyāpayām āsa—so that he is becoming ācārya. So we have to go the ācārya and take lesson.

Lecture on SB 1.7.8 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1976:

So these things are sometimes inconceivable. But it is not inconceivable. It is possible to... Our real point is that Śukadeva Gosvāmī was not a grammarian, but he learned everything from his father by hearing. Therefore it is called śrūyamāṇāyām. If you hear from the right person, properly, then you become perfect. There is no need of literary education. Therefore Vedas are called śruti. Śruti means... Formerly the students, they were learning everything. Their memory was so nice and sharp that simply by hearing from guru's mouth they would learn. In the Kali-yuga, because the memory is not so str... (break) ...Vyāsadeva recorded this in writing, that "The rascals will come henceforward. They will have not very sharp brain, memory, so let me keep this literature in writing so that in future they may take advantage of it. Or somebody will read and they will hear. In this way their life will be successful."

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

Only the śūdras can become servant. Brāhmaṇa never becomes servant. They are instructed, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is brāhmaṇa's qualification. They will train the brahmacārīs and the gṛhasthas how to become perfect, discipline. First discipline is truthfulness. A brāhmaṇa will never speak lies. That is the first qualification. So who is going to take training in that way? Nobody is interested. This is Kali-yuga. We are trying to train people "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." Still, there are some failures. And if we teach in our institution, "Please do not speak lies," people will laugh: "What is this nonsense? Nowadays is it possible to remain in this society without speaking lies?" This is the position. This is called Kali-yuga. Nobody is interested to be trained up as a brāhmaṇa. Nobody is interested to be trained up as a kṣatriya, neither as a vaiśya. They are all śūdras. Therefore it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. There is no training. It is very very difficult to train them to become purified by training. These statuses of life were different status of training so that ultimately one can become brāhmaṇa, and when he's fully trained up as a brāhmaṇa then he transcends the brāhmaṇa's position, and he becomes a Vaiṣṇava.

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

So here, Aśvatthāmā, he's born of a brāhmaṇa father, but his work has been proved just like a butcher. Therefore he is called brahma-bandhu. He's called not a brāhmaṇa: brahma-bandhu. Brahma-bandhoḥ śira ātatāyinaḥ. Ātatāyinaḥ, aggressor. A brāhmaṇa does not require to kill a person with weapon. No. That is kṣatriya's business. If one is actually a brāhmaṇa—of course, in the Kali-yuga such brāhmaṇa is not to be found—his simply curse is sufficient to kill a man. If a brāhmaṇa curses somebody... Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa's son. Means not fully brāhmaṇa, not grown-up. A child, a boy twelve years old, he cursed Parīkṣit Mahārāja that "Within seven days you'll be bitten by a serpent," and it came to be true. So brāhmaṇa does not require any sword or any arrow to kill a man. His very word is sufficient. Therefore when somebody was to be killed, the brāhmaṇa would bring him to the kṣatriya—not killing himself by weapon. Just like Viśvāmitra, he wanted to kill one rākṣasī, so he came to Mahārāja Daśaratha, kṣatriya, to do the business of killing. There are so many... That is shastric evidences.

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

These are the kṣatriya qualifications. The charity was given by the kṣatriyas. Even there are instances that Muhammadan rulers in this country, they also gave in charity land and temple in Vṛndāvana. There are many instances. Aurangzeb gave some land, Jahangir gave some land. There is still one temple, it was constructed by Jahangir, and the other side of the Yamunā there is a village called Jahangir-pura. That village was given to the brāhmaṇas for maintaining the temple. So charity, that is kṣatriya's business, and perform yajñas, give in charity, to rule, not to go away from fighting, challenge, very strong, stout—these are kṣatriya qualification. And the vaiśya qualification—agriculture. Kṛṣi. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya, and cow protection. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyam. And if there is excess, then vāṇijya, trade. Otherwise there is no question of trade. And vaiśya... And śūdra, paricaryātmakam (BG 18.44)—to work for some payment. That is this blacksmith, goldsmith, weaver. You take some work from him and pay him something, maintain him. That is śūdra. So in the śāstra it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga almost everyone is a śūdra. You'll find they're interested in accepting some service. Even one is born of a brāhmaṇa family, he is looking after some good job. That is śūdra mentality. That is not brāhmaṇa's business. Brāhmaṇa will not accept anyone's service, neither the kṣatriyas, neither the vaiśyas. Only śūdras.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

But in Kali-yuga it is very difficult to go very slow. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all the śāstras, they are giving directly in touch with Kṛṣṇa. Step by step, it is very difficult. So that is the special gift in this age. That is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in this age there is a special gift. What is that special gift? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya. Kalau... In this age this world is full of faults, but there is one facility: kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). One can become liberated and go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there to take kṛṣṇa-kīrtana very easily. We have got report from Europe, in Yugoslavia people are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra even there, in Yugoslavia. That is a Communist country, is it not? What is that place, Yugoslavia? They are taking very nice part in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So as Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, that there is no question of language difficulty. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is so nice that any part of the world or any part of the universe you can go and chant, and it will be appreciated. There is no need of language difficulty. So take this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, chant yourself, preach all over the world. Everyone will be happy and there will be no more fearfulness from death. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). No more death.

Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976:

The more people will be godless, there will be starvation, no supply. You cannot make by machine. Just like last time when I was in Europe, everything is now drying. It is yellow. What scientific method you have got? Bring water. Now they are thinking bringing, importing water. Is it possible to import water? That's not possible. So this will be punishment. In the Kali-yuga, the more people will be godless, and this punishment will be there: no water, no food supply. And over and above that, government taxation. You'll be harassed. Three things will go on.

That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9). Now kara-pīḍita, taxation. This is śāstra. Five thousand years ago this Bhāgavata was written, and he has given, Vyāsadeva has given the symptoms of Kali-yuga. One of the symptoms is this, that in the Kali-yuga people will be so much embarrassed by three things. One thing there will be no rain, scarcity of rain. And naturally there will be scarcity of... Durbhikṣa. Durbhikṣa means you will not be able to get anything by begging also.

Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976:

It is all particularly mentioned. And we are experiencing. You were telling that rice is not available. Where it is? Huh? Poland. I have seen in Moscow, you cannot get any fruit, you cannot get rice, you cannot get wheat. You can get only flesh, meat. And milk is available. These things. So now already it has begun, and ultimately as the Kali-yuga advances and people become very much advanced in denying the existence of God, nirākāra, these things will come. Wait for that punishment. Durbhikṣa, anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9). And as soon as there will be scarcity of food, the government men will take advantage of it: "Now we have to supply food." "Where is food?" "No, you give me money, we shall purchase from importer." The taxation. One side, I am suffering—no food; another side—whatever money I have got, it will be taken by taxation. Now see what is your position. The position will be people will become mad, so much troubled. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam. People will be so much harassed that voluntarily they'll give up their family, home, and go to the forest, hopeless. This will be done. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a joke, is a jugglery. It is the only remedy if you want to save yourself. Otherwise, you are doomed. Don't take it, I mean to say, as a joke. It is a fact.

Lecture on SB 1.7.30-31 -- Vrndavana, September 26, 1976:

So the heat increased. Radiation heat increased. One weapon was released by Aśvatthāmā, another by Arjuna to counteract, and the heat was so terrible that dahyamānāḥ prajāḥ sarvāḥ, all the inhabitants of different planets, they felt the great heat produced by two brahmāstras. And sāṁvartakam amaṁsata. The sāṁvartaka fire is explained in the śāstra, that in the Kali-yuga... At the last there will be Kali-yuga. In the Kali-yuga there will be no rainfall. So everything will dry. Not this Kali-yuga, but at the end of the universal life there will be great fire all over the universe. That is called sāṁvartaka. And everything will be ablaze. This fire will take place on account of the heat increase of the sun. It is said that the present temperature of the sun will be increased twelve times, so naturally there will be fire. As we know, sometimes there is forest fire. Similarly, the fire will take place, and everything will be burned into ashes. Then there will be rain. After heat... You have got experience when the atmosphere is too hot, then the rain falls. Same process. When everything will be burned into ashes there will be rain, torrents of rain, and it is said just like the trunk of the elephant, the rainfall will be like that. So everything will be covered with water. That is annihilation. Pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedam **. Then there will be pralaya, and by the grace of the Lord the Vedas will be saved. Keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare.

Lecture on SB 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976:

So these things are there, and it is the duty of the government to see how things are going on. But it is simply now dream. People are also not interested what is the aim of life, what is the mission of this human form of life; neither there is guidance. There are so many upadravas. That is Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means that people will be more and more unhappy. Prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. The first thing is that the duration of life will decrease, alpa-āyuṣa. And manda, all bad men. Hardly we'll find any good men. Manda. Manda means bad and slow. Both the meanings can be manda. Manda-gati. They're not interested in progressive life. That is also manda. Manda matayaḥ. And they have got their own opinions. They do not follow the standard path, and it is confirmed by the so-called leaders, yata mata tata patha, you can manufacture your own way of life. These are the situation of upadrava. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). And this Kali-yuga, everyone is unfortunate, manda-bhāgyāḥ. Even in family... There is no family life. It is now increasing. They cannot live even peacefully in family. Family means husband, wife, children, father, mother. Generally, this is family. So in the family also there are enemies. This is prominent nowadays.

Lecture on SB 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976:

So the Vedas, Purāṇas are there. The instructions are there. Just like here is instruction: mataṁ ca vāsudevasya. Matam. The opinion should be taken from Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. That opinion is already there in the Bhagavad-gītā, Vāsudeva personally giving instruction, but we neither take moral instruction, neither Vāsudeva's instruction, neither we have got any intelligence. This is Kali-yuga. Mūḍha. Generally, we are mūḍha, especially in the Kali-yuga. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Here it is said, prajopadravam. So many upadravas. Actually, we are very much harassed on account of the time, place, circumstances, so on, so on. It is a very hopeless condition. Therefore śāstra has recommended that "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." It is very hopeless condition. Harer nāma. Harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Three. Three times. When you speak three times anything, it means I am giving stress, "You do this, you do this, you do this." So it is like that, that in order to stop so many inconveniences of the present day life, Kali-yuga... Kali means quarrel, simply creating quarrel, misunderstanding. This is Kali. So śāstra has given us... Kali-yuga is very dangerous to... One cannot make his life's mission fulfilled. One is not very happy. There are so many obstacles in the peaceful way of life. Even in the family, in the society, politically, nationally, internationally—so many difficulties.

Lecture on SB 1.7.49-50 -- Vrndavana, October 7, 1976:

So, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is dharma-suta. He is not ordinary person. He is the son of Dharmarāja, Yamarāja. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's mother, Kuntī, had the power to call any demigod. She got this benediction from Durvāsā Muni. So he (she) had his (her) three sons, means Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, and Arjuna. She got Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira from Dharmarāja, Arjuna from Indra, and Bhīma from Varuṇa..., Vāyu, yes. Similarly, still she is one of the chaste women. These things are there. But still, they are not polluted. But in the Kali-yuga these things are prohibited. Devareṇa sutotpattiṁ kalau pañca vivarjayet (CC Adi 17.164).

In the Kali-yuga people are very much polluted. They cannot transgress. This is not transgression, this is powerful. Just like you are prohibited to go to the filthy place, prohibited. But the sunshine goes. Sunshine goes. Sunshine is not prohibited, that "Here is a filthy place, lavatory. Sunshine, you do not come here." No, sunshine doesn't require your permission. It can go anywhere. But it is not polluted. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29).

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

So the, in the present age of Kali, the government men will be dasyu. This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. You can, we can see practically. You cannot keep your money. You earn with hard labor, but you cannot keep gold, you cannot keep jewelry, you cannot keep money. And... They will take it away by laws. So they make law that... Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was just quite opposite. He wanted to see that every citizen is so happy that they are not troubled even by excessive heat and excessive cold. Ati-vyādhi. They are not suffering from any disease, they are not suffering from excessive climatic influence, eating very nicely, and feeling security of person and property. That was Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. Not only Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. Almost all the kings, they were like that.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

So it is the duty of the representative of Kṛṣṇa to reform these condemned persons to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is their duty. Kṛṣṇa wants that "These rascals, these condemned persons, who are suffering in this material world, and they cannot understand that 'We are suffering...' They are making plan. No plan will be successful." Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You can make your plan, but it will never be successful. The only plan will be successful. What is that? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). That is the only plan. There is no other plan. But these rascals, they are being put into severe penalties. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). More and mo... The more they are forgetting God, they are put in, they are put into more and more miserable condition. Practically we see, with the advancement Kali-yuga, people are forgetting his relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and the price of commodity and the food grains, the price is increasing. They cannot eat sufficiently. So many people are dying of starvation. If they cannot eat, how they will live?

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

What Kṛṣṇa says, that is practical. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. "How we shall get anna? There is no rain." You see nowadays, there is no rain. Why? Because you are, we are all rascals. We do not know how to get rain. Kṛṣṇa says, parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ: "There will be food grains when there is sufficient rain." And how rain there will be? Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ: (BG 3.14) "And if you perform yajña, then there will be sufficient rain." So nowadays you, people may say, "How to perform yajña? It requires so much money, so much ghee, so much food grains to offer as oblations." But Kṛṣṇa has made it very easy. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ. I know, the śāstras know that in the Kali-yuga it will be very difficult to perform the ritualistic yajña ceremony because people will be poor, poverty-stricken. Where they will get ghee, and where they will get grains? No. This is yajña: kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). This is yajña.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

This is the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Manda-bhāgyāḥ, all unfortunate. All unfortunate. Everyone must suffer. This is the position. But if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, perform the yajña... Because this is the instruction by the Supreme Person. Puruṣaṁ tvā ādyam. Ādyaṁ puruṣam, the original person. The origin of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Supreme Person from whom everything has come down. That is the order. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us that harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21),... We are certainly in difficult position, but the only remedy is that we must chant the holy name of the Lord repeatedly. And that will solve all the problems. You preach this cult all over the world.

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- Mayapura, October 1, 1974:

So actual, actual value, to keep cows, to have food grains or gold, jewelries, these are the signs of richness. But Kali-yuga is so cruel that if you have got gold, if you have got jewels, then government will take away. Dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. Formerly there were ordinary plunderers, thieves. Now, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the government will be composed of organized thieves. That is meant: dasyu-dharmabhiḥ, rājabhiḥ. Government officer means organized thieves in every country. That will be the situation. So you cannot keep now. You have to be satisfied with these papers. That's all.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that the dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). People are after these four things. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu disregarded this. "This is not achievement of life." Of course, a human being... Human life does not begin unless there is conception of religion, dharma. But at the present moment, in the Kali-yuga, dharma is practically nil. So according to Vedic calculation, the present human civilization, they are not even human being. Because there is no dharma. There is no religion. No morality. No pious activities. Do not care. Everyone can do anything without caring. Formerly there was morality, immorality, irreligious, religious. But with the progress of Kali-yuga, everything is being vanquished. It is stated in the Kali-yuga about eighty per cent people, they are sinful, all sinful. And we can practically see. The sinful list we have given, the four principles, illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa is available so cheaply for the people, especially kalau, in this age of Kali. Still, we are reluctant to chant the holy name. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu regrets, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi: "Although You are so liberal and kind upon this fallen soul, still, unfortunate as I am, I am not inclined to chant this holy name." This is our position, obstinacy, dog's obstinacy. But if we do it, then we become purified. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's recommendation is to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam either yourself, being purified, or without being purified, you can read, chant. This is our Vaiṣṇava regulation, duty. As much as possible, we should read Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And any such literature-Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Brahma-saṁhitā. Any one of them or all of them, it doesn't matter. And chant twenty-four hours Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is our business.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Los Angeles, April 24, 1973:

So it was the system... Still that is going on, but a very small scale. That everyone, after taking bath, he should smear over the body with sandalwood pulp. It will keep the body whole day nice, cool and calm. So that was the cosmetic. Now, in the Kali-yuga, that is called prasādhanam. Just like, every country, the system is, after taking bath, you dress your hair, add something scented. So in India it was the system that after taking bath, having tilaka, going to the Deity room, offering obeisances, then the prasādam, candana-prasādam was taken from the Deity room and it was used. This is called prasādhanam. In Kali-yuga, in the, it is said that: snānam eva hi prasādhanam. If one can take bath nicely, that is prasādhanam. So much. No more this cosmetic or sandalwood oil or rose scent or rose water. These are finished. That snānam eva prasādhanam (SB 12.2.5).

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Los Angeles, April 24, 1973:

We are accustomed to see in India thrice in a day. And I have seen in New York that friends are coming to another friend's house because one has no facility for taking shower bath. So coming to a friend's house. Is it not? I have seen it. So the symptoms of Kali-yuga described that it will be very difficult also to take even bath. Snānam eva hi prasādhanam.

And dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. Dākṣyam. Dākṣyam meaning, means one who is famous for his pious activities. He's called dākṣyam. Dākṣyam, this word comes from dakṣa. Dakṣa means expert. So dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. In Kali-yuga, if a person can maintain a family... Family means wife and a few children, or one or two children. That is called family. But family does not mean in India like that. Family means a joined family. Joined family, the father, the sons, the nephews, the sister, husbands. They join together. That is called family. But in the Kali-yuga, it will be difficult even to maintain family.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Los Angeles, April 24, 1973:

In New York, when I was there, one old lady was coming. So he has, she had a grown-up son. So I asked her: "Why don't you get your son married?" "Yes, he can marry if he can maintain the family." I did not know that, that the maintaining of family is a difficult job here. I did not know that. So these are described in the Bhāgavatam. If one can maintain a family, oh, he is very glorious man. "Oh, he's maintaining five (?)." If the girl has got a husband, she is considered to be very fortunate. So actually these things are there.

So it is not our business to criticize, but the symptoms of Kali-yuga is very, very severe, and it will grow more and more. We have simply passed 5,000 years only of the Kali-yuga, but the duration of Kali-yuga is 400,000, 432,000 of years, out of only we have passed 5,000 years. And after passing 5,000 years, we find so many difficulties, and the more we grow in this Kali-yuga, the days will be more and more difficult. So best thing is that you finish your Kṛṣṇa consciousness business and go back to home, back to Godhead. That will save you. Otherwise, if we come back again, the difficulties, the difficult days are ahead. We have to suffer more and more.

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1973:

So if you take statistics how much time He devoted for killing and how much time He devoted for protecting, we shall see He devoted more time for killing. You see. So that is also Kṛṣṇa's business. So those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious... Killing, we don't mean that you take weapon. That is not possible in this age. Neither you have got the strength. If you kill, then you will be killed also. Not that. But there are two kinds of victory. By logic, by reason, by education you can kill their demonic propensities. That is also killing. If one is demon, and if you can turn into a devotee by your logic, by your arguments, then that is also, he's killed, his demonic principle is killed—now he's a saintly person. That is also killing. Not that... Kali-yuga, they're already very poverty-stricken, poor. So this physical killing is too much for them. They should be killed by argument, reason, scientific proposition.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

See, the same thing is there. Govindāya, go-dvija arti-hara, dvija. Dvija, when the brāhmaṇa class, when the cows, they are too much troubled by this rascal, demon, and Kṛṣṇa comes, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, abhyutthānam adharmasya (BG 4.7). These are all adharmas.

So in this age, Kali-yuga, the people are so sinful, so suffering also, therefore Kṛṣṇa has incarnated in the form of His name: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

Because He knew, in this age, Kali Yuga, who is going to observe this varṇāśrama-dharma? Everyone is śūdra. A śūdra cannot understand this, neither it is possible to bring them back again. Although we are trying, but it is very difficult. Once one has become debauch, to reform him is very difficult. But still there is way. And that way is suggested when... Rāmānanda Rāya suggested that... It is the words of Lord Brahmā that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya: "One should not very much endeavor to speculate, speculating process." Just like these theosophists, the philosophers, the scientists. They, instead of having direct knowledge from the superior, they, more or less, speculate. So one has to give up this speculating habit. If one thinks that "I know. I am very educated. I am very advanced. I can discover what is God," that is not possible. That is not possible. Athāpi te deva-padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvam (SB 10.14.29). You cannot understand God by your speculative method. Big, big scholars, they have speculated about Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. Misled, they could not understand.

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974:

So this monarchy is different. People now, they have taken to democracy. Democracy is also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga there will be no more monarchy or the kingdom ruled by the kṣatriyas, but amongst the people who will be tricky, some way or other get the votes of the people, he will be seated on the throne. That is stated. Some way or other. So therefore, people are in trouble because so many rascals, they somehow or other manage to get some vote and become the president and minister and... So what they know? They do not know how to govern, how to bring peace in the country. But this monarchy, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, just see. Because for the sake of his personal interest so many have been killed, he was sorry. Just see. Not that some way or other, you divide India: "Let me become Prime Minister, that's all." We have got political information that in India when it was..., the proposal was for partition, Gandhi was completely against this partition. He said, "Better I will have no independence; still, I shall not allow the country to be divided." He was stubborn on this point. But he was absent, and in the meantime our, the big Prime Minister signed it, agreed, partition because he wanted to be prime minister anyway, some way or other. "Let the country go to hell." This is politician, going on.

Lecture on SB 1.8.52 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1973:

So in the Kali-yuga this sacrifice is recommended: yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Saṅkīrtana-yajña. This yajña will help you. Real thing is the heart, the mind. If this yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña, cleanses your mind and heart, then you come to the platform of knowledge. Then automatically other things become effective. So in this age it is recommended that other yajñas will not be effective, neither it is recommended. But the saṅkīrtana-yajña-yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ—that is recommended. Everyone can join it, and he can become purified, he can become situated on spiritual platform, and his life becomes successful.

Lecture on SB 1.9.2 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1973:

Never mind. ...wanted to perform sacrifice. So sacrifice means he requires money, so much grains, so many ornaments, so much gold and ghee, everything required. To perform sacrifice is not ordinary thing. Millions and millions of dollars required. In the Kali-yuga, because people cannot collect such costly things... Suppose ghee. Tons of ghee was being offered to the fire. Where is that tons of ghee? Not available. Then all utensils made of gold. The altar made of gold. Where is that gold? Therefore the, not many days before, five thousand years, the Indian history, or this world history... Now it is called India, but this whole world is Bhārata-varṣa.

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

The topmost class. And the second-class men, the kṣatriyas. And the third-class men, vaiśyas, mercantile, simply "Where to get money?" And they are, according to Vedic civilization, third-class men. But at the present moment those who are acquiring money somehow or other, they are first-class men. It doesn't matter what is his qualification. If he has acquired some money some way or other, then he is a first-class man. This is Kali-yuga. In the Kali-yuga there is no honor for qualification. There is honor for money only. That's all.

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. 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. You keep yourself always polished, and within you may be full with all dirty things, but if you have got your pockets filled up with coins and notes, then you are nice. Formerly it was not like that. One must be qualified. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

So our this movement is not for the kṛpaṇas. It is meant for the brāhmaṇas. We want to become ourself brāhmaṇa, and we want to make others also brāhmaṇa. Because there is need of brāhmaṇa at the present moment. The whole human society is now running by the śūdras, all śūdras. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In this Kali-yuga, everyone is a śūdra. Maybe born of a brāhmaṇa family, but because he has no culture... The first culture is garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. If garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed even in a brāhmaṇa family, he becomes immediately śūdra. This is the statement of the śāstra. So nobody is observing garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Therefore, according to śāstra, everyone is a śūdra. Now because everyone is śūdra, therefore he cannot be trained up as brāhmaṇa? No. He can be trained up. Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭho hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ. If that śūdra or caṇḍāla can be turned into a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ, then under training he can become better than brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:

So you are coming from the mleccha-yavanas' family, but you are being accepted as brāhmaṇa. Why? For the symptoms. You are being trained up to acquire the symptoms, śamo damas titikṣā. If you think that "Now I have got the sacred thread, I have become victorious," no. You must always examine yourself, "Whether I am possessing all the symptoms?" Otherwise, you are no good. Simply by a thread, you do not become... Sūtram eva hi dvijatvam. Just like Kali-yuga, it is said a sūtram... Sūtram means this thread. If some way or other one gets this thread, he thinks himself he has become brāhmaṇa, no. To become brāhmaṇa is not so easy thing. One must acquire all these qualities. Śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam āstikyaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3-4 -- Tehran, March 13, 1975:

They do not know. The modern people, scientists, philosophers, politicians, they do not know this. Kāmam. Kāmam means necessities of life. We have got so many things. But how it will be supplied? It is clearly said, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). And how parjanyaḥ will be regular? Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). Where is that program? Where is yajña? In the Kali-yuga other yajñas are very difficult to perform. There is no money. There is no qualified brāhmaṇa. Therefore this yajña... Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Those who have got brain substance, not cow dung, they will take this process, yajñaiḥ. Let everyone chant Hare Kṛṣṇa home to home. Whatever they have got, all right. Just begin chanting. Just see what happens. We are trying to introduce this chanting. But the rascals will not take it. What can be done? There is no loss if they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa worldwide. Where is the loss? But still, they will not. And everything can be had. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. Mahī. Kṛṣṇa, He is... The mother... Kṛṣṇa, how He has arranged this mahī? Everything is coming. Actually you will find that the rose flower is coming, the mine is coming, the gold is coming, the coal is coming, the petrol is coming. Everything is there in the mahī. And who has arranged it? Just see. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. And if there is regular waterfall, then you get everything supply. And by performing yajña, you get regular waterfall, rainfall. And in this age all other types of yajña is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

So one brāhmaṇa boy cursed him, influenced. The boy was influenced by Kali. His father repented, "Oh, you rascal boy, what you have done?" One side, that a boy, born of a brāhmaṇa, only twelve years old, he could curse even a big king like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, and that is invocable. It cannot be nullified. Of course, Mahārāja Parīkṣit could nullify, but he accepted. So even a brāhmaṇa boy could curse. But this was wrong. His father repented later on, "What you have done, childish? Such a king." So as soon as Mahārāja Parīkṣit was moved from the scene, the Kali-yuga began in full force. Therefore sometimes it is said that the brāhmaṇas are responsible for introducing Kali-yuga. So that is not actually fact. In due course of time, everything will happen.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

So the Kali had to face so many difficulties to find out such place, because there was no place where illicit sex was going on, there was no place where unnecessarily animals are killed, there was no place where wines and intoxication used. So Kali found it difficult where to go. At the present moment we say the Kali-yuga is strong because everywhere you'll find these four sinful activities. Everywhere. That has become part and parcel of modern civilization. But up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, these sinful activities, nobody could trace out where it is. Therefore every nature's resources were supplied. Because after all, supply is being made by Kṛṣṇa through the agency of material nature. Material nature is not independent. Independent. Therefore we find... In your country there is no mango. Mango is supposed to be the king of all fruits. So in India there is sufficient supply. But in some year there is so much supply, enormous, and some year there is no supply. Similarly, grains also; in some year there is sufficient supply, and some year there is no... There is scarcity, famine. Then after all, you will have to depend on nature. You cannot produce in your factory these things which are received through these phalanty oṣadhayaḥ sarvāḥ. That depends on nature's gift. And the nature is working not independently. Nature is working by the order of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:

So there cannot be. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga, all the people will be rascals, śūdras. Simply by manipulation, if one gets vote, he captures the governmental power. Śūdra. He's a śūdra. He is not a kṣatriya like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, trained up kṣatriya. He is a rascal, third-class man, fourth-class man. He gets the vote and we give vote. So how we can be happy? How we can be carefree or anxiety-free or disease-free? It is not possible. Therefore if the people in general, they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, they become trained up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they understand the value of life, how to live, then they can send good representative. Kṛṣṇa conscious man. Then the government will be nice. Without becoming... Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. If people are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, their so-called qualification has no value. Kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. There cannot be value. There cannot be any good qualification of a person who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, who is not a devotee. This is our conclusion.

Lecture on SB 1.10.7 -- Mayapura, June 22, 1973:

So in former days also, the sannyāsīs were very expert in kidnapping. Yes. Therefore in the Kali-yuga sannyāsa is forbidden, because they'll not be able to follow the rules and regulations. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu inaugurated. He Himself became sannyāsa. Therefore we are trying to follow His footsteps, to accept sannyāsa. But we should not become a sannyāsī like Rāvaṇa. No. We should try to follow the footsteps of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was very strict. No woman could approach Him. They were allowed to offer obeisances from distant place. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very strict about asso... Even in His gṛhastha life He was very strict. He would not play any joke with any woman except His wife. And that also, once He joked with His wife, not with any other woman. So He was so strict. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's opinion is that sandarśanaṁ viṣayiṇām atha yoṣitāṁ ca hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu (CC Madhya 11.8). Viṣayiṇāṁ sandarśanam, to mix very intimately with the viṣayīs. Viṣayī means those who are very much fond of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are called viṣayī. They have no other business.

Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :

So killing of a serpent or scorpion nobody is unhappy. So my Lord, You don't be angry. Now everything is finished, my father is finished." So, that was. But still the śāstra says that even in your house there is a serpent, see that he is not fasting without food. This is the spiritual communism. They are now after communism, but they do not know what is communism. Everyone will be taken care of. That is communism, real communism. Nobody should starve. Nobody should have any want in the state. That is communism. So when we went to communist country, Moscow, I think everyone was in want, and they could not get even foodstuff to their own choice. Whatever government rules and all these thing will supply, they will have to accept. And actually there was no good foodstuff, for us. We were staying in that National Hotel, and Śyāmasundara had to spend at least two hours for getting things. That also not very nice thing. Rice could not be obtained. One Madrasi gentleman, he supplied us some rice, nice; otherwise only milk and butter is available, and meat, that's all. No fruit, no vegetables, no nice rice, and these things are not available. This is Kali-yuga. Things will be..., supply will be reduced. Actually the supply is made by Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

So this big nationality, jāti, japas, tapaḥ, these hard work, scientific discoveries, they are very nice, but what kind of popularity it is? Bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya jātiḥ śāstraṁ japas tapaḥ. All these are simply decoration of the dead body. I do not know whether in your country it is a fashion. In India there is a custom that low-class men... Just like cobbler. Cobbler is taken as the low..., those who prepare, expert in skin. So they are generally very poor man. Now they have advanced, because now the Kali-yuga is the age of the śūdras. So they decorate the dead body. If a cobbler's father dies, he brings, he spends money. He brings nice covering cloth, and with flower and everything... So śāstra says that,

bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya
jātiḥ śāstraṁ japas tapaḥ
aprāṇasyeva dehasya
maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam

If you decorate a dead body, it may be very fanciful to the people, that "This dead body is decorated with costly garments and flowers and all things." So, but the dead body is dead. It is not enjoying. You can be complacent that "My father, the body of my father or my relative, is decorated so nicely." But factually, if you study scrutinizingly, what is the benefit out of this? What is the benefit? Dead body decoration? But people do that. They are accustomed to do that.

Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:

So you haven't got to pay any price. You are not losing anything. But you are becoming a great, perfect man. Why do you, don't you accept this process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Why you are after something, false thing? Just see how unfortunate people are in this Kali-yuga. They will not accept the real thing without any payment, without any loss. Everything is gain. They will accept something nonsense and go to hell. Just see. This is Kali-yuga. The Kali-yuga is so powerful that it will not allow you to accept the real thing. You will be after non-real thing and waste your time and valuable life. This life is meant for Kṛṣṇa realization. It is not meant for anything, any other business. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord, I have simply wasted my time." Why? Manuṣya-janama pāiyā rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā. "I got this valuable human form of life but I did not worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. This is my fault." Jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu, "It is just like knowingly, I have taken poison."

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

So real thing is bhakti. So when people become rascals and nonsense and do not care for God consciousness, devotion to God, that is become bhū-bhāraḥ, burdened. That has now become. Now Kṛṣṇa has, because at the present moment in the Kali-yuga... Kṛṣṇa formerly came to kill big, big giant demons like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, very, very big giant. But that the present moment where is that big giant? They are all poor. There is no... Although by mentality they are all rogues and rascals and demons, but in material condition they are very very poor. That is stated. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). People are so unfortunate that even the bird and beast, they can get their two meals, eating, sleeping, mating; they have got their arrangement. At the present moment a human being has no arrangement what he is going to eat in the morning or in the evening, whether he has got any chance of sex life. These things are preliminary requirement, but nobody is guarantee of these things, they are so unfortunate. They are not getting the preliminary necessities of life, what to speak of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are so unfortunate. So why should come Kṛṣṇa to kill them? They are already killed by the laws of nature. They are already killed, half-killed. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has come in the form of His name. Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.37 -- Los Angeles, December 15, 1973:

Pradyumna: Translation: "Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was intelligent enough to understand the influence of the age of Kali, characterized by increasing avarice, falsehood, cheating and violence throughout the capital, state, home and among individuals. So he wisely prepared himself to leave home, and he dressed himself accordingly." (SB 1.15.37)

Prabhupāda: So Yudhiṣṭhira, anyone, any experienced man can see how things are going on. One has to possess such perfect eyes. When these things are in progressive way... What is this? Lobha, greediness; anṛta, falsehood; jihma, means diplomacy; and hiṁsa, violence or jealousy. When these things will increase, one should know that the influence of Kali-yuga is increasing. Anyone can understand. This world... This material world is so made that these things are very prominent: greediness, kāma-lobhādayaś ca, lusty desires and greediness, kāma and lobha. Generally, people are attached to these things. Then diplomacy, "How to satisfy my lusty desires, my greediness?"

Lecture on SB 1.15.37 -- Los Angeles, December 15, 1973:

So the leaders must be perfect. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, at least three persons in the society... The first: the priest or the spiritual master, who are engaged in teaching people about religiosity, he must be perfect, above suspicion. Similarly, public leader, he must be also above suspicion. A brāhmaṇa... Brāhmaṇa means priest also. He must be above suspicion. And the king must be above suspicion. Then things will go on. But there is no such restriction. Nowadays it is the days of vote. Any rascal, if he gets vote somehow or other, then he acquires the exalted post. That is also written in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga there will be no consideration who is fit to occupy the exalted post of presidentship or royal throne. Simply somehow or other, by hook and crook, he'll occupy the seat. Therefore people are suffering. It is not... Nowadays, in democratic days, the government by the people, government for the people. So if the government is by the people, yes, you select your representative. If you are a fool, then you will select another fool. So Bhāgavata says, śva-viḍ-varāha uṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. Anyone who is not a devotee, Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee of God, then he may be in a exalted post, but he is praised by some people who are exactly like śva. Śva means dog, and viḍ-varāha means pigs who eat stool. Śva-viḍ-varāha. Viḍ-varāha. And uṣṭra, uṣṭra means camel. And uṣṭra-kharaiḥ. Khara means ass. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ (SB 2.3.19). If a person who is not a devotee, he is praised or he is exalted, then the praisers, the persons who is praising him, he must be among these animals: dog, camel, pig and ass.

Lecture on SB 1.15.37 -- Los Angeles, December 15, 1973:

So now he concludes that things have deteriorated. It is not for Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's fault, but the time. Just like when there is winter season, however clever you may be, you cannot check the process of nature's work. So Kali-yuga is also another phase of this material world. So he saw that things have deteriorated... Pure ca rāṣṭre ca gṛhe tathātmani. "Things have deteriorated. They are now full of these sinful activities." What is that? Lobha anṛta jihma and hiṁsa. "People are becoming too much," I mean to say, "jealous, too much diplomatic, too much untruthfulness, and so things are deteriorated, not only state-wise, family-wise, personal-wise. Everything is deteriorating." So after all, one has to retire. One has to re... So he concluded that now he should retire.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

So this Abhimanyu, father of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, only sixteen years old... His mother Uttarā... So king of..., Mahārāja Virāṭa... So when he was born... There is Vedic ceremony, jāta-karma ceremony. After a child is born... Oh, what a horrible age we are now! We are killing before the birth of the child. This is Kali-yuga. Such... It is so welcome, auspicious, a child is born in the family. There is ceremony, jāta-karma ceremony. Before the child is born there is ceremony, garbhādhāna ceremony, sarva-bhaksana(?) ceremony. Such a nice culture. Where it has gone now? Now child is killed within the womb of the mother by the mother. This is called Kali-yuga. And it is scientific advancement. The scientists, the priests, they give order. The doctor gives out, "Yes, do it." Just try to understand what is Kali-yuga. So anyway, this is the Vedic system, that when a child is born, immediately his horoscope is made. Astrological science is so perfect. The moment the child is born, immediately calculated, "What is the position of this moment?" Then they derive calculation, "This child will be like this, this will be this, will be this, this." I had also horoscope—the other day I was talking—and it was clearly written, that horoscope, that "This child, after seventy years, he will be great religious propagator and establish so many temples."

Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:

So at the present moment, Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to become perfectly realized soul, or Kṛṣṇa conscious. There are two methods. One method is voluntarily giving up all unwanted things. That is one method. Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is doing. He is the emperor, most opulent. His position is most exalted. There was nothing, material unhappiness, but still, voluntarily he is giving up. This is civilization. Not sticking to this, "Oh, I have got this emperor. I have got my good brothers, good wife, good children, good influence, good dress, good food, everything good. Why should I give up?" Nowadays even an ordinary post, just like elected post, say, for five years or three years, still, he will stick to that. The president, your president, he knows that "After three years it will be finished. So people are protesting. Why shall I...? Let me give it up." No. He is so much attached to the post that he cannot give it, even for two years or three years or for one day. And here you see in comparison, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, the emperor of the whole world, and so much opulence... I think any executive officer of any state has bangles or ornaments or jewels? No. There is no possibility. But he is giving up, everything. He divided the kingdom to his grandsons, to the grandson of Kṛṣṇa and others. And now he is becoming completely nir, no possessions. No possessions. Why? Nirmama nirahaṅkāraḥ. Nirmama. Nirmama means... Mama means "my." Mama means "my." And nir means negation. This is called nirmama. And nirahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra, "egotism," and nir means "not."

Lecture on SB 1.15.41 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1973:

So any yoga practice... But other yoga practice-haṭha-yoga practice, dhyāna-yoga practice, karma-yoga practice, jñāna-yoga practice—these are very difficult in this age. But if you take to bhakti-yoga practice... It is recommended, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. In this age, Kali-yuga, this hari-kīrtana is bhakti-yoga. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ (SB 12.3.52). In different ages, because the people are different, so different methods are prescribed in the śāstra. In the Satya-yuga the meditation method was possible. In other yuga it is not possible. In Tretā-yuga, by sacrificing big, big yajña, performing yajña; in Dvāpara-yuga by temple worship; and kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt, and in this Kali-yuga, simply by hari-kīrtana, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, you can get the same result. Therefore our process is kīrtana always. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31).

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

Pradyumna: Translation: "The younger brothers of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira observed that the age of Kali had already arrived throughout the world and that the citizens of the kingdom were already affected by irreligious practice. Therefore they decided to follow in the footsteps of their elder brother." (SB 1.15.45)

Prabhupāda: This kalinā... We are reading kalinādharmeṇa. Kalinā adharma. The two are mixed together becomes one, a sandhi. Kalinādharmeṇa. So kali. Kali means quarrel, unnecessarily quarrel. Kali... Kalinā, "by the age of Kali." This is the age of Kali. There are four ages-Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali-degrading, gradual degrading. This nature's way is to degrade. That is the nature's way, time factor. Just like you construct a very nice house today, good looking, fresh, but by ages it will become old. Your body, my body, in youthhood it is very beautiful, and in due course of time it will be ugly like me. So this is the work of the time. Similarly, nature's way, there are four ages: Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, Kali-yuga. Seasonal changes.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

So in Satya-yuga, the religious principles are followed strictly, cent percent. That is called Satya-yuga. And Tretā-yuga, twenty-five percent reduced. That means seventy-five percent religious principles and twenty-five percent irreligious. And the Dvāpara-yuga, fifty-fifty: fifty percent religious and fifty percent irreligious. And the Kali-yuga, seventy-five percent irreligious and twenty-five percent religious, gradually reducing to nil—no more religion. Then finished. Then there will be devastation. Again Satya-yuga will begin. This is the way of change of Satya-yuga-Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali. The duration of Satya-yuga is about eighteen hundred thousand of years. Eighteen hundred thousands of years. Hundred thousand. Eighteen hundred. Similarly, Tretā-yuga, about twelve hundred thousands of years. Similarly, Dvāpara-yuga, eight hundred thousands of years. And Kali-yuga four hundred thousands of years. This is the beginning of Kali-yuga. Out of four hundred thousands of years, we have passed only 5,000 years. Not only 400,000, 432,000's of years. There is regular calculation in the Vedic śāstra. So out of that, we have passed 5,000 years. That Kali-yuga has begun just after the Battle of Kurukṣetra. So we have passed only 5,000 years of this Kali-yuga. There are still balance, 427,000's of years, still balance.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

So the Kali's friends... Just like a man is known by his company. So Kali-yuga is the age of irreligion. Therefore, quarrel and fighting. Quarrel and fighting, communal fighting. Unnecessarily they will form a community, a group, all rascals, another group, another group of rascals, and they will fight unnecessarily. Just like this nationalism. This is simply group of rascals. That's all. Why rascal? Because irreligious, therefore rascal. So "Big, big, men, big, big scientist, big, big... Still, they are rascal?' Yes. Still, they are rascal. Why? Because irreligious. They do not know what is God. Therefore they are rascal. This is the only test. "Whether you know God?" "No, sir." "Then you are rascal." That's all. No more test. One test is sufficient: "Whether you know God?" Because this human life is meant for knowing God. This temple is meant for human being, not for the cats and dogs. So if you (do not) know God, then you are a rascal. You are exactly like the cats and dogs. That's all. This is the verdict. Now you can fight. "Why you are calling me cats and dogs?" But this is the... We are talking, following Kṛṣṇa, the great authority. But what Kṛṣṇa says, that is right. If you scrutinize by your logic, argument, philosophy, science, you will find that Kṛṣṇa is perfectly right. Therefore we accept Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

So without this knowledge, nobody is perfect, and without being perfect, if we hear from somebody who is not perfect, it is simply waste of time. And that is the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Therefore it is said, kalinā adharma-mitreṇa. And the adharma-mitra, this is the composition of ignorance. Now, the friends... Which friend helps me to keep me in this perpetual ignorance? These are illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling, these four friends. You associate with these four friends, you will be very easily advancing under the influence of Kali-yuga. This is the fact. Kalinādharmeṇa. So formerly the kings, the government men... King means the supreme executive head of government. They could understand that "These things are now coming." Dṛṣṭvā, "seeing practically." Because as soon as people are addicted to these four principles—illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling—when everyone can see, that means Kali-yuga. Dṛṣṭvā.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

So human civilization means gṛhastha, not gṛhamedhi. If you become gṛhastha, then you are nice. Then you are advancing towards self-realization. That is required. Because the cats and dogs cannot become gṛhastha. That is not possible. If you say... If you have got a dog, you get another female dog, "My dear dog, you get your wife, live peacefully, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." "No, sir, it is not possible because I am dog. Because I am dog, therefore I cannot be satisfied. I must find out another illicit sex and create trouble," then phat! He engages. Then fight. That is Kali-yuga. Unnecessarily create, by illicit sex life, enemy, and then become killed and finish your life. That is called gṛhamedhi. You require wife. That's all right. Take wife. There is no scarcity of wife. Live peacefully. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. "No, I have got my wife; I want another. I want another." Like dogs. Yes. So the dog civilization cannot help us. This will not help us. Human life is meant for something else. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujām (SB 5.5.1). Everything is discussed in Bhāgavata. Therefore we request the whole human society to read these valuable books, valuable. Oh, they are missing the opportunity. Let them read these books. Then life will be successful.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

Suppose you are being harassed by the police. You are put into the prisonhouse. And in so many ways you are being harassed by the criminal department. How you can get out? You simply file a petition, "Sir I am now experienced. I will never commit this criminal act. Kindly excuse me and get me released." That is the only way. Similarly, you can be very proud that "I don't care for God. There is no God. I am God. You are God." You can go on talking nonsense like that, but the māyā will give you so much trouble. But if you are sane man, then you will admit that "This was a wrong thing. Please excuse me." And then it will be possible. But that is not possible. Especially in this age, in Kali-yuga, the age is very strong and deteriorated that in spite of our daily class, daily instruction, the Kali is so strong that capturing, "Please come under my control and be killed. Please come under my... Be killed." "Yes, I will go." This is going on.

So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja and his brothers, they say, "Now the Kali yuga has begun." Dṛṣṭvā and spṛṣṭāḥ prajāḥ, "All the citizens and all the land. Now... We have done our duty. Now let us retire. The next king, Mahārāja..." He's their grandchild, Mahārāja Parīkṣit. "He will do his duty." So it is the duty of the king to see, to give protection from this onslaught of nature, to make the life successful. That is the duty of the king.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

So unnecessarily, so-called education will not help. Let them become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the duty of the government. Just like we are not speaking on the slogan, "In God We Trust." Is that that slogan, "In God We Trust"? So this is a slogan, but it is the duty of the government, that "We are using this slogan, but actually what we are doing about people's education that they may know what is God and then trust?" But everyone is godless. And still, as a matter of fashion, we are writing, "In God We Trust." This is another cheating. Nobody trusts in God, and they write, "In God We Trust." And unless I write... Of course I do not wish to say very harsh word, that unless I cheat you that way, how a man will accept one piece of paper as one thousand dollars? (laughter) You see? It is a grand cheating, that "I am giving one thousand dollars to you." But if I value, it is not even one farthing. This is called māyā. It is not, but I accept. I accept. If people become enlightened, "No, we are not going to accept this piece of paper as one thousand dollars. We must have gold," so many things will be solved immediately. So many things. But because we agree to be cheated, the cheaters are cheating and things are going on wrong. This is called Kali-yuga.

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

The general interest is, for the human being, dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Because human life is not dog's life, cat's life, so there must be dharma, religion. And religion means no dog. That is first interest. This is first interest. Otherwise how shall I distinguish my life with the cats and dogs life? They are also eating, sleeping, mating and dying. And if I also, like the cats and dogs, eat, sleep and have sex life and die, then where is the difference? The difference is religion. The dog society, cat society, there cannot be any religion, but in the human society, there is necessity of religion. Otherwise it is cats' and dogs' society. So they do not understand it. They are avoiding religion. Nowadays the so-called advanced civilization, they are avoiding religion. That means they are coming to the platform of cats and dogs. And actually, they have come. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga...

Yesterday we were discussing about this Kali-yuga. The most fallen age. People are most degraded. So there is, by calculation, that seventy-five percent irreligion and twenty-five percent religion in comparison to other ages. But this twenty-five percent religious life also will reduce. Before explaining this verse, I shall give you reference to some of the symptoms of this age. This is also explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twelfth Canto, Third Chapter. (aside:) Where is that? Give me that book. We have not yet published, so I am reading reference. Anyonyato rājabhiś ca kṣayaṁ yāsyanti pīḍitāḥ.

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

This description of the Kali-yuga is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is called śāstra. This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written five thousand years ago when the Kali-yuga was to begin. Now, what will happen in future, everything is given there. Śāstra means... That is...Therefore we accept śāstra. Tri-kāla-jña. The śāstrakāra, or the compiler of the śāstra, must be liberated person so that he can describe past, present and future. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find so many things which was told to be happening in future. Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is mention of Lord Buddha's appearance. Similarly, there is mention of Lord Kalki's appearance. There is mention of Lord Caitanya's appearance, although it was written five thousand years ago. Tri-kāla-jña. Know, they know what is past, present and future.

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

So about the Kali-yuga, discussing, the Śukadeva Gosvāmī is describing the chief symptoms of this age. The first symptom he says, tataś ca anu-dinam. With the process of this age, Kali-yuga, dharma, religious principles; satyam, truthfulness; śaucam, cleanliness; kṣamā, forgiveness; dayā, mercifulness; āyuḥ, duration of life; balam, bodily strength; smṛtiḥ, memory... Just count how many. Dharmaḥ, satyam, śaucam, kṣamā, dayā, āyuḥ, balam, smṛti-eight. These things will gradually reduce to nil, almost nil. Now as I told you, the Kali-yuga... In other yugas... Just like Satya-yuga, the duration of Satya-yuga was eighteen hundred thousands of years. And the human being was living in that age for one hundred thousands of years. One hundred thousands of years. The next age, the duration of that age, twelve hundred thousands of years, and the people used to live for one thousand years, not over ten thousand years. Ten times reduced. The next age, Dvāpara-yuga, again ten times reduced. Still, they used to live for one thousand years, and the duration of the age was eight hundred thousands of years. Now, the next age, this Kali-yuga, the limit is one hundred years. We can live utmost up to one hundred years. We are not living one hundred years, but still, the limit is one hundred years. So just see. Now, from one hundred years... Now in India the average age is about thirty-five years. In your country they say seventy years? So it is reducing. And it will so reduce that if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered grand old man, in this age, Kali-yuga. So āyuḥ, duration of life, will reduce.

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

So satyam, śaucam, kṣamā, dayā, āyuḥ, duration of life, bodily strength and memory. These eight kinds of things will reduce, reduce, reduce. When you will see these symptoms, you will find, "Now the age of Kali is making his progress very nicely." This is progress. Then another symptom is vittam eva kalau nṟṇāṁ janmācāra-guṇodayaḥ. Formerly, according to spiritual understanding, one man's position was calculated. Just like brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa was honored because he knew Brahman. He was aware of the supreme spirit. So now in Kali-yuga, actually there is no brāhmaṇa. That will be also described, how a brāhmaṇa is. So janma ācāra, birthright. Birthright was there, but according to the behavior. If a man is born in a brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family or vai..., he must behave like that. That was the king's duty, to see that "This man is not falsely representing himself." Just like in England there is lord family. So to maintain their aristocracy, the family had to deposit some money with the government so that they may not deteriorate in their aristocratic behavior. Still, it is going on. But now things are finished.

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

So aristocracy and respectability, these things were according to culture, according to education. But nowadays, what is that? Vittam eva kalau nṟṇām. If you get money somehow or other, then everything is there. You may be a third-class, fourth-class, tenth-class man, but if you get money some way or other, then you are very respectable. There is no question of your culture or aristocracy or education or knowledge. There is no, nothing. This is Kali-yuga. And then, dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyāṁ kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi. And if you have got some influence, strength, then in your favor everything will be decided. You are the most irreligious person, but if you can bribe the priestly order, he will certify, "Yes, you are religious." So money, not actual qualification.

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

But in this Kali-yuga it is said that dāmpatye abhiruciḥ. That's all. Abhiruciḥ. Boys and girls are intermingling freely, and if she likes, that's all right. But no future calculation. This is Kali-yuga. No future calculation, whether in future marriage is sanctified life, the man and the woman live peacefully, make spiritual culture, each one will help the other so that they will live very happily and become advancement in spiritual life and then go back to... That is the system. But nowadays, in Kali-yuga, it will be simply liking. Liking means next moment disliking. That is a fact. You see. Liking has no value. As soon as you based on liking, then you expect next moment disliking. That's all.

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

So people will consider, "Now I have got sacred thread. I have become brāhmaṇa. I may act like the caṇḍāla. It doesn't matter." That is going on. We introduced this brahminical culture, but things are deteriorated. I am very sorry, that taking brahminical initiation, he is acting as a caṇḍāla, angry caṇḍāla. You see? So this is Kali-yuga. He does not understand that as brāhmaṇa he has got so responsibility. But because he has got the two-cent-worth sacred thread, he thinks now he has become brāhmaṇa. Vipratve. And strītve puṁstve ca hi ratir eva hi. And husband and wife, they will remain together because it was liking. And as soon as there will be sex difficulty, there will be disliking immediately.

Liṅgam eva āśrama-khyātau. Liṅgam eva. A dress simply. Taking white dress, a gṛhastha, he may do like anything. He is gṛhastha. No. There are so many duties. Taking a saffron cloth, he is sannyāsī. These are the... If we explain, it will take more, but these are the symptoms. Avṛttyā nyāya-daurbalyaṁ pāṇḍitye cāpalaṁ vacaḥ. 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. No. Avṛttyā nyāya-daurbalyaṁ pāṇḍitye cāpalaṁ vacaḥ. If a man talks expertly, it doesn't matter what he talks. Nobody requires to understand him. Then he is paṇḍita. He is (speaks gibberish:) "Haperkulasvena bagavad dagvendikali gundulas, by the lacticism of wife...," like, if you go on speaking, nobody will understand. (laughter) Nobody will understand, and people, "Oh, see how learned he is." (laughter) Actually it is happening. There are so many rascals. They are writing book, and "Oh, such and such, oh..." "What you have understand?" "Oh, it is inexplicable. Inexplicable." That is going on.

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

Snānam eva prasādhanam. Snānam eva prasādhanam. Cosmetic. Simply if one can take little shower bath, then everything is finished. Actually, snāna means sandhyā. You have to take bath nicely. Then you have to put tilaka and candana. Then perform your gāyatrī-mantra. This is called snāna. Tri-sandhyā-snāna. Now they are simply taking somehow or other bath, and finished. No more. But Kali-yuga, this will be snānam eva. And then dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrthaṁ lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. Just see how future tell. At the present moment, Kali-yuga, a man will think himself, he has become very beautiful by keeping long hair. You have got very good experience in your country, long hairs. Just see how future. Who knew that people would be interested for keeping long hair? But that is stated in the Bhāgavata. Keśa-dhāraṇam. Keśa means hair, and dhāraṇam means keeping. Dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrtham. And pilgrimage, it must be far away. Just like in Calcutta there is Ganges. So nobody cares for Calcutta Ganges. But they go to Hardwar. The same Ganges. The Ganges is coming from Hardwar down to the Bay of Bengal, but people will like to go to Hardwar, taking so much hardship, to take bath there, because that becomes tīrtha. In every religion they have got tīrtha. The Muslims, they have got mosque. What is that? Mecca, Medina. The Christians, they have got, where? Jerusalem. Similarly, the Hindus. Then they must travel very long. That will be tīrtha. But actually tīrtha means tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. Where there is saintly person, that is tīrtha. Not to go ten thousand miles and simply take a dip in the water and come back.

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

Then udaraṁ-bharatā svārthaḥ satyatve dhārṣṭyam eva hi, dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇaṁ yaśo 'rthe dharma-sevanam. Udaraṁ-bharatā. The interest. I was speaking of interest. Now, in Kali-yuga, the interest will be if you can eat some day very sumptuously, then your all interest is fulfilled. That's all. Means people will be so hungry, so nothing to eat; therefore if they can eat some day very sumptuously, that will be fulfillment of all interests. And satyatve dhārṣṭyam eva hi. And one who will simply play jugglery of words, he will be considered as very truthful. Another, dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. One shall be considered very expert if he can maintain his family-wife and children. That means this will be difficult. It has already become difficult. To maintain wife and a few children, that is also a great burden at the present moment. Therefore nobody wants to marry. Evaṁ prajābhir duṣṭābhir ākīrṇe kṣiti-maṇḍale. In this way, when all the people will be infected by the poison of Kali-yuga, brahma-viṭ-kṣatra-śūdrāṇāṁ yo balī bhavitā nṛpaḥ.

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

So it doesn't matter whether he is a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra or caṇḍāla. One who is powerful in getting votes, he will occupy the presidential post or the royal post. Just see. Formerly the system was that not the brāhmaṇa, er, vaiśya, or śūdra can occupy the royal throne. Only the kṣatriyas. Now, in the Kali-yuga, there is no such thing, who is a kṣatriya, who is a brāhmaṇa, who is a... Anyone, hook and crook you get your votes, democracy, and occupy... And whatever you may be... You may be rascal number one, but you will be posted on the supreme exalted presidential post. Then

prajā hi lubdhai rājanyair
nirghṛṇair dasyu-dharmabhiḥ
ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā
yāsyanti giri-kānanam

Now, these classes of men, who goes to the government post by votes, mostly they are, their qualification is lubdhai rājanya, greedy government men. Nirghṛṇair dasyu-dhar... Their business is plundering. Their business is plundering you. We actually see that they are, every year they are exacting heavy tax, and whatever money is received, they divide amongst themselves, and the citizens' condition remain the same. In every government we can see like that. Prajā dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. In this way, gradually, all people will be so much harassed, ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā, that they will like to give up their family. Ācchinna. Dāra. Dāra means wife, and draviṇā means money. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā yāsyanti giri-kānanam. They will in the forest. Then these symptoms are also there.

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

So in this way there are so many symptoms. It will take long time to describe. This is Kali-yuga. But there is remedy. There is remedy. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan. The faults of this age, just like ocean. Just like in the ocean, you cannot... Pacific Ocean... If you are put into the Pacific Ocean, you do not know how your life will be saved. It is very difficult. Even if you are very expert swimmer, so it is not possible that you can cross the Pacific Ocean. That is not possible. Similarly, the Kali-yuga, as it is stated in the Bhāgavata, that infected with so many anomalies that there is no way out. But there is one medicine only: kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). That is also described, that "If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra," kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya, "especially the name kṛṣṇasya, mukta-saṅgaḥ, you will be relieved from the infection of this Kali yuga."

Lecture on SB 1.15.49 -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1973:

So one has to learn. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is the Vedic injunction, that what is the value of life? How it is changing? How we are transmigrating from one body to another? What I am? I am this body or beyond, something? These things are to be inquired. That is human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This inquiry should be made. So in this Kali-yuga, without any knowledge, without any inquiry, without any guru, without any book, everyone is God. That's all. This is going on, fool's paradise. So this will not help. Here, about the Vidura... He also...

viduro 'pi parityajya
prabhāse deham ātmanaḥ
kṛṣṇāveśena tac-cittaḥ
pitṛbhiḥ sva-kṣayaṁ yayau

He... I was talking about Vidura. Vidura was Yamarāja. So a saintly person was brought before Yamarāja for punishment. So when the saintly person inquired from Yamarāja, that "I am... I don't remember that I have committed in my life any sin. Why I have been brought here for judgment?" So Yamarāja said that "You do not remember. In your childhood you pricked one ant with a needle through the rectum, and she died. Therefore you have to be punished." Just see. In childhood, in ignorance, because he committed some sin, he has to be punished. And we are willingly, against the principle of religion that "Thou shalt not kill," we have opened so many thousands of slaughterhouse, giving a nonsense theory the the animal has no soul. Just see the fun. And this is going on. And we want to be in peace. Therefore your Senate house has issued some injunction order, that on the 30th of April, 1974, there will be a mass prayer. Who will explain it? Just explain.

Lecture on SB 1.16.2 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1973:

So this news was spread, and his son was playing, and as soon as he heard that "My father has been insulted in this way," he became very angry and cursed him immediately, that "This snake or a snake would bite this king and he will die out of snake bite." So... And then again he came to his father. He was crying. The father... At that time the meditation of the father was broken. "Why, my son, you are crying?" "You have been insulted by Mahārāja Parīkṣit. I have cursed him like this." "Oh," he became aston... "Oh, what you have done, wrong thing? You have cursed Mahārāja Parīkṣit? Oh. The greatest blame will be on the brāhmaṇa society. The Kali-yuga will begin, begins deterioration of the brāhmaṇa community. You are the first." So one thing is that even a child born of a brāhmaṇa was so powerful that because he cursed Mahārāja Parīkṣit to die out of snake bite, it could not be withdrawn. He died. Just see how much brahminical power was that time. Even a child. What to speak of grown-up.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

So everyone in this material world, he does not know what is the aim of life. Unnecessarily he is making plan, this plan, that plan, this plan, that plan. And all plan is being frustrated by the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Every plan will fail. And those who are plan-making persons, they are all rascals. They do not know that what kind of plan should be made. The plan should be made that everyone should be God conscious. Then every plan will be successful. Otherwise all, everything will fail.

So these sacrifices are forbidden in this age, Kali-yuga, because there is no expert brāhmaṇa who can conduct the sacrifices, neither people have got any means. Now, so far bhūri-dakṣiṇān, so there was one king. He performed this sacrifice, and by the grace of Lord Śiva, he got the information of a golden mountain. So golden mountain, he collected enough gold from that mountain, and in the sacrifice he made everything made of gold, everything. So he distributed utensils. That is the system, that to the brāhmaṇa who attends the sacrifice, they are given money, utensils, cloth, bedding. Because brāhmaṇas, they do not care for material possessions.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

This is the process of yajña in this age. What is that? Now, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. The God's incarnation, that is incarnation, not a manufactured incarnation. There must be reference to the śāstra. So what is the incarnation? Pracchanna-avatāra. In this Kali-yuga the incarnation is Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is stated in the śāstra, kṛṣṇa-varṇam, kṛṣṇa

varṇayati: "He is simply chanting 'Kṛṣṇa,' although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself." Kṛṣṇam-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam. Therefore He has hidden Himself. His bodily color is more Kṛṣṇa, but golden. That is also stated. Kṛṣṇa has got four colors. Śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. When Gargamuni made the horoscope of Kṛṣṇa, that "This child has three other colors, śuklo raktas tathā pītaḥ. He had His color. Red color and white color and now..., and yellow color. Now He has assumed black color." Śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. So therefore His name was Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa has another color. Pīta. Pīta-varṇa-gauraḥ. That is Lord Caitanya. Therefore tviṣā akṛṣṇa: "Bodily complexion, not kṛṣṇa." Such Kṛṣṇa, chanting Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). Followed by many devotees, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. At least followed by Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara Prabhu, like that. So this is the description of the incarnation of God in Kali-yuga. Pracchanna-avatāra. There is another avatāra, Kalki.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

Pradyumna: Translation: "Once when Mahārāja Parīkṣit was on his way to conquer the world, he saw the master of Kali-yuga, who was lower than a śūdra, disguised as a king and hurting a cow and a bull by his leg. The King at once caught hold of him to deal sufficient punishment." (SB 1.16.4)

Prabhupāda: So it was the duty of the king to go on tour and see persons who are actually not abiding by the laws of Vedic principles. This is the duty of the king. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: (BG 4.13) "In the human society I have divided four classes of men." Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). Kṛṣṇa says, "I have done it."

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

So nṛpa-liṅga-dharam. Śūdra, actually he was a śūdra, but he dressed like a king. Just like if a woman dresses like a man, that is artificial. Or a man dresses like woman, that is also artificial. So everyone has his original dress and position. There, because a śūdra took the dress of a king, therefore it is called nṛpa-liṅga-dharam. Artificially, he was dressed like a king. That is the position of Kali-yuga. Now the government men, they are elected by votes. People do not consider whether he's a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra. As he likes... People are śūdras. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga everyone is a śūdra. Therefore naturally he will elect one śūdra. The śūdra is not fit for government management. As such we find so many difficulties in the government because the head or the head man, they are all śūdras. They have dressed like administrator, but they are śūdras. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. There is no brāhmaṇa, there is no kṣatriya, there is no vaiśyas. Maybe a few vaiśyas, and all śūdras. A brāhmaṇa means the good quality, first-class quality. That is very, very rare to be found.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

But if he deviates from the family principle... Just like in the śāstra it is said that in a higher class family, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, especially brāhmaṇa, if the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not accepted, the whole family becomes śūdra. Garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. That means begetting the child, there is a ceremony which is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. So in the Kali-yuga practically no saṁskāra is performed. Therefore in the śāstra it is said kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. So Vedic process, Vedic principles of accepting. It is not possible in this Kali-yuga. Because the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not there. In nobody's family there the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is taken. Sex life is also regulated by garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Aviruddha, "Sex life which is not against the religious principles, that I am. That sex life I am," Kṛṣṇa says. "I am that sex life." That is godly. But sex life for sense gratification or for prostitution, that is not Kṛṣṇa. That is Kali. So this is the process.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

The Kali begins with this animal killing. That is Kali-yuga. Meat-eating. Therefore, to avoid the influence of Kali we have to give up this habit. The four things are Kali's disciple, friends. We have already discussed this. So one friend is this meat-eating problem, the butchers, Kali's friends. And the liquor distiller, he's also Kali's friend. And the gamblers or the gambling house maintainer. And prostitute house maintainer. These are friends of Kali. Now you will find all over the world these things are very prominent-clubs and butcherhouse and liquor house and gambling house. Therefore the whole atmosphere is Kali.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

So because it is now Kali age, just like winter season, everywhere is cold, chillest, so similarly because this is the age of Kali therefore even in India... This king, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, was in India. He wanted to chastise this rascal in the dress of a king and attempting (to) kill cows. So this was in India. Maybe in other place also, because the king was touring. So not only in India, all over the world the Vedic civilization was there. Five thousand years ago, everywhere the... All people used to follow the Vedic principles. That is the proof. Because the king was following the Vedic principles. So this cow-killing by the Kali, it is said it was done on the border of India, somewhere near Sindhu Pradesh, Afghanistan, like that. So anyway, it was on this planet and he wanted to prohibit. But India is the center. This king, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, his headquarters also was Hastināpura, near New Delhi at the present moment. Hastināpura. There is a place still, Hastināpura. There is one broken fort also. They say this fort belonged to the Pāṇḍavas. People go there to see. Anyway, now the king was so strict that even outside India some cow was being attempted to be killed, he immediately took his sword to punish him. Now in India they are killing ten thousand cows daily. This is Kali-yuga. That... Still, they have got some sentiment about cow-killing. There was about say five or six years ago, there was good agitation. But who cares for that? Because the government is śūdra: nṛpa-liṅga. They have taken the position of government, but they are all full of śūdras. Now in India not only killing cows... We had never seen... In Bombay this time I saw in our Juhu-big, big signboards: Beef shop. Beef shop. So Hindus are there also now taking. I asked one lady, she was meat-eater. So I asked her, "Do you eat cow's meat, cow's flesh?" "Yes, sometimes." So this is Kali-yuga. Now government is encouraging drinking and meat-eating. And illicit sex, that is, that has become now a common affair, anywhere you go. Why should you should have to go to brothel? Even big, big, other places. I don't wish to mention. You see.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

So this is the age of Kali. So simply full of sinful activities, that's all. That is Kali-yuga. But sinful activities will not help us. That they have no brain to understand. You have to purify yourself. Sinful activities will involve you more and more in the cycle of birth and death. You will take sometimes birth as a king or as a demigod, and sometimes as the worm of the stool. Because according to your karma, you will get next body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Therefore the process is at least don't act sinfully. Then you will get higher-class birth. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). You will get chance of taking your birth in higher planetary system where the standard of living is many, many thousands better than this planet. Just like Svargaloka, Janaloka. From our śāstra we understand that the inhabitants of Candraloka, moon planet, they live for ten thousands of years, but these rascals are going there. They do not find any living entity. So that is the contradiction. But we believe that in the moon planet... And why we shall not believe? If the living entities are found everywhere, so why, what moon planet has done that there should be no living entity? From our experience we can see living entity is there on the land, in the air, in the water, even in the fire. So every planet is made of these five elements: earth, water, fire, air, sky. So we find by practical experience that in the water there is living entity, on the land there is living entity, within the land there is living entity. So why in the moon planet or other planet there should be no living entities? That's a wrong theory.

Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

sūta uvāca
yadā parīkṣit kuru-jāṅgale 'vasat
kaliṁ praviṣṭaṁ nija-cakravartite
niśamya vārtām anatipriyāṁ tataḥ
śarāsanaṁ saṁyuga-śauṇḍir ādade
(SB 1.16.10)

Translation: "Sūta Gosvāmī said: While Mahārāja Parīkṣit was residing in the capital of the Kuru empire, the symptoms of the age of Kali began to infiltrate within the jurisdiction of his state. When he learned about this, he did not think the matter very palatable. This did, however, give him a chance to fight. He took up his bow and arrows and prepared himself for military activities."

Prabhupāda: So Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the ideal monarch. Yadā parīkṣit kuru-jāṅgale 'vasat. He was so powerful king that there was no possibility of anyone rising against him. He was so powerful. Therefore he was peacefully living in his capital, kuru-jāṅgale. So he was not getting any opportunity to fight because there was no enemy with whom to fight. But as soon as he got the news that Kali has entered in the jurisdiction of his kingdom, he got the chance of fighting.

Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974:

So except one has got one wife, and all others, other's wife. So mātṛvat para-dāreṣu, to treat and see other's wife as mother. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat: "And other's property as garbage in the street." As nobody is interested in the garbage on the street, similarly, if one is not interested in anyone's property... It may be insignificant thing, but one cannot touch it. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam (ISO 1). This is the Upaniṣad. Īśopaniṣad, Vedic injunction. Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam: "Don't touch any other property." Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ: "Whatever is given by Kṛṣṇa, God, as His prasādam, you accept it. That you can enjoy. Don't touch anything." So similarly, a person should be so nicely trained up that the one wife with religious, by performing religious ceremony, is given to him, he should be satisfied with her, not to see other women, adulteration. This is Kali-yuga. This is Kali-yuga. Now this adulteration, prostitution, is common affair, common affair. Nobody sees other's wife as his mother, nobody. And neither the woman sees other's husband as father.

Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974:

So Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he saw that the principles of Kali-yuga, meaning adulteration, prostitution, animal-killing, drinking, intoxication, gambling, these things are coming gradually... Because the age Kali-yuga, this is Kali-yuga. Just like before winter there is some wind, very cold. One can understand, "Now winter is approaching." So of course, you cannot stop winter, but you be careful so that you may not catch cold, coughing. You dress yourself nicely, have warm cloth. It is no use fighting with the seasonal changes. That is not possible. Just like it is raining. It is no use to fight with the cloud and rain, stop it. That is not possible. But you can take raincoat, umbrella, so that you may not be affected. That is your business. So Kali-yuga has entered. Kali-yuga has entered all over the world. Not now. Five thousand years ago, during the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Gradually, people are degrading, only on these principles: illicit sex, animal slaughter, intoxication and gambling. These are the four pillars of the platform of Kali.

Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974:

So if one is killed because he was drinking, then others will be very careful. That was king's duty. "Anyone who has got illicit sex, kill him. Anyone who is drunkard, kill him. Anyone who is eating meat, kill him. No other consideration. Directly kill him." Then you see within a few years all these things will stop. Within a few years. But the government must be strong. But the government wants that "You go to hell by drinking, but we are making profit. One rupee cost, we are getting sixty rupees. Go on with this business." This is Kali-yuga. Everyone is doing his own personal interest.

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is quite opposite. Only interest of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No more personal interest. They are thinking of personal interest. But they do not know what is personal interest, these rascals. Just like the same example I have given many times that the part and parcel of my body... Suppose this hand gets one nice sweetmeat, and if the fingers think that "It is our personal interest to enjoy the sweetmeat," that is mistaken idea. The finger's catching a sweetmeat cannot enjoy it. The real interest, personal interest is, give it to the stomach. Don't smash it. Give it immediately to the stomach, and your interest is fulfilled. Immediately your fingers will be fed. This is personal interest, to enjoy through Kṛṣṇa, not directly. But these rascals, they do not know. They defy Kṛṣṇa, "Why Kṛṣṇa? I am Kṛṣṇa. I am God. I am everything." Therefore they are suffering. They do not know actually how to fulfill the personal interest.

Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:

t is mentioned in Bhāgavata, Eleventh Canto, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in this age, Kali-yuga, will be kṛṣṇa-varṇam, always describing Kṛṣṇa. He is Kṛṣṇa, but kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. Varṇa means also category. Just brāhmaṇa-varṇa, kṣatriya-varṇa, vaiśya-varṇa, śūdra-varṇa. In the horoscope, as we discussed the other day, jāta-karma, after the birth of the child, everything, characteristic, what will be his future, everything is mentioned in the horoscope. So in the horoscope it is stated, brāhmaṇa-varṇa, kṣatriya-varṇa, śūdra-varṇa, like that, in which category this child belongs. Even if he is born in a non-brāhmaṇa family, but what will be his characteristic, that is stated. That is called brāhmaṇa-varṇa. Similarly, kṣatriya-varṇa, vaiśya-varṇa. So everything is predicted by astrological calculation.

Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:

So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). And another feature is sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Astra-pārṣadam. Astra means weapon. So in the Kali-yuga, Kṛṣṇa does not come with weapon. In other yugas, the Lord comes with weapon. Just like Lord Rāmacandra. He came with bows and arrows to fight with Rāvaṇa. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa also appeared with His sudarśana-cakra. Because in those days, the demons were killed by weapons. Kṛṣṇa killed many demons, because Kṛṣṇa has got two kinds of activities, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: (BG 4.8) for sādhu, simply to deliver them, and for the demons, to kill them. But the result is the same. That is called Absolute. Whether Kṛṣṇa pats somebody and kills somebody, the result is the same. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. It is not ordinary fortune to be killed by God. It is a great fortune.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

So the question was, "How Mahārāja Parīkṣit punished this Kali-yuga?" The chapter name is "How Parīkṣit Received the Age of Kali." So why he punished the Kali? Because... Here it is said, pūrveṣāṁ vṛttim anvaham, tasya vartamānasya. He was situated always on the platform where his forefathers remained. This is called aristocratic. Every family or every caste... Family... First of all, there must be division. Then family. Community, society, then family. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja belonged to the royal family. His forefathers, own-Bhārata-vaṁśa, the Bhārata dynasty. Therefore you will find the members of the Bhārata dynasty is called Bhārata, Bhārata. Arjuna was addressed by Kṛṣṇa as Bhārata. Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra was also addressed as Bhārata. Vidura was addressed as Bhārata. Many times you have seen it.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

Therefore, Parīkṣit Mahārāja's situation, vartamānasya, tasyaivaṁ vartamānasya, how he was being situated, in what position he was. Just like not to go so far as to go to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Even those who are neophytes, trying to be beyond the range of Kali-yuga, our members of the Kṛṣṇa society, because they have given up these four sinful activities, they can see how one is influenced by Kali. So this is the position. Therefore he could see. Now because the so-called leaders, so-called presidents, they are themself agent of Kali, how they can stop this illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication? They cannot do. So you have to take shelter of the śāstra, and then you will be able to avoid it. Otherwise, it is not possible.

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

Prabhupāda: You can read the purport; it's small.

Pradyumna: "The people of the world in this age of Kali are always full of anxieties. Everyone is diseased with some kind of ailment. From the very faces of the people of this age, one can find out the index of the mind. Everyone feels the absence of his relative who is away from home. The particular symptom of the age of Kali is that no family is now blessed to live together. To earn a livelihood, the father lives at a place far away from the son, or the wife lives far away from the husband and so on. There are sufferings from internal diseases, separation from those near and dear, and anxieties for maintaining the status quo. These are but some important factors which make the people of this age always unhappy."

Prabhupāda: So this age of Kali, we have discussed in the previous verses, is very degraded age. In the beginning, there is Satya-yuga; and next, Tretā-yuga; next, Dvāpara-yuga; and this is the Kali-yuga. The aggregate of all these four yugas is called yuga: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). The duration of Satya-yuga is 1,800,000's of years; and the next, Tretā-yuga, roughly 1,200,000's of years; and Dvāpara-yuga, 800,000's of years; and this Kali-yuga, 432,000's of years. So we are in this Kali-yuga. In this Kali-yuga we have passed only five thousand years. Out of 432,000's of years we have passed only five thousand. Since the Battle of Kurukṣetra, which took place five thousand years ago, the Kali-yuga has begun.

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

So this chapter is on the subject matter, "How Parīkṣit Received the Age of Kali." We are studying this chapter at the present moment. In Los Angeles we were studying, and again, after that, we are presenting. So Kali-yuga is not very good age, simply faults. We have several times discussed that in this age, people's duration of life, mercifulness, bodily strength and so many things, eight kinds of things, will be reduced. The age is reducing; the bodily strength is also reducing. Now you American generation, you are not as strong as your father or grandfather. You can understand that. You are not so luxuriantly grown up, bodily growth. There are so many reasons, but this is the symptom of age of Kali. And they're described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, foretold, five thousand years ago, what will happen in this Kali-yuga. That is all explained in the Twelfth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, third, fourth chapter. So simply full of faults. Social life, political life, religious life—everything has been described there. And one thing I can see very practical, that in this age, lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. It is stated there that people will think that by keeping long hairs they will become very beautiful. That is stated there. Dāmpatye ratim eva hi. Husband and wife's relation will depend on the strength of sex. These are described there. Svīkāra eva codvāhe. Marriage will be performed simply by agreement.

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

So so many symptoms are described, but at the end the remedy is suggested because śāstra means it will guide you for the ultimate goal of life, for the perfection of life. So if the world condition is so bad, then how people will be saved? That is also suggested in the śāstra: kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was advised by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, "My dear King, I've described so many faults. It is like the ocean of faults. But there is one boon also. That is special prerogative, special advantage of this age." Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. Kalau, kalau means "In this age of Kali, it is full of faulty things. But there is one boon." What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya: Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—simply by chanting the holy name...," kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya, kṛṣṇasya, so, mukta-saṅgaḥ, "he becomes free from all these contaminations, by one thing, simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ. There are so many contaminations, so many faults of this age, but simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one becomes kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ, he becomes free from the contaminated association.

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

Just like if there is some epidemic, disease, and if you take vaccine, it is supposed that you are free from the contamination. So this vaccine of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra will keep you fit without any contamination of this age of Kali. And that is happening. All over the world people are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. And practically we see, those who are chanting, they're becoming free from the contamination. If you follow the rules and regulations, very simple thing, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra... That is our only request. Then, in spite of this contaminated age of Kali, you'll be saved. You'll be saved. That we are... That is our... Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that we are preaching this cult.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
(CC Adi 17.21)

Without this, there is no other way of saving you from the contamination of Kali.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Hawaii, January 16, 1974:

Prabhupāda: Read the purport. Read. Long purport.

Pradyumna: "With the progress of the age of Kali, four things particularly, namely the duration of life, mercy, the power of recollection, and moral or religious principles will gradually diminish. Since dharma, or the principles of religion, would be lost in the proportion of three out of four, the symbolic bull was standing on one leg only. When three-fourths of the population of the whole world become irreligious, the situation is converted into hell for the animals. In the age of Kali, godless civilizations will create so many so-called religious societies in which the Personality of Godhead will be directly or indirectly defied. And thus faithless societies of men will make the world uninhabitable for the saner section of people. There are gradations of human beings in terms of proportionate faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The first-class..."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The first-class faithful men are the Vaiṣṇavas and the brāhmaṇas, then the kṣatriyas, then the vaiśyas, then the śūdras, then the mlecchas, the yavanas, and at last the caṇḍālas. The degradation of the human instinct begins from the mlecchas..."

Prabhupāda: Caṇḍālas means the dog-eaters. In the human society, the division of higher class and lower class is determined by the standard of eating. So first-class men, just like brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava, they eat very purified prasādam. Their responsibility practically does not depend on them. Because Vaiṣṇava... Brāhmaṇa also. Without becoming a brāhmaṇa, nobody can become Vaiṣṇava. So when you speak of Vaiṣṇava, it is to be supposed that he's already brāhmaṇa. Therefore, to bring the neophyte devotees to the perfectional stage, we offer the brāhmaṇa's sacred thread. But if people, after promising everything, and break their promise, that is very abominable. When they're initiated before the Deity, before the Lord, before the fire, they should not break it. That is most sinful if you break your promise. Otherwise, you should not be coming forward for initiation if you cannot keep your promise.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

These are the symptoms of this Kali-yuga. The first thing is that "I have lost my three legs, now standing on one leg only." At the present moment in the Kali-yuga practically there is no religion. So the bull is the representative of religious ceremony, so he is saying that "Now I have lost my three legs. I am standing, only one leg."

So in the Satya-yuga people were very religious, full, four parts full. In the Dvāpara-yuga, then one part was missing, only three parts. Then Tretā-yuga. Satya, Tretā, then Dvāpara. But in the Kali-yuga the one part of religiosity, that is also diminishing. This is one of the symptoms. And another symptom: "Or are you in great anxiety because henceforward the unlawful meat-eaters will exploit you?" The unlawful meat-eaters, they will eat cows and bulls. This is predicted in this verse. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written five thousand years ago. So at that time the prediction is there that in the Kali-yuga the meat-eaters will be unlawful and they will especially eat cows and bulls.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

So here it is mentioned that "Or are you in great anxiety because henceforward..." Henceforward means from that time the Kali-yuga has begun. Since these four principles of unlawful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication—is freely allowed, that is Kali-yuga. So in this age, in this Kali-yuga, it is very, very difficult for persons who are interested in self-realization to remain free from sinful activities. It is very, very difficult. Māyā, or the influence of nature, in this age especially, it is very, very strong, and majority of people are therefore addicted to this sinful life: illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. But those who are interested in the matter of self-realization, they should voluntarily give up these sinful activities. Then, "Their sacrifices will be stopped. Demigods, they will not get their share."

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

Nitāi: "With the progress of the age of Kali, four things particularly, namely, the duration of life, mercy, the power of recollection, and moral or religious principles will gradually diminish."

Prabhupāda: This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. We have got our practical experience. When I first came in New York, one boy, Nelson, he told me that "Here, even in your front, somebody is being killed. Nobody will take care." I was surprised, how is that? Is that a fact? You say yes?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Ah, just see. So that is predicted, that the moral or religious principle will gradually diminish. With the progress of this age Kali, four things particularly, namely duration of life, duration of life. Everyone knows. The actually standard of duration of life in this age is hundred years. But no. Who is living hundred years? Gradually decreasing. And it will decrease so much, as I have several times said, that when at the end of Kali-yuga or in the middle of Kali-yuga, the duration of life will be twenty to thirty years. Now it is sixty, seventy or fifty or... It is going on. But gradually, it will diminish. That is stated here.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

And the memory, memory also reduced. Formerly, people were so sharp in memory that once heard from the spiritual master, he will remember. He will not forget. There was no need of books. Book is required because our memory is now, the power of recollection, is very poor. Just like one who cannot memorize, he has to take note down. Formerly, five thousand years ago, there was no need of books. The students will go to the spiritual master or teacher and... Therefore it is called śruti. The Vedic language is called śruti. Śruti means hearing. It is not reading. Simply, pious students will hear from the right source. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Simply by hearing, they will understand everything. They will never forget. But in the Kali-yuga it is not possible. Therefore Vyāsadeva, the whole Vedic understanding, knowledge, he recorded into books. Otherwise before that there was no need of books. The power of recollection will diminish. And mercy. Mercy will reduce. Even in your, in somebody's, in our front, somebody is killed. Nobody will try to help him. What to speak of others, when there is difficulty. Or there are so many. People should cooperate.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

Nitāi: "Since dharma, or the principles of religion, will be lost in the proportion of three out of four, the symbolic bull was standing on one leg only. When three-fourths of the population of the whole world become irreligious, the situation is converted into hell for the animals. In the age of Kali godless civilizations will create so many so-called religious societies in which the Personality of Godhead will be directly or indirectly defied. And thus faithless societies of man will make the world uninhabitable for the saner section of people. There are gradations of human beings in terms of the proportionate faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The first-class faithful men are the Vaiṣṇavas and the brāhmaṇas, then the kṣatriyas, then the vaiśyas, then the śūdras, then the mlecchas, the yavanas and at last the caṇḍālas. The gradation of human instincts begins from the mlecchas, and the caṇḍāla state of life is the last word in the human degradation. All the above terms mentioned in the Vedic literatures are never meant for any particular community or birth. They are different qualifications of human beings in general. There is no question of birthright or community. One can acquire the respective qualifications by one's own efforts, and thus the son of a Vaiṣṇava can become a mleccha or the son of a caṇḍāla can become more than a brāhmaṇa, all in terms of their association and intimate relation with the Supreme Lord."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So if we qualify ourself as Vaiṣṇava and devotee, then all other good qualities will automatically manifest in the body. That is the purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you accept this movement... For example... There are many examples. This is also one practical example. In your state the government has spent millions and millions of dollars to stop the intoxication habit, but it was failure. But as soon as the same person comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness camp, he immediately gives up. This is practical. And there cannot be any comparison of the qualities of our students with any religious institution or any school, college. You cannot have. Because they are devotee. As soon as you become devotee, all good qualities... Therefore if the government takes this movement seriously, they make everyone a devotee, then everything will be solved. There will be no need of criminal court or jail or... Everything will be finished. Or, what is called, liquor house and slaughterhouse and manufacturing cigarette and advertising them two sides of the road. Although (chuckles) it is written there it is dangerous, still it is highly advertised and people smoke. These contradiction things are going on on account of godlessness.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

So the king's duty is to see that everyone is following the brahminical culture. The brāhmaṇa is executing his occupational duties nicely, the kṣatriyas are doing nicely in their occupational duties; similarly, vaiśyas, śūdras. That is the duty of the government, that everything is going on nicely. Otherwise, it will be a great concern and people will be always filled up with anxieties. There will be so many troubles and problems. We cannot solve them. And it is very difficult to solve in this age of Kali. Therefore śāstra has given us injunction that

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
(CC Adi 17.21)

Because we are so weak in this age and there are so many problems, it is very, very difficult to make a solution. Therefore śāstra says that "You simply take to the chanting of the holy name of God."

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

Prabhupāda: Then why you are anxious about these details? Eh? What do you gain by that? It is said... In the śāstra it is said, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati: (BG 18.61) "The heart, in the heart, the, the Supreme Person is also there, and the living entity is also there." So much knowledge is sufficient. Still, you cannot find out. So we are not so much anxious to know whether in western side of the heart or eastern side of the heart. We do not waste time in that way. He is in the heart. That's all.

Sudāmā: Any more question?

Devotee (5): What will happen to the souls who have not become Kṛṣṇa consciousness at the end of Kali-yuga? What does Kṛṣṇa do with them?

Prabhupāda: He'll suffer. He'll suffer. Anyone who does not... Kṛṣṇa conscious means God conscious. The human life is meant for realizing God. So every religious system is meant for giving education about God. That is the system. Either you take Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion, the idea is to understand God. So therefore, any religion you take, it doesn't matter. If you understand what is God and if you know what is your relationship with God, then you are perfect. (end)

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1974:

But so far the debts of the daughter, it is not debt, it is called dāya, kanyā-dāya. Debt you can take insolvency, but dāya means it is so obligatory, there is no such question that you can get relief from it. It must be... Therefore the word is used, kanyā-dāya. Still in India, the process is as soon as the girl is grown up the father is very anxious to find out a suitable boy and hand her over. Then... So that protection will be finished. It is already finished, at least in the western countries. There is no obligation of the father how to get the daughter married. Therefore the question is, "Whether you are lamenting that in this age of Kali these things will happen: cow slaughter, no obligation for the daughter..." And bālān, children. They are also not taken care of. Not only that, they are taken care of, but now child or baby is being killed. This is Kali-yuga. This is conclusion(?)

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1974:

And another: brahma-kule kukarmaṇi, kukarmaṇi. Ku means bad, and karma means work. So they are very much proud. Here, you have no such thing here because there is no question of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Everyone is the same. So, but India still, there are four classes of men—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Here it is in Kali-yuga. Therefore kukarmaṇy abrahmaṇye rāja-kule kulāgryān. Brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya... Brāhmaṇa means the persons learned, very intelligent, the Vedic culture, knowledge in Vedas. Śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam. These are the brahminical qualification. Control the senses, control the mind, very clean. Śamo damas titikṣā, tolerant, ārjava, simplicity. These are the brahminical qual... Then jñānam, full knowledge. Not that I am talking of becoming a brāhmaṇa, but I have no knowledge. That is not brāhmaṇa, allowed. A brāhmaṇa must be very much learned. Brāhmaṇa's another title is paṇḍita. Paṇḍita means very learned, paṇḍitajī. Where is our paṇḍita? He is not here?

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1974:

So be careful that this material world is itself dangerous. Especially in this age of Kali, it is dangerous. It is stated in the śāstra, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58), every step there is danger. This is the position. Māyā is so strong that you should always expect simply danger. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you can overcome these dangers... Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām. It is not... This dangerous position is not for them. Who? Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam, one who has taken shelter of the lotus feet. It is a great ocean, just like the Pacific Ocean. It is just like a great ocean, big ocean of ignorance. As in the ocean, if you go, even on a boat, it is always dangerous, similarly, we are in the ocean of material civilization. There is always danger. But if you take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ padam, then you overcome the danger and you go back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

kiṁ kṣatra-bandhūn kalinopasṛṣṭān
rāṣṭrāṇi vā tair avaropitāni
itas tato vāśana-pāna-vāsaḥ-
snāna-vyavāyonmukha-jīva-lokam
(SB 1.16.22)

Translation: "The so-called administrators are now bewildered by the influence of this age of Kali, and thus they have put all state affairs into disorder. Are you now lamenting this disorder? Now the general populace does not follow the rules and regulations for eating, sleeping, drinking, mating, etc., and they are inclined to perform such anywhere and everywhere. Are you unhappy because of this?"

Prabhupāda: So śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. The study of Bhāgavatam means complete knowledge. This is the mature contribution of Vyāsadeva to the human society. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām (SB 1.7.6). Before writing, by the instruction of his spiritual master, Vyāsadeva meditated in bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṇihite amale. Samyak praṇihite 'male, apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam (SB 1.7.4).

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

So here it is said, the enquiry, that kiṁ kṣatra-bandhūn kalinā upasṛṣṭān rāṣṭrāṇi vā tair avaropitāni: "Are you very much anxious that, on account of this Kali-yuga, that kṣatra-bandhūn, the rulers, they have occupied the rāṣṭra position, the government position?" So what is the symptom of such a rascal government? That is also stated. Itas tato vāśana-pāna-vāsaḥ-snāna-vyavāyonmukha-jīva-lokam. There will be no fixed position of these things. Just see. What are these? Aśana, eating. Aśana, pāna, drinking; vāsaḥ, residence; snāna, taking bath; and vyavāya, sexual intercourse. There is no rules and regulation. Irresponsible government means, the Kali's government means, that these things will be irregular, not regularized. Just see. This is Vedic civilization. Aśana, eating—there must be regulative principle, not that like hogs and pigs you can eat everything, no. There must be control. Control is there already. Just like in government, when you open a restaurant, immediately there is control. You have to take license, that "You have to supply food like this or like that. You cannot supply anything rubbish." Is it not? Control is there, but because it is controlled by another rascal, group of rascals, so they allow everything to eat. Everything eat. Control is there, but they do not know what kind of control should be there. The control should be, as we are prescribing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness move..., "You cannot take anything without Kṛṣṇa's prasāda." That is real control.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

Here we see Mahārāja Parīkṣit, as soon as he saw that a cow was being attempted to be killed, immediately he took his sword..., "What are you, nonsense? You are killing my citizen." This is good government. This is good government. Why the cow is not national? He's also, she's also born in the land; so she's as important a national as you are. Kṛṣṇa has given her the grass to eat. She's not interfere, interfering with your food. Why? What right you have got to kill? You have got your own food. The cow has got the grass for her food. You have got food grains. You have got... Cow is giving you milk, just to give her protection, that "You take my blood, turn into milk. Please do not kill me." So why these things are happening? Because there is rascal government. Kalinā upasṛṣṭān. Rascal government. So one should lament that this, "We are under this rascal government, under the rascal guru, rascal father. But who are meant for giving protection, they are all rascals. This is our position." This is called Kali-yuga. This is Kali-yuga.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

That is in the śāstra, śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. So when the colors of Kṛṣṇa is yellow, golden, that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). That Lord Kṛṣṇa now, in the form of Lord Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, and sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, associated with His personal expansions, Śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda... This is described. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, with these... In the former incarnation, He was killing the demons directly with sword or the sudarśana-cakra, some way or other. Now, in this age, they're already dead. So if Kṛṣṇa comes to kill them with sudarśana-cakra and sword, they will not be profited. Therefore, these are the astras, these are the swords: the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are the Lord's weapon. And they're getting victory. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. So those who are intelligent, su-medhasaḥ, they will worship this form of God in this Kali-yuga. And what is the process of worshiping? Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

So these rascals, position, the rascal guardians, you have to fight with them, but not with sword or any other weapon; the saṅkīrtana movement, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ. If you stick to this principle of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, yajñaiḥ, if you have got good brain, su-medhasaḥ, then you will take this means, and by the help of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you'll conquer all over the world. All over the world. You cannot take up any other means. That will not be successful because the śāstra says, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). So at the present moment, our position is very precarious. We are in the darkness, ignorance, and so many other things, corollaries to these things. Rāṣṭrāṇi vā tair avaropitāni itas tataḥ. Just see. Five thousand years ago this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written, the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Now you see that, itas tato vāśana-pāna-vāsaḥ-snāna. Now everywhere, all over the world, the young boys and girls, they have no fixture where they'll live, where they'll take their bath, where they'll eat or how, or how they'll have sex. No. These are preliminary necessities of life. One must have a good place to live. One must have sufficient nice foodstuff to eat. Sleep. Eating, sleeping, mating—this is physical necessities. So in the Vedic civilization, these necessities are prescribed in a regulated way so that he can satisfy his physical necessities, at the same time, become Kṛṣṇa conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

So if there is little more inauspicity, what is the wrong there? There is nothing... The more inauspicity will come. Now, still, in your country you are not poverty-stricken. You have got enough food. These things also will be stopped. Now you have got food in chaos, but there will be no food also. Then the mother and father will eat his own children. This is world, this Kali-yuga, everything. No food will be produced. Now by your talent, you are producing nice food, but producing food, the, tilling the ground some way or other, by machine or by this way... There must be rain, so many conditions. But time will come when there will be no rain. Then what you will do with your tractor and machine? You'll have to eat the tractor. (laughter) That's all. What you will do? There will be no rain. It is said that "There will be cloud, there will be lightning, but there will be no rainfall." These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is the result of our sinful life, restriction. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā (BG 3.27). These rascals are thinking, "We are master." What master you are? You are under the control of nature fully. And they are, these rascals are thinking, "I am free. There is no God. I am free." So, gradually... (break) ...don't you appreciate how, the difference between them and ordinary people? Don't you feel it? You are already known as "the bright-faced." Is it not?

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

Nitāi: (leads chanting, etc.) "The so-called administrators are now bewildered by the influence of this age of Kali, and thus they have put all state affairs into disorder. Are you now lamenting this disorder? Now the general populace does not follow the rules and regulations for eating, sleeping, drinking, mating, etc., and they are inclined to perform such anywhere and everywhere. Are you unhappy because of this?" (SB 1.16.22)

Prabhupāda:

kiṁ kṣatra-bandhūn kalinopasṛṣṭān
rāṣṭrāṇi vā tair avaropitāni
itas tato vāśana-pāna-vāsaḥ-
snāna-vyavāyonmukha-jīva-lokam

In this Kali-yuga everything is topsy-turvied. The Vedic way of life... For living condition, we require to eat, we require to take bath, we require to sleep, we require to have sex also. Everything must be in regulative principle. Because human life means regulative principles. Unfortunately, the human life has become irregulated than the animals. This aśana, pāna, vāsaḥ, and snāna, and sexual intercourse, there is, at the present moment, there is no regulative principle. The Vedic principle is early in the morning one must take bathing, then worship the Deity, read Vedic literature, mantra, then offer foodstuff to the Deity, then take prasādam. Everything is regulative principle. And it is the duty of the government to see that these regulative principles are being observed by the citizens. This is government.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

So why this has happened? Because here it is said, kiṁ kṣatra-bandhūn. Kṣatriya, the administrator class, the government. So in Kali-yuga they will take charge of the administration or government, but they are not real kṣatriya. They are less than śūdra. So how the government will be nice? Therefore it is lamentable, that those who are not kṣatriyas, they are taking the position of government officers. And further it is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twelfth Canto: kriyā hīnā... They are not following the rules and regulation of kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa. Still they are claiming to become brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya. And there is a mercantile class nowadays, interested in business, but business is one of the items of the vaiśya. The first business is to become agriculturist. Vaiśya. Vaiśya class, they are meant for making arrangement for our eating. That is also required. Kṣatriya is meant for give us protection. And the brāhmaṇa means to give us the ideal life, what is the goal of life, and śūdras, they cannot do anything of these... Therefore they are śūdra.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

So in the Kali-yuga the śūdras... Śūdra means the last. Less than śūdra, the caṇḍāla, they are taking the part of kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa or vaiśya. That is the effect of this Kali-yuga. Therefore it is very lamentable. One must be trained up. This very word kṣatra-bandhu means even though one is in the royal family, but he cannot administer. Just like in England, now the royal monarchy is finished all over the world... Even there is monarchy in some countries... Just like in England there is monarchy. The queen is there. But the queen is also uneducated. She does not know how to rule. It is an official post only. The parliamentary sanction, simply she signs, that's all. She has no power to rule over. So power or no power, in Kali-yuga, the administration will be done by less qualified, no qualification. Kim kṣatra-bandhūn kalinā upasṛṣṭān. The system will be disturbed on account of this Kali-yuga. Kalinā upasṛṣṭān rāṣṭrāṇi. Rāṣṭrāṇi means states. Tair avaropitāni, put into disorder.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

So everything should be regulated. But in this age there is no regulation, there is no knowledge. Less than animals also. They have sex life at a certain period of the year, not always. But human being has become so low-graded that... And that is due to Kali-yuga. Therefore it is very lamentable. Everything is topsy-turvied. It's no regular. It is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy that we are reforming the whole society very simple way-chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You see. It is so nice. You see? The examples are here. It is no story. Simply by chanting. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
(CC Adi 17.21)

There is no other alternative. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Everything will be reformed. Life will be polished and everything will be successful. This is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Human life, he is also a soul. Animal is also a soul. Everyone. But the human form of life is meant for God realization, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is Vedānta-sūtra. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Not only human being, everyone. But everyone less than human being, they cannot inquire about the Absolute Truth: "What is the aim of life? What is the Absolute Truth? What I am? What is my relationship?" These things are the subject matter for discussion in the human form of life.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

But unfortunately, on account of Kali-yuga, the heart being full of dirty things, they cannot think of the aim of life, how to achieve it. That is called Kali-yuga. Therefore so much fallen socially, politically, economically, culturally, everything, religiously, we are so fallen and down-trodden that the only method, as recommended in the Vāyu Purāṇa and other Purāṇas: kalau nāsty eva... Kalau means "in this age of Kali," nāsty eva, "there is no other alternative." And factually by spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are seeing practical result. The most wretched, most rotten, they are coming to life, they are understanding the value of life, the aim of life, and they are trying to be elevated more and more. Of course, it is an attempt. Not that anyone will be successful. But if everyone follows the simple rules and regulation, he will be successful. There is no doubt about it. There is no doubt about it. The four simple regulative principle: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, and chant sixteen rounds. Very simple method.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

Because the difficulty is they do not know what is the aim of life. The aim of life, that we are conditioned by this material nature, embodied by the material elements, and that is the cause of our all miserable condition of life. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. Pramattaḥ (SB 5.5.4). We are so mad under the bodily... Everyone is under the... Big, big scientists also, they are also. They don't believe there is soul. Big, big scientists, politicians, philosophers. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). They remain animals. If anyone has taken this body as the self... Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. So the modern Kali-yuga is very, very dangerous for the human being. They are given chance by the laws of nature, "Now take your birth as human being." Because to get a body as a human being or as a demigod or as a king or as a lower class man or as an animal, as an..., that is not in our hands. That is in the nature's hands.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

So everything is topsy-turvy and five thousand years ago or more than that, these things were being discussed, and people were very sorry that very bad days were to come. And still we can predict. There is no... It does not require very much advanced knowledge. In the śāstra it is stated what will be the later ages of Kali-yuga. That is also in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The beginning is already there. Anāvṛṣṭyā kara-pīḍitāḥ. One side there will be no rainfall. Now yesterday somebody was telling that in this California, the rainfall is now not so much. I think Jayatīrtha. So rainfall will be practically very, very little. Anāvṛṣṭi. And another difficulty will be kara-pīḍitāḥ. One side there will be famine, scarcity of food, no rainfall, and another side, there will be excessive taxation by the government. So people will be so much disturbed. Because you (indistinct) no food. You are... There is scarcity of rain, you cannot produce food. And at the same time, government will give some morsel of food and levy taxes. So durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9), disturbed, yāsyanti giri-kānanam, ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā yāsyanti giri-kānanam. Being disgusted, they will give up their family and children, separated, and they will go to the forest or the hills. This is another. And another will be, there will be no more available these foodgrains, especially wheat, rice and milk. These will be finished.

So very, very bad days are awaiting in this Kali-yuga. Therefore it is our duty to finish this business of material life and go to home, back to home, back to Godhead. That is business. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

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

So here Kṛṣṇa came, and this incident took place after disappearance of Kṛṣṇa. Kali-yuga entered after disappearance of Kṛṣṇa. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was also very vigilant. The Pāṇḍavas, they left their kingdom because they could understand that Kali-yuga has already entered. So bhūri-bharāvatāra-kṛtāvatārasya. Bhūri-bhara, when people become too much sinful, the earth becomes overburdened by the sinful activities of the people. Therefore it is called bhūri-bharavatāra. And Kṛṣṇa comes to mitigate. Dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. Kṛtāvatārasya harer dharitri. This is the purpose of avatāra. Avatāra, this word is very significant. The tara, tara means movement; and ava, ava means down. Just like avanati. So avatāra. Kṛṣṇa lives in the spiritual sky, beyond this material sky, very high, and Kṛṣṇa-loka, the planet of Kṛṣṇa, is the topmost planet in the spiritual world. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43). The topmost planet is Goloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. You have seen the picture. It is lotuslike. So goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni: "That is His personal abode." Tale ca tasya, "below that," goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43), "below that planet," goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu. Devī. This universe, this material universe, is called devī-dhāma. Devī-dhāma means under the protection, or supervision, of mother nature. That is called devī-dhāma, material nature. So goloka-dhāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī, devī-dhāma.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

Here mother earth, Dharitrī, "O Earth." Earth is being addressed. The whole world is perturbed because the Kali-yuga has begun. Five thousand years ago, when the Kali-yuga began, so all persons were alarmed: "Now the Kali-yuga is begun. So many catastrophes will come in." (SB 1.16.23)

So one instruction is that the earth is addressed, "amba." Amba means mother. So the earth is also our mother. There are seven kinds of mother: ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī. Real mother, from whose womb we have taken birth, she is called ātma-mātā, first mother. Then second mother, the guroḥ patnī. Guru means teacher or spiritual master. His wife, she's also... Actually, according to strict moral instruction... Why strict? Ordinary. Any woman except his own wife is mother. Any woman. It doesn't matter whether she is elderly or young. No. That is the way. Still in India, any woman by unknown person, he can address any woman "Mother." The first relationship is mother. Now they have introduced "Sister," "Bahinajī." No, that is not Vedic etiquette. No bahinajī. Bahinajī means sister. Mother. Everyone should be addressed. We should learn this. Except one's one wife, all women should be addressed as "Mother." This is civilization. Then there will be no corrupt relation. If you, from the very beginning, you establish your relationship with other women as mother, then there is no question of other relationship.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

So these are very difficult things, but because it is the age of Kali, kālena balīyasā, as we studied yesterday, that kālena vā te balināṁ balīyasā: time is very hard time. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that it is very difficult time, kalau. It is not Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's version; it is the Vedic version. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This will clarify your heart. Then you can understand who is guru, where to surrender, where to take lesson. In this way we can make... Haphazardly, if we accept, then there will be failure.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

Everything is there. But due to material contamination, especially in this age, Kali-yuga... The Kali-yuga is very strong. Time is very strong, that even in contact, coming in contact with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are falling. They are falling. That is due to Kali-yuga. Therefore Mother Dharitrī is... Śocāmi rahitaṁ lokaṁ pāpmanā kalinekṣitam: "Now the Kali-yuga has come. I'm thinking that... I'm very much disturbed that people are losing their original qualities." These qualities are not to be acquired. These qualities are there, but it is covered. Just like a sharpened knife. The cutting power is there, but when it is covered by dirt, it does not cut.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

So at the present moment in the Kali, Kali-yuga, they are, practically they're all demons. All demons. So if Kṛṣṇa... Of course, sometimes it will come that Kṛṣṇa has to come here simply to kill the demons. That is Kalki avatāra. That is described by Jayadeva Gosvāmī. What is that? Keśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Kalau, dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam, mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālam. Mleccha, the mleccha, this word, yavana, these... There are words in Vedic language, mleccha, yavana. Yavana means meat-eaters. Yavana. It does not mean only Europeans are yavana, and Americans, not, Indians are not yavana. No. Anyone who eats meat, he's a yavana. Yavana means meat-eater. And mleccha means unclean. One who does not follow Vedic principles, he's called mleccha. Just like... As the Muhammadans say, kafir. One who does not follow Muslim religion, they are called kafir. That is religious point of view. And the Christians say "heathens." One who does not follow Christian religion, they are called heathens. Is it not? Similarly, anyone who does not follow Vedic principle, he's called mleccha. So time will come when nobody will follow Vedic principles of life. Therefore, mleccha.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

So mleccha-nivaha, when all the people will become mlecchas, nobody following the Vedic principles, mleccha-nivaha-nidhane, at that time there is no more preaching, simply killing. Nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālam. In this age a very fearful, not feature, but action is very fearful. Mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālaṁ dhūmaketum iva. Just like now they are apprehending the appearance of a comet. So Kṛṣṇa will appear just like a comet. Dhūmaketum iva, dhūmaketum iva, dhūmaketum iva. Kalayasi karavālam. So that is the end of Kali-yuga, that people will be so mlecchācāra, unclean habits, they, dull... Now they have already become, already become. They have no brain. Even big, big, so-called... (break)

...mahā-vadānya, very munificent incarnation. Or magnanimous. Mahā-vadānyāvatāra. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema... He is giving kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa. You... One cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. It is so difficult.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

To understand Kṛṣṇa is not easy job. But Kṛṣṇa in the form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so compassionate, not only He's giving Himself, Kṛṣṇa, but He's giving kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's avatāra. Dayā. Mahā-vadānyāvatāra. So whatever Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going forward, it is due to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's magnanimous compassion for the poor people suffering in this Kali-yuga. Otherwise, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not very easy job, is not easy job. So those who are getting the chance of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they should not lose the opportunity. It will be suicidal. Don't fall down. It is very easy. Simply chanting by Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, not always, twenty-four hours, although Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31), always chant. That is the principle. But we cannot do that because we are so much overwhelmed by the influence of Kali. So at least sixteen rounds. Don't miss this. Don't miss this. What is the difficulty, sixteen rounds? At most it will take two hours. You have got twenty-four hours. You want to sleep; all right, sleep, ten hours sleep. That is not recommended. Don't sleep more than six hours. But they want to sleep. They want to sleep twenty-four hours. That is their desire in Kali-yuga. But, no. Then you'll be wasting time. Minimize eating, sleeping, mating and defending. When it is nil, that is perfection.

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

Prabhupāda: So we are discussing the conversation between mother earth and Dharmarāja. The subject matter was that the earthly planet was very much morose on account of arrival of Kali-yuga. (baby fussing) (aside:) It will be disturbing.

Devotee (4): Disturbance? (mother and baby leave)

Prabhupāda: So we have discussed the symptoms of Kali-yuga, this age called Kali-yuga. As there are seasonal changes, similarly, in the duration of this material existence, there are seasonal changes. That everyone has got experience. There is summer, there is winter, there is fall, there is spring. So generally the seasonal changes are accepted as Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and Kali-yuga. Just like in each year we have got different seasons, changes, similarly, each millennium there are so many changes of Kali-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, Satya-yuga.

So Satya-yuga means the age of truthfulness. Satya means truthfulness. And Kali-yuga means the age of disagreement, the age of disagreement. So at the present moment we are in the Kali-yuga. Everyone disagrees with the other. Even the so-called disciple also disagrees with the spiritual master. This is the influence of Kali-yuga. One becomes disciple of a spiritual master, then he whimsically disagrees. So why, if you disagree, why should you accept somebody as spiritual master? That is not very good. That is the way of not being successful. We are chanting every day that yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. By satisfying the spiritual master, one can satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yasya prasādāt, "by the satisfaction of the spiritual master." Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam **. One of the symptom is this, that spiritual master is so bona fide. Before accepting somebody as spiritual master you must know about his bona fides. That time is allowed. It is said in the śāstra that if you like to accept somebody as spiritual master, you should associate with him at least for one year, see how things are going. If you follow of course others, that is also good. But personally, it is advised that you just remain with the proposed spiritual master for at least one year, so that the spiritual master is also given chance to study you, whether you are acceptable. This is the process.

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

So in the Kali-yuga why there should be... In Kali-yuga even with the spiritual master there is disagreement. That is due to influence of Kali. That is my point. So this influence of Kali-yuga has been discussed in so many pages in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Last it was discussed that the good qualification of Kali, of human being... Human being, I am speaking, because amongst the living entities, human being is considered to be the highest. So the mother earth was lamenting that people have lost their good qualification. They cannot be lost, but it is, by the influence of Kali-yuga, it is now covered. Satyam, śaucam, dayā, that twenty-six nice qualifications. We have discussed all these things. Here (reads):

satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā kṣāntis
tyāgaḥ santoṣa ārjavam
śamo damas tapaḥ sāmyaṁ
titikṣoparatiḥ śrutam
jñānaṁ viraktir aiśvaryaṁ
śauryaṁ tejo balaṁ smṛtiḥ
svātantryaṁ kauśalaṁ kāntir
dhairyaṁ mārdavam eva ca

So, on account of this Kali-yuga, the good qualification of human society will be lost. Thinking this future of the present age, Mother Earth was lamenting and talking with Dharmarāja. At that time Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, er, Mahārāja Parīkṣit arrived on that spot. This is the verse.

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. So that is the qualification of the kṣatriya. Kṣatriya means one who gives protection. Just like when there is attack in a country, the king or the president gives protection to the citizens by killing the enemies. So his business is to give protection to the citizens. So it may be sometimes by killing others, he gives protection. We have discussed many times the violence and nonviolence. Non... These are contradictory terms, but when these two contradictory things are found in saintly persons, we must know they are all the same, absolute. And what to speak of when these actions are found in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the absolute nature. Absolute, to understand the absolute nature means two plus two equal two, one plus one equal to one, and one minus one equal to one. This is absolute understanding. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya. One is complete number, pūrṇam. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya. And if you take away complete one, still it is one. This is absolute understanding. It is not that one has been taken away from one; therefore it has become zero. No. That is material. That is relative.

Page Title:Kali-yuga (Lectures, SB canto 1)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:17 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=182, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:182