Know what is what

Expressions researched:
"know what is what" |"knowing what is what" |"knows what is what"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 6.39, Purport:

Kṛṣṇa is the perfect knower of past, present and future. In the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord said that all living entities existed individually in the past, they exist now in the present, and they continue to retain individual identity in the future, even after liberation from the material entanglement. So He has already cleared up the question of the future of the individual living entity. Now, Arjuna wants to know of the future of the unsuccessful transcendentalist. No one is equal to or above Kṛṣṇa, and certainly the so-called great sages and philosophers who are at the mercy of material nature cannot equal Him. Therefore the verdict of Kṛṣṇa is the final and complete answer to all doubts, because He knows past, present and future perfectly—but no one knows Him. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees alone can know what is what.

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 11.51, Purport:

Here the words mānuṣaṁ rūpam clearly indicate the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be originally two-handed. Those who deride Kṛṣṇa as if He were an ordinary person are shown here to be ignorant of His divine nature. If Kṛṣṇa is like an ordinary human being, then how is it possible for Him to show the universal form and again to show the four-handed Nārāyaṇa form? So it is very clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā that one who thinks that Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary person and who misguides the reader by claiming that it is the impersonal Brahman within Kṛṣṇa speaking is doing the greatest injustice. Kṛṣṇa has actually shown His universal form and His four-handed Viṣṇu form. So how can He be an ordinary human being? A pure devotee is not confused by misguiding commentaries on Bhagavad-gītā because he knows what is what. The original verses of Bhagavad-gītā are as clear as the sun; they do not require lamplight from foolish commentators.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.4.11-12, Purport:

Although the King was not at fault, Agastya Muni cursed him, and when this happened the King considered it to be due to his past misdeeds. Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). This is a practical example of how a devotee thinks. He regards any reverses in life as blessings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, instead of being agitated by such reverses, he continues his activities of devotional service, and Kṛṣṇa takes care of him and enables him to be promoted to the spiritual world, back to Godhead. If a devotee has to suffer the reactions of his past misdeeds, the Supreme Lord arranges for him to be given only a token of these reactions, and very soon he is freed from all the reactions of material contamination. One should therefore adhere to devotional service, and the Lord Himself will very soon see to one's promotion to the spiritual world. A devotee should not be disturbed by unfortunate circumstances, but must continue his regular program, depending on the Lord for everything. The word upadhārayan, "considering," is very significant in this verse. This word indicates that a devotee knows what is what; he understands what is happening in material, conditional life.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.4.68, Purport:

Actually Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was not at all at fault; Durvāsā Muni unnecessarily wanted to chastise him on flimsy grounds. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa wanted to complete the Ekādaśī-pāraṇa as part of devotional service to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore he drank a little water. But although Durvāsā Muni was a great mystic brāhmaṇa, he did not know what is what. That is the difference between a pure devotee and a so-called learned scholar of Vedic knowledge. The devotees, being always situated in the core of the Lord's heart, surely get all instructions directly from the Lord, as confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (10.11):

teṣām evānukampārtham

aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ

nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvastho

jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

"Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance." The devotee does not do anything not sanctioned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is said, vaiṣṇavera kriyā mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya (CC Madhya 23.39). Even the most learned or experienced person cannot understand the movements of a Vaiṣṇava, a pure devotee. No one, therefore, should criticize a pure Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava knows his own business; whatever he does is precisely right because he is always guided by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 87:

Arjuna said in the Bhagavad-gītā that controlling the mind is as impractical as stopping the blowing of a hurricane. Sometimes the mind is compared to a maddened elephant. Without following the direction of a spiritual master one cannot control the mind and the senses. In other words, if one practices yoga mysticism and does not accept a bona fide spiritual master, he will surely fail. He will simply waste his valuable time. The Vedic injunction is that no one can have full knowledge without being under the guidance of an ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: one who has accepted an ācārya knows what is what. The Absolute Truth cannot be understood by arguments. One who has attained the perfect brahminical stage naturally becomes renounced; he does not strive for material gain because by spiritual knowledge he has come to the conclusion that in this world there is no insufficiency. Everything is sufficiently provided by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A real brāhmaṇa, therefore, does not endeavor for material perfection; rather, he approaches a bona fide spiritual master to accept orders from him. A spiritual master's qualification is that he is brahma-niṣṭha, which means that he has given up all other activities and has dedicated his life to working only for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Just like a diseased man, contaminated by some disease. The medical treatment means he has to be purified from the contamination. Similarly, we are impure in this material existence, by contamination of the three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa—goodness, passion and ignorance. So even if we are contaminated by the quality of goodness of this material world, that is also contaminated. That is also cause of our entanglement. Goodness... A brāhmaṇa, if he thinks that "Now I have brahminical qualifications, I am now educated, I am very cleansed, I am very controlled"—these things are brāhmaṇa qualification—"I know what is what," jñānaṁ vijñānam, but he does not try for becoming immortal, then that kind of thinking is also bondage, that "I am this, I am that." Even though he is very learned, sattva śamo damas titikṣā śuci, all these good qualities are there. But if he does not try to be, go further ahead, how to become immortal, so this type of fine entanglement is also entanglement. And those who are passionate, they are thinking, "I am so rich, I am so powerful, I have got so many nice business, bank balance, I have got my big family, nice wife." These are passion conception of life. So they are certainly bound up. And those who are ignorant, means one does not know what is the value of life, lying down anywhere, lazy, sleeping, unclean, do not know the value of life, they are in ignorance. They are very firmly bound up.

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

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." If you remain foolish like that, then andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31), that means you are being led by some blind leaders. You do not know what is what. If living entity's sanātana, and if the process by which one can realize his sanātana nature... That is called sanātana-dharma.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

Here is another point. We have to learn by listening from somebody. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We approach guru for hearing from him the truth. Just like child listens from the parents and he learns to speak, he learns to know what is what. The father says, "This is dish"; the child also says, "This is dish." The father says, "This is spoon"; the child also says, "This is spoon." So he learns by hearing. "Mother language" means if the child is handed over to some other person whose mother, whose language is different from the mother, he'll learn, from the very beginning he'll learn that language. So hearing is very important. Therefore our bhakti process, bhakti-yoga process is hearing. The more you give aural reception to the transcendental message, more you become expert.

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

Paṇḍita, who knows what is what, he is sama-darśī, equipoised. He knows that the substance within the tree or substance with the dog or substance with the human being or substance within the brāhmaṇa or a śūdra or a dog or a caṇḍāla—the soul is the same. Therefore, he sees everyone, sama-darśinaḥ. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). He does not distinguish between man and animal or tree. Because he knows that the living force is the same, spiritual quality that is the fragmental portion of the supreme soul, Kṛṣṇa. So we can understand, if we are little sober, how material things come out.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

Viṣṇu-bhakti-ratātmanā. That means one who is in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the, eh, gradually his the seed of all reaction of his sins, that becomes vanquished. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, we have studied. Just like in the fire, if you put anything... You go on putting everything. It makes into, turns it into ashes. Similarly, this fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as soon as it is begun, then all our reactions of sinful activities in our past life... Mind that. Our suffering is due to sinful activities. And sinful activities are due to our ignorance. Ignorance. Sinful activities are done by persons who do not know what is what. Just like a child. A child does not know what is the result of catching fire. Because he is ignorant. But as soon as the child catches fire, his hand becomes burned immediately. The fire does not allow any concession for the child. It will act as fire.

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

So it is the duty of the Indians to understand Kṛṣṇa culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness cultural movement, and take part in it seriously. That is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says, bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra (CC Adi 9.41). This is the injunction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "Anyone who has taken birth in the holy land of Bhāratavarṣa..." Bhārata-bhūmite haila. Of course, if he's a man. If he's a cat or dog, that is a different thing. But bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Manuṣya-janma. If he's a human being, then he must take advantage of the Vedic knowledge. Janma sārthaka kari'. Otherwise what he'll speak? If he does not know what is what, then what is the meaning of his preaching? No. So janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra. It is the duty of every Indian, every man who has taken birth in Bhāratavarṣa, to perform para-upakāra, to do well others. Because in the other part of the world there is no such advantage of Vedic literature and Vedic knowledge.

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

Actually they do not know what is what, what is the adjustment. But our philosophy, Vaiṣṇava philosophy, we don't say that "There is no God" or "This world is created by accident or combination of matter." We don't say that. We say that God is the creator. Not we say, but the Vedānta says. The essence of Vedic knowledge, Vedānta philosophy, Vyāsadeva, he says that janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "The source of janma or creation, the maintenance and annihilation, the source..." Where it is? Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. This is Vedic information. That is Brahman, wherefrom everything is coming. The same thing is said in the Vedānta-sūtra. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

You have to understand that woman is never given to be independence. Independence means just like child has to be taken care, similarly, woman has to be taken care. You cannot let your child go in the street alone. There will be danger. Similarly, according to Vedic civilization, Manu-saṁhitā, woman should be given protection. In this way, ācāra, this is called ācāra. So the demons, they do not know. The demons, they do not know what is what, how one thing should be treated, how... They do not know. In the Western countries there is no such distinction between man and woman, but there is. We have to accept it and construct this social institution in that way. Then it will be perfect.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 16, 1971:

Then another thing is cheating. So many rascal philosophers and scientists, they have no knowledge, accurate knowledge, but they are writing books. This is cheating. If you do not know what is what, why you are misleading others by writing books? No. He is making money. So cheating. Cheating, illusion, committing mistake. Three. And fourth: that the senses imperfect. They are gathering knowledge through senses. I see... I want to see personally. "All right, put up the light. Now see." That is your seeing power. You see under condition. Therefore your seeing power is imperfect. Your thinking power is imperfect.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

Just like our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is improving. Kṛṣṇa giving us all facilities. We have no power. But we are trying to discharge the duty sincerely. Then it is everything. There is no problem. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. And vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. And when a person is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he knows what is what. He knows what this learned scholar is. He knows what is this. Vidhi-mahendra. What to speak of ordinary scholars and big men. Vidhi, vidhi means Lord Brahmā, and mahendra means the king of heaven. So they are also treated as ordinary human being or ordinary living entities. They are not given any importance. "Well, as..." Ābrahma-bhuvana-stham. Ābrahma. For a devotee, as Brahmā is also living entity, a small ant is also living entity, all Kṛṣṇa's parts and parcels. They have no quarrel with anybody. As Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, we offer respect to everyone. So not that they are amazed with the greatness of a living entity. He thinks that his greatness is due to Kṛṣṇa's favor. Because Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad-gītā, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ tat tad eva mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. Nobody can become great unless... Just like the sunshine.

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

Simply we have to take advantage, how He is present, how He is advising. That is the technique. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. God is everywhere. He is prepared to guide you. He is prepared to help you. Because He is father, He is always prepared. But we do not take His guidance. We do not take His shelter. That is the difficulty. So why you do not take? Because ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), we have attachment, "This country is mine. This family is mine. This wife is mine. The children is mine. Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine." So you have to become nirmama, without "mine." And why we are accepting this "mine," ahaṅkāra? Ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra means false ahaṅkāra, false identification. So everyone is fighting because the false identification, "I am this body." He does not know. In this way we are so much in ignorance. Therefore the word used, mūḍha, is the appropriate word. Mūḍha, "rascal." We call everyone rascal. That is a harsh word. But actually that is the fact. They do now know what is what.

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

This material world, we are living in darkness, hṛdayāndhakāram. Our heart is dark. We do not know what is what. So if you simply concentrate on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa as it is described—there are marks—then, in contact with such vision, your hṛdayāndhakāram, the dirty things, andhakāram... Andhakāram means darkness or dirty things. That will be āhata, off, attacked: "Get out!" Āhata. Jyotsnābhir āhata-mahad-dhṛdayāndhakāram. Mahat means very great. This is our material condition, that we are covered, absorbed in so many darkness, and still we want to show some intelligence. This is material existence. Therefore we always say "fools and rascals." He is... He does not know anything clearly, and simply he wants to see with imperfect eyes, imperfect instrument, microscope, telescope. What is the value of this? It is simply andhakāra. The whole world is... This is called darkness. We can... We experience every moment. If there was no sun, then what is the value of this world? We have got good experience.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

A quack is not a medical man, however he may show all red bottles, white bottles. There is a Bengali proverb, naj jal yac curi tini ei daktar.(?) One stethoscope, naj(?), and some bottles, jala, and talking all nonsense, he becomes a doctor. That means the quack doctor, not a... Qualified doctor, he knows what is what. So naj jal yac curi tini ei daktar(?). In Bengali they say. And mostly in villages they go on like that. But of course, they have got some experience. I know in Allahabad there was a doctor, Kabhir, a Dr. Kabhir. And because in my previous household life I was a chemist and druggist, I was supplying medicine, so he was my customer. So he had that... This Dr. Kabhir was a compounder. Later on he practiced. So he had very, very big prac... He was my biggest customer. He was purchasing medicine like anything. But he had experience. He learned from an experienced doctor. He cannot be called a bogus, because whatever he learned, he was... But generally, one who is not a bona fide doctor, he is called a quack. So anything, experience required, not that you have to go to the medical college. If you are trained under a bona fide doctor, then also you can get the quality of a doctor.

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

There are two bhāgavatas: grantha-bhāgavata and the man bhāgavata. So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he recommended a brāhmaṇa. He came to see him, writing something that was full of mistakes. Then he chastised him that "You do not know what is what. You have tried to explain Bhāgavata." But when the brāhmaṇa was submissively hearing and tolerated the chastisement, then he gave the advice, bhāgavata porā giyā bhāgavata-sthāne: "Go. Hear Bhāgavata from a person whose life is Bhāgavata." Bhāgavata parā giyā bhāgavata-sthāne. Not the professional bhāgavata. They are aiming Therefore they immediately open the rāsa-līlā chapter and explain it very nicely. People will like: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa and myself, the same. He is also embracing the young girl. I shall now try to find out young girl." This is going on. They are going to hell by hearing Bhāgavatam from these rascal professionals. Bhāgavata is meant, from the very beginning First of all try to understand what is God. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itaraḥ (SB 1.1.1).

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

Jāta is hair. Hair. Jāta. So no barber was available. (laughter) Because they knew that Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, after arresting, he is suffering from fever. Whole family is lying down in fever. So nobody came forward to cut his jāta. So Bhaktivinoda: "All right, bring one scissor. I shall cut." So he personally cut, and personally cut, and that man became very thin immediately after cutting his jata. He had some power in the jāta. And he ordered six months' imprisonment. And in the prison he managed to take some poison and died. So devotees are so strong. They can know what is what. You see? He was not puzzled that "He is Viṣṇu and this..." No. So we should learn from the Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's treatment that this jugglery or this so-called power is not, no good for advancement in spiritual life. You have to follow the regulative principles as enjoined in the śāstra. Yaḥ śāstra vidhim utsṛjya. If you do not follow the injunction of the śāstra, then there is no possibility of attaining perfection. Na siddhiṁ sāvapnoti. So our business is to accept a bona fide spiritual master, being guided by him, to follow the rules and regulations.

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

Just like in this, our experience, a first-class brāhmaṇa, he is supposed a first-class man. But still there is contamination. At least this contamination is there: "Oh, I am a brāhmaṇa. I am brāhmaṇa. I am greater than all others. I am learned, and I know all the Vedas. I know what is what. I understand Brahman. Because brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ, so he knows. So all these qualities, first-class brāhmaṇa, but still he is contaminated because he is proud: "I am this. I am this." That is material identification. That is... He is not free from the material identification. And this proud, this pride, when increases, then there is falldown, which has caused this falldown of the brāhmaṇas of this age. Unnecessarily they became pride and tried to dominate over the other classes. And they saw... Gradually they degraded in their qualities, and they saw, "Why this class of men..." That is being protested still—who are known to be brāhmaṇas, they should go over everyone. "We are also qualified." Therefore, instead of cooperation there was misunderstanding, and the whole structure of Vedic society became dismantled. The whole Vedic society. They are simply now proud: "I am brāhmaṇa. I am kṣatriya."

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, SB 6.3.24 -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

Just like... It is not difficult. If you associate with the hippies, you will become hippie. If you associate with the hippies, you will become hippie. If you associate with the Vaiṣṇava, you become Vaiṣṇava. That is practical. So similarly, if you associate with tamo-guṇa... One of the features of tamo-guṇa is laziness and sleepy. I am against so much sleeping because it is tamo-guṇa. And the features of rajo-guṇa is very active, but for sense gratification. Just like ordinary persons, they are very active. They rise also early in the morning, they work very hard, but the whole plan is for sense gratification. That's all. That is rajo-guṇa. And sattva-guṇa means they are silent, they are sober, they know what is what, and they try for spiritual advancement. That is sattva-guṇa.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

So India, India at least, those who have taken birth as human being, never mind what he is, he has got special privilege. This land is called puṇya-bhūmi. A not ordinary living entity can take birth in this land, Bharata-varṣa. We have got this opportunity. And according to Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, if we take advantage of the Vedic literature, Veda, Purāṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā. These Veda Purāṇas are meant for the human being. We should study these Veda purāṇas and know what is what, what is God, what I am, what is this world. In this way, we must fructify, make our life successful, and then preach this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Śyāmasundara: Yes. So he says here, "Potentialities which are hitherto unexploited and which lie covered in him can be brought out by the knowing self and utilized."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our process. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is acting as guru, and He's asking everyone, jīv jāgo jīv jāgo. Therefore the conclusion should be that in order to come to the real position of our life, we must approach a guru, a person who knows what is what.

Śyāmasundara: So that person can see us for what we are, more than we can see ourselves.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like here is a physician, he knows simply by feeling his pulse beating, he can understand what is his position. And he gives medicine according to that. Āyur-vedic system is very nice. One has to learn how this pulse is beating, then immediately diagnosis is there, medicine is given.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: And ignorance. If we give service in ignorance, without knowing what is what, that kind of service may lead us to become punished. So we must know what kind of service we shall give. So real suffering of the society, human society, or any society you take, real suffering is, because the living entity has forgotten God, so he is being punished in different way by the material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). So many ways. But everyone is being punished. At least, the three kinds... Why three kinds? That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, that this is also punishment, repetition of birth and death. This is also punishment. Because we are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We are spirit soul, we are eternal. So our, this constant change of body, birth and death, that is also punishment. Because nobody wants to die. Because he is eternal. How he'll like to die? He wants to keep his eternal position, but he, because he's criminal... Just like one man is condemned to die, murderer. So he has to die. But he wants to protect himself, placing himself in the court, "How to save? How to save?" So that is our natural tendency, that we do not want to die. Why? Because we are eternal. We have got the prerogative. So if... Anyone does not want to die. Anyone does not want to take birth even. Now we have forgotten.

Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Pañcavān.(?) This is the position. So at the present moment, to reform that, you cannot take them to the original position. It is not possible, it is Kali-yuga. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). They are very slow, they don't accept the right path... Just like God is here, Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). But they're creating their own God. Even big, big leaders they are saying, "Eh, Kṛṣṇa, why Kṛṣṇa should be accepted?" Even big, big leaders, they do not believe that Kṛṣṇa was there on this planet, there was Kurukṣetra battle. You know better than me.

Reporter: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So, if big, big scholars say, when Kṛṣṇa says that man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī... (BG 18.65). The scholars say, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." You see? If now, I can frankly say, if leaders like Dr. Radhakrishnan, Gandhi and others, they mislead people, then how the people will be in normal condition? This is the position of India at the present moment. The leaders... Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The leaders are blind. They have no training. They are not in disciplic succession. They do not know what is what, and they are taking the part of leadership, then everything is spoiled. Jāti-dharma, kula-dharma. And they have created varṇa-saṅkara.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no. This is the guru's... Guru's business is, when he talks much, he says, "All right, it is all right," but when he accepts guru slaps.

Dr. Patel: Choke him up. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: Yes. How mildly He says: Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś... (BG 2.11). "You do not know what is what..."

Dr. Patel: "You are a fool."

Prabhupāda: "You are a fool number one." Nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. He says, "A paṇḍita does not like this." That means, "You are a mūrkha." Indirectly, He said, "A paṇḍita does not do this. Now you learn." Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāram... (BG 2.13). He began to speak Bhagavad-gītā.

Morning Walk -- April 11, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Any education. You train a child to the standard of that education and he will develop his intelligence. A child who does not know what is what, the father says "This is... My dear child, it is watch." Once, twice, thrice, you call, "Watch, watch, watch," he learns, "This is watch." Jaya, Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi, aside) So one has to awaken the intelligence. So that supreme intelligence is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When one comes to the point of supreme intelligence, that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like a rose flower, when it comes to the full blooming stage, it is very beautiful, fragrant, like that. So when a living entity comes to the understanding of his constitutional position, what he is actually, and acts like that, that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then it is full development. That is called buddhi-yogam. Buddhi is there, intelligence is there, and when it is fully developed for understanding Kṛṣṇa, that is called buddhi-yogam. Yes. Buddhi-yogam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is described, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti. Buddhi-yogam means the intelligence, but... Don't come near. The intelligence which gets the living entity back to home, back to Godhead. That is called buddhi-yogam.

Morning Walk -- April 17, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Natural.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They say it is ordinary necessities. (break) Therefore we call mūḍhās. They do not know what is what.

Dr. Patel: I think Abraham Lincoln was the best of the whole presidents. What is your opinion, Abraham Lincoln?

Girirāja: Well, moist stool or dry...

Prabhupāda: He gave the negroes freedom, Abraham Lincoln?

Girirāja: Yes, emancipation.

Dr. Patel: The Americans say he acted with negroes just we have acted with the aboriginals, the Āryans. What have we done with the poor aboriginals of India?

Prabhupāda: We have... (break) "...one sect. Because we are sitting in Haridvar, and people will come here. And A.C. Bhaktivedanta, he is going." So...

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:

Indian man (7): So he's a man and he's imperfect that he asks questions from you... No, Swamijī.

Prabhupāda: No. If he submissively asks to know, then we can explain. If he challenges, then he should be avoided. He's a rascal. He does not know what is what.

Brahmānanda: Yesterday at that meeting they were challenging.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Brahmānanda: Some of the men yesterday...

Prabhupāda: So I replied in that way, yes, that "Why you put these ridiculous questions?"

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1975, Nairobi:

Prabhupāda: This is right answer, that you cannot non-cooperate with the stomach. You must serve the stomach. Otherwise your position is very precarious. That is the answer. If the finger thinks that "I shall remain independent and be happy," that is not possible. The stomach must be supplied food, and then all the parts of the body, they'll be happy. That is the point. So you cannot non-cooperate with the stomach. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the central enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the center. Just like ordinarily this African state, if you do not satisfy the state or the president, then you cannot remain happy. Independently you cannot be happy. We require in every step sta... We have come to this park because state is cooperating. In the morning we shall come, and they have prepared it nicely. We are not going to the jungle. So if we actually want happiness we must cooperate with the state. This is crude example. Similarly, if our ultimate aim is to become happy, then we must cooperate with Kṛṣṇa. This is obligatory. You cannot escape it. Then you'll be unhappy. This is the... Stomach. Pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam. Therefore the natural process is you pick up... A child even. He picks up some something, but he does not put anywhere—immediately in the mouth. Why he does not bring it in the ear? Why? The child immediately takes it. He does not know what is what. But the nature is that as soon as he captures something, even he does not know... Because his position is eating, he knows this much, sense gratification. Other senses are not yet developed. So the child, he knows taste with tongue and eats. That he knows. So immediately anything he captures, he brings to the mouth, naturally. He hasn't got to be educated. So our position is like that. We being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, our natural tendency is to serve Kṛṣṇa. Natural tendency. It is not artificial. When you forget Kṛṣṇa, that is artificial. So our normal life means to love Kṛṣṇa, to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is our normal life. Without serving Kṛṣṇa our life is abnormal, madman's life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says... When you forget Kṛṣṇa, He comes to preach the normal life. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). This is normal life.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Mother and Sons -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Karma is there and effect is there, but they do not know it. Poor fund of knowledge. Therefore it is failing. They have failed, these Christian priest, to explain everything philosophically. So advanced Westerners, they are now educated in science philosophy, they are not attracted with these dogmatic views. So to remain in ignorance is animal life. To be enlightened is human life. And the topmost enlightenment is to understand God and to love Him. That is the topmost enlightenment. Unfortunately, there is no education to know what is God, and what to speak of loving Him. This is modern civilization. Ignorance. A civilization of ignorance. They do not know what is what. Simply speculating, wasting time, talking all nonsense. This is going on in the name of education, but actually they are in ignorance. They do not know what is what. They are reading so many philosophical speculation, horrible condition of the so-called philosopher, scientist. Simply "I believe," "In this believe, that believe." You believe.... Believe something. That is your (indistinct). But your belief is not final. That is creating chaotic condition. You believe some way, I believe something, he believes something. What is the profit? Chaos. So all these philosophers, scientists, they believe "I believe," as if his belief will be a doctrine. Why he believes like that? People also accept like that. Nobody questions that a person says "I believe," that means he is not in perfect knowledge. But in Vedic śāstra, there is no question of belief. This is the fact. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. It never says that "I believe there are so many aquatics." No. Clear declaration: Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. There are nine hundred thousand different forms of life in the water. Bas. This is Vedic knowledge.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Devotee: So many innocent people are also...

Prabhupāda: So innocent suffers. Intelligent never suffers. Only the rascals, innocent, they suffer. Innocent means rascal also. He does not know what is, what to do. The rascal is also innocent. A child is innocent, but he's a rascal. It does not mean because he's innocent, he's not rascal. Rascal means he's innocent also. The child does not know that, "If I touch fire it will burn." Therefore he's a rascal. But because he is child, innocent, he'll not be excused. The rascal and innocent on the same category. Innocence of law is not, no excuse. If you go to the court, if you say, "Sir I did not know there is law like this," that does not mean... You must suffer. Why Kṛṣṇa comes? He gives advice that "You do this. Don't remain innocent and rascal. Then you'll be happy." Why should you stick to the rascaldom? He's personally advising. He says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Why you are sticking to Hinduism and Muslimism and Christianism? Why? That is rascaldom. You take to His advice and you be happy.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And he wants to prove nonviolence from Gītā. Just see how foolish he was. If you say publicly that he was a rascal, fool, then you become unpopular. But actually he was a rascal fool. (laughs) Artificial. Kṛṣṇa says, "You fight," and these rascals say, "Nonviolent." He's more than cheating. Māyāvādī.

Hari-śauri: Cheater.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Cheater, one must be due to ignorance. Generally one who is fool, he commits criminality. No sane man does it. Sane means he knows what is what. He does not commit mistake. But to commit mistake means he's insane, ignorant. That is not innocence-ignorance, foolish.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a difference between ignorance and innocence.

Prabhupāda: Innocence, he..., like a child. But ignorant means he has no knowledge; he is animal. So what about the advertisement? He has not done?

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Jaya Prakash Narayan. Morarji Desai, Indira Gandhi, and... What they'll do? Churchill and this and Napoleon, Hitler. Simply misguiding, whole history. Simply mis... They are rascals. They do not know what is what, and they lead. Gandhi... All rascals. Vivekananda and Sai Baba, this, that, so many... They should be stopped. That is real philanthropic activities. Where is...? Now we are going to show this planetarium. These rascal scientists: "All desert. All rocks and desert." Simply this planet, for his father's property. This is now happening. "The moon planet is a desert." And from the desert such brilliant light is coming that is illuminating at night the whole universe. And we have to believe it because they are spoken by scientists. You see? All rascals, fools, rogues, thieves, they are leading. And our determination is to stop these rascals. That is our... It is not that "Let the rascals go on with their... Let us make our salvation." Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "No, no, no, I don't want. I don't want. If there is salvation, I must take them also." This is Vaiṣṇava. "I don't want such salvation for my personal..." This is Vaiṣṇava, para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye (CC Madhya 6.254). Naturally a Vaiṣṇava will be unhappy. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). You know this verse? So we must know that these so-called leaders... Just see. He could not do it nicely.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- New Vrindaban 10 June, 1969:

Your next question, whether the Spiritual Master was formerly a conditioned soul, actually a bona fide Spiritual Master is never a conditioned soul. There are three kinds of liberated persons. They are called 1) sadhan siddha, 2) kripa siddha, and 3) nitya siddha. Sadhan siddha means one who has attained perfection by executing the regulative principles of devotional service. Kripa siddha means one who has attained perfection by the special mercy of Krishna and the Spiritual Master, and nitya siddha means one who was never contaminated. The symptoms of nitya siddha is that from the beginning of his life he is attached to Krishna, and he is never tired of rendering service to Krishna. So we have to know what is what by these symptoms. But when one is actually on the siddha platform there is no such distinction as to who is sadhan, kripa, or nitya siddha. When one is siddha, there is no distinction what is what. Just like when the river water glides down to the Atlantic Ocean nobody can distinguish which portion was the Hudson River or some other river. Neither is there any necessity to make any such distinction. Actually, every living entity is eternally uncontaminated, although he may be in the material touch. This is the version of the Vedas. Asanga ayam purusha—the living entity is uncontaminated. Just like when there is a drop of oil in water you can immediately distinguish the oil from the water, and the water never mixes with the oil. Similarly, a living entity, although in material contact, is always distinct from the matter.