Medicine (BG Lectures)

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"medicament" |"medication" |"medicinal" |"medicinally" |"medicine" |"medicine's" |"medicines"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

The spirit of Bhagavad-gītā is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā itself. It is just like this. If we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the particular direction mentioned on the label of the medicine. We cannot take the particular medicine according to our own direction or by the direction of a friend, but we have to take the medicine under the direction given on the label of the bottle and as directed by the physician. Similarly, the Bhagavad-gītā also should be taken or accepted as it is directed by the speaker Himself. The speaker of the Bhagavad-gītā is Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

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

If we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the directions written on the label of the bottle. We cannot take the medicine according to our own directions or the directions of a friend or in knowledge of this medicine. We must follow the directions on the label or the directions of our physician. The Bhagavad-gītā also should be accepted as it is directly by the speaker Himself.

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

So these nirviśeṣavādī, impersonalists, they think like that. Just like a diseased man lying on the bed, and if he is informed that "When you will be cured, you will be able to eat nicely, you will be able to walk," he thinks that "Again walking? Again eating?" Because he is accustomed to eat bitter medicine and sāgudānā, not very palatable, and so many things, passing stool and urine, activities on the bed. So as soon as they inform that "After being cured there is also passing of stool and urine and eating, but that is very palatable," he cannot understand. He says, "It is something like this."

Lecture on BG 1.45-46 -- London, August 1, 1973:

Pratikāram means counteraction. Here in this material world, for everything there is counteraction. Just like if you are diseased, so you have to take the medicine. That is pratikāram. The disease is caused by some, what is called, disarrangement within the body. So we have to arrange, we have to set up the disarrangement within the body. That is pratikāram. Medicine, counteraction.

Lecture on BG 1.45-46 -- London, August 1, 1973:

A person is suffering from some disease, some fatal disease. If you think "I shall engage first-class physician and I shall supply first-class medicine," if you think, "Then the patient will be saved," no, that is not possible. That is not possible. We have got many experiences like that. Then no rich man would have died. Because he has got money, he can employ first-class physician, first-class medicine, and simply by engaging such things, counteracting, pratikāram, he cannot be saved. There are many examples like that. So the conclusion is tāvad vibho tanu-bhṛtāṁ tvad-upekṣitānām: (SB 7.9.19) "If You neglect, if You have decided that this person, this child cannot be saved, then any amount of pratikāram will not help, will not help."

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

Just like if you have got some disease in the eyes, you apply medicine, and when it is clear, you can see clearly everything; similarly, with these blunt senses, we cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234).

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:

The guru does not mean that I keep a guru. So as order-supplier "My dear guru, I am suffering from this. Can you give me some medicine?" "Yes, yes. Take this medicine." "Yes." Not that guru. If you are suffering from some disease, you go to a physician. It is not guru's business to give you some medicine. A guru's business is to give you Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

If you want to keep the social order, you must have to maintain the military strength, the police strength, and the court or the university. Everything is required. You cannot neglect one of them. Similarly... But if you are afraid of being killed—that is the medicine we are preaching—then you get out of this entanglement. You be situated in your spiritual body. There is no more question of killing.

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

You are not this body. You are spirit soul." This is the first spiritual instruction by the authority to anyone, that "You are not this body." So by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... It is the medicine recommended in the śāstra, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). That dust of ignorance is moved. He can understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. My duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa." In this way, he becomes enlightened gradually.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

So mistake, to commit mistake, to become illusioned, and to the propensity of cheating. Every man is imperfect, but he is talking just like perfect. That is called cheating. The so-called scientists, philosophers, they are theorizing, "It may be," "Perhaps." So what is this knowledge, "Perhaps," "It may be"? That is not knowledge. Say definitely. But nobody can say. They are blind. The doctor is giving medicine, but he is not definitely sure whether his patient will die or live. If you ask him whether the person is going to live, "Oh, that depends on God." Ultimately depends on God—although he is posing himself that authorized, he is giving scientific medicine. If you are giving scientific medicine, why you are not sure? This is called cheating.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974:

The so-called scientists, they are manufacturing very effective medicine, discovery, new discovery. Just..., what is called? Streptomycin? So many things. But they cannot stop disease. That is not possible, sir. You can manufacture so many high-class medicines to cure disease. That will not cure. Temporary relief. But no scientist has discovered any medicine that "You take this medicine and no more disease." That is not possible. "You take this medicine, no more death." That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Mexico, February 15, 1975:

Hṛdayānanda: (translating) She said if we have not already achieved perfection, then how can the soul achieve the perfection? It seems that he has to reincarnate slowly in time to achieve the perfection.

Prabhupāda: No, that is no argument. If you are diseased, you can be cured if you take the proper medicine, treatment. That's all. Disease is not hopelessness. Otherwise why the people go for treatment to a physician? Similarly, out of ignorance you are now in this miserable condition, but if you become treated by bona fide spiritual master, then you'll be cured.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- London, August 23, 1973:

So what is spread all over the body? Consciousness. That is spread all over the body. Everyone can understand that if I pinch any part of my body or your any part of the body, you feel pain. Or similarly, if you get some other facilities, pleasure, so pains and pleasures are felt so long there is consciousness. Any man can understand. And as soon as the consciousness is not there, sometimes we are made unconsciousness by drugs, by chloroform and other anaesthetic medicine, or by nature, unconscious stage.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- London, August 28, 1973:

So here, actually there is no happiness, but we think we have discovered so many counteraction. Just like there is disease. We have discovered medicine. We have discovered medical college. Manufacturing, big, big physician, M.D., a pharmacist(?) But that does not mean you'll live. No, you'll have to die, sir. So the boil is there. A little application of temporary medicine, it may... Therefore there is no happiness at all in this material world. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that, "Why you are feeling happy? You have to die, after all, which is not your business. You are eternal, but still you have to accept death."

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

Poison is bad, but sometimes it is required for administering medicine. Even poison is administered. When one's heart is... According to Āyur-vedic system, when the man's heart is about to fail, at that time, poison is given. So the heart becomes again agitated. In the medical science also. So poison is poison, but sometimes it requires as medicine administration. Similarly, violence, killing is bad. But there is circumstances where violence is righteous, religious.

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

Formerly, in Medical College of Calcutta the students who failed in the final examination, they were given some title, L.M.S., "License in Medical, Medicine and Surgery," L.M.S. And those who passed, they were given the title M.D. or M.D., just like that way. So even by failure, they would get some title and allowed to practice as medical man. But that does not mean that we may try to fail also.

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

Suppose a man is suffering from fever. Doctor gives him medicine. Now the fever decreases and he comes to normal temperature. That is not all. That diseased man must get up from that bed and engage himself in the healthy activities. Then that is the real cure of disease. Simply, therefore, to understand that "I am not this consciousness, I am not this body; I am pure consciousness," that will not cure. You must engage your consciousness in pure activities.

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

Suppose if you have taken too much milk, you have got disorder of the bowel. The same milk preparation, yogurt or curd, if you take with mixture of some carminative powder, just like cumin seeds, oh, it will at once cure your diarrhea and indigestion. Now the yogurt is also milk preparation, and your diarrhea has taken place on account of taking too much milk. Now the same milk preparation, when it is treated, it becomes the medicine. And the same milk preparation becomes the cause of disturbance. Similarly, the whole world situation is causing disturbance because it is not treated with spiritual treatment.

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

Prabhupāda: Everyone in this material world, they are after peace, but they don't want to control the senses. It is not possible. Just like you are diseased, and doctor says that "You take this medicine, you take this diet," but you cannot control. You are taking anything you like, against the instruction of the physician. Then how you can be cured? Similarly, we want cure of the chaotic condition of this material world, we want peace and prosperity, but we are not ready to control the senses. We do not know how to control the senses. We do not know the real yogic principle of controlling the senses. So there is no possibility of peace.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

According to Ayurvedic medicine system, this body is made of tri-dhātu: tejo-vāri-mṛd. That is also stated in the Bhāgavata, tejo-vāri-mṛd. That means heat, water and earth. Heat, water and earth. The whole material creation is a combination of these three things, tejo-vāri-mṛd. Tejaḥ means heat, or fire, and vāri means water, and mṛd means earth.

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

If one has realized the Supreme Lord, then he has no more any duty for undergoing austerities, penance, this or that, all prescribed rules. His business is finished. When a man is cured, there is no more requisition of medicine. He's in healthy state. To be engaged in devotional service, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means he's in healthy state. He has no more any prescribed duty.

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

The secret of understanding Bhagavad-gītā is here, and if you follow these principles... Just like when you purchase one bottle of medicine from the, I mean to say, drug shop, there is dose. Read, "This medicine is to be taken by this dose." If you follow the direction of the bottle label then you get benefit. Similarly, here is the direction: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). You have to understand Bhagavad-gītā from the disciplic succession, and that means one who is a devotee.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Yes. If we want to study Bhagavad-gītā, then we follow the principles. Just like we have explained this in the introduction, that when you take a bottle of medicine, there is some direction that "Two tablets, twice in a day after meals." So you have to follow the instruction. Then you get benefit. You cannot take any instruction about taking that medicine from a friend or from an expert educationist. No. You have to take direction only from the physician. He is the expert in that line.

Similarly, here is the direction, the bottle of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, "It should be understood by the devotee, or you have to understand Bhagavad-gītā from a devotee." This is the direction of this medicinal bottle. How you can go otherwise? Then you will get the benefit.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

You cannot change your fortune. That means, fortune means, you are, with this body, you have got certain amount of enjoyment and certain amount of distress. That is made already according to your past activities. That you can change. Just like due to some mistake, I may have some disease, infection, but there is medicine also to counteract that infection. That is possible. It is not that because I am misfortunate, it cannot be changed. It can be changed.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974:

But at the present moment, because everything is lost, now simply śūdras are there, therefore the common medicine is prescribed:

harer nāma harer nāma

harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva

nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

Because the idea is how to become kāma-rāga-varjitāḥ. Kāma-rāga-varjitāḥ. Kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ. That is real knowledge. Everyone is lusty. He wants to satisfy his senses.

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is a very good example. Sometimes... In India of course, out of our greediness we take too much milk products—khīr and sweet rice and burfi, pranal(?), so many. So if you take too much milk then there is possibility of dysentery, disorder of the bowel. Ghee. Therefore when you go the physician he will give you some medicine and he will ask you to take this medicine with yogurt. Now what is this yogurt? This yogurt is also milk preparation. Now you can doubt how is that? My disorder of bowel is due to taking too much milk preparation. How it will be cured by yogurt? So this is the way. The yogurt is a, although milk preparation, it's action is different.

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

If you go on dancing in the club and eating in the club gradually you become diseased materially. And the same dancing and same eating here you become spiritually advanced. So nothing has to be stopped. Simply it has to be changed by the direction of an expert physician. That's all. The expert physician gives you yogurt mixed with some medicine. Actually medicine is just to bluff the patient. Actually the yogurt will act.

So similarly we have to do everything but because it is mixed up with that medicine of Kṛṣṇa consciousness it will cure your material disease. That is the process. Because it is mixed up with some medicine which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness therefore your dancing, your eating, your loving affairs—all, whatever you want there is but it is well-treated. It will not entangle you. It will give more and more enlightenment of spiritual understanding. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

Everyone is trying to be very peaceful and happy. That is possible when one is promoted to the platform of sattva-guṇa. The yoga practice means that. Yoga practice means by controlling the airs within the body... That will be explained. There are five kinds of air, vāyu. When the airs are not controlled in old age, according to Ayurvedic system, it is called vāyu-roga. The muscles become slackened, old man. Because the air control or air circulation is not proper. There are many medicines, many practice of yoga.

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

This body will not exist. We are put into such a condition that however scientifically we may try to keep an youthfulness by so many medicines, injection, and so many things which we have, I mean to say, invented by our advancement material science, but death is sure.

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

Just like there is no fever. In diseased condition one is trying to get out of the feverish condition. So by medicinal treatment one gets out of fever. But that is not healthy condition. That is not final. There is negation of fever. That's admitted. That's all right. But that is convulsion (convalescent) stage. You may relapse again. When you actually come to the healthy state, that is your life. So negation of fever is not as good as your healthy life. So negation of this materialistic idea, impersonalism, is not complete knowledge. Because I am spirit soul, I am active even in this material diseased condition. How much active I must be in my healthy condition. That is real knowledge.

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

You can make a practical test of it. But at the same time, that sugar candy is the medicine for jaundice. If a man is suffering from jaundice, if you simply give him water and sugar candy... You just moisten sugar candy at night, and just early in the morning you get a glass of sweet sugar candy water. Oh, within very short time you'll be cured from jaundice disease.

Lecture on BG 6.4-12 -- New York, September 4, 1966:

There are so many medical effect in so many things. We do not know. But God has created everything for our use. We do not know. Every plant, every herb is a medicine. It is meant for some particular disease, for some particular protection.

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

Everyone is accepted but there is—just like you go to a doctor. He'll prescribe you different medicine according to the different disease. Not that he has got one disease, one medicine. Whoever comes and, offers that medicine. No. That is real treatment.

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

Suppose a doctor, a doctor goes to a patient. He is under convulsion, he's talking nonsense. That does not mean he will refuse to treat him. He treats him as friend. Although the patient calls him by ill names, bad names, still he gives him medicine. Just like Lord Jesus Christ said that "You hate the sin, not the sinner." Not the sinner. This is very nice.

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

People come, says that "I am not in peace. I am in trouble. My mind is not peace." But when the medicine is offered, he does not accept. You see? He wants something palatable, what he has understood, that's all. Many people come to us, "Swamiji, oh, this is my position." And as soon as we suggest the medicine, he'll not accept. Because he wants some medicine which will be acceptable by him. So how we can offer? Then why do you go to a physician? You make your own treatment?

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

Don't think—suppose one is diseased. Many expert physicians treating him. Nice medicine is offered. Is that guarantee for his life? No. That is not guarantee. If Kṛṣṇa neglects, in spite of all these good physicians and medicines he will die. And if Kṛṣṇa protects him, even if he has no expert treatment, he'll still survive. So one who is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa, fully surrendered, and one of the points of surrender is that Kṛṣṇa will protect me.

Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

In India we have got some showbottles in the medicine shop. Some red water put into the big bottle and with electric light. That means advertisement: "Here is a bottle of medicine." But that is a showbottle, red water. So red water will not cure the disease. You must have really, actually, a mixture, fever mixture.

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

There are so many contraceptive method, but the population is increasing, the birth is going on. Similarly we have discovered so many nice medicines, but people are dying. You can not stop this, birth, death. They are trying to remain as young men, as young women, but they are getting older.

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

. So the whole day and night you are working. Actually I am working very hard, but I am thinking that I am advancing. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. We are trying to find out so many medicine. So many humanitarian work. What is that? There is famine, there is struggle.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

Prabhupāda: There may be other methods. I can understand you. But the śāstra says, "No other method will be successful." Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Karma, jñāna, yoga. So therefore three times stressed, nāsty eva. "By karma you will not be successful." Time is different. Just like you go to a drug shop, there are hundreds and thousands of medicines. They are all medicine, but the medicine which is prescribed by the physician for you, that is your medicine. So in this age this is the medicine. There may be other methods, they are all bona fide methods, but they will not be successful. This method will be successful. You have to take in that light.

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

There is disease, development of different kinds of disease, and they are discovering different kinds of medicine. That is a struggle. That is not scientific improvement. There is one problem before you, and you are creating some antidote. That's all. This is struggle, struggle for existence. This is not scientific advancement.

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

Just like when you are diseased, your siddhi, perfection means how to cure the disease, how to become healthy. That is your problem. Not that simply curing the disease, simply eating the medicine. No. The object is how to become in healthy condition. So our healthy condition is no more birth, no more death, no more old age, no more disease. That is healthy condition.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

Just like a doctor gives you medicine and he gives you direction also that "You drink this medicine, take the bottle and take two drops or five drops," as he gives direction. Then gradually you understand that by taking that medicine, you are being cured, you are feeling in health. Similarly, this prescription given by Kṛṣṇa... This is meditation actually. When we meditate upon the taste of the water, that means we are meditating on Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969:

And the concomitant sufferings always with this body. Similarly there is suffering if you are diseased, and similarly there is suffering when you are old. Just like we are old and some way or other, keeping this body by massaging, by taking some medicine, this way, that way. This body is no longer just like a young man's body. It is suffering body. As soon as you are over fifty years, by nature, so the old age begins. And when you are over seventy years, you are completely old, and you have to suffer the consequences of old age.

Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966:

Just like somebody goes to a swami: "O Swamiji, can you give me a medicine? I am suffering from this disease." He thinks, "A doctor is very expensive. Let us go to a swami who can play miracles, and my disease will be cured."

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:

ry effective medicines, but there is no department where knowledge is given that no more disease. Is there any department? Therefore this knowledge which is given by Kṛṣṇa, it is called rāja-vidyā. Rāja-vidyā means the king of knowledge.