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Not a good sign

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

Asses also feel very respectable as a race, and when they run in flocks hither and thither in so-called jollity, it is understood to be a bad sign for human society.
SB 3.17.11, Translation and Purport:

O Vidura, the asses ran hither and thither in herds, striking the earth with their hard hooves and wildly braying.

Asses also feel very respectable as a race, and when they run in flocks hither and thither in so-called jollity, it is understood to be a bad sign for human society.

When the pious planets shine very brightly, it is an auspicious sign, but when the inauspicious planets shine very brightly, this is not a very good sign.
SB 3.17.14, Translation and Purport:

Ominous planets such as Mars and Saturn shone brighter and surpassed the auspicious ones such as Mercury, Jupiter and Venus as well as a number of lunar mansions. Taking seemingly retrograde courses, the planets came in conflict with one another.

The entire universe is moving under the three modes of material nature. Those living entities who are in goodness are called the pious species—pious lands, pious trees, etc. It is similar with the planets also; many planets are considered pious, and others are considered impious. Saturn and Mars are considered impious. When the pious planets shine very brightly, it is an auspicious sign, but when the inauspicious planets shine very brightly, this is not a very good sign.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

At the present moment we see that some of the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness are tending to leave their preaching activities in order to sit in a solitary place. This is not a very good sign.
CC Madhya 11.176, Purport:

Neophyte students are not to imitate sitting in a solitary place and remembering the lotus feet of the Lord by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. We should always remember that it was Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself who wanted such a place, either for Himself or Haridāsa Ṭhākura. No one can suddenly attain the level of Haridāsa Ṭhākura and sit down in a solitary place to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and remember the lotus feet of the Lord. Only an exalted person like Haridāsa Ṭhākura or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is personally exhibiting the proper behavior for an ācārya, can engage in such a practice.

At the present moment we see that some of the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness are tending to leave their preaching activities in order to sit in a solitary place. This is not a very good sign. It is a fact that Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has condemned this process for neophytes. He has even stated in a song, pratiṣṭhāra tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava: "Sitting in a solitary place intending to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is considered a cheating process." This practice is not possible for neophytes at all. The neophyte devotee must act and work very laboriously under the direction of the spiritual master, and he must thus preach the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Only after maturing in devotion can he sit down in a solitary place to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself did. Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to teach us a lesson He traveled all over India continuously for six years and only then retired at Jagannātha Purī.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

If one sees someone with an empty bucket, it is not a good sign.
Krsna Book 45:

It is said in the Rāmāyaṇa that after defeating Rāvaṇa, Rāmacandra was carried from Laṅkā to Bhārata-varṣa on a plane of flowers, called a puṣpa-ratha. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma then learned the art of foretelling events by seeing signs. In a book called Khanara-vacana, the various types of signs and omens are described. If when one is going out one sees someone with a bucket full of water, that is a very good sign. But if one sees someone with an empty bucket, it is not a good sign. Similarly, if one sees a cow being milked alongside its calf, it is a good sign. The result of understanding these signs is that one can foretell events, and Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma learned the science. They also learned the art of composing mātṛkā. A mātṛkā is like a crossword box, with three numbers in each row. If one adds any three from any side, it will come to nine. The mātṛkās are of different kinds and for different purposes.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Don't find many churches here. So this is not very good sign.
Lecture on BG 13.35 -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

Prabhupāda: In London there are many churches. Churches are there in New York also, other places. Formerly, people were religious. It doesn't matter whether one constructed temple or church. It doesn't matter. There was prayer to the Supreme. But now people are forgetting.

I don't find many churches here in Geneva. They don't like to go to church here?

Guru-gaurāṅga: They say they do.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guru-gaurāṅga: They say they do.

Prabhupāda: No, but don't find many churches here. So this is not very good sign. People should eat sumptuously, not overeating. Overeating is bad. Not undereating. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhaye. Yuktāhāra, as much as you require, you must eat. Yajñārthe... Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Either human being or an animal, they must get sufficient food, and that means anna, food grains. So I have studied it very thoroughly. If people produce food grain in all the lands available all over the world, they can feed ten times population than it is at present. Kṛṣṇa has made such arrangement.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

During lecture time, if we don't care to hear or we do other things or take rest, that is not very good sign.
Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Mayapura, September 29, 1974:

If we don't hear about Kṛṣṇa, then how we'll make advance? We have to hear. My Guru Mahārāja was very kind upon me because I was very much interested to hear him. That you know. I hear him. I did not understand him, actually. In the beginning I could not understand him. He was speaking in so high philosophical way that it was not... Still, I wanted to hear him. That was my only qualification. So the... It is the process. During lecture time, if we don't care to hear or we do other things or take rest, that is not very good sign. We should be very much careful. Then we shall remain mūḍha-dṛśā. Naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā. We have taken the vow to see Kṛṣṇa or to understand Kṛṣṇa. We should be very, very serious and do the needful. Then our life will be successful.

You invite them to come back again and take their position. It is not very good sign that they have left. They'll never be happy. That's a fact.
Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

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

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

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

The boys and girls loitering in the street as hippies. This is a very, very, bad sign. You see? No home, home neglected, no regular life. The whole nation will be spoiled.
Room Conversation -- August 15, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: And the psychology is the girl, after first menstruation, she enjoys sex life with a boy, she will never forget that boy. Her love for that boy is fixed up for good. This is woman's psychology. And she is allowed to have many, oh, she will never be chaste woman. These are the psychology. So these rascals, Westerners, they do not know and they are becoming philosopher, scientist, and politician, and spoiling the whole world. They can be saved only by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. There is no other way. Otherwise they will lick up their skyscraper building and everything will go to hell. We have seen in New York, so many houses fall down. In New York. Yes. So many. Simply garbage. I have studied. Simply full of garbage. Nobody is going to take care. And the boys and girls loitering in the street as hippies. This is a very, very, bad sign. You see? No home, home neglected, no regular life. The whole nation will be spoiled. It is already spoiled. The poison is already there. Fire. Now it is increasing. Just like you set fire, it increases. So that fire is already there.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

From economic point of view I have studied that America, for want of sufficient workers, they are importing goods from Japan. This is not very good sign.
Conversation with Author -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: In America I see thousands of hippies, they are doing nothing. So what is the future of the country? If the flowers of the country, young boys, they do not take interest in anything, in administration, in industry, then what is the future? From economic point of view I have studied that America, for want of sufficient workers, they are importing goods from Japan. This is not very good sign. Why such a big country, American country, why they should import? But they are obliged to import. They have no workers. Japan's 75% business is done in America. We are not impractical. Because there are so many workers, but they refuse... In Central Park, it is full of rubbish things always. You go. It is a garbage. Why? There is no worker. And on the other side we see so many young men. They are not working, simply idling time. So they do not tackle the real problem. The future is not very hopeful if things go on like this. So many young boys, they are doing nothing. What is the percentage of hippies now in America? A very good percent. All the school colleges.

Many churches are for sale. That's not a good sign. That means people have lost interest in spiritual life but fortunately the younger generation, they are taking to this spiritual movement.
Interview -- July 20, 1972, Paris:

Frenchman: (indistinct) ...history of many masters and many great teachers such as Jesus Christ and many others... (indistinct) ...come to... (indistinct) ...message. (indistinct) ...today on the same level.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because from God's side there is always an attempt to make the people right. As soon as they're wrongly directed, some messenger comes like Jesus Christ or Buddha or, before Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa. So what we are preaching that is not new. It is God consciousness. And all the great messiahs they came. But the thing is that people are changing in their different education mentalities. So we have to present things in such a way that intelligent person can accept the old teachings in the western countries. Like Lord Jesus Christ... Either they're not being followed or they're not properly understood because in London I saw hundreds of churches are vacant. That means that it's so practical that people have no more interest in Christianity or the Christian people could not convince them of the spiritual necessity of life. Many churches are for sale. That's not a good sign. That means people have lost interest in spiritual life but fortunately the younger generation, they are taking to this spiritual movement.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

This is a bad sign. Constellation. According to astronomical calculations.
Morning Walk -- January 3, 1974, Los Angeles:

Gurukṛpā: Forty-five minutes on the plane from Miami we saw the comet.

Yaśodānandana: It was there for forty-five minutes.

Prabhupāda: Yes, a bad sign...

Yaśodānandana: As big as the sky.

Prabhupāda: How big?

Yaśodānandana: Big as the sky. It was flashing for forty-five minutes, this big...

Gurukṛpā: Flashing in horizontal directions.

Devotee: The four or five first flashes were very, very big and regularly every thirty seconds it was big flash, bigger than lightning, brighter, very bright.

Gurukṛpā: Very brilliant.

Prabhupāda: One part like this?

Gurukṛpā: Yes, very fast.

Devotee: Across the sky, shooot, shooot, shooot. Very fast.

Gurukṛpā: About forty-five min..., we..., it was still going but the plane passed it and it stayed behind.

Prabhupāda: Uh, so, this is a bad sign. Constellation. According to astronomical calculations. Therefore we, we follow the astrology according to the constellation. The child born, everything has connection, the constellation of the star has influence on the child. So therefore the horoscope-maker takes the calculation of the constellation and then calculate what is his future. This dhūmaketu is described in Daśāvatāra-stotra, dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam. Dhūmaketum iva. Dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam. As soon as there is comet, there will be some disaster. Very great disaster. In our childhood we saw the comet, not this like. That was small comet. Still, the first world war was there declared. That we have seen in 1914.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

If you are actually seeking after God, so here is God available from Vedic literature. Why don't you take it? Why you should refuse it? That is not very good sign.
Morning Walk -- June 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Generally, people used to take education from brāhmaṇa. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita advises that "If there is education, actual education, even he is a lower class man, śūdra or caṇḍāla, take it. Accept him as master." And nīcād apy uttamā vidyā. Nīcād apy uttamā vidyā strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api. And in India, according to Vedic civilization, the marriage is done after seeing the family tradition very scrutinizingly. So here it is advised that duṣkulād api, "In a abominable family, if there is nice girl, educated, beautiful, accept her. Accept her." Nīcād apy uttamā vidyā strī-ratnam. Ratnam means jewel. Wife, she is like jewel although born of a low family, accept. So anything very good, even it is available from a place which is not desirable, one should accept it. So if you are actually seeking after God, so here is God available from Vedic literature. Why don't you take it? Why you should refuse it? That is not very good sign.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Such an important country. So nasty everywhere, park, street, what is there? This is not good sign.
Evening Darsana -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Such an important country. So nasty everywhere, park, street, what is there? This is not good sign. In other cities, you see so neat and clean. Washington, even that parkway, so neat and clean. Why this city is neglected? Los Angeles also, neat and clean. Which other cities we went?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Detroit.

Prabhupāda: Detroit is... Detroit is also.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That park was a little dirty also.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Correspondence

1969 Correspondence

You write to say that by 3 o'clock in the evening you get a slight fever, and your head begins to ache, and you feel tired and wish to take rest. This is not a very good sign.
Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1969:

The most concerning part of your letter is about your health. You write to say that by 3 o'clock in the evening you get a slight fever, and your head begins to ache, and you feel tired and wish to take rest. This is not a very good sign. The immediate program is that you will have to be relieved from these symptoms. So the first thing is that you should take complete rest. So far as New York is concerned, I don't think different engagement there will allow you to take rest. I would have advised you to go to New Vrindaban immediately but it is cold there like in New York. Under the circumstances, if you like to come here and take rest you are welcome. But wherever you like you may take rest and not be strained at all. That is my opinion, and I shall be glad to know what you are going to do in this connection.

1971 Correspondence

Attention diverted to incense business is not a very good sign. We should give all our energy for distributing BTG.
Letter to Satsvarupa -- Moscow 21 June, 1971:

Yes, my order still stands. Please organize BTG distribution and do it nicely. Sankirtana Party and distribution of our magazines and books is our real program. Other things are secondary. So during the summer time you should utilize this program of Sankirtana and book distribution vigorously. Attention diverted to incense business is not a very good sign. We should give all our energy for distributing BTG.

1972 Correspondence

For so many years they have been there and nothing has been printed in European languages. This is not a very good sign. How can there be preaching without books?
Letter to Bhagavan -- Bombay 11 January, 1972:

I was just writing to our European centers that for so many years they have been there and nothing has been printed in European languages. This is not a very good sign. How can there be preaching without books? So I am glad that you are taking steps to organize printing of our foreign books. Please take this matter very seriously and print such books immediately.

Why so many letters of problems are coming, dissatisfied? That is not a very good sign.
Letter to Karandhara -- Bombay 22 December, 1972:

I am little observing now, especially in your country, that our men are losing their enthusiasm for spreading on our programmes of Krishna Consciousness movement. Otherwise, why so many letters of problems are coming, dissatisfied? That is not a very good sign. The whole problem is they are not following the regulative principles, that I can detect. Without this, enthusiasm will be lacking. Even mechanically following, and if he gets gradually understanding from the class, he will come to the point of spontaneous enthusiasm.

1974 Correspondence

I have received reports from Madhavananda, Bhagavata das and others that the number of devotees at the Manor has decreased. This is not a good sign.
Letter to Hamsaduta -- Bombay 8 December, 1974:

N.B. I have received reports from Madhavananda, Bhagavata das and others that the number of devotees at the Manor has decreased. This is not a good sign. Why has this happened? I am planning to reach Honolulu by December 20th.

1975 Correspondence

Regarding Baltimore, again deficit. This is not a good sign.
Letter to Rupanuga -- Bombay 9 November, 1975:

Regarding Baltimore, again deficit. This is not a good sign. Regarding the Sankirtana Newsletter, then stop it. If the BBT does not pay for it, then stop it. The temple cannot afford to publish it, and if the BBT does not pay for it, then stop it. But it is good attempt.

This fighting is going on everywhere. It is not a good sign. I know the fight spirit is there in you, within the Westerners, that even if you do not care to fight, someone will induce you to fight.
Letter to Alanatha -- Bombay 13 November, 1975:

But one thing is disturbing me, are these reports coming from Sweden. These books are translated by Vegavan and Ajita, so they are rendering good service to you. Do not deal with them by force. They are competent hands, so why fight with them? Do everything amicably. This fighting is going on everywhere. It is not a good sign. I know the fight spirit is there in you, within the Westerners, that even if you do not care to fight, someone will induce you to fight. Rather, you should make vigorous propaganda for making people understand the utility of the Krsna consciousness philosophy. It is not something speculative. Make your plans, organize, and then execute in order to increase all of our Krsna consciousness programs. This will be better.

The only difficulty is the fighting that is going on. Why there should be fighting in our society? This is not a good sign.
Letter to Gargamuni -- Bombay 13 November, 1975:

I have just received a report from Mukunda in London that the Encyclopedia Brittanica wants to carry my biography article in their publication. So this is all welcome news. So I am very pleased by all of the progress, how you boys and girls are working very sincerely to push on this movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The only difficulty is the fighting that is going on. Why there should be fighting in our society? This is not a good sign.

Page Title:Not a good sign
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Alakananda
Created:23 of Jun, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=2, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=3, Con=6, Let=8
No. of Quotes:21