Kingdom (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"kingdom" |"kingdom's" |"kingdoms"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: kingdom or kingdoms or kingdom's not "spiritual kingdom" not "kingdom of god" not "god's kingdom"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

Similarly, there is Pitṛloka. Similarly, one who likes to approach the supreme planet, supreme planet... The supreme planet means the Kṛṣṇaloka. In the spiritual sky there are innumerable planets, sanātana planets, eternal planets, which are never destroyed, annihilated. But of all those spiritual planets there is one planet, the original planet, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. So these informations are there in the Bhagavad-gītā and we are given the opportunity for leaving this material world and get our eternal life in the eternal kingdom. Now in the 15th Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, the real picture of this material world is given.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

That padam avyayam, that eternal kingdom, can be reached by one who is nirmāna-mohā. Nirmāna-mohā. Nirmāna means we are after designations. Artificially we want some designations. Somebody wants to become sir, somebody wants to become lord, somebody wants to become the president, or somebody wants to become a rich man, somebody wants to become something else, king. All these designations, so long we'll have attachment for all these designations... Because after all these designations belong to the body, and we are not this body. This is the first conception of spiritual realization.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

Therefore the Lord says, vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ, these designations or these attachments are due to our lust, desire. We want to lord it over the material nature. So, so long we do not give up this propensity of lording it over the material nature, up to that time there is no possibility of going back to the kingdom of the Supreme, the sanātana-dhāma. Dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair gacchanty amūḍhāḥ, amūḍhāḥ padam avyayaṁ tat (BG 15.5). That eternal kingdom, which is never destructible like this material world, can be approached by amūḍhāḥ. Amūḍhāḥ means nonbewildered, one who is not bewildered by the attraction of this false enjoyment. And one is situated in the supreme service of the Lord, he is the right person to approach that eternal kingdom. And that eternal kingdom does not require any sun, any moon, or any electricity. That is a glimpse idea of approaching of the eternal kingdom.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

We may believe or not believe, but all the important planets in which we have connection, they are described in the Vedic literature, especially in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But the spiritual world, which is beyond this material sky, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo (BG 8.20), but that avyakta, that nonmanifested spiritual sky, is the paramāṁ gatim, that is, one should desire, one should hanker after reaching that supreme kingdom. And once approaching that supreme kingdom, yaṁ prāpya, one approaching or one achieving that supreme kingdom, na nivartante, one hasn't got to return back to this material world. And that place which is the eternal abode of Lord, that from where we haven't got to return, that is our, that should be our... (break) Now a question may be raised, what is the way how to approach the supreme abode of the Lord.

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

Arjuna, he decided in the beginning that he should not fight. That was his own contemplation. Arjuna said to the Lord that it was not possible for him to enjoy the kingdom after killing his own kinsmen. And that point of view was due to his conception of the body. Because he was thinking that the body was himself and the bodily relatives, his brothers, his nephews, his father-in-law or his grandfather, they were expansion of his body, and he was thinking in that way to satisfy his bodily demands. And the whole thing was spoken by the Lord just to change the view. And he agreed to work under the direction of the Lord. And he said, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73).

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

Mahārāja Bharata, under whose name India is called Bhārata-varṣa. He was the emperor of the world, but at the age of twenty-four years only he gave up everything—his young wife, young children. Lord Buddha, Lord Buddha was prince, but very young boy, at the age of twenty years or something like that, he gave up everything, his father's kingdom. This is called renunciation. At the present moment (chuckles) hardly there is any sense of renunciation, but formerly there were many kings, many princes who renounced everything for spiritual advancement. So these six principles are called bhaga.

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

And what right he has got? He has no right to say anything about Bhagavad-gītā because he is not a devotee. Bhagavad-gītā is taught to Arjuna. He was neither a yogi nor a scholar nor a Vedantist nor a brāhmaṇa even. He was kṣatriya. Nor a sannyāsī even. He was gṛhastha. He had three wives and so many children. And he was fighting for kingdom. What is the qualification that Bhagavad-gītā was taught to him? Because he was devotee. People have to see how Bhagavad-gītā is to be accepted. Specially Kṛṣṇa mentions in the Fourth Chapter that "I am speaking to you. The disciplic succession is now broken. Therefore I am speaking to you the old system of yoga, Bhagavad-gītā, again, unto you." "Why unto me, Kṛṣṇa?" "Because you are My devotee." That was the answer.

Lecture on BG 1.1 -- London, July 7, 1973:

He was the grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas. He was the elder uncle of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Bhīṣma was elder brother of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's father. He was so old. But he was... Actually, the kingdom belonged to Bhīṣma, but he remained a brahmacārī, he did not marry. There was no issue of Bhīṣmadeva. Therefore his nephews, Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu, they were inheritor.

Now, after the death of Pāṇḍu, there was conspiracy. Dhṛtarāṣṭra wanted that "Actually, this is my kingdom. Now, somehow or other, I could not get it. Now my brother is dead. So if I do not inherit, why not my sons.?" This was the politics.

Lecture on BG 1.1 -- London, July 7, 1973:

Spiritual world means just the opposite. There is no politics. There is no jealousy. There is no enviousness. That is spiritual world. And material world means politics, jealousy, diplomacy, enviousness, so many things. This is material world. So even in the heavenly planets, these things are there, politics. Even in animal kingdom, these politics are there. This is the nature. Matsaratā. Matsaratā means enviousness. One man is envious of another man. It doesn't matter, even they are brothers or family members.

Lecture on BG 1.1 -- London, July 7, 1973:

Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, king is offered as good respect as to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. King is called nara-deva, nara-deva. That means "God in human form." King is given... Why? Because he acts as the representative of God. He cannot be jealous to any living entity, at least, born in his kingdom. That is called praja. Praja means one who has taken birth, or, in other words, national, national. So that was the duty.

Lecture on BG 1.2-3 -- London, July 9, 1973:

Because Sañjaya could understand the feelings of his master that he wanted the fight, no compromise, kṣatriya spirit, "Let my sons and my brother's sons fight..." That is kṣatriya spirit. "My sons are one hundred in number and they are only five, so certainly my sons will come out victorious, and then the kingdom will be assured." That was his plan. So Sañjaya, his secretary, could understand the feeling. Of course, at last he would inform differently. Yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ. At last he described, "My dear sir, you do not expect victory.

Lecture on BG 1.2-3 -- London, July 9, 1973:

So dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkam (BG 1.2). Duryodhana did not expect that the Pāṇḍavas would be able to accomplish military strength so nicely because they were bereft of all sources. Their kingdom was taken away, their money was usurped, they were sent into the forest, so many tribulations. But the foolish Duryodhana did not know that above all, there was Kṛṣṇa on their side. That he could not calculate. Therefore when he saw the Pāṇḍavas are well-equipped with good number of soldiers, pāṇḍavānīkam, he was little surprised, that "How they could gather are so many soldiers?" So immediately, to consult the commander-in-chief Dronācārya....

Dronācārya was everyone's teacher, ācārya. Ācārya means teacher.

Lecture on BG 1.4-5 -- London, July 10, 1973:

This should be stopped. There should not be unnatural heat or unnatural cold, excessive heat. People will feel in all respects happy.

If that condition can be brought in, like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira or his forefathers, or even his grandson. After Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, there was no kingdom of Mahārāja Yud..., of the son of Yudhiṣṭhira or Arjuna. All died in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Only one grandson was in the womb of his mother, posthumous child. He was saved only. So up to that point, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole planet was very nicely governed by dictatorship.

Lecture on BG 1.4-5 -- London, July 10, 1973:

Under his guidance, everything... Because he knows how to conduct kingdom, how to make everyone happy. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. So here is another list of fighters. But the real purpose of this battlefield is to bring all the fighters, big fighters of the world, together. And under Kṛṣṇa's guidance they would be all killed. Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin. When Arjuna was declining to fight, Kṛṣṇa ultimately said, "My dear Arjuna, you fight or not fight, it doesn't matter. These people are not going back home. It is already settled up. You simply become, take the credit that you have fought and killed. It is al... They are already killed. Because that is My plan." Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin. They are already killed.

Lecture on BG 1.10 -- London, July 12, 1973:

Still, they would have to lay down their life because it is Kṛṣṇa's plan that all these fighting men, they were not ruling properly according to the tenets of Vedic injunctions. Therefore they were demons. Military strength for self-aggrandizement is demoniac. Military strength is required to rule over the kingdom but not to misuse them for aggression to others' country or others' kingdom. That was not allowed.

Lecture on BG 1.10 -- London, July 12, 1973:

When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, it does not mean Kṛṣṇa was alone. Kṛṣṇa means with His form, with His pastimes, with His paraphernalia, with His entourage, everything. When we speak of king, it does not mean king is alone. As soon as we speak of king, we must understand the king, king's kingdom, king's secretaries, king's ministers, king's queen, king's palace, so many things. Similarly, when the Vedas says that eko nārāyaṇa āsīt, "Before creation there was only Nārāyaṇa." So Nārāyaṇa with His paraphernalia, with His expansion... Nārāyaṇa has expansion in the spiritual world, vaikuṇṭha jagat, innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets. You have seen the picture. Innumerable. We have given only twenty-four names, but there are innumerable.

Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:

So that means he refused to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is material condition. He was thinking in his own terms. He wanted to enjoy the family members, the so-called nephews, brothers, that "If they are killed, then what is the use of my, this kingdom?" (break) ...but people thinks that I get kingdom I enjoy myself. That is condition. But a liberated soul will take the kingdom, but it will be used for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is liberated, soul.

In this way we should try to understand, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's fame, Kṛṣṇa's associates, Kṛṣṇa's activities, all divyam, transcendental. They are not material. Therefore it is mentioned here, divyau śaṅkhau pradadhmatuḥ (BG 1.14). Divyau śaṅkhau. The śaṅkha used by Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, they are not ordinary śaṅkha. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 1.20 -- London, July 17, 1973:

So these are Vedic principles. If we follow... The brāhmaṇa will not accept anyone's service. That is against. Similarly, kṣatriya. Kṣatriya... Why this fight between Arjuna? They made them bereft of the kingdom. So they appealed to Duryodhana, that "My dear Duryodhana, you are my brother, you have taken all our properties. So we are kṣatriya. We are not going to become vaiśya or brāhmaṇa. We must live. Give us at least five villages, five brothers. We shall be satisfied. There is no question of war." "No, sir, not even the land which can hold the point of needle. I cannot spare." There is no way. Therefore there was fight. There was fight.

Lecture on BG 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973:

Similarly, we also, all floating in the waves of māyā. Māyār bośe, jāccho bhese, khāccho hābuḍubu. Sometimes drowned, sometimes on the surface, sometimes on the other shore, sometimes on this shore. This is going on. So long we are in this material world, we are being tossed by different currents, and sometimes I am here as the master of some kingdom, and sometimes I am dog of somebody else. This is my position. The same thing. Very good example, that we are being carried away by the waves of māyā. Sometimes we are gathering together. So many straws and vegetables, they gather together. And sometimes the same vegetables and straws are thrown asunder. One is there, one is here.

Lecture on BG 1.30 -- London, July 23, 1973:

I am forgetting myself, my mind is reeling. I foresee only evil, O killer of the Keśi demon."

Prabhupāda: So viparītāni. Nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni keśava. Viparītāni means "just the opposite." "I have come here to fight to regain my kingdom. That is the cause for which I have come here to fight, but actually I am seeing it is just the opposite. My fighting will be useless. I came here to fight for some useful purpose, but now I see that viparītāni, just opposite. It will be useless." Why useless? Because one tries to become rich man, opulent—this is material nature—just to show to his relatives, to his friends, to his family members, "Just see how I have become rich, opulent." This is the psychology. A man works very hard day and night to become rich just to make a show that "My dear friends, my dear relatives, you see that how I have become now rich." This is the only purpose.

Lecture on BG 1.30 -- London, July 23, 1973:

There is no happiness. These foolish persons, they do not know. So Arjuna also is playing like an ordinary foolish person. Nimittāni viparītāni. "Where is my happiness? I came here to fight, to get happiness, and I have to kill my own kinsmen. Then where is my happiness? I cannot enjoy the property or the kingdom alone. There must be relatives, brothers. I will be very proud: 'Just see how I have become king.' So if they are dying, then who, whom I shall show my opulence?" This is the psychology. Nimittāni ca viparītāni paśyāmi. Just the opposite. This is illusion. This is illusion.

Lecture on BG 1.30 -- London, July 23, 1973:

They do not understand that there is life, blissful life, by serving Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, here Arjuna is playing just like ordinary man. So he says to Kṛṣṇa, "You wanted me to fight, to become happy, to get the kingdom, but by killing my own men? Oh, nimittāni viparītāni. You are misleading me." Nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni. "I'll not be happy by killing my own men. That is not possible. How You are inducing me?" So he said, nimittāni ca viparītāni paśyāmi. "No, no." Na ca śaknomy avasthātum: "I cannot stand here. Let me go back. Take my chariot back. I'll not stay here." Na ca śaknomy avasthātuṁ bhramatīva ca me manaḥ (BG 1.30). "I am becoming bewildered. I am puzzled now."

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

na ca śreyo 'nupaśyāmi

hatvā svajanam āhave

na kāṅkṣe vijayaṁ kṛṣṇa

na ca rājyaṁ sukhāni ca

(BG 1.31)

Translation: "I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle, nor can I, my dear Kṛṣṇa, desire any subsequent victory, kingdom, or happiness."

Prabhupāda: So there are two things, śreyas and preyas. Here Arjuna is speaking of śreyas. Śreyas means ultimate good, and preyas means immediately palatable. That is called preyas. So everyone should be interested for śreyas, not for preyas. Just like a child, he likes to play all day and night. Naturally. Playful child. So that is called preyas. He likes immediate pleasure. But his father says, "My dear child, just go to school or read book." So father is asking for śreyas, ultimate good. If he is not educated at the, at childhood, then how he will prosper in his future life? So considering the future prospect, ultimate good, that is called śreyas. And preyas means immediate. Just like we eat something which I may not digest, or it may have some bad effect later on. But people are interested—the immediate benefit, without calculation of future benefit.

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

So Arjuna is considering with reference to his future, that "If I kill my kinsmen, what benefit there will be? I want victory, I want kingdom, to become happy, but if my all kinsmen are killed, then what is the value of my victory? With whom I shall enjoy?" He is thinking like that. Society... The same thing: society, friendship and love. Everyone wants to enjoy life with society, friends. Nobody wants to enjoy life alone. That is not possible. This is not natural. So wherefrom we got this idea, that I cannot enjoy alone? Just like generally a person is alone, but he gets a wife with a hope for enjoying family life, children, wife, friends.

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

"The king is in my hand." So she insulted. The father was not happy. The... Although Dhruva Mahārāja was born of the eldest queen... And it is sometimes liking. So that does not mean he did not like his son. So he wanted to sit down on the lap of his father and the stepmother insulted. So he took it very seriously. And he wanted to have the kingdom. This is arthārthī. He wanted something. And his mother advised that "You take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. He can fulfill your desire." So therefore ārtaḥ arthārthī. He was distressed; at the same time, he wanted a kingdom by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. That was his purpose. So because he went to worship Kṛṣṇa for some material benefit, he is to be taken as pious.

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

He wants everything. Because he does not know what is the śreyas. Śreyas is Kṛṣṇa. Actually, when one gets Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he can say that "I don't want this." They will not say that. Why they will say, "Don't want this"? Here what we have got? Suppose I have got a kingdom. So that is my kingdom? No. That is Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. Because Kṛṣṇa says bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor. I may be His representative. Kṛṣṇa wants that everyone should be Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

So the king's duty is, as representative of Kṛṣṇa, to make every citizen Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then he is doing nice duty. And because the monarchs did not do so, therefore now monarchy is abolished everywhere. So again the monarchs, where there is monarchy, little, at least show of monarchy, just like here in England there is, actually if the monarch becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, actually becomes representative of Kṛṣṇa, then the whole face of the kingdom will change. That is required. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose. We don't very much like this so-called democracy. What is the value of this democracy?

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

They were ṛṣi. Although they were king, they were ṛṣis. That kind of king wanted, rājarṣi. Then people will be happy. In Bengali there is a proverb, rājara pāpe rāja naṣṭa gṛhiṇī doṣe gṛhastha bhraṣṭa (?). In gṛhastha life, in household life, if the wife is not good, then nobody will be happy in that home, gṛhastha life, household life. Similarly, in a kingdom, if the king is impious, then everything, everyone will suffer. This is the problem.

Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:

So Arjuna is speaking of trailokya-rājyasya. He is ascertaining that "Even if I get the kingdom of the three worlds, what to speak of only this earthly planet, what is insignificant, even if I get the kingdom of trailokya, svarga, martya, pātāla, like that, still, I am not prepared to fight with my kinsmen, what to speak of this earthly planet." He decided like that. This is called family attachment. He is speaking, "Even in exchange of kingdom of the three worlds, I am not prepared to fight."

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:

The same principles were followed. No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication. Because the king was very strong. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he saw that a black man was going to kill one cow, immediately he took his sword: "Who are you? I shall kill you immediately." That was king's stricture. So the Kali was ordered to get out of his kingdom. He begged of his life: "Sir, you are going to kill me. But it is my time. I have now come, and it is my business, cow-killing. So what can I do? This is my business." So Mahārāja Parīkṣit understood that now the Kali-yuga is coming. So it is his business. So "I am as king. How can I stop his business?" That is also another problem.

Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:

So if this is the system in our ordinary life, then the aim of life should be to satisfy the supreme governor, or supreme government. It is very common sense. But they have no supreme government. They think, "Whatever government we make, that is final." No. There are so many kingdoms, so many planets. In each planet there is government, there is authority, and above all of them, there is the supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). This is the śāstric injunction. There are many controller. In this planet there is controller. There is another planet, another planet. Even Brahma is the controller of the whole universe. Just like in our government there is system.

Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:

The difference is a good citizen is always trying to satisfy the government by abiding the laws given by the government. So therefore our ultimate goal is to satisfy the supreme government, Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme. These universes, they are Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. There are many kingdoms. Just like we have got many universes within this material world, similarly, there are many spiritual planets in the spiritual world. These are common-sense affairs. Why people will not understand? Therefore our business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, to become perfect, satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Viṣṇur ārādhyate (CC Madhya 8.58). So how viṣṇur ārādhyate?

Lecture on BG 1.44 -- London, July 31, 1973:

"There is violence. There is violence. Bhagavad-gītā is full of violence." Yes, it is full of violence. The warfield. But here the Vaiṣṇava thinking, Arjuna is thinking that it was arranged for his rājya-sukha. Yad rājya-sukha-lobhena. Lobhena. It was arranged for the satisfaction of Arjuna so that he could enjoy the kingdom and the happiness thereof. Actually, it was not so. It was arranged by Kṛṣṇa for His satisfaction, not for Arjuna's satisfaction. So that is the difference between ordinary work and devotional service. Devotional service and ordinary work, they look almost equal. Just like we are living in this house. The neighbors, they may think that "Some people are living here, chanting, dancing. We also dance. We also sometimes sing.

Lecture on BG 1.44 -- London, July 31, 1973:

So here, in the beginning, Arjuna, he's thinking in terms of his blunt senses. But the same thing he will do. Ātyantikam, atīndriya, purified senses. Just try to understand. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Arjuna is now thinking, yad rājya-sukha-lobhena (BG 1.44), "For the matter of getting kingdom and sense gratification, I am going to kill my kinsmen. So it is great sin." That's a fact. If the warfare in the Kurukṣetra battlefield was for Arjuna's sense satisfaction, then it was a great sin. But actually, it is not being done for Arjuna's satisfaction. It is to be done for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. So therefore the conclusion should be that whatever we do, if we do it for our own sense satisfaction, that is mahā-pāpam, sinful activities. But if we do the same thing for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, that is spiritual advancement. This is the difference.

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

So as we have lost our Vedic culture, as we could not control the others, other people in other part of the world, by our culture, by our political maneuver, we have lost. Even up to the day of Battlefield of Kurukṣetra... Why Kurukṣetra? Up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole world was being controlled by one king in New Delhi, Hastināpura. There was no other kingdom. And when the battlefield was..., the battle was there, all people from all parts of body, all parts of the world, they joined, either this party or that party. That was the battlefield.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

Even Mahatma Gandhi, he was so attached that he would not retire from political life—unless he was killed. The attachment was so strong. But after passing away of Mahatma Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru or so many big, big leaders, the world is going on. There is a Bengali proverb that "When the king dies, it does not mean the kingdom stops." The kingdom goes on. But when, so long, the leader or the person in charge remains there, he thinks that "Without me, everything will be spoiled." This is called māyā. This is called illusion.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna, he, in the beginning, he denied to fight. That, our subject matter. He was crying. "No, no, I cannot fight." So apparently Arjuna was very nice gentleman that he is forgetting his claim over the kingdom, he's nonviolent, he's not willing to fight with his brothers, and he was crying so compassionate. So from materialistic point of view, he was very nice. But immediately, as we'll begin tomorrow, Kṛṣṇa says that "Why you are thinking like anārya?" Anārya. Anārya-juṣṭam. "This kind of thinking is not for āryas, Āryans. It is for the non-Āryans." He did not... And the whole Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to Arjuna to make him ārya. And at the end, Kṛṣṇa inquired from Arjuna that "What is your decision?" Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63) But Arjuna replied, kariṣye tad-vacanam.

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa's within and without, and one who has no sense of this understanding is the greatest fool, the greatest pretender."

"I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not even be able to destroy it if I win an unrivalled kingdom on the earth with sovereignty like that of the demigods in heaven (BG 2.8).

"Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, chastiser of enemies, told Kṛṣṇa, 'Govinda, I shall not fight,' and fell silent (BG 2.9).

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

"Kṛṣṇa, I have to fight with my relatives." So he was crying, that "This is not very good business." So why he was crying? Kṛpayāviṣṭam: being merciful upon them. They were so cruel upon the Pāṇḍavas that they insulted their wife, they tricked how to take away their kingdom. All this injustice was done to them. Still, because Arjuna is a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, still, he was sympathetic: "No, no, let them do whatever they have done, but I am not going to kill them." So kṛpayāviṣṭam aśru-pūrṇākulekṣaṇam (BG 2.1), viṣīdantam. Bhagavān uvāca. Then, after Arjuna being silent not to fight, then Bhagavān... Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān. Bhagavān means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences. That is called Bhagavān.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

"They are not only my grandfather. They are guru. And mahānubhāvān, very great personality, Bhīṣmadeva, Droṇācārya. So if I kill them and if I live prosperously, taking the kingdom, do You think it is all right that I live on the blood of my guru and great personalities? Do You think it is all right?" Of course, he says,

na caitad vidmaḥ kataran no garīyo

yad vā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ

yān eva hatvā na jijīviṣāmas

te 'vasthitāḥ pramukhe dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ

(BG 2.6)

"Kṛṣṇa, actually I am puzzled. It is my duty to fight, but now I am puzzled whether I shall fight or not fight because, after all, the other side, they are my relatives, family members, dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ. Dhṛtarāṣṭra is my elder brother of my father, and his sons they are my cousin-brothers. So I am puzzled whether I shall fight." He plainly explained his position that "Not that I have become anārya. I have got sufficient strength. I can fight, but I am puzzled whether I shall fight in this case or not."

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

The whole world was at that time Indian empire. Not Indian exactly. Bhārata-varṣa. Now we have imitated some name, Bhārata, the "Indian," "Hindustan." But formerly the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. So when he saw that one black man was trying to kill one cow, immediately he took his sword: "Immediately I shall kill you. Who are you, killing cows in my kingdom?" This is kṣatriya's business. So... But there is no kṣatriya now because so many cows are being killed. Nobody is protesting. It is the duty of the kṣatriya to protect every living entity born in the land, in his kingdom. It is not that, as it is going on now, that only the human beings should be protected and not the animals.

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

Dyūtaṁ pānaṁ striyaḥ sūnā yatrādharmaś catur-vidhaḥ (SB 1.17.38). Striya, illicit connection with woman, is sinful life. Unnecessarily killing animals, that is sinful life. Intoxication, that is sinful life. Gambling, that is also sinful life. When this Kali was excused, he surrendered himself to Mahārāja Parīkṣit that "You have asked me to go out of your kingdom, but where is out of your kingdom? The whole world is your kingdom. So kindly give me some place where I can stay." So Mahārāja Parīkṣit gave him these four places, that "You can stay where illicit sex life is going on." That mean prostitution. "And unnecessary animals are killed, slaughterhouse." Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta (SB 1.17.38).

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

So at that time, Kali could not find out such place, throughout the whole world. So he was disturbed. So there was conspiracy to kill Mahārāja Parīkṣit because the Kali could understand that so long Mahārāja Parīkṣit would live, it is impossible to find out a slaughterhouse or a brothel or a drinking house or gambling place. No.

So the kingdom was so nice. We have got description from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, many. The monarchy was so nice that because they were trained up, rājarṣi... They were not ordinary kings. They were as good as great sages and great saintly person. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

Even in 500 years ago when Sanātana Gosvāmī was minister of Nawab Hussein Shah... Sanātana Gosvāmī wanted to resign. He wanted to join Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. So when the Nawab understood that Sanātana Gosvāmī... His name was Dabir Khas. He changed his name. So he said, "No, you cannot resign. Then my whole kingdom will be topsy-turvied. I completely depend, dependent on you." So Sanātana Gosvāmī said, "My, Your Majesty, I am no more able to serve you. Kindly excuse me." Then the Nawab said that "Then I shall punish you. I am Nawab. I am king." So Sanātana Gosvāmī said, "Yes, you can punish me because you are representative of God."

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

When one person constructs a very new, very nice house, he invites his relatives and his friends to show them that "Now I have become so opulent." So Arjuna is thinking in that term, that "Suppose I conquer over and I get the kingdom. But if my relatives and brothers are dead, whom shall I show?" This is another kind of vairāgya. How this material relationship makes one foolish, Arjuna is playing the part of a foolish man, and Kṛṣṇa will chastise him. We shall see later on. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

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

The man who has left it, he would come; he will collect. You cannot take." Even hundred years ago. So this capital punishment is required. Nowadays the capital punishment is excused. Murderers are not hanged. This is all mistake, all rascaldom. A murderer must be killed. No mercy. Why a human killer? Even an animal killer should be immediately hanged? That is kingdom. The king should be so strict.

Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973:

For a kṣatriya... A brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī can beg, can beg alms, but not a kṣatriya, not a vaiśya. That is not allowed. So he was a kṣatriya, Arjuna. So he says, "Better I shall take the profession of a brāhmaṇa and beg from door to door instead of enjoy the kingdom by killing my guru." That was his proposal. So on the whole, Arjuna is illusioned—illusioned in the sense that he is forgetting his duty. He is a kṣatriya, his duty is to fight; never mind the opposite party, even he is son, a kṣatriya will not hesitate to kill his son even if he is inimical. Similarly, the son, if the father is inimical, he would not hesitate to kill his father.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

So at that time, I think, in your country the Prime Minister was Mr. Chamberlain. And he went to see Hitler to stop the war. But he would not. So similarly, in this fight, to the last point, Kṛṣṇa tried to avoid the war. He proposed to Duryodhana that "They are kṣatriyas, your cousin-brothers. You have usurped their kingdom. Never mind, you have taken some way or other. But they are kṣatriyas. They must have some means of livelihood. So give them, five brothers, five villages. Out of the whole world empire, you give them five villages." So he... "No, I am not going to part with even an inch of land without fight." Therefore, under such condition, the fight must be there.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

So his actual duty was to fight with the enemy. They were offering fight. For a kṣatriya there are some obligations. If somebody challenges that "I want to fight with you," a kṣatriya cannot deny. If somebody challenges, "Yes, I want to bet with you, gambling," a kṣatriya cannot deny. And for that reason, the Pāṇḍavas lost their kingdom. The other side, his cousins, offered them, that "All right, let us come to betting." So betting, the bid was they offered the kingdom. "Now, if you, if you," I mean to say, "defeated, if you are defeated, then you lose your kingdom." So they lost their kingdom. Then the next, next offer was that "If you are defeated, you lost your wife." So they lost their wife.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

Now, he says that "I am so perplexed that my lamentation cannot be satisfied even if I get the kingdom of the universe. I am going to fight for the kingdom only of this earth, or the India." Of course, formerly, India means Bhārata. Now India is a name given by the foreigners. The real name of this planet is Bhāratavarṣa, this planet. Now, gradually, it has been cut up. It has been cut up, just like we have got immediate experience that some portion of India is now cut up, and that is named Pakistan. You know, all. Similarly, this whole planet, five thousand years before, this whole planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. Bhāratavarṣa.

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

na hi prapaśyāmi mamāpanudyād

yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām

avāpya bhūmāv asapatnam ṛddhaṁ

rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam

(BG 2.8)

"I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not be able to destroy it if even if I win an unrivalled kingdom on the earth with sovereignty like that of the demigods in heaven."

Prabhupāda: Na hi prapaśyāmi mamāpanudyād. This is the position of material existence. We are sometimes in difficulty. Not sometimes. Always, we are in difficulty, but we call it sometimes, because to get over the difficulty, we make some attempt, and that attempt—making is taken as happiness. Actually there is no happiness. But sometimes, with the hope that: "By this attempt, I shall become happy in future,"... As the so-called scientists are dreaming: In future, we shall become without death." So many, they are dreaming. But those who are sane persons, they say: "Trust no future, however pleasant."

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

Therefore one has to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme guru, or His representative. Then all these troubles, means ignorance, can be dissipated. Yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām (BG 2.8).

So now Kṛṣṇa may say: "There are, that's all right. You are, for temporarily... You go on fighting. And when you will get the kingdom, you'll be happy. There is no need of making Me guru. Neither it is..." Just like ordinary men, they think that: "We are earning so much money. What is the use of making a guru? I can understand everything in my own way." And another rascal is: "Yes, yata mata tata patha. Whatever their opinion, that's all right. You can make your own opinion."

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

This is our position. So why this position? Because these wives are rivals. Here: sapatnyam ṛddham. If there are many kings to claim one property, there is difficulty. And Arjuna says: avāpya bhūmāv asaptnyam ṛddham (BG 2.8). "Getting riches for which there is no other claimant. I am the only proprietor, even if I get such riches, rājyam, such kingdom, surāṇām api cādhipatyam, not only kingdom of this world, but also kingdom of higher planetary system..." These men are trying to go to the moon planet. But there is, that is also another kingdom, another kingdom. So that kingdom belongs to the higher living entities, those who are known as demigods. They are very powerful. Just like Indra. Indra is very powerful controller of the rains. He has got the thunderbolt.

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

There is no yajnic brāhmaṇa. This is the only yajña: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and dance in ecstasy. This is the only yajña.

So rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam (BG 2.8). Formerly there were many demons who conquered over the kingdom of the demigods. Rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He spread his authority even over the kingdom of Indra. Indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛdayanti yuge yuge (SB 1.3.28). Indrāri. Indrāri means the enemy of Indra. Indra is the king of the heavenly planets, and enemy means the demons. The demigods and their enemy, demons. Just like we have got many enemies. Because we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, there are so many critics and so many enemies also. They do not like. So this is always. Now the number has increased. Formerly, there were some. Now there are many.

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

Eternal. As Kṛṣṇa is eternal, His name is also eternal. Pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ nitya-muktaḥ. There is no material conception in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. Nāma, the holy name and the Lord, they are abhinna, identical. So we cannot be happy... Rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam (BG 2.8). Even if we get the kingdom of the demigods, asapatya, without any rival, still we cannot be happy so long we have got material conception of life. It is not possible. That is explained in this verse.

Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968:

Devotee: Start at verse 8. "I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses. I will not even be able to destroy it if I win an unrivaled kingdom on the earth with sovereignty like that of the demigods in heaven (BG 2.8). Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, chastiser of the enemy told Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, 'I shall not fight,' and fell silent (BG 2.9). O descendant of Bharata, at that time Kṛṣṇa, smiling in the midst of both the armies, spoke the following words to the grief-stricken Arjuna (BG 2.10). The Blessed Lord said..."

Prabhupāda: So when we become very serious in a dangerous position, as if we are lost, but Kṛṣṇa smiles. You see? Sometimes we think... This is called illusion. The same example, just a man in dreaming, crying, "There is tiger, there is tiger. It is eating me," and the man who is awakened, he smiles, "Where is the tiger?"

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- London, August 15, 1973:

Guru's duty is... A śiṣya, a disciple, comes to the guru for enlightenment. Everyone is born foolish. Everyone. Even the human beings, because they are coming from the animal kingdom by evolution, so the birth is the same, ignorance, like animals. Therefore, even though one is human being, he requires education. The animal cannot take education, but a human being can take education. Therefore śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate vid-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). I have several times recited this verse, that now... In the lower than human being condition, we have to work very hard simply for four necessities of life: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

And Arjuna, after seeing the other party, that the other party, all of them belonged to his family, all family members, because it was fight between cousin brothers, so he became compassionate. Compassionately, he said to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I don't wish to fight. Let my cousin brothers enjoy the kingdom. I cannot kill them in this fight." This is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gītā. But Kṛṣṇa induced him that "You are a kṣatriya. It is your duty to fight. Why you are deviating from your duty?"

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

This is called philosophy; this is called logic.

Now, here, in this world, we have got experience that we want to love somebody. Anyone. Even in animal kingdom. A lion also loves the cubs. The love is there. Prema, it is called prema. So therefore this loving affair is there also in God. And when we come in contact with God our dealings will be simply on the basis of love. I love Kṛṣṇa, or God, and Kṛṣṇa loves me. This is our exchange of feelings. So in this way, the science of God, even without reading any Vedic literature—of course, that will help you—if you have deeply studied what is God, you can understand God. Because I am a sample of God, I am minute particle.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Rotary Club Address -- Hotel Imperial, Delhi, March 25, 1976:

So there was fight. So when fight was arranged, then Arjuna... He was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. (aside to someone talking:) Please stop. He declined fight. He said to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa"—Kṛṣṇa was his friend—"I don't like this fight because they are my cousin-brothers. Although they have usurped my kingdom, let them enjoy it. I don't wish to fight with them." But Kṛṣṇa declined. Kṛṣṇa said, "No, you have to fight. Your duty is to fight." Then Arjuna placed before Him so many ideas that "If I kill my brother, then my brothers' wives will be widow and they may be polluted, then unwanted children, varṇa-saṅkara, will come out, and when the varṇa-saṅkara population is filling, then the whole world becomes a hell." So many arguments.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972:

Even there is fight, there is religion, there is piety. Even by killing and being killed. Two kṣatriyas are fighting. Either he kills or he is being killed, in both ways they are profited. That will be explained. Just like Arjuna was advised that "My dear Arjuna, why you are hesitating to fight? Both ways you'll be benefited. If you can kill your enemies, then you get the kingdom, you enjoy. And if you are killed, then you are promoted to the heavenly planets. So where is your loss? Where is your loss?" This is the instruction given. A kṣatriya who is fighting for the real cause, as sanctioned by the dharma-śāstras, when both ways he's profited. If he becomes victorious, he's profited, but if he's killed in the battle, he's also profited. Both ways.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:

That's a fact, we can examine by our intelligence. Out of 8,400,000 different forms of life, we civilized human beings are very few. But others, their number is very great. Just like in the water. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. There are 900,000 species of life within the water. Sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati; and 2,000,000 different forms of life in the vegetable kingdom, plants and trees. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyayaḥ. And the insects, they are 110,000 different species of form. Kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyayaḥ pakṣīṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. And birds, they are 1,000,000 species of forms. Then beasts, paśavas triṁśa-lakṣāṇi, 3,000,000 types of animals, four-legged. And catur-lakṣāṇi mānuṣaḥ, and the human being the forms are 400,000. Out of them, most of them are uncivilized.

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

He must be hurt on the chest, front side. That is kṣatriya. That means he has fought nicely. There is injury on the chest, not in the back side. Back side injury means he was fleeing. So kṣatriya's determination is, either you own the battle or die in the battle. That will be explained. "If you own the battle, then enjoy. You have got the kingdom. But if you die in the battle, you go to the heaven. Because you have fought for the right cause, you will go to the heaven." So killing, killing is very bad, but killing for the sake of right cause of fighting, or killing in the sacrifice, they are not sinful. Sometimes in the Vedas killing is recommended, just like in the fight or in the sacrifice, but that is not sinful. Sometimes a brāhmaṇa is sacrificing, offering, performing great sacrifice, and the animal is put into the fire just to give him renovated, new life, not for killing, just to test how Vedic mantras are being properly pronounced.

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

"Whatever you want you can ask from me," and if the man says, "Kindly give me a pinch of ashes." It is like that. If we ask from God for some material benefit, it means that I am asking from a king a pinch of ashes. When king says that "You ask whatever you want," he can say, "So give me half the kingdom." That should be the prayer. And why a pinch of ash? Similarly, it is our foolishness. When we ask for bread, "O God, give us our daily bread," that means I am asking. The bread is already there. Why for you? For everyone, for all living entities, the bread is already there given by God. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The elephant is not going to the church for praying, "Give me food."

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:

Similarly, God is also present. He spreads heat and light, and therefore we find so many varieties of manifestation. Just like... This example is very perfect. Just like the light is here, it is localized, but it is spreading its illumination all over this room. The light is situated in one place. Similarly, God is situated in His kingdom or in His place; still, He is present everywhere. He is present within your heart. He is present even within the atom.

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

It is entrapped by smelling lotus flower, within the lotus flower, and loses its life. So by different sense gratification, the different kinds of animals, they are losing their life. And we have got all our senses active. So where we are? These examples are for animal kingdom whose one sense is only active. But our all senses are active. Then what is our position? You see? This example is given in the Bhāgavata. A man has got six wives, and he has entered the house, and all the wives have captured him, "You come to my room." You see? So one has taken his one hand, another has taken another hand, one has taken his one leg, one has taken, so he's like this: "Where shall I go?" You see? So this is our position. Human being, whether they shall control the senses... Instead of controlling the senses, they are becoming servant of senses and losing their, this great opportunity of human life. Yes.

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

No. Anyone within this material world, they are entrapped by this sense enjoyment. Either in higher planets or lower planets. Just like animal kingdom there is sense impetus, and human being also. What this human being? We are civilized being, what we are doing? The same thing. Eating, sleeping, mating. The same thing as the dog is doing. So anywhere in the material world, either in the higher planet or in the lower planet, this sense gratification is prominent. Only in the spiritual world there is no sense gratification. There is simply an endeavor to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is... Here everyone is trying to satisfy his senses.

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

This is all nonsense. Sanātana-dharma means you first of all you must know what you are. That is sanātana-dharma. Is it... Is sanātana-dharma is limited to a certain area? How it can be? Sarva-gataḥ. Sanātana-dharma must be there everywhere. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everywhere, Kṛṣṇa's kingdom, Kṛṣṇa's property. How is that you are simply claiming that "India, there is sanātana-dharma"? "In India there is brāhmaṇa"? What Kṛṣṇa creates, that is for everywhere. Because Kṛṣṇa is the father of everyone. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). So this rascaldom, that sanātana-dharma is only in India, and that is also cut off... "Now, the Pakistan is cut off, and therefore there is no sanātana-dharma. Simply in here."

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

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is all explained where yoga system is described. And five thousand years ago, Arjuna was hearing about this yoga, controlling senses. So he was a gṛhastha, and politician also, because he belonged to the royal family. He was fighting for gaining victory over the kingdom. So Arjuna frankly said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me to become a yogi because this is very difficult job. You are asking me to sit down in a solitary place, in a sacred place, and in perpendicular state, simply looking on the point of your nose, of my nose, so many things You are... But it is not possible for me." He frankly refused. So Kṛṣṇa, just to encourage His friend and devotee...

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

Now why the kṣatriyas... It is said in the śāstra if a kṣatriya dies in the fight, then he is promoted to the heavenly kingdom to take birth because he is fighting for the right cause so he is promoted. As in this world also, if you fight for some right cause, you are rewarded. Even after your death, your memory is commemorated. Just like in your country so many brave soldiers, leaders, they have died, but you have honored them by keeping their statues because they fought and died for right cause, whatever we think, right or wrong.

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

So the kṣatriyas, this is the Vedic injunction, who dies for the right cause, he is promoted to the heavenly planet. Now Kṛṣṇa says "Now it is a great opportunity for you. Suppose either you or your grandfather, the opposite party, die in this fight, so your promotion to heavenly planet is sure. And if you gain, then you get the kingdom. Both ways it is profitable for you." Go on.

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

Devotee: "Your enemies will describe you in many unkind words and scorn your ability. What could be more painful for you (BG 2.36)?" 37: "O son of Kuntī, either you will be killed on the battlefield and attain the heavenly planets or you will conquer and enjoy the earthly kingdom. Therefore get up and fight with determination (BG 2.37)." 38: "Do thou fight for the sake of fighting without considering happiness or distress, loss or gain (BG 2.38)."

Prabhupāda: This is duty. One has to execute duty without any consideration of loss and gain. That is duty, observing duty. Just see. "You are kṣatriya. There is necessity of this fighting. So you should not consider whether you are gaining or losing. It is your duty to fight." Go on.

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

So similarly, kṣatriyas' duty is also to see whether brāhmaṇas are doing their duty. So kṣatriyas were not needed to see the brāhmaṇas, they were so advanced brāhmaṇas that they were beyond examination of the kṣatriyas. But another duty of the kṣatriya is that people are being educated spiritually. That is kṣatriya's duty. Or the king of a kingdom is looking over the citizens, that they are properly being trained up. This is... If one king is not properly... Just like in some states at the present moment... What is called? Secular. Secular means they have meant like that, that "You do all nonsense; we don't care. You pay me tax, that's all. Income tax. And you go to hell. It doesn't matter."

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

Why? Because there is no good king. This is the cause. So the whole Battlefield of Kurukṣetra was arranged by Kṛṣṇa so that these irresponsible rogues, dressed as kings, should be all killed. That was the plan of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Duryodhana. Duryodhana, in the dress of a king, he was a rogue. He cheated the Pāṇḍavas by gambling. "You bet your wife, you bet your kingdom." In this way, they were devotees, simple, cheated them. So Kṛṣṇa wanted to see that these cheaters and rogues must be killed. That was His plan. Therefore He said, yadṛcchayā copapannaṁ svarga-dvāram apāvṛtam: "Arjuna, you are hesitating to fight, but it is a great opportunity for you. Because as a kṣatriya, if you kill these cheaters and rogues, that will be a great achievement for you.

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

Because as a kṣatriya, if you kill these cheaters and rogues, that will be a great achievement for you. And even though you cannot kill them, if you die yourself, then the heavenly door is open for you." Because a kṣatriya who dies in the battlefield for the right cause, he goes to the heaven. If he conquers over the enemy, he enjoys the kingdom. And if he dies... But the cause must be right. Svarga-dvāram.

yadṛcchayā copapannaṁ

svarga-dvāram apāvṛtam

sukhinaḥ kṣatriyāḥ pārtha

labhante yuddham īdṛśam

Yuddham means a political fight. Nowadays. Just like in our India, Pakistan and Hindustan, they are always planning fighting. That is political.

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

There are many instances. Just like Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, he was a pious king. In Bengali there is a proverb—rājar doṣe rāja naṣṭo doṣe gṛhastha bhraṣṭa.(?) If the king is not pious, then the whole kingdom is spoiled. Similarly if the housewife is not good, the whole family is spoiled. Everyone has got this experience. So, the king must be very honest, pious, religious. Therefore they are called rājarṣi. Although they are king, but they are just like saintly person. Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. They were saintly. Rājarṣi. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Sometimes we are accused that we go to preach amongst the richer section.

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

Because if the king is educated nicely in spiritual affair, if he knows what is the purpose of kingdom, what is the purpose of ruling, then all the citizens automatically become religious, purposeful. And if the king is a rascal, the leader is a rascal, naturally all others will follow, and they will become rascals. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Fourth Chapter, you'll find that Kṛṣṇa was teaching, first-off, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). He taught this philosophy to the sun-god. There are two kṣatriya families—sūrya-vaṁśa and candra-vaṁśa. One family's coming from the sun-god, another family's coming from the moon-god. So Kṛṣṇa said, because sun was the principal man in the kṣatriya family of sūrya-vaṁśa. So he was taught first.

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

So one brāhmaṇa, he used to come and see Lord Rāmacandra. Then he would take, break his fasting, breakfast. That was his principle, regulative principle. So Lord Rāmacandra was absent for a week or so from the kingdom, and the brāhmaṇa did not take even a little water because he could not see Lord Rāmacandra. Such a devotee. So Lakṣmaṇa informed King Rāmacandra that "Here is a devotee, brāhmaṇa. You were absent from the kingdom for one week, so he did not take even a drop of water." So Lord Rāmacandra was very much pleased. Then He ordered Lakṣmaṇa that "You give him that Deity which was being worshiped in our family, now it is stopped." So He delivered that Deity Rāmacandra to the brāhmaṇa, that "When Lord Rāmacandra is absent from the kingdom, you can worship."

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

So if one follows these four principles, naturally he is sinless automatically. And if the whole population is sinless, then where is the possibility of judging or bringing the criminal? When Kali was awarded four places. He was first of all ordered by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. As soon as he saw that this black man is going to kill one cow, "Oh, who are you in my kingdom? You are trying to kill a cow?" He took his sword, "I shall kill you," immediately. So he fell down. "Sir, I am also your subject, and this is my business, killing. So what can I do? I must have some means of livelihood." Just like this butcher. His means of livelihood is to kill animal. So if the animal slaughterhouse is closed, then there will be so much unemployment. The butcher must have chance of killing. So that is not law, "Oh, butcher must have also employment." No. "Therefore slaughterhouse must be maintained." Not that.

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

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said that "You cannot live in my kingdom. I cannot provide you with any employment. You must go out." So at that time, Parīkṣit Mahārāja was the emperor of the whole world, whole planet. So he said, "Sir, where shall I go out? The whole planet is your kingdom. Where shall I go out of your kingdom? Where is that place?" So Parīkṣit Mahārāja considered that. So, "All right, then you can remain in these four places." Striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ. "Where illicit sex life, brothel, prostitute's house, you can remain there. Striyaḥ sūnā, slaughterhouse. Or unnecessarily where animals are killed, you can remain there." Striyaḥ sūnā pānam. "

Lecture on BG 2.36-37 -- London, September 4, 1973:

Pradyumna: Should be "certainly." Translation: "O son of Kuntī, either you will be killed on the battlefield and attain the heavenly planets, or you will conquer and enjoy the heavenly kingdom."

Prabhupāda: You are noting down the mistakes and...? Noting down the mistakes, yes.

Pradyumna: Note down, yes. "Therefore get up and fight with determination."

Prabhupāda: So Arjuna's position is very precarious. There is a Bengali proverb naste bose bhunkata.(?) A girl, he, she is very famous dancing girl. So it is the system... As we have introduced, the girls and ladies, they have their veil, guṇṭhana. It is called guṇṭhana in Indian language. So a dancing girl, when she was on the stage, she saw that so many of her relatives are there as visitors.

Lecture on BG 2.36-37 -- London, September 4, 1973:

Because you are fighting for the right cause, it becomes puṇyavān, righteous. The heavenly planet is meant for righteous persons. So by dying, by your death in this righteous fighting, you'll be promoted to the heavenly planets. So both ways you will be profited." Hato vā prāpsyasi svargam and jitvā vā bhokṣyase mahīm. "And if you become victorious, then you enjoy the kingdom. So both ways you are profited. There is no loss on your part. Tasmāt, therefore uttiṣṭha kaunteya yuddhāya kṛta niścayaḥ. Kṛta niścayaḥ. Definitely decide it that: 'I must fight. Fighting must be there.' Yuddhāya. For matter of fighting, uttiṣṭha, get up. Why are you sitting like coward?" Encouraging.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

The best thing is that why not finish cent percent in this life? Why should we indulge in materialistic way of life, sense gratification? That we have tried in many lives. This is human form of life, and there were many other lives also. We have been in the water, aquatics; we have been in the vegetable kingdom; we have been animals; we have been worms. So many. This is the highest boon. Labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. After many, many births, millions of births, here is another form of body, human form of body, and especially in the civilized society, in well-to-do society. So just try to utilize it. How to utilize it to... The consciousness, the present consciousness, polluted consciousness should be rectified to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

Just like Mahārāja Bharata, he was the emperor of the world, and at the age of twenty-four years he gave up everything. Mahārāja Bharata is a very... Long, long ago he appeared. But Lord Buddha, he was also princely order, and he was young man. He also gave up everything, his father's kingdom, everything. That you know because Lord Buddha is known at the present moment.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

The āhāra... Āhāra means eating, nidrā means sleeping, and bhaya, bhaya means fearing, and maithuna, maithuna means sexual intercourse. So these four things, four principles of life, there is in the animal kingdom and in the human kingdom. But the human kingdom, the human body is distinct from the animal body in the respect, in this respect, that in human society there is religion. Religion. Generally we understand as religion. Religion means a culture of the spirit soul. It may be in different way understood in different countries, but the whole idea is to understand the spirit soul. So dharmeṇa hīnaḥ paśubhiḥ samānaḥ. If the human society is not very eager to understand the real position of the soul or consciousness, then he is no better than the animals.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

Now, just like in your Christian religion. Lord Jesus Christ, he claimed himself that he is coming from God as son of God to reclaim to back to Godhead, back to home. That is the mission. Every, every reformer or every great religious leader or God Himself, He comes on this earth to reclaim these conditioned soul to back to Godhead, back to the kingdom of Godhead. That is the whole idea of incarnation. Now, at the present moment... Not at the present moment. Practically always, the people, by material contact they forget their relation, their relationship with the Supreme Lord, their constitutional position. Now, this, whatever we earn, if not the whole thing, but if at least some portion of our income we engage in the service of the Lord for propagating the teaching of God consciousness, that is engaging our fruitive activities, the result of our fruitive activities, in the service of the Lord. And another thing, if we want to prosecute our spiritual life, then there are certain formulas.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

This is a training period. This life will be a training period, and as soon as you are fully trained up, then the next result will be that after giving up this body you come to My kingdom." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9).

So this is the whole process. So that sort of business which will lead us to the position when we shall be dovetailed, we shall be dovetailed with the supreme consciousness... Just like this morning I was giving an example. Just like one motorcar is passing on in sixty miles' speed, and a cyclist also going on. If the cyclist catches the motorcar, he can also proceed with the same speed, sixty miles' speed, without even pedalling.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

Now, the beginning. In the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna, in the battlefield, he was perplexed whether to fight or not to fight. That was his problem. First of all he thought that "My cousin-brothers, they have given me so much trouble. They have usurped my kingdom. So I must fight with them and retake my lost kingdom." That is determination. Again, when actually in the battlefield he saw his brothers and his friends... Because it was a family quarrel, so in both the sides all the friends and relatives, they joined, either to this party or that party. But the beauty is that Arjuna became compassionate, that "Why should I fight simply for the kingdom? How long I shall remain in the kingdom? Let me not to, not fight, let me not to fight. I'll not... I shall not fight."

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

Now, this "Yes, I shall fight", this "I", and the former "I"—"I shall not fight"—so there is vast difference. The former "I" is the representative of mental speculation, when Arjuna decided that "I shall not fight. They are my relatives, they are my brothers; I cannot fight with them for the matter of kingdom. Rather, I shall forego; I shall become a beggar. I shall... I don't want this kingdom." He argued like that. But after reading Bhagavad-gītā, he said that "My illusion is now removed." Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā: "My illusion is now removed, and I have got my consciousness by Your mercy. By Your mercy."

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

People are working whole day hard. So the Bhāgavata, Bhāgavata has diagnosed why they are so much enthusiastic in working so hard. Now, yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). The only impetus is that they will have some sex enjoyment. That's all. That is the end of all activities. The whole world is... Not only in human being. You'll find in the kingdom of the birds, in the beasts, that everyone is working, everyone is busy. Why? To end it into the sex life. That means in the this material conception of life everyone has become the servant of the senses. And in the spiritual conception of life he'll no longer be the servant of the senses, but he'll be the master of the senses.

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

Now, just, just take the same example of Arjuna. Now, Arjuna says that "I'll not fight. I'll not fight with my relatives and brothers for the sake of achieving some kingdom. No, no, no." Now, for the ordinary man it appears to be: "Oh, Arjuna is very nice man, nonviolent. He's giving up everything for the sake of his relatives. Oh, what a nice man he is." This is ordinary calculation. But what Kṛṣṇa says? "You are fool, damn fool number one." You see? And that we have already discussed. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like very learned man, but you are number fool one." Yes. This is the, I mean to say, reward given. "You are, you are declining to fight?

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

This is the gift of Lord Caitanya. Namo mahā-vadānyāya. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says, "You are the greatest of all charitable persons because You are offering the greatest boon." Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). "You are offering love of Kṛṣṇa, which will get me to the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa." This is the greatest gift to the human society. But the foolish persons they do not understand it. What can I do? Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). The māyā is very strong. If we say that "Here is a small booklet, Easy Journey to Other Planets," they'll not take it. They will make plan of how to go in other planet by sputniks, which is impossible. You cannot go anywhere. That is our conditioned life. Conditioned means you must stay here. You must stay here. Who is allowing to go other planet? For coming to, to take the permanent visa of your country, I had to fight so much, and you are going to moon planet?

Lecture on BG 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

That Kṛṣṇa says, "One who restrains the sense and organs of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects."

Just like Viśvāmitra Muni. There were many instances. He was a great king and he wanted to be yogi. And he went to forest, gave up his kingdom, went to forest. And he was meditating very seriously, and Indra, king of heaven, he sent some society girls of heavenly planet, Menakā. And she came. She began to dance before the closed-eyes yogi, and as soon as he heard, "Oh, there is very nice female voice and dancing," and as soon as he opened, he became captivated, embraced her. So everything gone. You see? So sense gratification, you cannot stop artificially. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

Now, rain, you have no control over rain. We shall come to that point in the next śloka. But if you perform yajñas rightly, you'll have got, you will have sufficient rains to produce everything. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's reign, his kingdom, his government was conducted in that way. Profusely, the nature was producing profusely. How profusely he was benefited by nature's gift, that is stated in the Bhāgavata. I shall recite that, I mean to say, verse before you and explain to you next. So iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ. If you perform this sacrifice, then your necessities will be supplied profusely by the agents of the Supreme Lord. So mind that always, that we are not going to be idle. We shall go on with our work, as we are doing. But at the same time, we must perform yajñas, or sacrifice for the Supreme.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

That yajña must be there. Yajña must be there. But so far we are concerned who are going to have Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have to take the instruction of Kṛṣṇa as He says in the Bhagavad-gītā. He says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26). He is asking foodstuff prepared from vegetable kingdom. Therefore we have to prepare things from vegetable kingdom nicely and very palatably and offer Kṛṣṇa and then take it. This yajña will make us free from all kinds of sins and our life will be sublime. Thank you very much. Any question?

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

It is not your arrangement. Rainfall is not your arrangement. It is supernatural arrangement. If there is regular rainfall, then it can produce all the necessities of our life.

I think, Carl, you were reading from the Bhagavad-gītā about Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's reign, during his kingdom how rainfall was regular, and the necessities of human being were being produced. So here is the same thing. Annāt. Anna, the grains. Grains are our life's subsistence, human being. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. And grains are produced by regular rainfall. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Parjanya means rainfall. And yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ: (BG 3.14) "And rainfall is produced when you offer yajña, sacrifice, to the Lord." Regular rainfall will be possible when people are engaged in the yajña. Otherwise, nature will control rainfall.

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

Before that, this planet was named as Ilāvṛtavarṣa, long, long years, millions of years before. But Jaḍa Bharata, he also lived ātma-rati, self-satisfied. In the beginning of his spiritual life he left this world, a very young age. When he was only twenty-four years old he left his wife, children, and kingdom. It is not joke. An emperor with beautiful young wife, small children, and palace—he left everything. There are many instances like that.

Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, about whom we pray daily, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau, this Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was also a young man and very rich man's son. At that time, five hundred years before, his father's income was, I mean to say, ten millions of rupees. So there are many instances in India we have got. But this Jaḍa Bharata, he left his kingdom and family and everything, and went for spiritual realization, self-realization.

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

So they gave up. When they joined Lord Caitanya's movement they gave up everything. They resigned from ministership. The Nawab Shah was very much sorry. He was interned, that "You cannot resign from this post. Then whole thing will be, whole, my plan, whole, my kingdom will be lost. I cannot allow you to resign." But they decided that, "No. No more." Then the Nawab Shah told him, "Then I put you into, under internment." So they were put into jail. So anyway, they came out. So this fact is narrated. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Tuccha means insignificant. Such high post and position, they left everything. Left everything.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Therefore formerly, monarchy, monarchy was current, and the king was educated very highly, how to administer state. Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, ideal king. Lord Rāmacandra, ideal king. Somebody came to Lord Rāmacandra and made Him responsible that "How Your kingdom is going that my son in the presence of his father has died?" You see, king was responsible for that. If there is severe cold, the king is responsible for that. If there is severe heat, the king is responsible for that.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

These boys are after God. It is not that I have shown him God, but they are realizing, understanding. Otherwise they are not so fool, they'll waste time. They are understanding. But it is not a subject matter to be seen like this. Neither you have got the eyes to see, neither God or His kingdom is visible in that way. It is to be realized, revelation. That is called revelation. But if you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, everything will be revealed to you. This is the process.

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

"Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous." Now, Arjuna was a military man, a kṣatriya. His business was to fight for the good cause. But in the battlefield he thought that "Why should I engage myself in this killing business? Better retire from it. If I don't get my kingdom, I shall rather beg." This begging business is for us.

Just like we are sannyāsī, or a brāhmaṇa. We are allowed to beg. We are not, of course, begging as professional beggar, but we introduce ourself as beggar. The Vedic culture is that a sannyāsī, when he comes to beg in a householder's house, he receives him very respectfully, and whatever he wants, they want to supply. But they do not want anything, but the introduction is that they take this opportunity of sitting in a householder's home and talk about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is their real business. They are not beggars.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

Even Mahārāja Parīkṣit, five thousand years before he was so responsible king that when he was on tour he saw that one cow was being attempted to be killed, and the cow was crying. At once the king stopped, "Who are you? In my kingdom a cow is crying? I shall immediately kill you." So the king was so responsible that even animal was not allowed to be dissatisfied, what to speak of man. So they were so responsible. Therefore they were called rājarṣi. Rājarṣi. And it is particularly, everything, knowledge is meant for high class of men. Low class of men, what they will understand?

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

Rāmāyaṇa fight and Mahābhārata fight, was conducted by Vaiṣṇavas, Arjuna and Hanumān. Therefore you do not know what is bhakti-yoga," I told him. The bhakta, for Kṛṣṇa's sake, he can do anything. But by nature, he's perfect. He does not commit any violence. Just like see Arjuna's character. He was so much harassed by the opposite party, his wife was insulted, his kingdom was, I mean to say, by unlawful means taken away, he was sent to forest for thirteen years. After so many troubles, he never tried to retaliate. He said, "All right, Kṛṣṇa, I don't want my kingdom. I cannot fight with my kinsmen."

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

The society is managed by the leaders, by the kings, by the brāhmaṇas. That is Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas, they give guidance according to the śāstra, and the king is trained up in such a way that he takes instruction from the saintly persons and brāhmaṇas and rules over the kingdom. Therefore it was so perfect.

We are aspiring after rāma-rājya. Why rāma-rājya? What is the difference between rāma-rājya and this rājya? There is difference. Rāma-rājya means responsible government. Even during the time of Lord Rāmacandra, one brāhmaṇa's son died. So he went to the king to challenge that "What kind of king you are that in the presence of the father the son is dying?"

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

So it is the duty of the government, the government officers, the head of the government—they should learn Bhagavad-gītā. Here it is said, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The rājas, the kings, the government, they understood. Therefore the kingdom was so peaceful, without any cares for the citizens. The citizens were also trained up very nicely, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Everyone is employed. It is the duty of the government to see that everyone is engaged. Otherwise, idle brain will manufacture devil's brain. They will manufacture so many things, and there will be chaos. In every country nowadays, all over the world, there is so much unemployment.

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

Not Brahmā, Indra, the king of heaven. The king of heaven, he made some offense under, on the feet of his spiritual master, Bṛhaspati, and he cursed him that "You are just like a hog. You take the birth of a hog." So he became a hog. Now, when the throne of the heavenly kingdom was vacant due to the absence of Indra—he has become a hog in this earth—so Brahmā came. Brahmā came that, "Mr. Such-and-such, you have now become hog for your offensive activities. Now I have come to deliver you. Please come with me." Now, the hog said, "Oh, I cannot go with you. I cannot go with you. Oh, I have got so many responsibilities. I have got my children. I have got my wife. I have got my country. I have got my society." The hog, he's... So even you offer the hog to take him to the heaven, he will refuse. "Oh, I have got so much responsibility." This is called forgetfulness. This is called forgetfulness.

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

Now the question may be "Why God and His representative do come? They are in superior nature. They are in the eternal kingdom. Why do they bother themselves to come here? Why do they bother themselves to come here?" This question may be raised. As soon as we hear that God and His representative come, so next question: "Why do they come?" Because we are, we do not know that they come to reclaim us. Therefore our question is "Why do they come?"

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

That very process will teach us the truth of the Kṛṣṇa science, and when we understand the Kṛṣṇa science, automatically we understand what is Kṛṣṇa, and as soon as we understand Kṛṣṇa, the next result is that after leaving this material, this present material body, we go at once to the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa. This is the whole process. Tyaktvā deham, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Then he does not come again to this miserable world. He goes back to Godhead, back to home.

Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:

We should always, whatever we hear from here, from this place, we should try to understand clearly without any doubt.

Just like Lord Kṛṣṇa says here, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9), that anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa's appearance, disappearance and activities, all these transcendental things, he goes back to the kingdom of Godhead after leaving this body. Now this fact should be clearly understood. So I am trying to make you understand it clearly, how it can be possible. This is possible in this way, that you have to think of Kṛṣṇa always, "How is that that Kṛṣṇa appears in His transcendental body and how He disappears?" So everything, scrutinizingly we have to understand.

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

Think like that. That is twice-born. That is twice-born. So Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya: (BG 9.32) "Anyone who takes shelter of Me, never mind what he is... Never mind he is. He may be lowborn, he may be a śūdra, he may be woman, he may be whatever he may be." Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim: "He can also go to My kingdom."

So our duty is to become twice-born. Just by culture, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, let us take another birth. Let us take another birth. Then you will be recognized brāhmaṇas. Brahmā jānāti. As soon as we know Kṛṣṇa, you are brāhmaṇa. Never mind whether you are born in America or Czechoslovakia or any other place. Doesn't matter. So try to become a brāhmaṇa. Here is a chance.

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

And as soon as he understands Kṛṣṇa, then his next life in the spiritual world is guaranteed.

So this is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the simple process introduced by Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya also supported this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa, that anyone is eligible for going back to the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa. This simple process. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. We have discussed that simply by knowing the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, we become eligible for entering into His kingdom, simply by knowing. So try to know. Try to study what is Kṛṣṇa.

And do you know what is the recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu?

Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:

You know that among the living entities, the germs are in very minute forms. You cannot see even with your microscope. In a, in a space of one millimeter, you can find millions of germs. That is a scientific truth. So beginning from the germs which are called... (to kids:) Please stop! Please stop!

Beginning from the germs up to the heavenly kingdom... The king of heaven is called Indra, and the smallest, minutest germ, it is also called indra-gopa in Sanskrit language. So in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that "Beginning from this indra up to that Indra..." That means "Beginning from the germ which is known as indra-gopa up to the point of the king who is also known as Indra, all of them are bound up by the reaction of his own karma, or his own work."

Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:

The repetition of birth and death is there also. Therefore your aim should be mad-dhāma... yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). "You have to go back to My planet, My kingdom. That will make you perfect."

So this work, good work or bad work from the material point of view, may be superficially very good. But what, how long I shall remain a rich man? How long I shall remain a beautiful man? This is not my permanent life. Suppose if my life is for hundred years, say. I can remain a rich man, I remain a learned man, I can remain a beautiful man, say, for fifty or sixty or hundred years, but your life is not for hundred years or sixty years or thousands years or millions of years. You are eternal. You have to attain your eternal life. That is the whole problem.

Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974:

And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Tāmasāḥ, tamo-guṇa, jaghanya, abominable, nasty, unclean, eating nasty things... Then jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. They go to the lower planetary system, Tala, Atala, Vitala, Pātāla, Rasātala, Talātala. There are so many planets. Or in the animal kingdom. So we are creating our next body, karmaṇā, by our work. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, karmaṇo hy api boddhavyam.

You must know, because you have to accept next body. You can talk foolishly, "No, there is no body." Bhasmī-bhūtasya... That is the atheistic theory, that after the body is burned into ashes, everything is finished. Big, big professors, big, big learned scholars, so-called scholars, they say like that, "Oh, there is no life. Everything is finished after this body is finished."

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

So he did not want to fight. And therefore this instruction of Bhagavad-gītā was needed by Kṛṣṇa. The whole basic principle is this. Now, that was Kṛṣṇa's, Arjuna's own satisfaction of the senses. Arjuna did not want to fight. Materially, it appears very nice that he is giving up his claim of kingdom for satisfying his relatives. Oh, he's very good man. But Kṛṣṇa did not approve it. Why? Because the basic principle was Arjuna decided to satisfy his own senses. Externally it appeared very nice. But anything which is done for the satisfaction of his own senses, that is kāma, kāma, lust, desire.

Lecture on BG 4.19-22 -- New York, August 8, 1966:

So grass cannot move. It has life, but it cannot move. So and... phalgūni tatra mahatām. Phalgūni, "those who are weak, they are being eaten by the..." Just like we find lizards. In your country you don't find lizards. In India we have got many lizards in the walls. They are eating small ants. Phalgūni mahatāṁ tatra. And in the snake, snake kingdom, you will find the small snakes are being by the big snake. Similarly, in sea water also, you will find small fishes are being eaten by the big fishes.

Lecture on BG 4.34 -- New York, August 14, 1966:

Because in this material world we don't get anything eternal. All, everything, temporary. Therefore it is called asat. Asato mā sad gama. The Vedic injunction is "Don't try to remain in this temporary world." Sad gama: "Just try to go to the eternal world." Tamaso mā jyotir gama: "Don't try to remain in this darkness. You go to the kingdom of light." These are Vedic injunctions. So Kṛṣṇa, He is within our heart. Hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ. Therefore, as soon as we become a little inclined towards Kṛṣṇa, then from within our heart He gives us favorable instruction so that we can gradually make progress, gradually.

Kṛṣṇa is the first spiritual master, and when we become more interested, then we have to go to a physical spiritual master. That is enjoined in the next verse.

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

Because, according to work, there are different position of life. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān (SB 1.8.26). By good work we get good heritage, birth in a very good place, in a high family, in rich family, aristocratic family. And with bad work we may get our birth even in the animal kingdom or lower grade family, poor family. These are Vedic estimation of good work and bad work. But for a person who is going to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no need either for good work or bad work because he has no need bondage again.

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

Revatīnandana: "But one who doubts the authority of Kṛṣṇa falls back. One is therefore advised to study the Bhagavad-gītā or any other scripture with a bona fide spiritual master, with service and surrender. A bone fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and there is not the slightest deviation from the instruction of the Personality of Godhead as it was imparted millions of years ago to the sun-god, from whom the instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā has come down to the earthly kingdom."

Prabhupāda: It is not very difficult. Just like in this Bhagavad-gītā the Supreme Personality of Godhead says that He is the Supreme, and He is advising, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ: "Just try to think of Me only, always." Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ: "And become My devotee." Mad-yājī: "Just worship Me."

Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:

Miseries. And yoga-yukto munir brahma na cireṇādhigacchati. But one who is dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even he is at home... It was particularly said to Arjuna that "You are thinking that you are, you'll not fight. Better, you are thinking, that you shall beg instead of killing your kinsmen. You do not want kingdom. But that is not a practical proposition. You, you, you just try to understand why you have to fight. What is the cause?" That means He was giving hint that "You'll have to fight for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you'll get happiness. Simply by leaving, simply by becoming mendicant, it will not help you."

Lecture on BG 6.1 -- Los Angeles, February 13, 1969:

That is not possible. Arjuna refused. And you'll find in this chapter when Arjuna was recommended, "My dear Arjuna, you meditate." He immediately refused. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me. It is not possible for me." That is actual fact. How it is possible for him? He was a householder man, he wanted kingdom, he wanted to rule over the country. Where is the time for his meditation? He flatly refused. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me." He said that controlling the mind: vāyor iva suduṣkaram. "It is as difficult as to control the air." That is a fact. You have to engage the mind in Kṛṣṇa. Then it is controlled. Otherwise, artificially you cannot control. It is impossible. Arjuna said, what to speak of others. Who is Arjuna? Personally talking with Kṛṣṇa. Do you think he is ordinary man? He said that it is impossible. Vāyor iva suduṣkaram.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

He saw. But when he saw, then he said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). "My dear Lord, I am now fully satisfied. I don't want to ask anything, any benediction from you." Because what is benediction? Benediction means you get very nice kingdom or a very nice wife or very nice foodstuff, very nice. These things we consider as benediction. But actually when one becomes connected with God, he does not want any such benediction. He's satisfied. Fully satisfied. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

So because he was kṣatriya boy, although five years old, he took it a great insult. So he went to his own mother. "Mother, stepmother has insulted me like this." He was crying. Mother said, "What can I do, my dear boy? Your father loves your stepmother more. What can I do?" "No, I want my father's kingdom. Tell me how can I get it." Mother said, "My dear boy, if Kṛṣṇa, God, blesses you, you can get." "Where is God?" She said, "Oh, we have heard God is in the forest. Great sages go there and find out." So he went to the forest and underwent severe penances and he saw God. But when he saw God, Nārāyaṇa, he was no more anxious for the kingdom of his father.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

No more anxious. He said, "My dear Lord, I am satisfied, fully satisfied. I do not want anymore, my kingdom, the kingdom of my father." He gave the comparison that "I was searching out some pebbles, but I have got valuable jewels." So that means he is more satisfied.

When you actually connect yourself with God, then you feel yourself many millions of times satisfied than enjoying this material world. That is God realization. That is the perfection of yoga. Go on.

Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:

God has no eyes, and ears, but He can see everything and He can hear everything. So these are contradiction. That means whenever we speak of seeing, we think somebody must have eyes like this. That is our material conception. God has eyes, He can see even in the darkness. You cannot see in the darkness. So He has got a different eye. God can hear. If God is in His kingdom which is millions and millions of miles away, but if you are talking something, whispering, conspiracy, He can hear. Because He is sitting within you. So you cannot avoid God's seeing and God's hearing or God's touching.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

This is a sort of lunatic asylum. Everything is being done not very sanely. (laughter) You see? (chuckling) So we have to get out of this lunatic asylum and enter into the kingdom of God, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Now, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is personally teaching what is His kingdom, what He is, what you are, and what is your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Everything is being taught in the Bhagavad-gītā. And a sane man, an intelligent man, must take advantage of these processes. Then Lord Kṛṣṇa says, nātyaśnatas tu yogo 'sti. "Anyone who eats more than necessary, oh, he cannot perform yoga." Na ati aśnatas yogo 'sti na ca ekāntam anaśnataḥ (BG 6.16). "A person," I mean to say, "willfully trying to keep himself in starvation, he cannot perform yoga. Neither the person who eats more than he requires, he also cannot perform yoga." The eating process should be moderate, only for keeping the body and soul together. Not for enjoyment of the tongue.

Lecture on BG 6.21-27 -- New York, September 9, 1966:

Similarly, there are different kinds and different grades of living entities. Their standard of feeling happiness and miseries are also different grades. Animal. In the animal kingdom, they have no sense. One animal is being slaughtered. The other animal is seeing because he has no knowledge the next turn is he is being turned..., being slaughtered, but he is chewing some grass. He is happy. He is thinking that "I am happy." Next moment it will be slaughtered, but he does not know. So these are all different grades of happiness. But the highest standard of happiness is described here, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam (BG 6.21).

Lecture on BG 6.30-34 -- Los Angeles, February 19, 1969:

Arjuna is representing himself as a common man in the sense that he was not a mendicant or he has renounced his family life or he has no connection with his bread problem. Because he was on the warfield to fight for the kingdom. So he's supposed to be an ordinary man. So for ordinary men who are engaged in these worldly activities for earning livelihood, family life, children, wife, so many problems, it is not practical. That is the point here. It is practical for one who has already renounced everything completely. In a secluded sacred place, just like in the hill or in the cave of the hill, alone, no public disturbance. So where is the opportunity for ordinary man, for us, especially in this age? Therefore this yoga system is not practical. It is admitted by Arjuna, who was a great warrior.

Lecture on BG 6.40-43 -- New York, September 18, 1966:

There are many stories. One of them I am citing. It is very interesting. Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni, he was a great king, kṣatriya, but his priest, Vasiṣṭha Muni, he had great spiritual power. So he renounced his kingdom. He wanted to advance. He was kingly, royal order, but still, he wanted to advance in the spiritual orders. So he adopted yoga process, meditation. That time it was possible for adopting this process, yoga process. So he was meditating in such a way that the Indra, who was the king of heaven, he thought that "This man is trying to occupy my post." As there is competition... This is also... Heaven means that is also material world. So this competition—no businessman wants an another businessman go ahead. He wants to cut down. Competition of price, quality.

Lecture on BG 6.40-43 -- New York, September 18, 1966:

So Kṛṣṇa says that "Even if he is failure, still, he goes to such planets where pious men are elevated." Prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān, and uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ (BG 6.41). And he remains there for a long duration of time.

Now, in the heavenly kingdom, it is said that our six months is... Six months are equal to their one day. And similarly, they live there for ten thousand years. This description we get from Vedic literatures. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā you have got the duration of life of Brahmā. That is the highest planet. So Kṛṣṇa says that "After... Even if he is a failure, he gets promotion to the higher planets." But in the higher planets you cannot remain for all the time.

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

Tapasya, human life is meant for tapasya. We know in our Indian history all big, big kings, they went to the forest, tapasya. The King, Bharata, Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa, he left his kingdom, young wife, children, everything, at the age of twenty-four years, and he went for tapasya. So the Pāṇḍavas also. Everyone. The last stage of life should be especially meant for tapasya. Not that up to the point of death we shall remain addicted to this worldly life. No. So this life is meant for purifying our existence. That means stop this cycle of birth and death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

Oh, that Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa... Simply whenever there is māyā's attraction, just pray to Kṛṣṇa, "Please save me. Please save me." This is the only way. And He'll save you. We are in māyā's kingdom, so māyā is strong very here, but if we catch Kṛṣṇa very strongly, māyā cannot do anything. Yes. That we should be fixed up in catching Kṛṣṇa very tightly. Then there is no falldown. Yes.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, January 13, 1973:

"You have to divert your attention, attachment, to Me." Mayy āsakta. Mayi. Kṛṣṇa says mayi. Mayy āsakta. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Mind has to be always fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. This yoga has to be practiced. As Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did: sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). He always... He was a great emperor. He had many business, political and maintenance of the kingdom. He was always busy, great emperor of the whole world, but still he fixed up his mind always on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is called kṛṣṇa-āsakti. Kṛṣṇa-āsakti. Mayi, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Mind has to be fixed with Kṛṣṇa. The process is very simple. Process is very simple. Everyone, at home, in any condition of life, he can fix up his mind in Kṛṣṇa. Our mind has to be fixed in something, because mind is never vacant. It is always fixed up or attached to some, something. Not for a second our mind is vacant. So this vacancy has to be filled up by the presence of Kṛṣṇa. That is perfect yoga.

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

"All right. I shall ask you some days later. Not now." So Arjuna thought, "Now this is the opportunity. I shall go and ask Duryodhana to give me those arrows." So Arjuna went to the other camp, and immediately Duryodhana received him as his brother: "My dear brother, you have come? What do you want? You want the kingdom without fighting? Therefore you have come? I can give you. I can stop this fighting if you want without fighting." No. Arjuna said, "No, I have come for some other purpose." "All right. Whatever you want, you can..." "Yes, you sometimes promised that whatever I want you will give me." "Yes, I am keeping my promise. What do you want?" He said, "Give me those five arrows." (laughter) "Yes." Immediately. This is kṣatriya spirit. This is brahminical culture. "Yes, you take it. Go on."

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

Swedish man (2): Now, a question concerning the 8,400,000's of lives which man has to evolve through. A spiritual being, having entered, or placed(?), the way of man, can he ever gain a reincarnate in the kingdom of animals?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Swedish man (2): What happens to his consciousness which he has achieved as a man during that time which he is in the animal kingdom?

Prabhupāda: Yes, consciousness is according to the body. Just like when you were a child, your consciousness was different because you had a different body. In your childhood you might have talked so many nonsense things. Your father, mother did not care. "He is a child." But if you talk such nonsense things now, then you will be differently considered. Because the body is different.

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

These are the preliminary stages to enter into the kingdom of devotional... Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. After being... After going through this process—brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54), then you come to the transcendental platform, and that is business of brahma-bhūtaḥ stage.

So jñānam means to understand oneself and practically, samānaṁ vijñānam, sa-vijñānam, with vijñāna, practical application, idaṁ vakṣyāmi and Kṛṣṇa is saying. He is not ordinary human being.

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

And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ, those who are most abominable, acting most abominably, jaghanya-guṇa, adho gacchanti. This is confirmation. Adho gacchanti: "Goes down," to the animal kingdom, to the beast, birds, reptiles, snakes so many things. There are eight millions forms. It is daivena, daiva-netreṇa. Netreṇa means "by supervision." Background of the supervision is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate ca-carācaram (BG 9.10). They are absolute.

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

Now, when God came before him, God offered him: "My dear Dhruva, what do you want? Take whatever you like." Then Dhruva said, "My dear Sir," sthānābhilāṣī tapasi sthito 'ham, "oḥ, I was situated in this severe type of penance simply for the matter of my father's kingdom, a land." Sthānābhilāṣī tapasi sthito 'haṁ tvāṁ prāptavān deva-munīndra-guhyam: "But I have now seen You, and You who is impossible to be seen even by the great sages and great saints. So I have seen You. So what is my profit?"

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

"So why shall I bother myself for these temporary designations?" That is jñānī. He is jñānī. He is man in knowledge. "I am pure soul. My eternal connection—with Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. Let me establish that connection very firmly so that Kṛṣṇa may take me back into His kingdom. That is my business." So this is the preference to the jñānī that although...

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

What is that? Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Anyone, at the time of his death, the mind, being absorbed by some kinds of thought, so he gets the body. And there are instances. Just like Bharata Mahārāja. Bharata Mahārāja, he was a great king, but at an early age, only—he was only twenty-four years old—he gave up his kingdom. Bharata Mahārāja means the king by whose name India is called Bhāratavarṣa. Not only India—this whole planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. Gradually, it is declined. Just like recently we have partitioned, Pakistan. Similarly, the whole planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. So anyway, that Bharata Mahārāja, at the time of his death, he had a pet deer. He thought of the deer and he became next life a deer.

Lecture on BG 8.14-15 -- New York, November 16, 1966:

You have to oblige Him by your love, by your service. That is the process. Here it is..., tasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ pārtha. Anyone who is engaged in that way, in that submissive way, always, constantly, without any deviation, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, oh, for him, God is very cheap, although He's not..., He is unconquerable.

So take this process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Very easy. This process is given to the humanity by Lord Caitanya, and Rūpa Gosvāmī, the first disciple of Lord Caitanya, he appreciated it. He was a minister in the service of the..., then Muhammadan kingdom. And he become a disciple of Lord Caitanya.

Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who comes to Me..." Of course, Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but still, He has got His abode. The difference between Kṛṣṇa and ordinary human being or ordinary living being is that we can remain at one place, but Kṛṣṇa... Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Although He has got His abode in the transcendental kingdom, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana... The Vṛndāvana city from where I have come, this Vṛndāvana is called Bhauma Vṛndāvana. Bhauma Vṛndāvana means the same Vṛndāvana descended on this earth. Just like Kṛṣṇa descends on this earth out of His own internal potency, similarly, His dhāma, or His abode, also descends, the Vṛndāvana dhāma. Or, in other words, when Kṛṣṇa descends on this earth, He manifests Himself in that particular land.

Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966:

We can utilize the nature to our best interest. The animals cannot.

So all these facilities should be utilized for becoming a mahātmā, or becoming eligible to enter into the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa. Because if we can do that, then there is no more birth in this material world, which is full of threefold miseries. We have several times discussed what are these threefold miseries, but every one of you know that, some way or other, we in miserable condition, either pertaining to the mind, or to this body, or natural disturbance, or from other friends or other animals.

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

And that Supreme Personality, although He's just like a person, like you and me, still, He's so widespread that everything is within Him and everything in Him, He's outside and inside. That is the conception of God. God is everywhere, but still, He has got His kingdom, abode. He has got His association, everything. Just like the sun. The sunshine is all over the universe, but it has got his own planet, his own residence, localized, everything.

So that is the conception of God. And that God, or Kṛṣṇa, is in that spiritual atmosphere. If we approach, then our life will be successful, our aims will be fulfilled, and we'll be happy, and we'll be prosperous eternally, not for temporary, but eternally.

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

"This is pāpa. Why shall I do this pāpa?" But he did it. But how he did it? For Kṛṣṇa. So that pāpa become puṇya. Is it not? From the Bhagavad-gītā you can understand. He was hesitating to fight with his kinsmen, with his brother, nephews, grandfather. He was concerning pāpa. He said that "I do not want this kingdom which is smeared with the blood of sinful activities." He said like that. Actually, killing is sinful, but when he did it for Kṛṣṇa's sake, Kṛṣṇa said that "You must fight," and when Arjuna agreed, "Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava." After hearing Kṛṣṇa perfectly, he said, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73), "My illusion is over." What is that illusion? Illusion means, whatever you do for Kṛṣṇa, that is not pāpa. Yat karoṣi, yat juhoṣi. But you must do according to the order of Kṛṣṇa, or according to the order of Kṛṣṇa's representative.

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

Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). If you do not develop further, if you remain whatever quality you have got, just now you remain within this world. And adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. And if you do not develop goodness or remain in the same quality but you degrade yourself, then again go to the cycle of birth in the animal kingdom. This is the law of nature.

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

Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). We get a suitable body in which we can go back to home, back to Godhead. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25).

So we have to work here. So we can prepare ourself to being promoted to the higher planetary system or lower animal kingdom. We can become pig; we can become hog; we can become demigod; we can become so on, so on. Whatever we desire, Kṛṣṇa will give us opportunity. But that will not make us happy. If we go back to home, back to Godhead, without the tribulation of repetition of birth and death, that will make us happy.

Lecture on BG 9.7-10 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

When we speak of sanātana-dharma, don't think that sanātana-dharma is meant for the Hindus. Sanātana means eternal, and dharma means occupation. So you have to take to that eternal occupation so that you can be transferred into that eternal kingdom. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the beginning of that eternal occupation. If you take to this, if you practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, eternal occupation, then, as we have already explained in the previous chapters, that at the time of your death when you leave this body, as soon as you think of these three eternals—Kṛṣṇa eternal; I am eternal; I want to be engaged in the eternal—you are at once transferred. It is very easy thing.

Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:

"My dear Arjuna, anyone who simply knows how I take My birth and how I am working," janma karma me divyam, "transcendentally, that person becomes immediately liberated." How is that? Now, tyaktvā deham: "After quitting this body, he never comes again to this material world." Then where does he go? Mām eti: "In My kingdom." So simply by knowing how Kṛṣṇa, He is unborn, how He's taking birth, and the Supreme, how He's working like us—these two things, if you know, simply, about Kṛṣṇa... How do we know? Therefore the Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you must approach a person who knows Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 9.26-27 -- New York, December 16, 1966:

So that is one of the process of devotional service, that we should offer very sumptuously to the Lord, and the prasāda should be distributed. The Lord is not taking away to His abode, to His kingdom. It is for you. But if you eat and if you distribute that sort of prasādam to the public, you are doing great service and the public is getting spiritual consciousness, God consciousness. Just establish, just propagate this everywhere. In the hospital, in the charitable societies, in industrial places, everywhere distribute this prasādam and chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa. Just see what is the result.

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

So Arjuna went to the camp of Duryodhana, and he was well received. "Well Arjuna, come on. What do you want? Come on. Sit down. Do you want anything from me? If you want, I can stop this fight. I can return you this..." Arjuna said, "No. I have not come to you for begging my kingdom. Fighting will go on. But I want... You promised something." "Yes. I know. I offer you. What do you want?" "Now, I want those five arrows." At once he delivered.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

Now you can calculate also. What is that? There are three qualities within this material world. You know, everyone. Some are in goodness, and some are in passion, and some are in ignorance. In the animal or in the vegetable kingdom, in the human society, you will find these three types of men.

Take our human society. Some of them are very good men, very truthful, very honest, very learned, and knows what is God. You find such men also. And you will find also very much passionate. And you will find also men like cats and dogs, no knowledge, blind. So there are three types of men. Why? Because there are three qualities or modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. Now, you mix up these three qualities with another three varieties of qualities.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973:

We have seen practically. Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was a great personality, a great devotee of Lord Śiva also, and materially his kingdom was very much advanced. It is said that Lanka was made of gold. Actually there were many palaces. And he was a very big Vedic scholar also. But one thing, that he was against Rāma... And for this disqualification he is still described as asura, rākṣasa. So harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ mano-rathenāsato dhāvato bahiḥ. If one is not devotee of the Lord, he will simply concoct on the mental platform. So that will not make.

Rāvaṇa also wanted to make a staircase to go directly to the heavenly planet.

Lecture on BG 13.16 -- Bombay, October 10, 1973:

Just like Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha was the prince, royal family, but still he left everything and underwent meditation to understand himself. There are many others. Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name this country is called Bhāratavarṣa, at the twenty-fourth years of his age, he left his kingdom, his wife, little children, and went for austerity, penance. This is meant for.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hyderabad, December 13, 1976:

You must be responsible for your particular type of duty, and the government has to see it, that everyone is doing that. That is secular state. Lord Rāmacandra, when He returned from the forest... In His absence Bharata was ruling, and when Bharata requested Lord Rāmacandra to take charge of the kingdom, Lord Rāmacandra was ready but He first of all examined whether the citizens were following the varṇāśrama-dharma. When He was satisfied that the citizens were following the varṇāśrama-dharma, then He took charge of the kingdom and began to maintain them just like father.