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Palatable (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

The Māyāvādīs, there are two kinds of Māyāvādīs: the impersonalists and the voidists. They are all Māyāvādī. So their philosophy is good so far, because a foolish man cannot understand more than this. A foolish man, if he is informed that there is better life in the spiritual world, to become servant of God, Kṛṣṇa, they think, "I became servant of this material world. I have suffered so much. Again servant of Kṛṣṇa? Oh..." They shudder, "Oh, no, no. This is not good. This is not good." As soon as they hear of service, they think of this service, this nonsense service. They cannot think of that there is service, but there is simply ānanda. One is still more eager to serve Him, Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual world. That they cannot understand. 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 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

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

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

I shall speak some verses from Bhagavad-gītā, Second Chapter, in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa instructed. The beginning of instruction is the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. So Arjuna, representing ourself, conditioned soul, covered with the material body and thinking in bodily conception of life... He was to fight with his brothers, nephews, grandfather, Bhīṣmadeva, also teacher the military science, Droṇācārya. In this way the business was not very palatable. Although he was forced to fight by the opposite party who were very near, thick and thin people, and he had to kill them, so it was not very satisfactory to him. Therefore he flatly denied to fight: "Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight." He left his weapon, and then Kṛṣṇa was surprised that "My friend, Arjuna, he is denying to fight in My presence."

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

You have to understand only three things then you become peaceful. What is that? The first thing is that "God is enjoyer, I am not enjoyer." But here, our mistake is, everyone is thinking, "I am enjoyer." But actually, we are not enjoyer. For example, because I am part and parcel of God... Just like my hand is part and parcel of my body. Suppose the hand catches one nice fruit cake, nice palatable cake. The hand cannot enjoy it. The hand picks it up and puts it in the mouth. And when the mou..., it goes into the stomach, when the energy is created by eating that food, that is enjoyed by the hand. Not only by this hand—this hand also, the eyes also, legs also. Similarly, we cannot enjoy anything directly. If we put everything for the enjoyment of God and then when we take, participate in that enjoyment, that is our healthy life. This is the philosophy. We don't take anything. Bhagavat-prasādam. Bhagavat-prasādam.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, December 12, 1976:

The modes of nature are three: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So if you act in sattva-guṇa, then you will be promoted to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you act in the rajo-guṇa, then madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And if you act in tamo-guṇa, then jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Jaghanya. Tāmasāḥ means very abominable activities. The other day I was speaking. I saw one gentleman, Indian gentleman. He was eating the intestines of hog in the airplane. That is very palatable, they say. Tamo-guṇa, most tamo-guṇa. Hog, the stool-eater, and its intestine, that is cooked, and he's eating. How much tamo-guṇa. Jaghanya. Jaghanya guṇa-vṛtti, very abominable. So next life he is going to be a hog. This is going on. We are in this material nature. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān (BG 13.22). We are in this material world according to our association with different modes of nature. We are making one type of mentality, and at the time of death, that mental position is responsible for carrying me in a different type of body. In this way we are changing body one after another.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Hyderabad, November 21, 1972:

Go away from home. To take sannyāsa, to take vānaprastha. Not to remain up to the last point of death as family member, grandfather or great-grandfather. That is not our Vedic civilization. As soon as one is little grown up, pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet, he must get out from this gṛham andha-kūpam. Gṛham andha-kūpam, if we discuss threadbare, it may be very unpalatable. But we have to discuss from śāstra what is gṛha. Gṛha, it is... Another word, it is called aṅganāśrayam. Aṅganā. Aṅganā means woman. To live under the protection of wife. Aṅganāśraya. So śāstra recommends that you give up this aṅganāśrayam to go to the paramahaṁsa-āśrayam. Then your life will be saved. Otherwise, as Prahlāda Mahārāja says, gṛham andha-kūpam, "If you keep yourself always in this dark well of so-called family life, then you'll never be happy." Ātma-pātam. Ātma-pātam means you'll never be able to understand spiritual life. Of course, not always, but generally. Generally, who are too much attached to family life or extended family life... Extended... Family life, then society life, then community life, then national life, then international life. They're all gṛham andha-kūpam. All gṛham andha-kūpam.

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

He wants to enjoy this material enjoyment. Just like everyone is going to the restaurant for eating something palatable, but we are not going, and somebody is going to cinema, but we are not going to the cinema. Similarly, there are two kinds of men: one is attracted; one is not attracted. Those who are not attracted, they are called nitya-siddha, eternally liberated. And those who are being attracted, they are called nitya-baddha, eternally conditioned. So you'll find always two classes of men. So one is attracted; one is not attracted. In the spiritual world the number of liberated person—many, many times greater than these conditioned soul. Just like the prison house and outside the prison house. The population outside the prison house, their number is very great, but within the prison house there are small number, criminals. So there are innumerable living entities. Out of them, some of them become attracted to this material enjoyment; others not. So one who does not want to serve Kṛṣṇa and wants to serve his senses, he's put into this material world. And he's given all facilities to enjoy, but he becomes entangled. This is the position. Yes?

Lecture on BG 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

So brain may be a, a combination of nice matter, but it cannot work without the spirit soul. We should clearly understand this. And if we accept this body as the everything... Just like the other day, I told you, I met one big professor, Russian professor, in Moscow. He said, "Swamiji, after this body is finished, everything's finished." This is the atheistic theory. This is not new. In India there are many atheists, followers of Cārvāka. According to Cārvāka Muni, his theory is: bhasmi bhūtasya dehasya punaḥ kutaḥ punar āgamano bhavet ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvad jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā pibet. "Just live joyfully, merrily..." "No, I have no money." "All right. Take, beg, borrow and steal. Some way or other, get money." That is going on. "Get money some way or other and live." That is Cārvāka theory. Hedonism. "Get money..." So this is going, this civilization is going on. "Somehow or other, get money." Because without money, you cannot get woman, you cannot get nice palatable food, nice dress, nice apartment, nice car. "So bring money, somehow or other." Everyone is coming forward as very philanthropist leader. The aim is how to get money. That's all. That is their philanthropism. They, they speak so many nonsense things, but the real idea is how to get money.

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

Suppose I have passed my M.A. examination, and in the, in the university, in the convocation meeting, I get the degree and people applauses me; but if one is situated in consciousness, he will understand, "What is this degree? This degree is due to my this body. As soon as this body finishes, all these degree will finish. Because, if it is a fact that vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22), if I have to take another body after leaving this body, then everything in bodily connection will finish as soon as I give up this body and take up another body. That is my position." Therefore, one who is convinced, one who knows actually that "I am not this body; I am pure consciousness," so these degrees... Or some good, palatable foodstuff. I have been offered by some friend. I am eating. "Oh," I am thinking, "oḥ, how happy I am!" But what is that happiness? That happiness is due to my tongue only, but I am not this tongue. So these things are, will appear, one who is purely consciousness. You see? But that, that does not mean that I shall not eat or I shall not associate in the society. No. I shall be. Everything I shall be, but I must always know that "I am aloof from this. My position is that I am subordinate to the Supreme Consciousness, and I, I have to act in that position."

So in spite of all this, he's aloof from all these things. That will make him completely happy.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

See how artistically He's decorated. So that satisfies the demands of my eyes. In every temple nice musical sound is going on. If you there, you sit down for a time, and you hear, and you become satisfied. So the ear is satisfied. The eyes are satisfied. Then you take very nice, palatable, I mean to say, foodstuff, offered to the Deity, and you are offered the prasādam as remnants. So these arrangements are there. And, not only in Vṛndāvana, in every town, still the system is going on. That means our senses, in a different way, they're engaged. They're engaged, spiritually engaged. So that process is very good for the neophytes. Those who are beginners, the arcanā process, the Deity worship in the temple, is very nice. But apart from all those engagements, where it is not possible, this singing or glorifying the Supreme Lord or this simple song—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—it will elevate certainly to the highest extent if you do it very nicely and seriously. Ātma-vaśyair vidheyātmā prasādam adhigacchati. Prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate. And as soon as you are satisfied, then your all miseries are ended.

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

Even animal eaters and flesh eaters, they have also some process for offering yajña. In the Vedic process, even the flesh eaters, they are also prescribed that "You can perform yajña like this." That yajña must be there. Yajña must be there. But so far we are concerned who are going to have Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we have to take the instruction of Kṛṣṇa as He says in the Bhagavad-gītā. He says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26). He is asking foodstuff prepared from vegetable kingdom. Therefore we have to prepare things from vegetable kingdom nicely and very palatably and offer Kṛṣṇa and then take it. This yajña will make us free from all kinds of sins and our life will be sublime. Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

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

What is that mentality? That mentality is that you are working for your sense gratification, and you have to change your mentality for gratifying the sense of the Supreme Lord. That's all. We are working... Ordinary work means for, working for our own sense gratification. "I want to eat this," so I eat. I purchase from the market. "Oh, this is very nice thing, very palatable to my tongue. Oh, purchase it. I shall eat it." Now, when you become conversant with the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā, you have to think whether this thing is palatable to the tongue of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Now you are thinking, "Let me purchase from the store this nice thing. It is very palatable to my taste." And when you actually become a learned scholar of Bhagavad-gītā, at that time you will have to think whether this thing will be palatable to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. The whole thing is there. When you learn that thing, when you want to please Kṛṣṇa and not yourself, then you become an expert spiritualist. That's all. So it is not very difficult thing. Very easy. Simply we have to learn how to reach that stage of life.

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

Because our senses... There are so many senses. We have got the eyes, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the hand, the leg, and so many. We have got ten, ten senses, sensory organs and working organs. So these organs there are. Out of all the organs, the tongue is the most uncontrollable organ, tongue. When we eat... Perhaps those devotees who eat with us, we chant this, that śarīra abidyā-jāl joḍendriya tāhe kāl: "This body is the encagement of our nescience, of our ignorance. And in that body the senses are our greatest enemies. Out of that, the tongue is the most powerful enemy." Tā'ra madhye jihwā ati lobhamoy sudurmati. Lobhamoy sudurmati. Because tongue is always hankering after palatable things, and it is making me bound up in so many reactions of my life... That is the secret.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:
Now, take for example the other day we had some feasting. We cooked it nicely and offered Kṛṣṇa, and then you took. What was the difficulty there? Was there any difficulty? So many gentlemen, you are present here who partook of that prasādam. How nicely it was prepared and how we enjoyed. So is yajña a very difficult thing? So it is not at all difficult. Simply we have to adopt the principles. That's all. And if we adopt that principle... Here it is clearly said that yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santaḥ. Santa means these things are arranged by pious men and devotees of the Lord. Ordinary men, they don't care: "What is this nonsense yajña? Let us go to the hotel and take to our palatable things." You see? That is another thing. But those who are serious about solving the problems of life, let them take to this yajña principle. Is it very difficult? Not at all. It is rather pleasurable.
Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Bombay, April 1, 1974:

So kṣipraṁ hi mānuṣe loke siddhir bhavati karma-jā. So karma-kāṇḍīya, those who are on the platform of fruitive activities, generally they are attracted by the demigod worship. But vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56), those who are detached from material happiness, they becomes attached to Kṛṣṇa. Man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ. That is already explained. Now we have to make our choice whether for temporary benefit we shall worship demigods or for permanent benefit we shall worship Kṛṣṇa. That is our choice. But people generally make their choice: kṣipraṁ hi mānuṣe loke siddhir bhavati, immediate result. Immediate result. That will be explained that immediate result, it may be very palatable in the beginning, but it is.... It will produce bitter result at the end. But that we do not consider. We want immediate.

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

Then Lord Kṛṣṇa says, nātyaśnatas tu yogo 'sti. "Anyone who eats more than necessary, oh, he cannot perform yoga." Na ati aśnatas yogo 'sti na ca ekāntam anaśnataḥ (BG 6.16). "A person," I mean to say, "willfully trying to keep himself in starvation, he cannot perform yoga. Neither the person who eats more than he requires, he also cannot perform yoga." The eating process should be moderate, only for keeping the body and soul together. Not for enjoyment of the tongue. So that is the real yogic process, that you cannot eat very palatable things. Because as soon as palatable things comes before us, naturally if I take one, I must take two, three, four. You see? So so far yogis are concerned, they cannot take any palatable desirable things. They have to simply take only the necessities. Some of the yogis, I have seen, there was one yogi in Calcutta... Of course, in a temple, in a sanctified place. He was taking once only a little quantity of rice boiled with water, at three o'clock in the afternoon he was taking. That was his food and nothing more. Nothing more.

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

So one should first of all know that our miserable condition of material existence is due to this body. At the same time this body is not permanent. Supposing I identify everything with this body—family, society, country, this, that, so many things. But how long? It is not permanent. Asat. Asat means it will not exist. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). Simply troublesome. Not permanent and simply giving trouble. That is intelligence. How to get out of this body. 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? You see?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

So śāstra says, therefore, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Śāstra says, ayaṁ deha, this body, human body... Nāyaṁ deho nṛloke, deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Nṛloke means in the human society. The animals... Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Viḍ-bhujām means an stool-eater animal, stool-eater animal, hogs. You know. Although it is not very easily found in the cities, in our Indian villages, there are so many stool-eater hogs loitering in the street, in the village. The only business is "Where to find out stool?" This is the business. Whole day and night they are working, to find out stool. So if human being is educated to find out his eatables... Of course, the hog's eatables are the stool. They like it very much, very palatable thing. Similarly, we also, for some palatable things, we also work day and night. But śāstra says, na ayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate. Why this human society should be trained up to work so hard simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending? This is not good.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977:

This business—eating, sleeping, sex life and defense—this is common to the animal and to the human being. A cat, a dog also eat, and we are also eating. They are eating in their standard and we are eating in our standard. Sometimes we are eating less than their standard. So eating, the satisfaction of eating, anything you eat the pleasure is the same. A hog is eating stool. He's enjoying the pleasure of eating. And a human being eating very nice palatable food, he's also enjoying the same pleasure. There is no difference. Similarly sleeping also, similarly sex life. A dog is enjoying sex life on the street, and the king is enjoying sex life in the palace. But the pleasure is the same. Similarly defense. If you attack one animal, he knows how to defend himself. He has got also nails and jaws. A tiger or a dog or a cat, if you attack he knows how to defend himself. We may defend with atomic weapon, but the business is the same, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ...

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

Well, it is not rejecting; it is reforming. The Catholic religion also teaches love of God, or love of Christ. So if I say the truth, it will not be very palatable, but this movement is reformation. But another thing is Catholic, Hindu, Muslim, or whatever you may be, everyone accepts there is God. So we are teaching not to formally accept there is God, but know what is God and love Him. So those who are interested for higher knowledge of God, they'll take it. The point is simply officially to accept God, There is God, know. You know what is God, what is His..., what He is doing, what He is acting, what is His name, what is His address. Everything you know and try to love Him. That we are teaching. So those who are actually serious to know about God, they'll come to this movement. And those who simply know God officially: "There is God.

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

There are five kinds of liberation: sāyujya, sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya, five kinds of liberation. So sāyujya-mukti is to merge into the impersonal effulgence of God. That is called sāyujya-mukti. If you like, you can merge your identity with the impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord, which is called Brahman, brahma-jyotir. That you can do. But that is not very palatable. That we have discussed many times. But others... There are two schools of philosophers. One likes to merge into the existence of the Supreme and close his identity, individual identity—no more individuality. That you can do. You close your identity. But that sort of merging is risky also. That we have several times discussed. But if you enter into some planets, spiritual planets, then you can have five kinds of liberation. One kind of liberation is sārūpya. You can have body exactly like God. Sārūpya. Sālokya. You can live in the same planet, sālokya. Sālokya, sālokya and sārṣṭi. Sārṣṭi means you can have similar opulence as God has, similar opulence. So much powerful you can become that you are as powerful as God is. That is called sārṣṭi. And sāmīpya. Sāmīpya means you can always remain with God as one of the associates. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is always with Kṛṣṇa as friend. This is called sāmīpya.

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

Or suppose you are hungry. You are... On account of your hunger you are feeling headache, you cannot see through your eyes properly, you cannot hear, you cannot work—so many things, problems, will arise. But as soon as you put some food stuff, nourishing foodstuff, immediately you'll feel strength and you'll happy, be happy. That is called pratyakṣa. Pratyakṣa means directly. Avagamaṁ dharmyam. If you are hungry and if you are given very nice, nutritious, palatable food, you haven't got to take any certificate from others. You'll understand yourself, "Yes, I am now feeling strength. I am now feeling energy." This is called pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. Similarly, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness—that is the process—then you'll feel automatically how you are satisfied. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

Now we are satisfying our senses. That is bodily concept of material existence. And when we train ourself how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, oh, then, that is our perfection of life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The process is there. Either you satisfy your senses or you satisfy the proprietor of the senses. Kṛṣṇa is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka. Hṛṣīka means "the senses." And Kṛṣṇa is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta (BG 1.21). Hṛṣīkeśa. Tvayā hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣṭitena.(?) So Hṛṣīkeśa. So bhakti means hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Now hṛṣīka means indriya. At the present moment, we are satisfying the senses. For the sense only. We have no other higher objective. Sense wants to eat something palatable. Although it is not good for me, either from health point of view, or spiritual point of view...

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Delhi, September 22, 1974:

Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). Generally, people, they cook for themselves nice, palatable foodstuffs for eating and enjoying. But they do not know that they are eating all sinful reactions. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt. What is the difference between this house and the next house? Here we cook for Kṛṣṇa, not for ourselves. Therefore we are being saved. Otherwise, if you don't cook for Kṛṣṇa, if you cook for yourself, then it is, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt.

Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:

So we say that "Our process is simple. We cannot take any other process. Our process is that if anyone wants to be cured from this bad habit, then let him come, live with us. That's all. Sit down here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. See the ārati, and take prasādam." And there is no... We don't supply any tea or coffee. No. We cannot supply. And nobody grudges also, that "You are not supplying us tea or coffee or cigarettes." No. So the spiritual power is so nice that automatically forget. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59), as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you find something very palatable, very nice, then you give up the bad thing. If you are offered a nice rasagullā, why should you take ordinary molasses or gur or anything else? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. That is the formula given by Lord Kṛṣṇa. When one relishes a transcendental pleasure, he automatically gives up the so-called material pleasure, automatically.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:

So formerly there was no meetings of the śūdras. The meeting was held about, amongst the brāhmaṇas, saintly persons, to consider how people will remain happy, how their spiritualistic life will be advanced. Therefore the brāhmaṇas were the heads, and others, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas and śūdras, they used to take instruction from the brāhmaṇas, for their livelihood. That was very good system. That is natural. Just like in this body there are the same brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. The brāhmaṇa is the head, the brain, and the kṣatriya the arms, and vaiśya the belly , and śūdras is the legs. So when the body is healthy condition, the brain is very nice, then the brain gives direction to the legs, to the hands, to the belly. Brain, if one has got good brain, he does not eat much. "Why should I eat more? When I am not hungry, why shall I load the belly?" It requires brain. And "No, here is a very nice palatable thing. Let me load it." Because he has no brain. And after loading, then dysentery. You see? So in every action, the brain is required.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

Then kāmasya na indriya-prītiḥ lābhaḥ jīveta yāvatā. You must have sense gratification, eating, sleeping, mating—but as far as you can maintain your body very nicely. Not that voluntarily you shall starve. No. Just like these boys, these girls, are we..., we are not starving, but our eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam means just to live nicely for executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not meant for going to the cinema or for other sense gratification purposes, but because we have got this body, there is no question that we shall stop eating. We eat prasādam, kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and that is very palatable. Kṛṣṇa-prasādam..., Kṛṣṇa should be offered all first class preparation because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. But if we haven't money to supply Him nice thing, the Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, as Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ pusaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Kṛṣṇa wants that you offer Him something with devotional love, that's all. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Kṛṣṇa is ātmārāma. He is self-sufficient. He does not require. He is producing food for us. That's a fact. We get so many fruits and flower. We don't manufacture it in the factory; neither it is possible.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

If you identify yourself that "I am neither American, nor Indian, but I am pure consciousness, I am subordinate consciousness of the supreme consciousness, or, in other words, I am servant of God... God is supreme consciousness, and I am subordinate." That... So for our present understanding, subordinate means a servant. But don't carry out the idea of servant in relation to God. Here nobody wants to be servant. Everyone wants to be master. Because to become servant is very, not very, mean, a palatable thing. So but to become a servant of God is not exactly like this. Sometimes servant of God becomes the master of God. The real position of the living entity is a servant of God, but in Bhagavad-gītā we see that the master, Kṛṣṇa, has become the servant of Arjuna. Arjuna is sitting on the chariot, and Kṛṣṇa has accepted his drivership. Is not the servant of the owner of the chariot? So in spiritual relation we should not carry out the conception of this material relationship. Although the relationship are there. The whole relationship, as we have got experience in this world, the same relationship are there in the spiritual world. But that relationship is not contaminated with matter. Therefore they are pure and transcendental. Therefore they are of a different nature. As we become advanced in spiritual conception of life, then we can understand what is the actual position in spiritual, transcendental life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:

All of us, we have accepted this material body. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām asad-grahāt, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Because the living entities accepted this material body, asad-grahāt... Asat means "that will not exist." Every living entity is eternal. He must have his eternal body. But purposefully, to enjoy this material world, the living entity has accepted a material body. Not only once, but it is going on continually, one after another. As I am accumulating material desires in this life... Just like I have got this body according to my desires in the last life, similarly, whatever we are desiring in this life, that will be fulfilled in the next life. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. As we desire, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa is so kind that if you want a tiger's body, Kṛṣṇa will give you. If you want a demigod's body, Kṛṣṇa will give you. If you want a body like Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will give you. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). Whatever you want, especially in this human form of life, whatever you desire, Kṛṣṇa will give you chance. It may be very unpalatable, but this is a fact. We have heard from authorities.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:

So it does not require any artificial musical knowledge or dancing knowledge. Out of your own ecstasy, you will dance, you'll chant. You don't require to study. Just like our playing of mṛdaṅga. Nobody has gone to an expert mṛdaṅga player to learn it. Whatever I play, I sing, I never studied under some expert teacher. But by practice, chanting, it may be melodious, it may be very nice or not. That doesn't matter. We are not concerned about that, whether it is appealing to the people or not. It will appeal; there is no doubt about it. But we don't require to divert our attention on these things. Simply because there is glorification of the Lord, it will be palatable. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt ka uttama-śloka-guṇānuvādāt virajyeta vinā paśughnāt (SB 10.1.4).

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said there are three stages. Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano... In three ways it is so nice, palatable. So why one should be aloof from this chanting? Ka uttama-śloka-guṇānu... Who can be aloof from this chanting or hearing about the activities, pastimes of the uttama-śloka, Supreme Personality of Godhead? Vinā paśughnāt (SB 10.1.4). The only person: who is paśughnāt. Paśughnāt means animal-killer. A person who is animal-killer, he'll not be interested. The animal-killer, you can, I mean to say, analyze the meaning in two ways. Animal killer means not exactly those who are butchers, or ordinary man who kills animal and eat. But even a person who does not take care of his self-realization, he is also animal-killer. He is killing himself. He is also animal-killer. Because this life is meant for self-realization, but he's not taking interest in self-realization. He is taking pleasure only just like animal. So I am also an animal. I am killing myself. If I don't take interest in self-realization and if I glide down again into the cycle of birth and death, then I am killing myself. Suiciding. That is our willing, killing ourself willingly. If I know that "If I do this, I will be punished like this," and if I still do this, then I am killing myself.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974:

So ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. A Vaiṣṇava feels for others. A Vaiṣṇava understands that "Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, those who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, they are rotting under the spell of māyā. Let us do something for them." That is Vaiṣṇava. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja said, naivodvije para duratyaya, duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ: "I am not afraid of the indefatigable vaitaraṇī." It is said in the śāstra that you have to cross the vaitaraṇī before going to the spiritual world. So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I am not afraid of this vaitaraṇī. It is very easy." Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ: (SB 7.9.43) "Because I know simply by glorifying Your Lordship, I am..., I can do that." Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). That is quite possible. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. So a pure Vaiṣṇava like Haridāsa Ṭhākura can simply chant. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised anyone, especially His confidential devotees... Just like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. He was advised that "You chant and don't eat very palatable food. Don't dress yourself very gorgeously." This instruction... But the chanting. Everyone was advised, whoever went to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "You chant."

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972:

Food, there are, when one is diseased, you have to give him diet and medicine. Two things required. If you simply give medicine, no diet, that will be not very successful. Both. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for giving food, means diet and medicine, to the soul. The medicine is the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt pumān virajyeta vinā paśughnāt (SB 10.1.4). The Parīkṣit Mahārāja said to Śukadeva Gosvāmī that: "This Bhāgavata discussion which you are prepared to give me, it is not ordinary thing." Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt. This Bhāgavata discussion is relishable by persons who are nivṛtta-tṛṣṇā. Tṛṣṇā, tṛṣṇā means hankering. Everyone in this material world is hankering, hankering. So one who is freed from this hankering, he can taste the Bhāgavata, how palatable it is. It is such a thing. Nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ... Similarly bhāgavata means also, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is also bhāgavata. Bhāgavata means anything in relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is called bhāgavata. The Supreme Lord is called Bhagavān. Bhāgavata-śabda, and in relationship with Him, anything, that bhāgavata-śabda turns into bhāgavata-śabda.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

Just like in jaundice disease that, if you... Because the doctors, the medical practitioners, they give sugar candy. The physician gives sugar candy. The sugar candy, to the person suffering from jaundice, tastes bitter: "Oh, it is bitter." But actually sugar candy is not bitter. Similarly, to the sinful man the kṛṣṇa-kathā, discussion about Kṛṣṇa, does not appear to be very palatable. They do not like to hear. They think it is waste of time. But that, as the sugar candy is the only medicine for jaundice disease, similarly, the hari-kathā, or kṛṣṇa-kathā, is the only medicine for our material disease. If we take it... Just like the jaundiced patient. If he takes sugar candy, then gradually he becomes free from the diseased condition, and at that time, the same sugar candy which he tasted in the beginning as bitter, it appears to be very, very sweet. Then he cannot live without. This is the process.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa was very much pleased. If you worship Kṛṣṇa in the proper way, mahājano yena ga..., then he accepts. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). And Kṛṣṇa also says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). That bhakti is the most important thing. Kṛṣṇa is not interested with your foodstuff. Kṛṣṇa is interested with your bhakti. Therefore this word is used, yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Not that "I am very rich man. I can offer Kṛṣṇa luci, puri, halavā. He must take it." Just like we get some palatable foodstuff—we eat up to the neck. No. Kṛṣṇa is ātmārāma. Kṛṣṇa has no hunger. Even if He is hungry, He can fulfill it Himself. He doesn't require your help. But He accepts your foodstuff because you offer Him with bhakti. That is the main thing. Just like you relish foodstuff when you are hungry. If you have got sufficient appetite, any kind of foodstuff, you'll find it is very nice. But if you are offered very palatable foodstuff and you are not hungry—you have no appetite—useless. Similarly, you can Kṛṣṇa offer very nice foodstuff, luci, puri, halavā and other things, but if you have no bhakti, then Kṛṣṇa will not touch. Therefore it is essential; those who are initiated, they should prepare Kṛṣṇa's foodstuff, and the professional man, noninitiated person, cannot prepare. Because a bhakta prepares the foodstuff with some desire that "Let me do it very nicely. Kṛṣṇa will eat."That... That is different thing from the professional man cooking.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

They make business. Just like we are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we are discussing about the warfares, the professionals, they will go immediately to rāsa-līlā, as if these things are not necessary. Anyone who hears Bhāgavatam from these professionals, they do not know what are the other subject matter in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because they haven't got the chance to hear. They do not discuss. Whenever there is recitation of Bhāgavatam, it means they are discussing some rāsa-līlā. Because the rāsa-līlā is very palatable to the rascals. They think that Kṛṣṇa is ordinary young boy, and the gopīs are young girls, and as they read novel and dramas, one man, one woman, their activities, they think Bhāgavata is like that. They think... Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. They think like that. The gopīs, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs, it is most confidential part of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is to be relished by the liberated soul, not these ordinary persons who have got sex attraction. They are unfit for hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, rāsa-līlā. Unfit.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

We are trying to give as much possible happiness to our students. Otherwise unless he is, one feels happy, how... It is little difficult. Unless one is very advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one cannot adjust things. Therefore our policy is that... What is called? Yogo bhavati siddhi. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhi. We are yogis, but we are not that kind of yogi, unnecessarily giving trouble to the body. No. Yuktāhāra. you eat. You require to eat. You eat. Don't starve. Don't unnecessarily fast. But don't eat voraciously. That is bad. That is not yukta. You eat, but don't eat voraciously: "Because there is something very palatable, let me eat voraciously," and then again fall sick. An if you cannot digest, then you will sleep. You will sleep only. Therefore don't eat more, but eat whatever is necessary. Yuktāhāra. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhi. Eat whatever necessity, whatever you can... "One man's food, another man's poison." One man eats, say, so much voraciously. Another man cannot digest. If he imitates, "Oh, he is eating so much? I will also eat so much." No. He can digest it, let him eat. But if you cannot digest, don't eat more. That is required.

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

So sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. Once you are associated sincerely with devotees, he cannot mix with nondevotees. This is the test. This is the test. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. If once only... Sakṛt. Here it is said, kīrtyamānaṁ yaśo yasya sakṛd ākarṇya rocanam. If once... Satāṁ prasaṅgāt, sat-saṅga is so powerful. If one submissively hears from sat-saṅga about the name and fame of the Supreme Lord, immediately it becomes palatable. Sakṛd ākarṇya rocanam. The same thing is repeated in another place: satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). If one hears from real devotee, immediately he becomes pregnant. Vīryamāna. Just like if one boy is vīryamāna, as soon as he has sex, the girl must be pregnant. Similarly, those who are vīryamāna, really devotee, by hearing him, one becomes pregnant. Pregnant means he becomes interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is called satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Hṛt. We like from the heart. We like from the ear. Very nice to hear. Hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ. Rasāyana means pleasing. As soon as one will hear from satām, then his ear and heart will be pleased: "Oh, it is very nice." Hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. Taj-joṣaṇāt. And if he again cultivates, if he thinks over, taj-joṣaṇāt, āśu... Āśu means immediately. Apavarga-vartmani, on the path of liberation. Śraddhā bhaktir ratir anukramiṣyati. This is the process. Therefore, sat-saṅga is required.

Lecture on SB 1.13.12 -- Geneva, June 3, 1974:

So this was not a very palatable incident. So Vidura, when he was asked by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about the family members of Yadu-kula, he did not describe it, because they were very thickly related as family members, so it would be a great shock to the Pāṇḍavas that Yadu-kula, descendants of the Yadu-kula, had been annihilated in such an unpalatable way. So he did not describe. Yathānubhūtaṁ kramaśaḥ. Ity ukto dharma-rājena sarvaṁ tat samavarṇayat. He described everything. Vinā yadu-kula-kṣayam. Vinā. Vinā means "without." Without the incidence, how the Yadu-kula was destroyed by fighting amongst themselves.

Lecture on SB 1.15.1 -- New York, November 29, 1973:

In every religion, it is accepted. Just like in Christian religion also it is said: "Oh God, give us our daily bread." Bread, we cannot manufacture. It must come from God. That is Vedic version also nityo nityānāṁ cetanaṣ cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God, or Kṛṣṇa, He gives everything, necessities of life, as you like, but if you accept your enjoyable things as you like, then you'll become entangled. But if you accept things to be enjoyed by you, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1), as Kṛṣṇa offers you, then you'll become happy. If you make, just like a diseased patient, if he wants to enjoy life in his own whimsical way, he'll continue his disease. But if he accepts the modes of life according to the directions of the physician, then he becomes free from So there are two methods, pravṛtti and nivṛtti. Pravṛtti means "I have got inclination to eat this or to enjoy this. Why not? I shall do it. I have got my freedom." "But you have no freedom sir, you are simply..." That is māyā. You have no freedom. We get experience, suppose there is very nice palatable food. If I think, let me eat as much as possible, then next day I'll have to starve. Immediately dysentery or indigestion.

Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

sūta uvāca
yadā parīkṣit kuru-jāṅgale 'vasat
kaliṁ praviṣṭaṁ nija-cakravartite
niśamya vārtām anatipriyāṁ tataḥ
śarāsanaṁ saṁyuga-śauṇḍir ādade
(SB 1.16.10)

Translation: "Sūta Gosvāmī said: While Mahārāja Parīkṣit was residing in the capital of the Kuru empire, the symptoms of the age of Kali began to infiltrate within the jurisdiction of his state. When he learned about this, he did not think the matter very palatable. This did, however, give him a chance to fight. He took up his bow and arrows and prepared himself for military activities."

Prabhupāda: So Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the ideal monarch. Yadā parīkṣit kuru-jāṅgale 'vasat. He was so powerful king that there was no possibility of anyone rising against him. He was so powerful. Therefore he was peacefully living in his capital, kuru-jāṅgale. So he was not getting any opportunity to fight because there was no enemy with whom to fight. But as soon as he got the news that Kali has entered in the jurisdiction of his kingdom, he got the chance of fighting.

Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:

Then who is above? That above—who is inquiring about the Absolute. Jijñāsuḥ śreya-uttamam. He is human being, jijñāsu. He may not know in the beginning, but if he is inquisitive about knowing the Absolute Truth, he is human being. Just try to understand what is the distinction between a human being and cat and dog. So a human being means he is inquiring about the spirit soul or the spiritual world, the supreme spirit, God, Kṛṣṇa. He is human being. Otherwise cats and dogs. It is very simple to distinguish who is a cat and dog and who is a human being. There is no difficulty. What is the subject matter of his inquiry and what he is after? What he wants in life? Everyone wants to eat very nicely in table, chair and nice plate, nicely cooked food, and palatable. Never mind whatever nonsense it is; it must be palatable. So that is eating, eating problem. So in this way, if we analyze, it is not difficult to find out who is a human being and who is a cat and dog. That is... Everything can be understood.

Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:

So when one is inquisitive, jijñāsu... And jijñāsu means, what kind of jijñāsu, inquisitive? Śreya uttamam. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. There are fields, different fields of activities. So when becomes inquisitive to know the ultimate necessity, ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti, ultimate necessity. Śreya uttamam. There are two things: śreya and preya. I have discussed all these thing many times. Preya means immediately very palatable. That is called preya. And śreya means ultimately good. Suppose if you take some palatable foodstuff, it may be very palatable to you... There are many examples. Just like smoking. Smoking. Everyone knows, the scientists, the doctor, they declare, "This is a nonsense thing. It should be avoided." They advertise even in the packet also. But people still smoke. But that is called preya. That is called preya. Preya means immediately very nice. And śreya means when one gives it up, "No, it will keep my health nice." That is śreya. Try to understand what is śreya and preya. Another example: just like a child he wants to play whole day.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

It is just like kalpa-taru, desire tree. We have no idea of desire tree, what is desire tree. It is in the Vaikuṇṭha-loka. The trees are desire tree. Desire tree means from any tree you can get any fruit or anything you want. That is called desire tree. Here it is fixed up: you can get mango from the mango tree. But in the desire tree, whatever you want, you can get. So kalpa-taru. Kalpa-taru means any departmental knowledge that you require to execute your human form of life, so that you will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam (SB 1.1.3). Galitaṁ phalam means the fruit matured in the tree. Here we artificially mature. We take the fruit unripe, and by artificial method, we get it ripened. But that is not acceptable. But the fruit which is ripened fully in the tree, that is very palatable, sweet. Nigama galitam. Galitaṁ phalam, fully matured fruit, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Fully matured fruit of the desire tree known as Vedas.

Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:

Not very palatable. Neither everyone can take it. A child cannot become a jñānī. A child cannot become a yogi. But a child can become a bhakta. Therefore this is the easiest process. Pleasing. Everyone is pleased to execute this process. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt (SB 10.1.4). Mano-'bhirāmāt. Even for ordinary men who wants to hear about conjugal love... They read therefore so many novels, fiction, dramas. What is that? The love affairs between one young man, one young girl. But that is also there, Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. In that sense also, it is pleasing.

Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:

I know, in Bombay there is a big speaker of Bhāgavatam. He preaches that "You remain in your family life very peacefully. This is the instruction of Bhāgavata." He never teaches that you have to give up this nonsense family life and you have to go back to home, back to Godhead. He never preaches that. There are so many examples. He comes to the conclusion that "You live peacefully," as if to live peacefully in this material world is the highest achievement of life. They will never disclose the actual fact that nobody can live in this world peacefully. It is not possible at all. But they want money. So they'll flatter or they'll go to Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā, presenting Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being and the gopīs are ordinary girls. So this is very palatable for us, kissing, embracing young girls. So Kṛṣṇa is doing, but they take it that their embracing and kissing is supported by Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. That is a different subject matter; they do not know that.

Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974:

So human being should be interested in śreya, not in preya. That is not human life. Preya means immediately gives me some sense pleasure: "Oh, it is very nice." No. That is human life. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. We require these things. We require to eat something for maintaining the body. But not that we shall be accustomed to eat very palatable things. No. That is not good. Bhāla nā khāibe āra bhāla nā paribe. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised His disciples, "Never eat very palatable foodstuff. Never talk these village talks." Ordinary novel, literature, newspaper, He forbade. Fortunately, in our Society there is no newspaper. You may be surprised that "How is that, in modern age, especially these Europeans and Americans, they do not take any interest in newspaper?" In their country, if one does not get newspaper, it is horrible. It is horrible. Newspaper is so popular in the Western countries. There are so many newspapers. And each newspaper is publishing three, four times editions. But they are selling. But you'll find that these boys, these Americans boys who have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have kicked out newspaper. No more newspaper. Because there is no kṛṣṇa-kathā, they don't like to read it. This is called bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the test. We do not know what is the happening daily. It is, it does not matter, newspaper. It is a waste of time. Better that time read some literature like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. You'll be benefited. Why you should waste the valuable time of your life?

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

This is also a little advancement, but it is not possible to make our attachment zero. That is not possible. Therefore Bhagavān says in the Bhagavad..., paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Just like a child has got attachment for playing, and gradually, his attachment should be transferred for reading, going to school, education. But if you stop his attachment, then he will become mad. You must give something. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Just like we are. To the Western devotees, we are advising them—at least, those who are accepted as our disciples, they must—no meat-eating. They are accustomed to meat-eating, but that how this meat-eating has been stopped? We have given them nice things, kacuris, śṛṅgāra, rasagullā. So they have given up meat-eating. So you must give something more palatable. Then detachment will be possible. First of all nullify the attachment, and then give him better attachment. Then he will forget. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. You cannot force a living entity by force. Gradually... The same example: a child has got attachment, but by some system, its attachment is turned over.

Lecture on SB 3.25.25 -- Bombay, November 25, 1974:

Just like you eat something; there is some taste. That is called rasa, or mellow. Then... Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). Rasa. Rasa means when you are thirsty, when you drink water, you taste something very nice to quench your thirst. So Kṛṣṇa has instructed that "To begin with, you can think of Me, aham, while you drink water." It is not difficult. Everyone can practice it, so easy thing. Everyone can practice it. Everyone drinks water, and the rasa, the taste, the nice taste, when you are thirsty, how it is palatable by drinking water. Without water, sometimes we die, and by getting little sip of water, we live. Water is so important. So water, we drink everyone, and there is rasa, that taste. That taste, if we simply think, "Here is Kṛṣṇa," very easy thing... Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). As soon as you see the sunlight in the morning, you can think. Kṛṣṇa says. Why do you say, "Can you show me God?" God is showing you Himself. Why don't you see it? If you close your eyes, how you can see God? He says, "I am this."

Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:

But that is not the fact. Here it is said, tad asya saṁsṛtir bandhaḥ pāra-tantryaṁ ca tat-kṛtam. Pāra-tantrya, under the grip of the laws of material nature. How God can be under the grip of material nature? They explain, "It is līlā." But that is not. Here it is said, pāra-tantrya: "He is forced to accept a certain type of body." That is called pāra-tantrya. Saṁsṛtiḥ. This is punishment, saṁsṛtiḥ. Why saṁsṛtiḥ? On account of... (aside:) What is that? Sit down. Saṁsṛtiḥ. Saṁsṛtiḥ means punishment. Samyak rūpeṇa sṛtiḥ, going, progress, one after another, one after another, one after another, saṁsṛtiḥ, saṁsāra. So saṁsāra is not very palatable thing. Our Vaiṣṇava ācāryas say that saṁsāra is just like blazing fire. It is not a very nice... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). So does it mean that the Supreme Lord, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, He has come to suffer? And by force everyone in this material world is suffering saṁsṛtiḥ, and he is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? How wrong philosophy it is. No.

Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:

You cannot stop desire. That is not possible. The kāma-sambhavaḥ... Saṅkalpa-vikalpābhyāṁ vartate kāma-sambhavaḥ. This is the mind's position. I am desiring something, and if it is not very palatable, then I reject it. I accept another desire. This is. You cannot keep the mind vacant even for a single moment. Nobody has got this experience, that mind is vacant. If, by force, you are trying to do that, it is simply laboring. It is not possible. Just like to concentrate one's mind in the vacant... Kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). Kleśaḥ, kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām. Impersonal and void. If you want to engage your mind in the impersonality or voidness of variegatedness, it is simply very, very difficult. The best, easy way of controlling the mind... Because Kṛṣṇa has said that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47), antar-ātmanā, śraddhāvān bhajate yo mām. This is the way. Anyone who is making plan, the plan-making... Kāma-sambhavaḥ means plan-making.

Lecture on SB 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975:

Therefore Bhāgavata says that in order to understand the Supreme goal of life, śreya uttamam... Śreya means the best. Śreya and preya. Preya means immediately palatable, and śreya means ultimately beneficial. That is called śreya. Just like for a child, playing is priya, preya. He likes to play. But he is by force, by the parents, he is studied books. That is called preya. But because without education, his future life will be dark. So parents know it. Therefore, although the child likes to play—that is preya—the parents engages them into śreya, into education. So that is the Vaiṣṇava's duty. These rascals and fools, they are busy in material sense gratification, and it has become the duty of the devotee. Because the devotees means the servant of the supreme father, Kṛṣṇa. So they have been engaged. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). So devotees are so confidential servant of the Supreme Lord. Therefore they are engaged in preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have no business for themself—they are completely perfect as soon as they have accepted Kṛṣṇa—but they are working on behalf of Kṛṣṇa to turn these two-legged animals to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 3.26.43 -- Bombay, January 18, 1975:

I am the friend of my family, my society, my nation," so many ways, you have to convert these things. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the friend of everyone." But we are taking the place of Kṛṣṇa, leadership. I am declaring to my countrymen, to my follower, that "I am your friend." So actually, I cannot be friend because I do not know what is the goal of life. I cannot lead them properly. Some immediate convenience we can offer, and people, being less intelligent, they are after immediate profit. It is called preyas. Just like if you say to a small child, "Don't go to school. Please come and play with me," he would like to play with his friend. That is immediate profit. But if you ask him to go to the school, that is remote profit. That is called śreyas. And preyas. Preyas me ans immediate profit. Two young men, if one friend says to the other friend, "Oh, let us go to the cinema," that is very palatable. And if he says, "Let us go to this meeting in Hare Kṛṣṇa Land," that is not very palatable. This is the distinction between śreyas and preyas. Niḥśreyasāya. Niḥśreyasāya means ultimate goal of life, ultimate profit of life.

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

Therefore one is recommended to associate with sat. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Satāṁ prasaṅgān. In the association of devotees the discussion on the matter of the Absolute Truth becomes very palatable. We have to hear about the Absolute Truth through the association of persons who are endeavoring to make progress towards eternal life, sat-patham. Yogasya lakṣaṇam. What are the symptoms of yoga? Kapiladeva, Kapiladeva is son of Devahūti. Devahūti is the mother of Kapiladeva. The mother is taking instruction from son. So it doesn't matter. One should not think, "Oh, he is my son. What instruction I shall take from him? I know better than him." No. Son or anyone, anyone, if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa he becomes guru. This is the Vedic system. It doesn't matter. Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born in a very respectable brāhmaṇa family. He was very advanced learned scholar, and after all He took sannyāsa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

Then, if we give up this kind of civilization, then what is to be done? Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet. The next engagement is tapasya, tapo. Tapasya means austerity, penances, voluntarily acceptance of something, some means of activity which may not be very palatable. But still, we have to do that. Just like a patient, if he is forbidden by the physician not to take a certain type of foodstuff, it may be pain... Just like typhoid fever. The doctor advises, "Don't take any solid food." But if we... I am accustomed to take paratha. So in typhoid to take paratha means death. Similarly, we have to follow the sastric injunction. If we really want to come out this material bondage... Material bondage means this body. Our real problem is this body.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

We have got senses, so there must be object of enjoyment of the senses. The eyes, they have got also the object of sense gratification. The eyes want to see very beautiful forms. Eyes, rūpa. Rūpa means form. And the tongue, it wants to enjoy very good taste, tasty food. So that is also enjoyment. Not that simply woman is for enjoyment. Any palatable foodstuff which attracts my tongue, that is also enjoyment.(?) Mahat-sevāṁ tamo-dvāram yoṣitā... These are yoṣit. A nice beautiful woman or man which attracts, a nice foodstuff which attracts my tongue, rūpa, rasa, śabda, nice singing which attracts my ear... Rūpa, rasa, śabda, gandha, smelling, which attracts my nostril. Rūpa, rasa, gandha, śabda, sparśa, touching. So these are all subject matter for my enjoyment, objectives.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Bombay, March 25, 1977:

Guest (2): As we heard in the beginning, one of the principal statements that a man goes on the motor train, stands there for two hours, reaches his place of business, and work there from nine o'clock in the morning to five o'clock in the evening, returns back, has his food and sex and all that. I found many a people who have worked very hard, raised children very nicely, have sex, but lead a good life. I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

Prabhupāda: Yes, if there is no wrong, it is all right. But this sort of life is not very palatable.

Guest (2): Because I find even the dogs...

Prabhupāda: If you like that life, it is very good. That is up to you. But I don't think this is a very nice way of life, to work so hard simply for bread.

Guest (2): No, I agree there.

Prabhupāda: Then agreed, agreed. Then why disagree? (laughter) That's all right, no more.

Tamāla-kṛṣṇa: Another question, Prabhupāda, a different man.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Just like we can give nice example that a diseased man and a healthy man... The diseased man, although doctor advises that you don't take this kind of food, but within himself he has got the desire. He has got the desire. The desire is there, but by the restriction of the physician, he does not eat. Just like for a diabetic patient, the doctor says, "You can eat so much quantity of food, not more than that," although he desires to eat more. So the desire is there, but because he wants to come to the healthy standard of life, he follows the restriction of the physician. The demand is there. A patient lying in the hospital, he wants whatever is very palatable for me, for him, he wants to eat that. But the medical practitioner has advised, "Oh, you cannot take it. You cannot take." So he's following, "All right, just to become..." But when he's healthy there is no such restriction. The doctor does not restrict the diet of a healthy person. The restriction is for the person who is suffering from certain type of disease.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

That is civilization. And nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4), and blindly go on committing criminal activities under a nice dress, and nice motorcar, that is not civilization. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram. They are going to hell under the good dress and good road. They are going to hell. Because they could not control the senses. So don't become victims of this civilization. Try to understand. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). And what is the purpose? Yad indriya-prītaye. The same thing. Indriya-prītaye means satisfying the senses. So that already explained, that sense gratification process is already there in the animals. The hogs and dogs, they are also busy in sense gratification. Then why, why you are calling yourself civilized than these cats and dogs? They are also eating meat, just like tiger. And because you can cook it very nicely with spices, you become civilized? But they have taken, "No, we can cook very nicely." Because in the flesh, there is no taste. So it has to be added with garlic, it has to be added with onion, and somehow or other... Then it becomes little palatable. Otherwise, what is the taste of this dead flesh? Suppose if you... But those who are after this blood, they find taste. So that is tigers' and dogs' and cats' civilization; that is not human civilization; that is not human civilization.

Lecture on SB 5.6.1 -- Vrndavana, November 23, 1976:

One should know simply understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am not this body; I am a spirit soul." That is also knowledge, at least, than the karmīs. Karmīs, they have been described by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura as mūḍhas, asses. They do not know what is the aim of life, simply working. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). So in śāstra, the human being who has no knowledge of atmā-tattva, such person is compared with four kinds of animals. Śva, śva means dog. Viḍ-varāha, viḍ-varāha means the pig. You have seen in Vṛndāvana so many pigs are loitering, searching after stool. Śva-viḍ-varāha uṣṭra. Uṣṭra also you have seen. They are so foolish that the thorny herbs..., and the tongue is cut, and there is blood oozing out, and the blood is tasted with the thorns, and he thinks, "I am eating very palatable things." He's eating thorn, but because it is mixed up with his own blood, the foolish animal is thinking it is very tasteful. So these animals have been selected to compare with the human being if they are apaśyatām atmā-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām.

Lecture on SB 5.6.4 -- Vrndavana, November 26, 1976:

This is required. And Tulasī dāsa, he has also said... Tulasī dāsa is big poet in Hindi language. He has written the Rāma-carita-manas. His opinion... Not only his opinion, that is the Vedic opinion, that... He says, dhol gamar strī śūdra, paśu śūdra nārī, ei ei sab śāsana ke adhikārī (?). So this statement will not be very palatable to the Western girls. They want independence. In Chicago, when I was there, they talked about independence of the woman. They asked me question. So I replied, "No, woman cannot be given independence." So there was a great agitation against me. In many papers I was very much criticized. But actually it is the fact, because they are innocent, not so intelligent and... These are all practical. We may avoid discussing, but Bhāgavata is very open for discussing all subject matter. That is fact. We should not hide anything artificially. We must discuss the fact. Not only here, the mention it is, the Manu-saṁhitā. Manu-saṁhitā recommends, "A woman should not be given independence." For their interest they must be protected by father, husband, and sons, because if they are polluted, they become very dangerous. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said that duṣṭā bhāryā.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

So there are different grades of sense gratification, but the point is sense gratification. The cats and dogs, the animals, they are also satisfying their senses, and the human being also engaged in the same business. The cats and dogs, they are eating to their taste; the human being is also eating to their taste. The standard may be different, but the taste is the same. Either you have sex intercourse with beautiful wife or husband or as sex intercourse between the she-dog and he-dog, the enjoyment is the same. Just like if you have got a palatable food, either you put it into a golden pot or if you put it into iron pot, the taste is the same. The taste is not different. One may think that "I am eating in golden pot; therefore I am advanced." But a learned man will say that "Whether you have changed the taste?" Either you drink something palatable in a golden pot or in iron pot or paper pot, the taste is the same. So this is called pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-mārga means advancing in sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- Honolulu, May 12, 1976:

So Bhāgavata, Parīkṣit, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the next step... Next step means to become cultured. First of all prāyaścitta: "You have done this wrong; you should be punished." But the punishment will not rectify him. And that is practical. There are so many rules and regular punishment. In common cases... Just like every day the police is giving a ticket to the motor driver; still, the same thing is going on. So to keep oneself in darkness and makes rules and regulation will not help. Just like your government has admitted that they have spent millions of dollars, they could not stop the intoxication habit of LSD. That's a fact. But in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement one who joins, he gives up immediately. That's a fact. What is the difference? The difference is that to stop one kind of karma by karma will not help. Therefore it is said, karmaṇā karma-nirhāra. One kind of activity is criminality, and one kind of activity just to punish him, this will not stop criminality. This is the real fact. He must be in knowledge. Cultivation of knowledge required. He must come to the senses, that "I am suffering. Every time I commit some criminality, I am punished. This is not very palatable. So why I cannot stop it?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

So anyway, our controlling business is also interruptable. I want to control. Just like this janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). I want to control death, disease, but I cannot. Everyone is trying. As soon as one is diseased, he tries to control it. He goes to take help from other, the physician, but he cannot. Therefore he is not supreme controller. And at the same time, I want something, but it is not happening. Just like I want to eat something palatable, but due to my diseased condition, I cannot eat. Forbidden apple. But I have the desire to eat it. So because I am not supreme controller, because I am in diseased condition, therefore my business is to cure the disease. Cure the disease—that is sane man's business. If you are infected with some disease, you should try to cure it. That is your business. If you don't care of it, then you are nonsense. You are not very intelligent man. If you keep yourself always in diseased condition, that is... You are not very intelligent man. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God, a small God, but under material conditions we are subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. We should understand this. This foolish brain cannot understand, that... This question must rise: "Why I am put into this tribulation? Why I am in distressed condition? I do not want it. Why I am diseased? I do not want it. Why I become old? I do not want it. Why I am subject to death? I do not want it." These questions do not arise. Arise, but they cannot make any solution. That is less intelligent.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Honolulu, May 16, 1976:

The whole idea is that we are in this material world. That is miserable. Under the spell of illusion, we are thinking we are very happy. They do not know is actually happiness. What is happiness? But there is no argument for these rascals. They are thinking they are very happy. That is māyā's prakṣepātmika-śakti, covering energy. Just like you are seeing a hog eating stool, but he is thinking that he's very happy. But you are seeing, "Oh, what abominable life. He's eating stool." So this is the position. Those who are advanced in civilization, for them eating of stool is unthinkable. But for the hogs and dogs, it is very palatable. This is the difference. Just like we are recommending, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling." So somebody is thinking, "Then what remains to enjoy? Everything is finished. Life is finished."

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

So therefore Arjuna said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi mām (BG 10.14). This is devotee, that "I accept everything, whatever You say." This is devotee, not that I make some amendment and then I accept. And this is nonsense. You cannot... This is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. (Cc. Ādi-līlā 5.176) Ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya means one man was keeping a hen and it was delivering every day a golden egg. So the man thought, "It is very profitable, but it is expensive to feed this hen. Better cut the head so I shall save the expenditure of feeing her, and I'll get the eggs without any charge." So these rascals, they take, accept śāstras like that. "Oh, this is not... That is very expensive. Cut this portion." And when Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who sees Me in everyone," "Oh, that is very palatable. That is very palatable." And when Kṛṣṇa says, "You give up everything. You surrender...," "Oh, that is not palatable." And this is ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. I accept things which are very favorable to my understanding, and other things I reject. This is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. So people accept śāstras in that way, the Māyāvādīs.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

No, even they are aware, so many came and they are not coming. Because the nonsense was stopped, they are, that "Oh, Swamijī is..." They have not come. They want that whatever nonsense they have learned, I have to confirm: "Yes, it is right." Just like the Ramakrishna Mission says, "Whatever you do, it is all right," I have to say that. Then I am good. And as soon as I say, "You are wrong, nonsense, rascal. You do not know anything..." (laughter) Satyaṁ bruyāt priyaṁ bruyāt mā bruyāt satyam apriyam. You tell truth, but it must be very palatable. If you say truth unpalatable, then you will create enemies. But how can I do so in the spiritual knowledge?

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Surat, December 16, 1970:

Why tapasya? Divyam: for spiritual realization. Why it is necessary? Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattva. Your existence will be purified because... Just like in diseased condition we cannot relish very palatable foodstuff. A man, jaundice, suffering from jaundice, if you give him something just like candy, sugar candy, he'll taste it as bitter because he is suffering from jaundice. But sugar candy is not bitter. Similarly, in our diseased condition, this material body, actually you cannot taste real happiness. That is not possible. Therefore we have to cure the disease. Bhagavad-gītā therefore says curing the disease means janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-doṣa..., kleśa-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Those who are actually advancing in spiritual life, they should always keep in front that "We may advance in so many things, but these four things—birth, death, old age, and disease—cannot be solved by our so-called material advancement of science."

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

Yes. Because every relationship is very palatable. The gentleman, the head of the family, his relationship with wife and his relationship with servant is as much palatable. Maybe some degradation, but it is palatable. There is no question of changing. Not that "I am tasting this rasa at the present moment. Then I will get better rasas." No, that is not. Everyone thinks, "My rasa is the best." Although there is comparative gradation, but everyone thinks. These things are explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Why don't you see?

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

Sometimes unripened stage also, it is very palatable. So many are charged(?). (laughter) You see? It is so nice, mango is so nice, either ripened or unripened, it is always good. And that goodness may be tasted by different types of men. But mango is always good. Mango is mango, phala ka rāja, "King of all fruits." So devotional service is king of all processes of God realization. That is its position always, either ripened or unripe. It doesn't matter.

Lecture on SB 7.6.11-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 27, 1976:

A daughter is especially dear to her father, and while living at her husband's house she is always in his mind. Who could give up that association? Aside from this, in household affairs there are many decorated items of household furniture, and there are also animals and servants. Who could give up such comforts? The attached householder is like a silkworm, which weaves a cocoon in which it becomes imprisoned, unable to get out. Simply for the satisfaction of two important senses—the genitals and the tongue—one is bound by material conditions. How can one escape?" Purport: In household affairs the first attraction is the beautiful and pleasing wife, who increases household attraction more and more. One enjoys his wife with two prominent sense organs, namely the tongue and the genitals. The wife speaks very sweetly. This is certainly an attraction. Then she prepares very palatable foods to satisfy the tongue, and when the tongue is satisfied one gains strength in the other sense organs, especially the genitals. Thus the wife gives pleasure in sexual intercourse. Household life means sex life (yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45)). This is encouraged by the tongue. Then there are children.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:

Pradyumna: Does straightforwardness, that ārjavam quality of a brāhmaṇa, does that include making the truth palatable to someone who will not understand the truth directly?

Prabhupāda: Yes. When you speak of higher truths, you don't care whether it is palatable to others or not. In social formality you can see. That has happened actually. Because the Pope, he was not strong enough in the beginning... Because some other Pope, he thought, "It may be unpalatable," he did not speak the truth. Now the other Pope is speaking the truth. They are not accepting. But from the very beginning the priests should have preached in every church, "My dear Christian brothers, you cannot use these contraceptive methods." They were never told in the churches. They were satisfied to get fees. That's all. Everywhere, not only in the Christian world. In the Hindu, in Christian, they don't care for any rules and regulations any more. But they profess that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muhammadan." (end)

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1976:

As soon as. As soon as one tries to become independent without serving Kṛṣṇa, that means he is in māyā. He's in māyā. Immediately māyā is there. Just like as soon as you become a criminal, a thief, immediately you are under the jurisdiction of the police, immediately, without the... You may hide yourself for time being, but immediately you have become criminal. Similarly, as soon as one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's immediately a criminal, punishable. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta... (BG 7.15). He does not know what he's doing, this rascal narādhamāḥ, mūḍha. These mūḍhas... Therefore when we say that a man who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is narādhamāḥ, mūḍhāḥ, that is a fact. But the world is such that satyaṁ bruyāt priyaṁ bruyāt ma bruyāt satyam apriyam. They want if you can say the truth, but don't say the unpalatable truth. But that is social etiquette. When you speak about spiritual life there is no such scope. You must speak the truth: "Yes, you are rascal. Because you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious: rascal, mūḍha. You are sinful. You are lowest of the mankind." Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.16 -- Mayapur, February 23, 1976:

Unfortunately they'll not associate with sādhu. Sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa, te-kāraṇa lāgila mora karma-bandha-phāṅsa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings that "I have given up sādhu-saṅga." Sat-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga. Satāṁ-prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. If you discuss message of Kṛṣṇa amongst the sādhus, satāṁ prasaṅgāt, then it becomes very palatable. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. Not professional or asādhu. Asādhu is condemned. Sanātana Gosvāmī has strictly forbidden. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ-hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. He has strictly forbidden. Those who are not Vaiṣṇavas, professional, for money's sake they recite Bhāgavata, any, anything. They want money. Sometimes they may recite Bhāgavatam. Sometimes they flatter you. Sometimes they read other book also. They want money. Such kind of association will not help you.

Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:

So we must follow śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-śāstra-vidhi. Kṛṣṇa condemns such persons, rascals, who do not accept this śāstra-vidhi and manufacture something. This rascal has spoiled the whole world. No. Śāstra-vidhi, the Vedic knowledge. Anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karilā. So we have to take protection of the Vedic knowledge, and that is summarized, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam (SB 1.1.3). Kalpa-taru, the tree... You get a tree. You protect tree. So this Vedic knowledge is called kalpa-taru. Kalpa-taru means whatever you want, you can get from the tree. Here we have got experience, you can get mango from the mango tree, but a kalpa-taru, you can get mango, apple, pineapple, anything. That is called kalpa-taru. So from the Vedas you can get all kinds of knowledge—material, spiritual, anything. Therefore it is called kalpa-taru. And the kalpa-taru... A taru means tree, and the tree... We nourish tree to get a nice fruit. So this Bhāgavatam is the fruit of the Vedic tree, kalpa-taru, and it is ripened also, not unripened. Unripened fruit you cannot eat, but ripened, ripened in the tree, mango, is very palatable. So it is nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam (SB 1.1.3).

Lecture on SB 7.9.40 -- Mayapur, March 18, 1976:

It is a very good example. In the previous verse Prahlāda Mahārāja explained, naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha samprīyate durita-duṣṭam asādhu tīvram. So Kṛṣṇa-kathā is not palatable. This is māyā's influence. So we cannot engage our senses for Kṛṣṇa. This is the disturbing condition of material world. Senses are there, I am there, and how the senses should be utilized, the subject matter is also there, but it is misled. This is called māyā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So what is the business of the servant? The business of the servant is to carry out the order of the master. So the senses are... I am the body—taking for the time being—and my senses, hands, legs, eyes, ears, tongue, genital, so many, ten senses, they are working senses and knowledge-gathering senses. There are so many senses.

Lecture on SB 7.9.40 -- Mayapur, March 18, 1976:

So instead of becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa, I have become the servant of my senses. So my position as servant is there. Is it not? I am maintaining because I cannot change it. Suppose... Just like a woman. If a woman dresses like a man, does it mean that he (she) has become a man? No. Woman is woman; man is man. Simply by changing dress we cannot do that. Similarly, our constitutional position is to serve. And to serve whom? Kṛṣṇa. That is our constitutional position. But falsely we are trying to become master. Therefore, instead of becoming master, I have become the servant of my senses. This is our position. So the master is sense. The jihvā is my master. He is asking, "Why don't you come to this restaurant." "No, no, my belly is already filled up." "No, you must come." (laughter) You'll see. A man is coming from home after sumptuously eating, and as soon as he comes to the street, immediately he enters a restaurant and drinks a cup of tea and few biscuit or... Why? What is the necessity? You are already filled up in your belly, and still, again, immediately you are... "No, it is very palatable." So you are servant of your tongue. "Because it is palatable, although my belly is already filled up, so I must satisfy my tongue."

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

Therefore it is to be understood that the love with Kṛṣṇa in the platform of mādhurya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, sākhya-rasa, dāsya-rasa, śānta-rasa, that is the real platform, in the spiritual world. And because the love affairs are there in the Absolute, that is reflected in this relative world. And here is also the same love is there, but it is not very palatable. It is not without any fault. There are so many faults. Therefore real love can be reciprocated with Kṛṣṇa. In the material world, there cannot be any real love. Therefore the real love cannot be appreciated with our, this material senses. Whatever we appreciate or experience by the material senses, that is not love, that is lust. Motive. There is some motive. One is friend of another person, very intimate friends, both of them have got some motive. As soon as the motive is frustrated, they separate. These things, we find. Even husband and wife, as soon as the sense gratification is disturbed, immediately there is divorce between husband and wife. So... (aside, in response to background noise:) What is this outside?

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

So this Bhagavad-gītā should be taken as it is. One should assimilate. The Indian people, those who are... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Those who are actually human beings, not cats and dogs, for them, this is the duty. The duty is to assimilate. What is our asset? Our asset is spiritual asset. Now we are giving up. Bhagavad-gītā's not allowed to be instructed in the schools and colleges. How much degraded we are! And we are becoming very proud of our advancement of civilization, material assets. This is simply... Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. These are described as māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. There is school, college, not only in India, everywhere, all over the world, they... Actually there is no jñāna, knowledge. They're all fools and rascals. We can clearly declare—it may not be very palatable—the whole world is full of rascals and rogues. That's all. How we can say? Now we can say it from the text of the Bhagavad-gītā.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-146 -- Bombay, February 24, 1971:

That is the test of how one is advanced in devotional service. This is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca (SB 11.2.42). He is no more interested in material happiness. He is fully satisfied with Kṛṣṇa. Taiche bhakti-phale kṛṣṇe prema upajaya. Kṛṣṇa bhakti-phale. These, by the, as a result of kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service... The same devotional service for the neophyte and the same devotional service for the advanced devotee, but the advanced devotee enjoys life, but the neophyte devotee simply practices. That is the difference. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives the example: just like mango. The mango remains the same, but in the unripe stage the taste is little different, whereas in the ripened stage the taste is different. So bhakti in the beginning maybe tastes a little pungent. One may feel very inconvenient to discharge devotional service according to the rules and regulations of the śāstra. But when he is advanced, the same service will appear to be very palatable, very relishable.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.152-154 -- New York, December 5, 1966:

And indriya... Go means senses. We are seeking sense pleasure. Sense pleasure means reciprocation between the two. I want to see a beautiful girl. That means two. Or I want to see a beautiful boy. So that means two. So without two, there cannot be sense pleasure. I want to eat something palatable. There must be two. At least, the dish must be full of varieties. So impersonal, there is no pleasure, actual pleasure. So Kṛṣṇa, our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, our service with Kṛṣṇa, that is pleasure. Govinda. That is real sense pleasure. By seeing Kṛṣṇa, by tasting Kṛṣṇa, by smelling Kṛṣṇa, by touching Kṛṣṇa—everything, that is sense pleasure. That is our real sense pleasure. So He is Govinda and sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1), the cause of all causes. Beyond Him, there is no other cause. This is the description Lord Caitanya gives, and we shall gradually discuss other points.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.281-293 -- New York, December 18, 1966:

Trisura means three kinds of miseries. So the māyā, this material nature, is inflicting upon the conditioned soul always three kinds of miseries so that they can come to their consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But the conditioned souls are so foolish and so dull, they have accepted, "Oh, these miseries are very palatable." Yes. They have no sense that they are always in three kinds of miseries: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. This is constantly going on. Just like in the prison house, when the prisoners are there, it is not meant that they should be comfortably situated there. The prison house (is) meant for giving them always some trouble so that they can come to their consciousness that "We have broken. We are lawbreakers. Therefore we are punished here." But if the prisoner becomes so fool that "All right. Don't care for this prison. Let me finish this term and again commit nuisance and again come to the..." That is going on.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.13-49 -- New York, January 4, 1967:

So for a living entity, a small living entity like us, we cannot know. The only thing is that, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ, tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca (BG 9.14). The subject matter is so nice that the devotees who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the transcendental loving service, they like. And in the association of pure devotees these topics become palatable. There are many instances in the Bhāgavata also. When Śaunakādi Ṛṣi, sages headed by Śaunaka Muni, was hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by Sūta Gosvāmī, they also uttered this, vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma. "You are reciting about the glories of the Supreme Lord, His activities, so please continue. We are not yet satisfied. The subject matter is so nice that we want to more and more..." Svādu svādu pade pade. As you go on hearing and as you become purified... There is a very practical example: the sugar candy.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 -- New York, July 26, 1971:

He's the proprietor of all the planets. And still He's saying that dadāsi yat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam: "Whatever you are giving in charity, please give it to Me." Why? It is for your interest, because the sooner you return Kṛṣṇa's money to Kṛṣṇa, you are better situated. In, in, of course, it will not be very palatable to hear, but actually we are all thieves. We have stolen God's property. That is material life. Anyone who has got anything without sense of God, it is to be understood that he has stolen the property. If you very cool-headed think over this matter, that you are... If we do not understand God, if we do not understand whose property we are using, and if you come to the real knowledge: without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever we possess, that is stolen property, stolen property... Stena eva saḥ ucyate (BG 3.12). It is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā. If one does not expend his money for yajña, then he is to be understood... Just like there is many, many instances... Just like you have earned so much money. If you hide income tax, then you are criminal. You can say, "I have earned money. Why shall I pay income tax, government?" No. You must pay.

Festival Lectures

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

So actually, punar mūṣiko bhava: "Again become mouse." Civilized human being means God conscious, happy life, no trouble, no enviousness, everything happy, no hard labor. Why hard labor? Everything is there. You just employ your little intelligence, you get sufficient food by grains, by fruits, by flowers, milk. There is no difficulty if we remain in our own way. So that is the difficulty, that we do not know that our ultimate goal of life is God-realization. Then God has got all arrangement. You cannot produce fruits and grains in factory. They are given by God. Why? That "You eat them and be Kṛṣṇa conscious, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." But we don't want that. We want slaughterhouse, unnecessarily. Actually, if you go to the store... There are so many stores. How many stores are selling only meat? It is not possible. Ninety-nine percent fruits, vegetables, grains you are taking, and maybe a little percentage of meat. So why you cannot give up this little percentage? If you think that meat is very palatable, why don't you live on meat? Russia is also trying like that. That has become the fashion. In Moscow, it was very difficult to find out nice grains. With great difficulty Śyāmasundara used to spend two hours daily to secure these things.

Initiation Lectures

Lecture & Initiation -- Seattle, October 20, 1968:

So these four principles of restriction they should follow, and chant at least sixteen rounds daily, and gradually he'll get fixed up in this conviction and will have attachment and taste, and then love of Kṛṣṇa will automatically... It is there in everyone's heart. Love of Kṛṣṇa, it is not a foreign thing that we are imposing. No. It is there, everywhere, in every living entity. Otherwise how these American boys and girls are taking it if it is not there? It is there. I am simply helping. Just like matches: there is fire, and one can help only simply rubbing, that's all. There is fire. You cannot get fire rubbing two, I mean to say, sticks, if there is no, that chemicals on the top. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everyone's heart; simply one has to revive it by this association, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness association. So it is neither difficult, nor impractical, nor very unpalatable. Everything is nice. So our request to everyone that let them take this munificent gift of Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting, and you'll be happy. That is our program.

Initiation Lecture -- New York, July 28, 1971:

So those who are initiated now, you're path is now open to Kṛṣṇa's abode. Satāṁ prasaṅga: by association of devotees. Satām, satām means devotees. Sat, sat means, that exists eternally, is called sat. Kṛṣṇa is sat, om tat sat. So devotees are also sat. So satāṁ prasaṅga, by association... Prasaṅga means very intimate association. Saṅga means association, and pra means still elevated or intimate association. Kṛṣṇa's words, Kṛṣṇa's teachings, Kṛṣṇa's topics, they become very palatable in the association of devotees. In the association of nondevotees one can not understand Kṛṣṇa, neither it becomes very palatable. Bhagavad-gītā is well known in your country, since a very long time. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā in your country, Indian and foreign editions. Many. But nobody could become a Kṛṣṇa conscious, a Kṛṣṇa's devotee, because they were not discussed amongst the devotees. They took it, Bhagavad-gītā, as table talks or some sort of philosophical... They could not seriously understand Kṛṣṇa, because the writing or discussing or discourses took place amongst the nondevotees.

General Lectures

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

All of a sudden there is earthquake, all of a sudden there is famine, or similar other which we have no control over. So these three kinds of miseries are always there. But under the spell of illusion we are thinking that we are happy. And the illusion means that the material energy is so illusory that however a living entity may be in abominable condition, he thinks that he is happy. You take any animal, just like take the hog—that life is most filthy life. Of course, you have no experience to see in your city, hogs. In India there are many hogs in the city, and they are living in filthy place—they are eating stool, and most abominable life. But even you ask a hog that "You are living in such abominable condition. Let me do you something good," he'll refuse to accept. If you give him something, nice preparation, as we have got in India, halavā, he'll not accept it. He will accept stool, because his body is meant for that purpose and he will not like any palatable foodstuff. He will like that stool. This is the spell of māyā.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:

If you once come to the stage of mature stage of love, then that perfectional stage continues eternally, and your life is successful. Premā pum-artho mahān. There are many different types of perfection in this material world. Somebody is thinking, "This is perfection of life." Materialists, they are thinking, "If I can enjoy my senses very nicely, that is perfection of life." That is their point of view. And when they are frustrated, they find out, or try to find out, something better. So if he's not guided, something better means the same—sex and intoxication. That's all. Simply becomes irresponsible. That's all. Because there is no guide. He's finding out, searching out something better, but because there is no guide, he comes to the same sense or sex and intoxication—to forget. A businessman, when he's failure, so much disturbance. He tries to forget him by drinking. But this is artificial way. This is not actually the remedy. How long you can forget? Sleep—how long you can sleep? Again wake up, again you are in the same position. That is not the way. But if you come to the stage of love of Godhead, then naturally you forget all this nonsense. Naturally. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If you find out something more palatable, more relishable, you give up nonsense things which is not so nice to taste.

Lecture to College Students -- Seattle, October 20, 1968, Introduction by Tamala Krsna:

If you defy the laws of your state and you are put into difficulty, similarly if you continue to defy the authority, the supremacy of the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead, then the same result: again you become rat. As soon as there is atomic bomb, everything, all civilization on the surface of the globe will be finished. So people may not like it. It may be very unpalatable, but the fact is like that. Satyaṁ brūyāt priyaṁ brūyāt ma brūyāt satyam abrūyāt. It is social convention that if you want to speak truth, you speak truth very palatable, flattering. Don't speak unpalatable truth. But we are not meant for that purpose, social convention. We are preacher, we are servant of God. We must speak the real truth. You may like it or may not like it, that a godless civilization cannot be happy in any stage. That is a fact. Therefore we have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to awaken this godless civilization, that you try to love God. This is the simple fact. You have got love within you. You want to love somebody. A young boy tries to love a young girl, young girl tries to love another young boy. This is natural, because the love is there. But we have created certain circumstances that love is being frustrated. Why? Everyone is frustrated. Husband, wife, boys, girls, man to man, states to states, everywhere, the love is not being utilized properly. Why? The missing point is that we have forgotten to love the Supreme Person. That is the disease.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

So try to make some percentage of the population actually brāhmaṇa. Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. And protect the cows. Actually, we are taking so much advantages. So from the cows, the milk. And from the milk we can make hundreds of vitaminous foodstuff, hundreds. They're all palatable. So such a nice animal, faithful, peaceful, and beneficial. After taking milk from it, if we kill, does it look very well? Even after the death, the cows supply the skin for your shoes. It is so beneficial. You see. Even after death. While living, he gives you nice milk. You cannot reject milk from the human society. As soon as there is a child born, milk immediately required. Old man, milk is life. Diseased person, milk is life. Invalid, milk is life. So therefore Kṛṣṇa is teaching by His practical demonstration how He loves this innocent animal, cow. So human society should develop brahminical culture on the basis of protecting cows. The brāhmaṇa cannot take any other food except it is made of milk preparation. That develops the finer tissues of the brain. You can understand in subtle matters, in philosophy, in spiritual science. Just like in a scientific college, not ordinary man can understand the scientific intricacies. They require some preliminary qualification to enter into the scientific college. They require some preliminary qualification to enter into the law college, in the postgraduate classes. Similarly, to understand the subtle or finer implications of spiritual science, one has to become brāhmaṇa. Without becoming brāhmaṇa it is not possible.

Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969:

So anyway, this hog worship was anticipated long, long ago. Otherwise how they could be described in the Bhāgavatam, which was compiled at least five thousand years ago? Anyway, the idea is that beautiful life, beautiful education, beautiful situation, should be utilized for beautiful end, not degrade to the platform of hog worship. That is not very palatable thing at least. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, "My dear boys, the sense gratification process after hard work day and night is available in the hog's life. That is not a very important thing. This human form of life is meant for a different purpose." And that purpose he explains, that tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattva śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam: (SB 5.5.1) "This human form of life is meant for austerity and penance." You will find in the history of Vedic literature, there were many, many exalted emperors and kings. They also gave to the, led to the practice of austerity and penance.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

Meat-eating, and if you believe in Bhagavad-gītā, is not the..., against the, our purificatory process. You cannot kindle fire, at the same time add water on it. If you want to kindle fire, then you have to keep that place very dry and fan it. Similarly, there are rules and regulations. Out of that rules and regulation is jīva-hiṁsā. Jīva-hiṁsā means unnecessary killing of animals. Now, if you have got sufficient foodstuff—a state I see in America... You have got sufficient grains, sufficient fruits, sufficient milk, milk products. Then if you can live on these things which are meant for human beings, why should you kill animals unnecessarily? If there is no alternative, that you cannot live... Just like in the desert, Arabian Desert, there is no food, no grain, for them animal-eating may be permissible. Because after all, we have to live. That is a different thing. But when you have got very nice foodstuff, and a very nutritious, palatable, sweet, why should you indulge in this unnecessary killing of animals? That is, will go against your purification. Therefore it is prohibited.

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

We do not know what is my identity. We do not know wherefrom we have come in this place, where we have to go. Neither they have any information whether there is life after death. Very gross understanding, just like animals. Animal is standing, eating some grass. Although next moment he'll be taken to the slaughterhouse and he'll be killed, but he has no information. He is very happy eating the grass. And even if it is informed, "My dear Mr. Ox, you are eating grass here very happily. Just half an hour after you will be taken to the slaughterhouse. You go away from this place," but he has no knowledge. The grass-eating is very palatable to him than to take protection from being killed. So this is called ignorance, ignorance, sleeping state. Therefore the Veda is crying, uttiṣṭham jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhatam, kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā: "You have got now this human form of life, a great boon, not like animal. Please do not therefore waste your time sleeping like animals simply in the matters of eating, sleeping, mating and defending." That is the verdict of Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15).

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972:

That is not very palatable. Kṛṣṇa does not allow drugs in our movement. No. Kṛṣṇa says,

yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
(BG 7.28)

One cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness unless he is completely washed of all sinful activity. So we forbid four things because they are pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. Unless one gives up these four sinful activities it is not possible to approach Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa clearly says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. Pāpam means sin. One who has finished the sinful activity... And these are four pillars of sinful activity.

Lecture at Bharata Chamber of Commerce 'Culture and Business' -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Butcher does not get pain? Do you know that? There is a Sanskrit verse that vyādha mā jīva, mā mara: "My dear butcher, you don't live, don't die." Do you think this butcher, that butchering work is very palatable work? Can you see it, before you, a man is killed, an animal is killed? So he has become accustomed. It pains him. But that work is so abominable that he should not live for executing that work. But what is the benefit of dying? Because after death, he will be butchered. Therefore the śāstra says, mā jīva mā mara: "Don't live, don't die." Yes.

Indian man: There is some difference. When we do some good, we consider it as God-inspired, but when we do something bad, then we can't say that it is also God-inspired after we have done it?

Prabhupāda: I do not follow what he says.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger:
Prabhupāda: So what is that way? The atheists, they think that "I shall die. That will finish. So let me enjoy to the best capacity. There is no question of pāpa and puṇya." That is atheist philosophy. "I have got this opportunity of sense enjoyment. Let me enjoy, to the best capacity, my senses." Because he has no next life. Void. Because after death everything is zero. So "Why should I care for 'This is pāpa, and this is puṇya.' Whatever is palatable for me, I shall do that." But he has got also consciousness of death. Another, we have also got consciousness of death. So our philosophy is that before death, let us inquire in such a way that we may go back to home, back to Godhead. Both of them have got the death consciousness. The one whose spiritual is zero, he is doing all nonsense. And one who knows that spiritual is not zero—there is real substance—so "Let me prepare for death." (break) (end)
Philosophy Discussion on Plato:

Hayagrīva: Yes. It's that art, he says.

Prabhupāda: It is an art, that our aim of life by these sensually affected senses... At the present moment we are sensually affected. I want to eat something which is very palatable, I eat it. I do not care whether this palatable eating will mislead me or lead me to the proper way. Therefore we are making this propaganda. So your eating process is not stopped. You eat, but don't eat meat, you eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. So if we agree to this process, then gradually we become purified by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our aim, objective, is attained. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't stop eating. No sensual activities are stopped. The eyes, in the material way, the eyes want to see very beautiful objective. We say, "Yes, you see the beautiful Kṛṣṇa. You taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam." Everything is there; simply we purify. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If this process is accepted, then when he sees real beauty, real food, real, then he becomes satisfied. That is wanted.

Purports to Songs

Spelling of Arati Song -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1968:

Yes. Everything will come out nice, beautiful. (break—Prabhupāda sings mahāmantra in morning tune, also mixing the words) Like that. I asked you not to sit down before Deity like that. You should always sit very respectfully. This is to be practiced. So these words can be mixed in a different way to make the sound palatable. That's all. Just repeat. The Hare Kṛṣṇa is there, but in a different way. That's all. (end)

Page Title:Palatable (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:06 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=99, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:99