Personality of Godhead (Lectures, Other)

Expressions researched:
"personality of Godhead"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "Personality of Godhead" not "supreme personality of godhead" not "absolute personality of godhead" not "original personality of Godhead"

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:

This is the process. So this Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu is the science of devotional service. If one wants to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead...

When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means all Viṣṇu forms, all Viṣṇu forms. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu, kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavad paramaḥ pumān yo (Bs. 5.39). All incarnations, they are also Kṛṣṇa, expansion of Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa, this Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, He's the Supreme Person. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So these things are explained in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, as they are in the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The summary, the juice of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, devotional service is given in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. We have translated this book as Nectar of Devotion. And you'll be pleased to hear that in some of the universities in U.S.A. this book has been recommended as study book in the religious class. They're now reading regularly.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The Supreme Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, has got innumerable, multi-energies. Out of that, learned scholars, devotees, they have divided the whole energy into three, external, internal, and marginal. So the living entities, they are production of the marginal energy. The living entity is energy, prakṛti. Not the puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. We are all prakṛtis, all living entities. Prakṛti means predominated, and puruṣa means predominator. Just like we see, ordinarily, husband and wife, the husband is predominator and the wife is predominated. Although there is no difference between husband and wife. They are one, divided into two. Similarly, prakṛti and puruṣa, they are one. They are not two.

It is explained by Svarūpa Dāmodara: rādhā-kṛṣṇa-prakr..., praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api purā deha-bhedo gatau tau. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, They are one. But, although They are one, They bifurcated Themselves as Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So there is no difference between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā is the superior energy, or spiritual energy. And Kṛṣṇa is the energetic. Similarly, this material world is external energy. Similarly, the living entities, they're marginal energy, between the external and internal energy. The living entities are called marginal energy because the living energy has to act under another energy, that either material energy or spiritual energy.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

So they were confident that Kṛṣṇa's there. They did not know Kṛṣṇa as God. They simply loved Kṛṣṇa, and they were confident that "So long Kṛṣṇa is there, we are happy, we are out of danger." That is the conviction of the Vṛndāvana-vāsī. They simply concentrate on Kṛṣṇa.

So from that standard of happiness nobody falls down. But other spiritual happiness derived from impersonal Brahman effulgence or localized Paramātmā connection... Because that is not complete connection, complete relationship with the Supreme Brahman. Partial. Sac-cid-ānanda. Because unless we approach the Personality of Godhead there is no question of ānanda. You can achieve partially sat portion, you can achieve partially cit portion, sac-cit, but unless you come to the platform ānanda—the real ānanda is with Kṛṣṇa in the Goloka Vṛndāvana—so there is chance of falling down. One who does not endeavor to approach this platform of ānandamaya, ānandamaya 'bhyāsāt, where everything is simply ānanda... Even the birds and beasts and the flowers and the water, they are also enjoying that blissfulness. So that is required. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Śukadeva Gosvāmī says about the cowherd boys, kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:

Mādhavānanda: "The purport of this statement by Indra is that, beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, no living entities are meant for enjoying the material opulences. They are simply meant for offering everything to the supreme proprietor, the Personality of Godhead. By doing so, they automatically enjoy the benefit. The example can be cited again of the different parts of the body collecting foodstuffs and cooking them so that ultimately a meal may be offered to the stomach. After it has gone to the stomach, all the parts of the bodies..., body equally enjoy the benefit of the meal. So similarly everyone's duty is to satisfy the Supreme Lord and then automatically everyone will become satisfied."

Prabhupāda: That is called yajña. Yajñārthe karma. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "A similar verse is found in the Eighth Canto, Third Chapter, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, verse 20. Gajendra says there, 'My dear Lord, I have no experience in the transcendental bliss derived from Your devotional service, so therefore I have asked from You some favor. But I know that persons who are pure devotees and have, by serving the lotus feet of great souls, become freed from all material desires, are always merged in the ocean of transcendental bliss and, as such, are always satisfied simply by glorifying Your auspicious characteristics. For them there is nothing else to aspire to or pray for.'

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.5 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1974:

So we may read herewith one commentary by my Guru Mahārāja Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. "In his Anubhāṣya commentary Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura describes the Pañca-tattva as follows: The supreme energetic, the Personality of Godhead, manifesting in five kinds of pastimes, appears as the Pañca-tattva. Actually there is no difference between them because they are situated on the absolute platform, but they manifest different spiritual varieties as a challenge to impersonalists to taste different kinds of spiritual humors, rāsas..." Because they do not accept the different tastes. The Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy, the only difference is... Although the aim is one, Absolute Truth, but the difference is that they do not accept varieties, varieties of taste. Therefore they fall down. It is not our version, but it is stated in the Vedic literature, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "By severe penance and austerities, these Māyāvādīs, they go up to the Brahman effulgence, but from there they fall down, fall down." Because for want of varieties. You cannot live without varieties. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: "The Absolute Truth is ānandamayo by nature," abhyāsāt. There are the interpretation of the Māyāvādīs of this Vedānta-sūtra, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). But we see that the Supreme Absolute Person is ānandamāyā. Kṛṣṇa, you'll never see without ānanda. He is, I mean to say, taking care of the cows, He's dancing with the gopīs, He's playing with His cowherd boys. Ānandamāyā. These are ānanda māyā. These are the varieties.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.109-114 -- San Francisco, February 20, 1967:

When there is conversation between Lord Śiva and his wife Pārvatī, he disclosed that "In the age of Kali, as a Brāhmaṇa, I preach this Māyāvāda philosophy, which is covered Buddha philosophy." Buddha philosophy says that "This material life is all. After this material life, there is nothing, all void." And Śaṅkarācārya said that "It is impersonal. There is no variety." So in both the philosophies there is no acceptance of Lord, the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead. Therefore they are called nāstika-vāda. Nāstika-vāda means atheism, atheism. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described Buddha religion as atheism. "And Māyāvāda philosophy," He has said, "dangerous atheism." He has given little preference to Buddhism, but to Māyāvāda philosophy He has stated, "It is dangerous atheism." His exact version is like that, bheda namiya bauddha haila nāstika. Vedāśraye nāstika-vāda bauddha ke adika. He says that "We call the Buddhists as atheists because the simple reason is that they do not accept Vedas." Lord Buddha, he denied, that "I don't care for the Vedas. I have got my this own proposition, that ahiṁsā. Nonviolence is the religion. That's all." So he did not accept Vedas. Therefore, those who are Vedantists, those who are followers of Vedas, they called Buddhist religion atheism. Atheism means anyone who does not believe in scriptures, standard scriptures. That is called atheism.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- New York, July 20, 1976:

Bhagavān, the Supreme Absolute Truth, Viṣṇu, all-pervading Personality of Godhead. So His potency... So His potency must be also spiritual. Just like the sun globe is reservoir of heat and light. Everyone will know. So His potency... The sun globe potency, sunshine, is also heat and light. It is not different from the sun. Śakti means potency. Śakti śaktimat abheda. The potency of a certain person is nondifferent; there is no difference in quality. The same example, the sun and the sunshine. Sunshine is the potency of the sun, but the quality of the sun and the quality of the sunshine is the same, heat and light. So viṣṇu-śakti, there are... According to the Vedic information, He has got many multifarious potencies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Different types of śakti. We can see different types of agency, er, what is called, energy, is working within this creation. Take for example the leaves of the tree. Some of them are green; some of them are red; some of them are yellow; some of them are mixed. Similarly fruits—different tastes; flowers—different flavor. Varieties. But wherefrom it is coming? The sunshine. The sunshine is the same, but it is acting in different way, so we see different manifestation. This is crude material example. Similarly, if we take the spiritual original, then the original is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). It is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ sarvasya. All these colored manifestation, it is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "Everything is coming from Me." So this understanding is real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when you understand that there is one only. Eka brahma dvitīya nāsti. And Kṛṣṇa is above Brahman. We have got a slight idea of Brahman, generally, but Kṛṣṇa is Parambrahman. There are many millions of Brahmans, and above them, the Supreme Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna admitted.

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

So duṣkṛtina class, na māṁ duṣkṛtina mūḍhā. Mūḍha means less intelligent or foolish class men. Na māṁ duṣkṛtina mūḍhā prapadyante. "They do not accept Me," narādhama, "the lowest of the mankind." "No, they have got very much educated." Kṛṣṇa says, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. "Yes, they are educated, but their knowledge has been taken away by māyā." Why? Āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ. "Because they have taken to this view, 'There is no God.' " On this account they cannot understand in spite of high degrees of university education. Māyāyapahrta-jñāna. So Kṛṣṇa says like that. The only reason is because duṣkṛtina mūḍhā māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuri-bhāvam... Therefore, in spite of all evidences from the śāstras, they'll not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead. That's it. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja requested his father so many times, but still, he did not agree that there is God. (break) But he agreed there is God when he was killed by God. Yes. That you cannot escape. Then you'll see God: "Here is God." The asuras, they'll never accept God, but when they are killed by God, they understand that "Yes, there is God." That is the difference between asuras and devas. The devas, they accept God while living, and the asuras accept God by being killed. That's all. And who can escape killing? Is there any scientist, is there any philosopher, any great man who can stop being killed by the cruel death? Is there any man? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). "I am mṛtyu." Mṛtyu means death, which takes away everything at a time. Just like "I am very rich man," "I am very big industrialist," "I am prime minister," this, that, so many things. "I am in possession of all I survey. I am the master of my country and everything." That's all right. As soon as death comes, "Oh, I am Jawaharlal Nehru," "I am Gandhi," "Oh! Never mind! Please go away! Finish Stop your all leadership." That is God. You don't believe, you may not believe God, but when death comes you have to believe in God. Let the scientists and let the big leaders and rich men protect himself from death.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.164-173 -- New York, December 13, 1966:

So in His svayaṁ-rūpa, in His personal feature, He always remains at Vṛndāvana, and He is just like a cowherd boy. That is His real feature, Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, that is not the real feature of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a person, high-court judge, where you will find his real feature? His real feature you will find at his home, not on the bench. In the bench, even his father comes, the high-court judge's father, he will have to address the judge, "My lord." That is the court. The same person at home and same person in the court is different, although the same person. Similarly, the real Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, He never goes out of Vṛndāvana. He remains always a cowherd boy. That's all. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Surabhī means transcendental cows. He is engaged in that pastime. So svayaṁ-rūpa eka kṛṣṇa vraje gopa-mūrti. Gopa-mūrti means cowherd boy.

'prābhava-vaibhava'-rūpe dvividha prakāśe

eka-vapu bahu rūpa yaiche haila rāse

Then prakāśa, expansion. From expansion, there are two kinds of division, prābhava and vaibhava. So prābhava, what is the prābhava expansion? It is given: eka-vapu bahu rūpa yaiche haila. Prābhava expansion means the same feature, the same body, but it is distributed in innumerable places. That is called prābhava expansion. The example is, eka-vapu bahu rūpa yaiche haila rāse. In the rāsa dance, Kṛṣṇa performed the rāsa dance, not exactly the ball dance... But it is an imitation of that rāsa dance. Because you cannot have any idea of anything without its being originally in Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.367-84 -- New York, December 31, 1966:

He's the original person from whom everything has come out. Everything has generated. So we living entities, we are also sons and grandsons of that Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the Brahma-saṁhitā says although He's the oldest person... In the Bhagavad-gītā He is stated by Arjuna as great-grandfather. Prapitāmahaś ca. You'll find this word in the Bhagavad-gītā. Because Brahmā is addressed as pitāmaha, grandfather. He's the original first creature in this material world, in this universe, and everyone has come from him. Therefore he is called pitāmaha. Pitāmaha means grandfather. And, because he's born also of Viṣṇu, therefore Viṣṇu is prapitāmaha (BG 11.39).

So the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead, is the oldest of all, but whenever you'll find, you'll find just like a young man. Ādyaṁ purāṇa puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). Nava-yauvanam means just a fresh youth. So that is being explained, explained by Lord Caitanya, the age of... This is another characteristics of God. Kiśora-śekhara-dharmī vrajendra-nandana. Kiśora-śekhara. Kiśora. Kiśora is... Kiśora age is called from eleven years to sixteen years. These teen years, or, in English, what is called? Adolescent? Yes. This, this age... So Kṛṣṇa represents Himself just like a boy from eleven to sixteen years old. Not more than that. Even in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, when He was great-grandfather, still, His feature was just like a young boy.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 2-4 -- Los Angeles, May 6, 1970:

"The Personality of Godhead, although fixed in His abode, is more swift than the mind and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place, He has control over those who supply the air, rain. He surpasses all in excellence." This is also confirmed in Brahma-saṁhitā: goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Kṛṣṇa, although He is always in Goloka Vṛndāvana, He has nothing to do. He is simply enjoying in the company of His associates, the gopīs and the cowherds boy, His mother, His father. Free, completely free. And those who are associates, they are still more free. Because when the associates are in danger, Kṛṣṇa has got some anxiety how to save them, but the associates, they have no anxiety. "Oh, there is Kṛṣṇa." Just see. (chuckles) The associates, they have no anxiety. Any, anything happening, you will read in the Kṛṣṇa book—so many dangers. The boys, along with Kṛṣṇa, they used to go every day with their calves and cows and play in the forest on the bank of the Yamunā, and Kaṁsa will send some demon to destroy them. So you have seen, you will see also pictures. So they'll enjoy simply because they are so much confident. That is spiritual life. Avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana. This strong faith, that "Any dangerous condition, Kṛṣṇa will save me," this is surrender.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 34 -- San Francisco, September 13, 1968 :

Whatever you want, it is present there. The tree will supply immediately. Prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu. And surabhīr abhipālayantam. Kṛṣṇa is engaged in, as, a cowherds boy. He is herding cows. What sort of cows? Surabhiḥ. Surabhiḥ means that cow supplies you milk as much as you like, and as many times you can, you like, you can draw milk from that cow. Immense supply of milk, surabhīr abhipālayantam. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam, and the Lord is worshiped by many hundreds, thousands of goddess of fortune. The gopīs, here you see the picture. That is a little sample only. But in the transcendental kingdom the Lord is always served with all great respect and obeisances and devotion, many thousands of goddess of fortune. That goddess of fortune means they are most beautiful, and everything is complete, that such a place and such abode and such activities are described about Kṛṣṇa.

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

And that Personality of Godhead, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, is the original person. As in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, "Who is Brahman? What is Brahman? What is the Absolute Truth?" (break)

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

"My dear Arjuna, any person who simply tries to understand about My transcendental birth or appearance and disappearance and activities, janma karma..." The Personality of Godhead is not niṣkriya, without activities. So anyone who can understand that what kind of activities the Lord has and what kind of birth He accepts, simply by understanding these two things one gets wonderful result. What is that? Tyaktvā deham. By quitting this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), he does not take any more birth in this material world. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti. Some of us may think that punar janma naiti means he becomes vanquished. No. Punar janma naiti, but mām eti, "He does not come to this material world, but he comes to Me." Mām eti. Mām eti means, then... (break) ...abode where we can go. Simply by understanding the nature of His appearance and activities.

So today is that auspicious day, Janmāṣṭamī, when Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago in India, Mathurā. Those who are Indian ladies and gentlemen present, they know very well where is Mathurā. It is about ninety miles south of New Delhi. Mathurā is still existing and it is eternally existing. Kṛṣṇa appeared in Mathurā in His maternal uncle's house in a very precarious condition. That birthplace, Lord Kṛṣṇa's birthplace, is now maintained very nicely. One who goes to India, they see. So anyway, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared on this planet five thousand years ago. Now Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Divyam means "not ordinary."

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hyderabad, August 19, 1976:

He does not make any change. Just like God says, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). The guru says that you surrender to Kṛṣṇa or God. The same word. God says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Guru says that you always think of Kṛṣṇa, you surrender unto Him, you offer Him prayer, you become His devotee. There is no change. Because he says as the Supreme Personality says, therefore he is guru. Even though you see that he is materially born, his behavior is like other men. But because he says the same truth as it is spoken in the Vedas or by the Personality of Godhead, therefore he is guru. Because he does not make any change whimsically, therefore he is guru. That is the definition. It is very simple. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has asked everyone to become guru. Everyone. Because there is need of guru. The world is full of rascals, therefore there is need of so many gurus to teach them. But what is that qualification of the guru? How everyone can become guru? This may be the question, next question. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Ei deśa means wherever you are living you become a guru and deliver them. Suppose you are living in a small neighborhood, you can become a guru of that neighborhood and deliver them. "How it is possible? I have no education, I have no knowledge. How I can become guru and deliver them?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu said it is not at all difficult. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128).

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

Tad abhijño 'pi. This very word is used here, that "He knew everything," Bhagavān. Because Bhagavān means He must know everything, past, present future. There is no lack of knowledge. I have several times described before you. Bhagavān means He is full of all opulences, and there are six opulences: riches, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation. So Bhagavān cannot be in lack of knowledge. He must know everything. That is Bhagavān. So therefore it is said that "What is the use of asking His father what they were going to do? He knew everything." But it is specifically mentioned, atad abhijño'pi. Although He knew it, because He was playing the part of a boy, and the father knew that "Kṛṣṇa is my son..." They did not recognize Him that He is Personality of Godhead. They knew, "Oh, He is my ordinary son." Tad abhijño'pi bhagavān sarvātmā. Sarvātmā means one who is situated in everyone's heart. Sarvātmā sarva-darśanaḥ. Sarva-darśanaḥ means one who can see everything past, present, and future. Still, praśrāyavantaḥ, "Just like an obedient son, submissive son," apṛcchad vṛddhān nanda-puro-gamān, "the elderly persons of His father's friends and associates, with very humbleness, He inquired." He inquired. And what is that inquiry?

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

So we have concluded this verse, that Yamarāja says that the holy name of the Personality of Godhead, Bhāgavata, not only His name, but also His activities and His qualities, these qualities... Last night, somebody was discussing with me saguṇa and nirguṇa. Saguṇa means, according to their version, or a standard version, saguṇa means the material quality. They worship saguṇa-rūpa. Saguṇa means forms of this material world. Sādhakānāṁ hitārthāya brāhmaṇa-rūpa-kalpanaḥ.(?) Kalpanaḥ. According to Māyāvādī school, the Absolute Truth is imperson. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also said, kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām, adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). Say, for meditation, it is very difficult to meditate on impersonal feature. Therefore, they artificially think like that: "I am the whole. I am moving the stars, I am moving the moon." Or some color display is taking place. Artificially. This meditation is artificial. Therefore, they do not get any result. Simply waste time, and they remain the number one debauch, as they are. So this kind of meditation... Because they will not put any form... "The Brahman is impersonal." So how they can think of any form? It is very difficult to adjust. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām (BG 12.5). They want to meditate upon impersonal Brahman, but it is very troublesome. Because Brahman is not impersonal, but force, they want to make Brahman impersonal.

Initiation Lectures

Brahmana Initiation Lecture with Professor O'Connell -- Boston, May 6, 1968, (Glenville Ave. Temple):

If that symptom is found elsewhere, he should be accepted in that classification. Suppose a man is born in a śūdra family or less than a śūdra family, but if his qualities are just like brāhmaṇa, then he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa. That is Bhāgavata's...

So this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a manufacturing process of brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means surpassing the brahminical stage. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. One who has realized Brahman, he is called brāhmaṇa. After realization of Brahman, then realization of Paramātmā, then realization of Bhagavān. And one who comes to the stage of understanding Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, he is called Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava means he is already a brāhmaṇa. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

The devotional service begins when one has already realized Brahman. Because to whom rendering devotional service? To the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān. And Bhagavān is the last word in the Absolute Truth.

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

Now the purport of this mantra I have several times explained, again explaining. Namaḥ. Namaḥ means surrender. Namaḥ om namaḥ, this is the way of chanting Vedic mantra. Oṁ means addressing the Absolute, and namaḥ means "I am surrendering." Every Vedic mantra is begun om namaḥ. Oṁ means addressing. So this mantra is chanted with surrender, namaḥ. Nothing can be done without surrender because our, this conditional life is rebellious life. We have rebelled against the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. That is conditioned life. There are so many theses to support this rebellious condition. Somebody is thinking that "I am one with God"; somebody is thinking, "God is dead"; somebody is thinking, "There is no God"; somebody is thinking, "Why you are searching God? There are so many Gods loitering in the street." So in this way many theses are there. All of them are different symptoms of rebellious condition. The sum and substance... Just like atheists, they are boldly saying, "There is no God." Now..., but the impersonalists saying, "There may be God, but He has no head, He has no tail. That's all." So in this way our condition is rebellious condition. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā instructs that "You surrender." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So without surrender, there is no question of making any spiritual progress. Just like a person who has rebelled against the government—the first condition is to surrender; otherwise there is no question of mercy from the government. Similarly anyone, the living entity, any one of us who has rebelled against the supremacy of the Lord, the beginning of spiritual life is surrender.

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

So we are... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are preparing living entities directly going back to Kṛṣṇa planet. The highest perfection. So this is opportunity. You have got human form of life. Now you have got our association. You have got all information from the Bhagavad-gītā. So the opportunity is there. Now if you don't utilize it, then you can commit your suicide. Nobody can check you. Otherwise you can utilize all these facilities and go directly to Kṛṣṇa.

So this is the process. Initiation means beginning of that perfection. One has to utilize it properly, then there is no doubt. It is assured in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa assures if you believe in Kṛṣṇa, if you believe in His Personality of Godhead, then there cannot be any doubt. And let us execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness and follow the rules and regulation, and then life is sure to be successful. Now chant mantra. Vande ahaṁ śrī guru (chants fire sacrifice prayers, devotees responding) Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...bead. In this way you come to this side. Again begin from here, come to this side. In this way sixteen rounds. If you feel difficulty you ask your Godbrothers. They'll give instruction. And your spiritual name is Kamalāsana dāsa.

Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969:

This is anyathā rūpam. This is different from our real form. So mukti means to give up this unreal form and accept your real form. Just like freedom from disease. Get free from the diseased condition and come to real healthy life.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for bringing men to the real life. Always remember this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). It takes... Just like to cure a disease it takes little time. But if you take to the process of cure, then that is very good. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead says,

api cet su-durācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ

samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

(BG 9.30)

Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, even there are some faults, still, they are saintly persons. That is the recommendation of Kṛṣṇa. Because that fault may be due to his past habits, but that is being stopped. Just like you make the switch off, no more electric current will act, but the fan still gives some rounds due to the past force. Similarly, a Kṛṣṇa consciousness person, even if he's found in fault, Kṛṣṇa says, "No." Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). "He's saintly person, sādhu." Why? Now, the process he has taken up, that will cure him in due course of time. Śaṣvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. So these who have fortunately come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness by association, by practice, this is the way. So stick to it. Don't go away. Even if you find some fault, don't go away from the association. Struggle, and Kṛṣṇa will help you.

Wedding Ceremonies

Paramananda & Satyabhama's Wedding -- Montreal, July 22, 1968:

Now our Vaiṣṇava philosopher's argument is that how the Absolute Truth can be impersonal? Because here, in this world, in our experience, we see everything personal. So unless the personality, the individuality, or the individual attraction is there in the Absolute Truth, how they can be represented here in the relative truth?

So apart from that argumental point of view, our presentation is that this conjugal love between man and woman is not unnatural. It is quite natural because it is in the Absolute Truth, as we find from Vedic description, that the Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, is engaged in conjugal loving affairs, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. But the same Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love matter has permeated through matter. Therefore it is perverted reflection. Here in this material world, the so-called love is not actual love. It is lust. Here the male and female are attracted not by love but by lust. So in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, because we are trying to approach the Absolute Truth, the lust propensity has to be converted into pure love. That is the proposal. So in India still, amongst the strict followers of Vedic principles, this lust affair is adjusted spiritually. What is that? The boys and girls, they are not allowed free mixing before marriage. Especially... Both the boys... Here, one of our students, he was in India, and he tried to talk with a young girl on the street, and he (she) was insulted. He was surprised. Because the practice is there that no young boy or young girl can talk with... Of course, now it is different. Even up to our young time we have seen that without being married, no girl, no boy, could mix together. So this lust affair, this attraction, was little bit controlled. The father, the parents of the girl, and the parents of the boy would select. They had no personal selection.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Read it anywhere, that's all. Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. "In the Bhagavad-gītā we are informed that the constitutional nature of the individual entity is spirit soul. He is not matter. Therefore as spirit soul he is part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. We also learn that it is the duty of the spirit soul to surrender, for only then he can be happy. The last instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā is that the spirit soul is to surrender completely unto the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, and in that way realize happiness. Here also Lord Caitanya is answering the questions of Sanātana, repeats the same truth, but without giving him information about the spirit soul which is already described in the Gītā."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The point is that what is the constitutional position of the spirit soul is very elaborately discussed in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā. Now the last instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He has instructed to Arjuna all kinds of yoga system, all kinds of religious ritualistic process, sacrifice, and philosophical speculation, the constitutional position of this body, constitutional position of the soul. Everything He has described in the Bhagavad-gītā. And at last He says to Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, because you are My very intimate and dear friend, therefore I say the most confidential part of Vedic knowledge." And what is that? "You simply surrender unto Me." That's all. People are not inclined to surrender; therefore he has to learn so many things. Just like a child, he has simply a feeling of surrender to the parents, he's happy. There is no need of learning philosophy how to live very happily. The child is completely dependent on the care of parents and he's happy.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

Jaya-gopāla: Prabhupāda? How do we explain to impersonalists inductively the existence of the Personality of Godhead?

Prabhupāda: This example I have given you several times. Just like you try to understand the sun. This is daily affair. Now when you try to understand what is this sun, you first of all come to the sunshine light. If you are covered with cloud and if you have not known what is sun, that is a different thing. Or even if it is covered, you can go up to the over the cloud and see the sunshine and sun. So the cloud is compared with māyā. So sun is compared with the kingdom of God, and the president of the sun planet is God. This is example. God is far away and He's the greatest. He has created so many millions of suns. But I am giving that example. Now to study the sun, first of all you come to the sunshine. The sunshine is distributed all over the universe, and the sun planet is situated in a localized place. And within the sun planet, there is the predominating deity who is called sun-god. But if you want to study all these things, first of all you come to the sunshine. The sunshine is impersonal. Similarly, there is a transcendental rays from the planet where Kṛṣṇa, or God, is there. Just a few minutes before I recited one verse from Bhagavad-gītā that na tad bhāsayate sūryo (BG 15.6). That means it is illuminating. There is no need of sunshine.

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

Oh, then he cursed him, "Again you become a rat. Again you become a rat." So he became a rat.

So our human civilization is going to be like that. The other day I was reading in your—what is called?—World Almanac. In the next hundred years people will live underground like rats. So our scientific advancement has created this atomic bomb to kill man, and it will be used. And we have to go underground to become again rat. From tiger, again rat. That is going to be. That is nature's law. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). 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 -- London, September 14, 1969:

Prabhupāda: So when one is in contact with such person, then the door of liberation is open. If one is in contact with a pure devotee of the Lord, it should be understood, if he follows his instruction, then it is sure and certain that he is going to Kṛṣṇa without any fail.

Thank you very much. Any question? Yes.

Makhanlal: Prabhupāda, are all living entities, always under the protection at all times of the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, at all times?

Prabhupāda: Yes. But generally, he is under the protection, but in spite of all protection, if he violates the rules and regulations, he become immediately subjected to the laws of nature. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, gives protection. He says,

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

(BG 18.66)

"You just surrender unto Me. You give up all other occupational duties. You simply become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and I'll give you," I mean to say, "immunity, or protection from all sinful..." But if you do not accept, Kṛṣṇa will not force you. So He is giving protection to everyone, generally. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Not only giving the human society—the animal society, the birds, trees, every...

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

The exact Sanskrit word of the Absolute Truth, or the Personality of Godhead, is called Bhagavān. Bhaga means six kinds of opulences. What is that? Aiśvarya, wealth. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. Vīryasya. Vīryasya means strength. Wealth, strength and yaśaḥ. Yaśaḥ means fame. Aiś... Wealth, strength, fame and śrī. Śrī means beauty. And jñāna. Jñāna means knowledge. And vairāgya means renunciation. Wealth, fame, then strength, beauty, and knowledge and renunciation. If these six things are in full present in anyone, He is God. Otherwise, he's a dog or less than God. And in the Vedic literature we find the definition: na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Now, are we in that position that we have nothing to do? Oh, if you do not work I cannot eat even. The whole function is stopped. But the definition is na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Now, take for example this beautiful flower. This beautiful flower, you have to accept there is a great brain behind this beauty. Because here we have got so many artists. When they draw picture, oh, how nicely they apply their brain, their painting, everything, then... But that beauty is not as beautiful as this flower. If ordinary beauty painted by a, an artist, it takes so much time and labor, do you think that this beauty is done automatically? What is the explanation? This is nonsense, that there is no brain behind it. There is. That is the brain of God. That is explained: na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Although it is so beautifully done, but He has nothing to do. How? Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport).

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

Yes. Therefore you are not God. God consciousness is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetra. The Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, says that "This body is the field of our activities." Otherwise, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: "I am also conscious. I am also knower." As you are knower, so God is also knower. But the difference of His knowledge—that He's omnipotent, omnipresent; you are not omnipotent, omnipresent. That is the difference. You have got some potency, and you are also present in some limited circle, but He is present everywhere. You are not present in another planet, but God is present everywhere. That is His omnipresence, omnipotent. So He's also conscious, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: "Also know that I am also knower, but My knowledge expands everywhere, but your knowledge expands only within this body." That is the difference.

So similarly, in any capacity you analyze, so far the definition of God—wealth... Now, He's the proprietor of all wealth. Now, nobody can claim... Even the, I mean, the biggest rich man of your country, the Rockefeller or the Ford company or..., nobody can claim that he's the only richest man. No. There are many others. So nobody can claim that "I am the richest." No. Nobody can claim that "I am the most famous." No. Nobody can claim that "I am the most beautiful." Nobody can claim that "I am the absolute knower." In this way, you apply the definition in yourself, you'll find that you partly and partially represent all the qualities of God. That you can claim, that you are partial God, or part and parcel of... That is the exact word, part and... Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7).

Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969:

So that stage is brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). When you are on the brahma-bhūtaḥ, or spiritual, self-realization platform, then your senses are purified and you can see things in two perspectives. And at that stage, you can see God also. You can talk with God also. Just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). You have... Most of you know the yoga. The yoga system means to see the Supreme Person, or the Absolute Truth, or the Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, within your heart. That is the perfection of yoga. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yam... Dhyānāvasthita, by meditation, one can see. So this perfectional stage can be achieved when you are in the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, Brahman realization stage. So Lord Caitanya said that if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the first installment of your gain will be that your heart, which is contaminated now with so many materialistic dust, it will be cleansed. And next stage will be bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. That means you'll realize yourself that "I am not this matter, I am soul. And my relationship with God is this. God is like this." And gradually, you will develop your love for God. You have got that love. Dormant love is there, but because we do not know what is God, because we do not see the beauty of God, because we do not know the mercy of God, therefore our love has been forced or placed in the dog. Instead of God, we have placed our love on dog. So we have to simply change. Our love is distributed in the matter in so many ways. That will not make me happy because I am not matter. I am a spirit soul. I have to transfer my love towards the Supreme Spirit, God, then I'll be happy.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

"Oh, this is too much. Kṛṣṇa is demanding too much from us. No, no. We have many other gods. We can surrender there, or we can do our own business." Therefore Kṛṣṇa again comes as devotee, Lord Caitanya. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam. This time, just to hide Himself He is come in very fair complexion, goldenlike, tviṣākṛṣṇam. Kṛṣṇa, naturally He is blackish, but this incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, He came not as blackish but akṛṣṇa, without being blackish. Pitā. That is also confirmed in the śāstra. So this body, this incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, who is always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but His bodily hue is not blackish, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam (SB 11.5.32), and He is always followed by His associates, sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, such Personality of Godhead should be worshiped by yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ. This yajña should be performed. Because without performing yajña, you cannot become pious. So, because in this age there is no possibility of performing big yajñas, there is no qualified brāhmaṇas how to perform that yajña, there is no supply of pure ghee, you have no means how to arrange for such yajña—therefore, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, He is recommending this yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ—this yajña at your home, in your office, in your factor, anywhere, without any cost. Simply you sit down together and clap on your hand and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. (applause)

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:

Those who are executing devotional service without any material desire. Not that I render service to Kṛṣṇa to fulfill some material desires. That is not pure devotee. Pure devotion is ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam: (CC Madhya 19.167) simply take to such work and activities which will favorably dispose Kṛṣṇa. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.46). Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). As soon as we simply take to such activities as will please the Supreme Personality of Lord, Personality of Godhead... Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. Ānukūlyena. As Kṛṣṇa becomes favorably inclined, we have to please Kṛṣṇa. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam.

So we do not know what is Hari, what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, and what is our activity to please Him. That we have to learn. That we have to learn satāṁ prasaṅgāt, by association with devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. Just like if you are a businessman, suppose a sharebroker, if you are a member of the stock exchange, your business is flourishing. You get more opportunities. The scientists, they make some association. Every particular... The lawyers, they make an association, Bar Association. That is needed. The engineer, they make an association. The doctors, they make a medical club. Similarly, if you have to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have to admit yourself with the society for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is necessary. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. Unless you associate with practical devotees, you cannot understand or you cannot relish the transcendental nature of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ. Pleasing, rasāyanāḥ. Relishing some mellows, transcendental mellows. How? Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. Simply in the association. Sādhu-saṅge sato vṛtte.

Lecture -- Jakarta, March 2, 1973:

Just like we have got Gāyatrī mantra for Guru-Gaurāṅga, then Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, that completes the Gāyatrī mantra. So this Gāyatrī mantra is also mentioned in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is the statement, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi, this dhīmahi mantra is in reference to the Gāyatrī. So we have got very intimate relationship. You have uttered the name of Puṇḍarīkākṣam, Nārāyaṇa, these are very known terms in the Bhāgavata pṛṣṭam(?). Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya has mentioned about Nārāyaṇa, nārāyaṇa parā avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa is the Personality of Godhead beyond this material world. Nārāyaṇa is not the person of this material world. So there is another word which is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā: paras tasmāt tu bhāva anyaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another nature, bhāva-bhāva means nature—which is beyond this material nature. So we, living entities, we also belong to that spiritual nature. We are also part and parcel of Nārāyaṇa. So some way or other we have come to this material world. Some way or other we have come to this material world, therefore we have got this material body. And because we have got this material body, we are subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. So our real problem is that although we are spiritual beings, we have been caught up by material bodies. How to get out of these clutches of birth, death, old age and disease, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 25, 1975:

"There is no God," "There is no form." All these nonsense things are proposed, because they are imperfect. Bhagavān therefore said, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ (BG 9.11). Because He comes for our benefit in the human form, the fools and rascals consider Him as ordinary person. If Bhagavān says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4), "I am the seed-giving father," so we, every one of us, we know that my father is person, his father is person, his father is person, and why the Supreme Person or the supreme father should become imperson? Why? And therefore we have to learn from Bhagavān, the Supreme Person, full knowledge. This Bhagavad-gītā is therefore full knowledge from the full Personality of Godhead. We cannot change even one word in this Bhagavad-gītā. That is folly.

So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is following this principle. We don't manufacture any concocted things. We simply distribute the message given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And this is becoming effective practically. You can see practically these Europeans and Americans, Australians, all over the world, they did not know four or five years ago, or say ten years ago, since I have begun this movement, they did not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Although Bhagavad-gītā was being presented by so many swamis and yogis, not a single man became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So our, this presentation, because it is pure, without any adulteration, it is acting very nicely.

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:

That every Indian who has taken birth in India as a human being, he should first of all make his life successful by understanding Kṛṣṇa, and then he must preach outside to render service to others as welfare activities.

So Kṛṣṇa appeared as Caitanya Mahāprabhu to teach us practically how to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness and how to deliver persons from the pāpa-yoni. Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a ācārya of the Gauḍīya sampradāya, he says in his song, śrī-nanda-nandana yei, nanda-suta haila yei, śacī-suta haila sei. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He appeared as the son of mother Śacī. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, "The same Personality of Godhead who appeared as the son of Mahārāja Nanda," nanda-suta haila yei, śacī-suta haila sei, "He has now appeared as the son of mother Śacī." And balarāma haila nitāi: "And the same Balarāma has appeared as Nityānanda prabhu." Now, what is Their business? That is described: pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. So pāpī tāpī yata chilo, harinām..., ta'ra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. Then he is giving evidence how the pāpī and tāpīs are delivered. "Here is the example of Jagāi-Mādhāi." This Jagāi-Mādhāi, they took birth in a good brāhmaṇa family but by bad association they became drunkard, thief, woman-hunter, and so on, so on. But they were also delivered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu to become first-class Vaiṣṇava.

Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977:

Yes. The brahmānu-bhūti is simply negation of this material world. Brahmā satya jagan mithyā. But brahmānu-bhūti is not final. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So simply understanding of our eternity-ahaṁ brahmāsmi—is not sufficient. So that is only appreciation of the eternity portion. And then, if one further makes progress, he... Paramātmā. Paramātmā means cit, cid-āṁśa. And lastly, unless we come to the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, there is no ānanda. And every one of us-ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). God is also ānandamaya. We, being part and parcel of God, we are also seeking after ānanda. So you cannot get permanent ānanda either by Brahman realization or Paramātmā realization. Unless you come to God realization, Personality of Godhead, there is no ānanda.

ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis

tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ

goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.37)

Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, is ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. He is in the ānanda cinmaya. His ānanda is not jara-rasa. It is cinmaya-rasa. We should not understand or misunderstand Kṛṣṇa's līlā is just like ordinary human activity.

Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 29, 1977, (with Oriyan translator):

So tattva-vastu, Absolute Truth, is observed from three angle of vision—Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān—but all of them are the same and one object. So simply by realization of Brahman, impersonal Brahman, is not perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth. Similarly, Paramātmā-jñāna is also not perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth. When you understand fully the Personality of Godhead, then the knowledge is perfect. There will be no more doubt. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1).

So let us take this opportunity of the statement by Kṛṣṇa how to understand God, and we may make our life perfect in that way. Because life's mission is to understand God. (break) ...that the process is bhakti-yogam. Bhagavān also says in another place distinctly, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti... (BG 18.55). (end)

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Hayagrīva: For him we cannot experience God through our senses.

Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. We always say that when God explains Himself, that is also not to everyone—only to the devotees. The devotees can accept the Personality of Godhead as He instructs. A nondevotee or atheist he cannot understand; he simply speculates. But by speculation it is not possible to understand God.

Hayagrīva: Kant says that speculative reason is unable to attain to a sure or adequate conception of God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our..., that the speculator cannot reach vicinity of God. It is not possible. Athāpi te. Only one can understand by the mercy of God, and this mercy is bestowed upon a person who is devotee, who is surrendered to God. Otherwise this mercy is reserved, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ: (BG 7.25) "I am not revealed to everyone and anyone; rather, I am covered by yoga-māyā." Because revelation means when one becomes devotee this covering curtain is... What is called, curtain?

Devotee: Curtain.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Hayagrīva: Curtain.

Prabhupāda: No, curtain closed and opened.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Śyāmasundara: But the urge to improve oneself, to attain the next stage...

Prabhupāda: This is the urge for improvement. Kṛṣṇa says, God says, that "All living entities are My part and parcels." This instruction can be accepted only by human beings, not the cats and dogs. Although He claims that "Every living entity is My part and parcel," the cats and dogs, they have no capacity to understand these, I mean to say, utterances of the Personality of Godhead. Even he has got an ear. You are hearing, a dog may hear. But you can capture; the dog cannot capture. Due to his lower grade of body, he cannot. So in this higher grade of body, the Vedic instructions are there. Now you can make your choice. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). As Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that "Whatever you like you can do." So now it depends upon you. If you don't accept the real progressive life, understand Kṛṣṇa and surrender unto Him, then you will go back.

Śyāmasundara: Is it not that because our real nature is perfect that we're always striving to become perfect again? Striving to reach that point again?

Prabhupāda: Yes, your nature is perfect. Perfect means you have got independence also. So you can perfectly misuse also, independence. That is perfect.

Śyāmasundara: But there is always that urge, even among the lower animals, to improve themselves, be promoted.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is being done by nature. That is evolution. Darwin has taken this idea from the Vedas, but he has no soul idea.

Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is a fact. Meditation means to analyze oneself—that is real meditation—and find out the Absolute Truth. That is the description in the Vedic literature. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino. Yogi means by his meditation he is seeing the Supreme Truth, Kṛṣṇa, or God, within himself. Kṛṣṇa is there, and so a yogi consults Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa advises him. That is the relationship with yogi. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. One who is purified, he is seeing Kṛṣṇa always within himself. That is confirmed in the Brahmā-samhita, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). A saintly person, advanced, he is seeing Kṛṣṇa, yaṁ śyāmasundaram. The very word used, Kṛṣṇa is śyāmasundaram, very beautiful blackish, the Personality of Godhead, Śyāmasundaram. Śyāma means blackish, but extraordinarily beautiful. That is called śyāma. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpam (Bs. 5.38). Acintaya, unlimited qualities. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham... He is govindam. So it can be realized that He is situated everywhere, at the same time in His person He is always engaged in Vṛndāvana dancing with the gopīs and playing with His friends and talking with His mother, and sometimes as naughty boy He is teasing mother's household affairs. So this is Kṛṣṇa.

Hayagrīva: It's been said that Socrates's philosophy is primarily a philosophy of ethics, and that...

Prabhupāda: Atheist?

Hayagrīva: Ethics, ethics...

Prabhupāda: Ethics.

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is my, I have said...

Hayagrīva: ...for when it deteriorates, it degenerates into mob rule.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, that's a fact, very good. But the best thing is monarchy, because if the monarch is rājarṣi, he is not only king... That is necessary. Kṛṣṇa wants that, that the government should be ruled; therefore we praise, offer so much respect to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Lord Rāmacandra, how to become an ideal king. He is Personality of Godhead. He showed how to become Rāma-rājya. So this is very good because it is not expensive. One man is maintained by the state very nicely, and nowadays these democracies' mob rule means instead of one king there are 300,000 kings in a state, and they are looting the hard-earned money by income tax, and everything is so polluted. So the condemnation of democracy is supported by us. It is mob rule. It has no value.

Hayagrīva: Socrates and Plato.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Hayagrīva: They had city states that were, uh...

Prabhupāda: Mini-states.

Hayagrīva: ...democracy. They were, they were so small that everyone could get together.

Philosophy Discussion on Origen:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is real preacher. That is explained in the Vedic literature, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. First of all he becomes perfect by hearing. This is called śravaṇam. And when he is perfectly situated in spiritual life by hearing perfectly from the perfectly authorized person, then his next stage begins, kīrtanam. That is preaching. That śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, everyone is hearing in this material world. Everyone is hearing. Even this material educationist, he also hears from the material person, professor. That hearing is there. Then he acts when he is grown-up, passed his examination, sometimes acts as professor. The same process: if one hears from the perfect spiritualized person, he becomes perfect, then he becomes actual preacher. Preaching, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, about Viṣṇu, not for any other person within this material world. The Supreme Person, transcendental Personality of Godhead, to hear about Him and to preach about Him, that is the duty of a liberated soul.

Hayagrīva: As far as seeming contradictions and seeming absurdities in scripture are concerned, Origen considered these as stumbling blocks allowed by God to exist in order for man to go beyond the literal meaning. He says, "In some cases no useful meaning attaches to the obvious interpretation, but everything in scripture has a spiritual meaning, but not all of it has a literal meaning."

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

Hayagrīva: This is St. Thomas, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Aquinas, who lived from 1225-1274. He compiled the entire body of Church philosophy called Summa Theologe, and the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas is the official philosophy of the Roman Catholic Church. He, unlike Augustine, he did not distinguish so sharply between the material world and the spiritual world, or between secular society and the city of God. He felt that the entire creation, both material and spiritual, has its origin in the Personality of Godhead. He acknowledges at the same time that the spiritual world is superior to the material world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (indistinct) Material world means temporary, and some philosophers, like the Māyāvādīs, they say it is false. But we Vaiṣṇavas, we don't say it is false, but it is temporary illusion. It is reflection of the spiritual world, but there is no reality. Sometimes it is compared with the mirage in the desert. There is no water in the desert, but sometimes, by reflection of the sun, it appears that there is water. Similarly, in the material world there is no happiness, but the transcendental bliss and happiness existing in the spiritual world is reflected here, and those who are less intelligent, they are after this illusory happiness, forgetting real happiness in the spiritual life.

Hayagrīva: Aquinas believed that truths, religious truths, are attained through both reason and revelation. He ascribed to Anselm's statement, "I believe in all that I may understand," and also to Abelard's, "I understand in order that I may believe," so that reason and revelation complement one another as a means to truth.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Truth, through reason, that is... Of course human reason is not perfect; therefore revelation also wanted. So that truth arrived at by logic, philosophy and revelation, that is real truth. Our process is to arrive the truth through guru, spiritual master, and he is accepted as representative of the Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, and he carries the message of truth because he has seen the Absolute Truth through disciplic succession. So if we accept the bona fide spiritual master (as) representative of God and please him by submissive service, then by his mercy and pleasure we can understand God, the spiritual world, by revelation. We offer, therefore, our great respect to the spiritual master and say, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. If you can please the spiritual master, who is carrying the message of the Lord without any speculation, then God becomes revealed. Another place it is said, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). When we engage our senses in the spirit of service to the Supreme Lord, then Lord becomes revealed. In another place it is said, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. The Lord is there, but one who is engaged in loving service to the Lord, he gets direct connection with the Lord, and the instruction also, so that the devotee may be able to enter the spiritual world.

Hayagrīva: Aquinas believed that God is the only single essence that consists of pure form. He felt that matter is only a potential and, in order to be real, must assume a certain shape or form. "Being in the universe have to acquire an individual form in order to actualize themselves. When matter unites with form, the form gives an object its individuality and personality." A form gives an object its individuality and personality.

Philosophy Discussion on Auguste Comte:

Prabhupāda: So he is..., he does not believe..., there is no belief in God is there? There is no question of? No. But our point of view is different: that God is the ultimate decider of everything. That is called daiva-netreṇa. He may be acting through different agents, but ultimate decision is given by Him. And He is sitting in everyone's heart. He is observing the activities of the individual soul as witness, giving permission. Without God's permission, nobody can act. So He is giving intelligence also, and He is the cause of forgetting. Two things are there, remembering and forgetting. Both these things are coming from God. If He keeps him in forgetfulness, then he cannot remember, and if He gives him the power to remember, he can remember for long, long past activities. So ultimately God is the final director. That is our conception. Man cannot remain independent. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is being done, impelled by the three material modes of nature, and the ultimate dictator is the Supersoul, or the Personality of Godhead in His localized aspect, situated everywhere in the heart of the living entity, or even within the atom He is there, and His is the supreme director.

Hayagrīva: He says, "The universe is to be studied not for its own sake but for the sake of man, or rather of humanity. To study in any other spirit would not only be immoral but also highly irrational." This is the old Greek Sophist position, that man is the measure of all things.

Prabhupāda: So the man should be inquisitive to understand the Absolute Truth, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Human intelligence is meant for that purpose, that he should find out what is the ultimate source of everything. That is intelligence. What is the other point he said?

Hayagrīva: "To study in any..., to study in any other spirit would not only be immoral but also highly irrational." To study the universe for any other sake other than the betterment of humanity.

Purports to Songs

Purport & Explanation to Hari Hari Biphale -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Jai. Vrajendranandana yei, śacī-suta, s-a-c-h-i-s-u-t-a, śacī-suta, haila, h-a-i-l-a, haila, sei, s-a-i, sei. Vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta haila sei, balarāma haila nitāi. B-al-a-r-a-m-a, balarāma, haila, h-i, h-a-i-l-a. Haila, h-a-i-l-a, nitāi, n-i-t-a-i, haila nitāi. Balarāma haila nitāi. And this means... Vrajendra-nandana yei: "The Supreme Personality who appeared as the son of King Nanda, the same Supreme Personality Kṛṣṇa has now appeared as the son of mother Śacī." And Balarāma, b-a-l-a-r-a-m-a; haila, haila means "has become;" Nitāi, "Lord Nityānanda." "Formerly the Personality of Godhead who was known as Balarāma has now become Lord Nityānanda." So what is their business? Pāpī tāpī yata chilo. P-a-p-i, t-a-p-i, pāpī tāpī, yata, y-a-t-a, yata chilo, c-h-h-i-l-a.

Pradyumna: C-h-h-i-l-a?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme, uddhārilo. H-a-r-i, hari, nāme, n-a-m-e, nāme, uddhārilo, u-d-d-h-a-r-i-l-a. That means "These two Personality of Godhead, they, simply by distributing the transcendental chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, has reclaimed all conditioned and sinful souls." Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. "And the concrete example for this activity is Jagāi and Mādhāi, the two brothers known by Jagāi-Mādhāi." J-a-g-a-i, Jagāi and Mādhāi, M-a-d-h-a-i. Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari nāme uddharilo, tā'ra sākṣī, tā'ra sākṣī. T-a-r, sākṣī, s-a-k-s-h-i, sākṣī, jagāi and mādhāi. And then last verse is hā hā prabhu nanda-suta, h-a-h-a, hā hā, prabhu, p-r-a-b-h-u, prabhu, nanda-suta, n-a-n-d-a-s-u-t-a. "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, son of King Nanda..." Vṛṣabhānu-sutā-yuta. V-r-i-s-a-b-h-a-n-u, vṛṣabhānu, sutā, s-u-t...

Pradyumna: V-s... Vṛṣa?

Prabhupāda: Vṛṣabhānu, b-h-a-n-u.

Purport to Gauranga Bolite Habe -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

The next line is āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe. (spells out) Āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā koribe. This is also aspiration, that "When Nityānanda Prabhu, the constant associate of Lord Caitanya, will be pleased upon me?" Koruṇā koribe. Koruṇā koribe means He will be pleased upon me. Nityānanda Prabhu or Nitāi-cānd, is the original spiritual master. He is Baladeva. Bala means strength, and deva, the Personality of Godhead who gives strength. Therefore Nitāi-cānd is the symbol of spiritual master who gives strength to the disciples. This is the process of disciplic succession. We have to acquire the spiritual strength. No amount of material strength can help me in the advancement of spiritual life. We must derive the spiritual strength. Just like we have to take electricity from the powerhouse by directly connecting with the powerhouse. Not the wiring but the electricity. Similarly, this disciplic succession means the strength is descending from the original person through the spiritual master. That is the idea. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura explains that "When Nitāicānd will be pleased?" And the result of such pleasure of Nitāicānd is that one becomes free from all desires for material enjoyment.