Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Not offered (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: The third stage, if by association one becomes serious, that "I shall become a regular student of Swamiji," that is third stage. That is called initiation. Just like these boys. They are initiated. So in that stage they are guided by me. They follow strictly. Just like we have got for the initiated students we have got six, four principles. We do now allow illicit sex life. No, we do not allow these boys or girls sex life without being married. Yes. This is one regulation. We don't allow them to take anything which is not offered to the Deity. So we offer to the Deity foodstuff, grains, fruits, flowers, milk products, in that way, no meat, no egg, nothing of the sort. Simple food. They are nutritious. We prepare very... Perhaps you have participated in our love feast in Sundays. Yes.

Woman: We're going to... We'll come next Sunday.

Prabhupāda: They like it. So many, hundreds of preparations... We can give at least three hundred preparation, many varieties, simply on grains and milk product and fruits. That's all. We don't kill animals, don't kill birds, no. But we make very nice preparations. Everyone likes. So this is one of the restriction, that you cannot take anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the second restriction. And the third restriction is no intoxication—no smoking, no drinking, even no tea taking, no coffee taking, nothing: These American boys they are accustomed to all these habits very naturally, but they have given up. They don't take. In our temple there is no tea-taking, no coffee-taking, no cigarette smoking, nothing of the sort, you see. This is the third restriction. And the fourth restriction is that you cannot take part in gambling or some unnecessary sporting because you have to utilize your time. Your time is very short.

Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: These teeth are meant for eating fruits. Actually the shape of the teeth is like that, just like sharp knife. You can, apple you can take immediately. But if you take one piece of meat, you cannot eat so easily with these teeth. So first of all you have to understand what is your diet. So your diet is different from animals' diet. You take anything. Even stool is food for a certain animal, but that does not mean I have to eat stool also. Stool may be eatable for a certain type of animal. "Oh, that is not my diet or food." Similarly, we have to discriminate. Now so far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, we are studying Kṛṣṇa conscious. What is our diet? Our diet is Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, what is offered, as I told you, that something is offered to Kṛṣṇa. Then we take. We don't take anything direct. Just like these fruits. We have first of all offered to Kṛṣṇa. Here is a plate. Then we take. That is our system. Even we take vegetables, fruits, we don't take directly. We first of all prepare or cut into pieces, offer to the Deity. Then we take. Now, the idea is that we take the remnants of food offered to Kṛṣṇa. Now, when you offer something to some respectable person, you ask him, "What can I offer you?" If I go to your house and if you want to offer me something to eat, you will ask me what I wish to eat. That is the etiquette. So similarly, we have to offer Kṛṣṇa what Kṛṣṇa likes to eat. So how we can know? In this book we have the things, what Kṛṣṇa wants. He says, "You give Me foodstuff, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ (BG 9.26) fruits, flowers, grains, milk, like that." So our diet is Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Therefore... Kṛṣṇa wants these things. We prepare these things, and we eat the remnants of food. If Kṛṣṇa says that "You give me meat," then we can offer Kṛṣṇa meat also. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that. Kṛṣṇa says, "Give Me fruits, flowers, grains." So we have no quarrel with the meat-eaters. Let them do whatever he likes. But our concern is that unless Kṛṣṇa takes, we don't take. So in order to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, this is necessary, just like an important segment of the work. We cannot accept anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore this diet, this sort of diet, as you have tasted in our love feast, that is important.

Radio Interview -- March 12, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Certainly.

Interviewer: What do you not eat?

Prabhupāda: We don't eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. We first of all prepare foodstuff as recommended in the scripture. They are mostly from vegetable, grains, fruits, milk. So we have got enough food.

Interviewer: No meat of any kind.

Prabhupāda: No. No meat, no onion, no garlic, no intoxication, no liquor, we don't smoke even, we don't take tea, coffee. We simply take what is absolutely necessary for keeping the body fit to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't indulge in luxury..., or for the satisfaction of the tongue.

Interviewer: All right. Caller, you're on the air with the Swami on KGO.

Caller: Yes, Swamiji, I'd like to know where in India was your native place.

Interviewer: Where in India did you come from originally?

Prabhupāda: Oh, I was born in Calcutta. But after my acceptance of this renounced order of life, I am inhabitant of Vṛndāvana.

Caller: Of where?

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamala Krsna -- August 4, 1969, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Who?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Lord Caitanya.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And His mother would prepare nice dishes and offer to Viṣṇu and think, "Oh, this nice prasādam, I could offer my son Caitanya Mahāprabhu..., Nimāi, but He is..." She would cry. She was crying, "Oh, the boy is no longer here." Then, after some time, she would see the whole finished, whole prasādam. "What happened? I did not offer to Viṣṇu Deity? I simply brought the empty pot? Maybe." Then again she goes to the kitchen, and... "There is also nothing." Then again cook. "Perhaps I have forgotten to cook even, thinking of Caitanya." Then again she'll offer. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu sent news by some men that "Inform mother that one day she was thinking like that. So I went there. I ate everything, and she saw everything empty. She'll remember. Then again she cooked. And mother will feel happy. "Oh, then Nimāi came and did it. Oh, it is very nice." So this scene is very pathetic.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. But how will we make... We will show Him take the food while her... How will we show this? How will we produce this? That she is sitting there, offering the food...

Prabhupāda: No. You don't offer. Simply offering, and you'll simply play, "Where is the food?" That way.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not real food.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversations with Sannyasis -- March 15, 1974, Vrndavana:

Śyāmasundara: Because you may not deserve it then.

Acyutānanda: Now I'm getting so... The thing is they may say like that but behind my back people are talking, saying this...

Prabhupāda: Now if they do not offer, obey the orders of the sannyāsī, then naturally... But that thing should be brought to the notice of higher or some official, president. Then steps should be taken, that if you cannot follow the rules and regulations, then you must leave. It is plain thing. There is no question of fighting. First thing is that a sannyāsī, leader, they should behave themselves according to the rules and regulations. And then ask others to follow. The others who do not follow, once, twice excused, three times please... Like that.

Śyāmasundara: If, if he follows strictly the principles, then he'll be automatically respected.

Acyutānanda: Now I wanted to ask somebody to leave, but how does he leave? We have to buy him his ticket or something. There was a boy, one...

Prabhupāda: Leave means he can go to other center.

Acyutānanda: I wanted to ask him to leave but where would he go? Who will pay for his way out?

Prabhupāda: Then one thing is, that this ultimate, we are canvassing, we are preaching to bring men. To get them out is not our business. That is not our business that, but if he is incorrigible, he is not, then he must leave. That is... We are making so much preaching work to bring men, not to ask them to go. If for some paltry reason we ask, that is not...

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is vaiṣṇava-vicāra.

Dr. Patel: Shall I go ahead?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) It means they must. (break)

Girirāja: (reads synonyms) "O great one, who stands above even Brahmā, You are the original master. Why should they not offer their homage up to You, O limitless one? O refuge of the universe, You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation."

Prabhupāda: So our duty is to accept the original Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, because...

Dr. Patel: He is ādi-kartā.

Prabhupāda: Ādi-kartā.

Dr. Patel: (Sanskrit) (break)

Prabhupāda: ...purāṇas, not new manufactured. (break) If I have to offer my obeisances and surrender, why not to Kṛṣṇa? Why an imitation Kṛṣṇa? Why? Just like if you go to purchase some medicine, the shopkeeper may say, "Now, here is a medicine equal to this medicine, and its price is less." So no sane man will purchase. "Why I shall purchase the imitation for being less price? Give me the original." (break) ...the life of Ramakrishna. It is said that at the time of his death he said to his disciples, especially to Vivekananda, that "I am the same Rāma, I am the same Kṛṣṇa," and he took it. And he preached that "This Gadadhara Chatterjee, Ramakrishna." That's all. Then if he is referring to the original Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, so why not take the original Rāma and Kṛṣṇa? What is the proof? Simply by his words one can accept? Just like he is taking the proof, Arjuna. Yes.

Room Conversation with Richard Webster, chairman, Societa Filosofica Italiana -- May 24, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Richard Webster: Is it that it depends on the restaurant or is that necessarily bad?

Prabhupāda: Yes, our principle is that we can eat only what is offered to God. So we cannot eat things in the restaurant because it is not offered to God. We may prepare nice things for Kṛṣṇa and offer to Him. Then we take. This is our principle. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Yajña. Yajña means worshiping the Lord. So worship the Lord, it is not difficult. Everyone is cooking for eating, every home. So cook certain things which is acceptable to Kṛṣṇa. Then offer to Him and take the prasāda. There is no difficulty. But you become purified. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Because willfully or not willingly, we are committing so many sins.

Richard Webster: Yes, I appreciate that very much. I only say is it not possible for things to be dedicated to God without actually being placed on the altar in that way? I mean what people may be doing that in different ways maybe...

Prabhupāda: No, thing is, if you want to offer to God, then—God is all-pure—the things you offer, that must be pure. And you must follow the instruction of God. Suppose if you want to give me something eatable, as a matter of etiquette, you ask me, "What can I offer you?" And if I say that "You offer me this thing, and that is very nice," you cannot offer me according to your whims. That may not be acceptable by Him.

Richard Webster: Yes, I was thinking...

Room Conversation with Reverend Gordon Powell, Head of Scots Church -- June 28, 1974, Melbourne:

Reverend Powell: Why not eggs? Because...

Prabhupāda: We are not even vegetarian.

Reverend Powell: You're not.

Prabhupāda: No. We are negative of vegetarian and non-vegetarian. We are not vegetarian, neither non-vegetarian. We eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda. Rather, "prasādarian." We are neither vegetarian, nor non-vegetarian. Because we don't eat which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. Things are prepared according to the order of Kṛṣṇa, and when Kṛṣṇa eats, we take the remnants of foodstuff. Therefore we do not fall in the group of vegetarian or non-vegetarian. We are transcendental.

Reverend Powell: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Reverend Powell: Well, thank you, Your Grace. If you'll excuse me, I have another appointment.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. That's... Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: Difference I have already explained. You cannot understand?

Indian man (7): No, no, we pray Śiva first and then we go to pray Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: So that you do. There is no harm. There is no harm. But you should understand what is Śiva and what is Viṣṇu. If you offer first prayer to Lord Śiva, there is no harm. It is good. He is... Vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ. He is our spiritual master. He is Vaiṣṇava. Why not offer first respect to him? But if you take Lord Śiva as the Supreme, that is insult. You are giving me respect as spiritual master, but if you give me overestimation, that "You are the king of the whole world," that is insult. That is insult. That is not prayer. If you offer me prayer as I am befitting, then it is all right. But if you give me prayer for which I am not befitting, that is insult. That is insult. So you must know what is the position of... Lord Śiva is Vaiṣṇava. He is the greatest devotee. He is the number-one demigod, and everything is all right. But if you say that he is the Supreme, then he will feel insulted, that "What is this nonsense saying?" So don't insult him in that way. That will go against your credit. He doesn't like that.

Devotee (6): Also one other question came up from this man.

Prabhupāda: A man may ask so many nonsense. A man is that, imperfect man. Why you bother about that? Man is imperfect. You have to take conclusion from the śāstra. A man may say anything nonsense. What we have got to do with him? He is a man, after all, imperfect man. So what is the value of his statement?

Morning Walk -- December 7, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Aksayānanda: Jaya. He bows down. He pays dandavats. He said, "You're a sannyāsī, so I must respect. I'm only a gṛhastha."

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the duty.

Aksayānanda: And he is also very intelligent. He's not just doing it out of sentiment. Very nice man. Older man.

Prabhupāda: If a sannyāsī is not offered respect, the punishment is that he should fast one day. That is śāstric injunction.

Gunarnava: What is the punishment if one doesn't fast?

Prabhupāda: You must go to hell. (laughter) (break)

Aksayānanda: ...also come two or three times before over the months, so I know he is serious.

Prabhupāda: Let him come.

Aksayānanda: Yes, he's very nice.

Prabhupāda: What is his age?

Aksayānanda: I think he's about... He's getting on. He's fifty, sixty.

Prabhupāda: That is all right. Then he should retire.

Aksayānanda: Yes. His wife has, I think, expired, so he has no problem there. And he looked in our āśrama, and he likes it inside there. He's prepared to live with brahmacārīs and so on. Very good man. His name is Mr. Ugrasena. (break) ...much colder today.

Prabhupāda: Yes, and it will increase. Yes. In December January it will be very cold.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: There is no first-class men. All fourth-class men. They do not know what is first-class men. If one has got money, then he's all right. That is Kali-yuga. No qualification. But if you have got money, then it is all right. You are big man. Money's everything at the present moment. People, they are trying to accumulate money by all means. Never mind first class, second class, third class, bring money any way. Rather, if one does not drink, he's a third-class man. And if one drinks, he's first-class man. Civilized. In India, formerly, any gentleman comes, a glass of water or two sandeśa was given. Now that is rejected. If a gentleman is not offered a bag(?) of wine and some chicken, then it is not proper reception. (break) ...building?

Devotee (2): It's an office building, a big one in Renaissance Center. Those ones to your left are under construction.

Prabhupāda: Oh, templelike.

Devotee (2): Templelike, but it is an office building. Those are the buildings they are building their Renaissance Center. They're going to be very tall.

Prabhupāda: (break) (in car) These people waste money.

Devotee (2): Frivolousness.

Prabhupāda: Childish. They do not know the value of life.

Hari-śauri: These parks are not very regularly attended.

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Hari-śauri: Very dirty and overgrown. (break)

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: In, actually, in Bengal, Bengal has lost its original culture. In other provinces the brāhmaṇa class, they are keeping very strictly the original culture. Even a brāhmaṇa would not accept foodstuff prepared by his wife, because woman is considered śūdra. The woman, when she becomes the wife of a brāhmaṇa, then she is called brāhmaṇī, but she's not offered brahminical culture. She remains as śūdra. So therefore a strict brāhmaṇa does not accept foodstuff prepared by his wife. Still there are in U.P. The wife will arrange for cooking, and he'll sit down and cook dāl, cāpāṭis. Then he will eat, and whatever remains, that is there, that will be taken by her. But he will not take foodstuff cooked by his even wife. And if there are several brāhmaṇas, so each one of them will cook his own food. In Calcutta, mostly the rich men they used to keep the collector's darwans, they are called darwans. Means guard, policemen, guard. They're all, very big, big brāhmaṇa family, they used to take, accept the job. But each of them, even in police, I have seen, they are cooking separately. They take bath thrice, cook their own food, very strictly. The government had to give them a big hall for cooking. So, it will not take much space, say, little space. One small oven and demarcated: "This, you see, is mine, and then I, you get, this is yours, this is yours." So within that space they'll sit down and cook dāl, cāpāṭis, rice, one vegetable, and cook, and immediately all the utensils will be cleansed and washed, and the space washed and kept. You'd like to eat, they cook so nicely, although simple. And I have got practical experience, if you cook your own food, whatever it may be, it is healthy.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Just like, practice is also not very difficult. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). So if you daily come to the temple, see the Deity, he'll have some impression and he can think of Kṛṣṇa, how He is playing flute, how He is nicely dressed, how Rādhārāṇī is standing (indistinct). Then man-manā, he can think of Kṛṣṇa very easily. So man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, and as soon as you think of Kṛṣṇa, you become a devotee. Because a businessman will not spare so much time thinking (of) Kṛṣṇa, how He is playing flute. He has no business. Without being bhakta, nobody will be interested to meditate on Kṛṣṇa, how He's standing, how He's playing flute. This is bhakta's business. So anyone who is planning some trying(?) to think of Kṛṣṇa, that means automatically he becomes bhakta, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. Mad-yājī, then naturally if he becomes bhakta, naturally then why not offer to Kṛṣṇa something? Eh? Naturally. Give Him some fruits, some flower, some grains. Then Kṛṣṇa is accepting them, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). So to think of Kṛṣṇa, to become a devotee and to offer Him something, patraṁ puṣpaṁ, and offer Him obeisances, these things are development of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. And the result is, find out this verse, man-manā. Mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68), by simply executing these four principles, Kṛṣṇa assures that you will come, asaṁśayaḥ, without any doubt.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: It will continue up to six.

Hari-śauri: Yes. Mādhava dāsa is speaking right now. Mādhava dāsa. He was speaking when I went there. There's not so many people there right now. Only about a half a dozen of the visitors were there. (break)

Śatadhanya: So we all became very much enlivened from this conference. I think that it has very great potential for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, because they cannot challenge. Even Svarūpa Dāmodara, he asked, "Can anybody debate?" And all the scientists were quiet. They could not offer any challenge. So it's very effective, a very good means to preach, and we all became enlivened by attending this conference.

Prabhupāda: What is the time now?

Hari-śauri: Five past six, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why don't you come around this side? They are all dressed in their shirt and ties, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They looked just like the scientists.

Prabhupāda: Give them chair.

Hari-śauri: Chairs.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We're all right, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: You have got coat-pant. Sit down at the...

Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda said you've got coat and pant. He was concerned about whether you should sit or...

Prabhupāda: So sit down. Sit down on the chair.

Page Title:Not offered (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:20 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=14, Let=0
No. of Quotes:14