Real constitutional position

Expressions researched:
"real constitutional position" |"real, constitutional position"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 2.50, Purport:

Since time immemorial each living entity has accumulated the various reactions of his good and bad work. As such, he is continuously ignorant of his real constitutional position. One's ignorance can be removed by the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā, which teaches one to surrender unto Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in all respects and become liberated from the chained victimization of action and reaction, birth after birth. Arjuna is therefore advised to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the purifying process of resultant action.

BG 2.51, Purport:

The miseries of life, namely birth, death, old age and diseases, are present everywhere within the material world. But one who understands his real constitutional position as the eternal servitor of the Lord, and thus knows the position of the Personality of Godhead, engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Consequently he becomes qualified to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where there is neither material, miserable life nor the influence of time and death.

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 7.27, Purport:

The real constitutional position of the living entity is that of subordination to the Supreme Lord, who is pure knowledge. When one is deluded into separation from this pure knowledge, he becomes controlled by the illusory energy and cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The illusory energy is manifested in the duality of desire and hate.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.3.1, Purport:

The chance to enjoy matter is given to the conditioned souls in the material world, and side by side they are given the chance to understand their real constitutional position. Those fortunate living entities who catch the truth and surrender unto the lotus feet of Vāsudeva after many, many births in the material world join the eternally liberated souls and thus are allowed to enter into the kingdom of Godhead.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.25.10, Purport:

Devahūti has stated that false identification of the body with the self and attachment for possessions in relation to the body are also under the direction of the Lord. Does this mean that the Lord discriminates by engaging one in His devotional service and another in sense gratification? If that were true, it would be an incongruity on the part of the Supreme Lord, but that is not the actual fact. As soon as the living entity forgets his real, constitutional position of eternal servitorship to the Lord and wants instead to enjoy himself by sense gratification, he is captured by māyā.

SB 3.25.36, Purport:

In Bhagavad-gītā it is said, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26) This means that the living entity in his original state is Brahman because he is part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. But simply because of his forgetfulness of his real nature as an eternal servitor of the Lord, he is overwhelmed and captured by māyā. His forgetfulness of his real constitutional position is māyā. Otherwise he is eternally Brahman.

SB 3.26.2, Purport:

Lord Caitanya explained to Sanätana Gosvämé the real constitutional position of the individual. He said directly that each and every individual soul is eternally a servitor of Kåñëa. Jévera 'svarüpa' haya-kåñëera 'nitya-däsa': (CC Madhya 20.108) every individual soul is eternally a servitor. When one is fixed in the understanding that he is part and parcel of the Supreme Soul and that his eternal position is to serve in association with the Supreme Lord, he becomes self-realized.

SB 3.27.16, Purport:

When the actual situation is revealed, we understand that the money does not belong to any individual person or living entity, nor is it produced by man. Ultimately the money is the property of the Supreme Lord, and there is no question of its being lost. But as long as one falsely thinks, "I am the enjoyer," or "I am the Lord," this concept of life continues, and one remains conditioned. As soon as this false ego is eliminated, one is liberated. As confirmed in the Bhāgavatam, situation in one's real constitutional position is called mukti, or liberation.

SB 3.32.34-36, Purport:

One can achieve elevation to the higher planetary systems like the heavenly kingdom by executing one's prescribed duties and by performing sacrifices. When one is transcendental to such desires because of accepting the renounced order of life, he can understand the Brahman feature of the Supreme, and when one is able to see his real constitutional position, he sees all other processes and becomes situated in the stage of pure devotional service. At that time he can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān.

SB 3.32.34-36, Purport:

Understanding of the Supreme person is called ātma-tattva-avabodhena, which means "understanding of one's real constitutional position." If one actually understands one's constitutional position as an eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord, he becomes detached from the service of the material world. Everyone engages in some sort of service. If one does not know one's constitutional position, one engages in the service of his personal gross body or his family, society or country. But as soon as one is able to see his constitutional position (the word sva-dṛk means "one who is able to see"), he becomes detached from such material service and engages himself in devotional service.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.20.31, Translation:

My Lord, due to Your illusory energy, all living beings in this material world have forgotten their real constitutional position, and out of ignorance they are always desirous of material happiness in the form of society, friendship and love. Therefore, please do not ask me to take some material benefits from You, but as a father, not waiting for the son's demand, does everything for the benefit of the son, please bestow upon me whatever You think best for me.

SB 4.21.35, Purport:

A human being is therefore advised to associate with spiritually advanced personalities. The Vedas give the direction tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) in order to reach the perfection of life or to understand the real constitutional position of the living entity, one must approach the spiritual master. Gurum evābhigacchet—one must; it is not optional. It is imperative that one approach the spiritual master, for by such association one proportionately develops his consciousness toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 4.22.14, Purport:

The spirit soul, however, is always transcendental. There is no question of becoming materially covered. This covering is simply something like a hallucination or a dream. In Bhagavad-gītā (2.62) it is also said, saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. Simply by association we create artificial material necessities. Dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate. When we forget our real constitutional position and wish to enjoy the material resources, our material desires manifest, and we associate with varieties of material enjoyment.

SB 4.29.29, Purport:

As servant of māyā, he sometimes becomes a king, sometimes an ordinary citizen, sometimes a brāhmaṇa, a śūdra, and so on. Sometimes he is a happy man, sometimes a prosperous man, sometimes a small insect. Sometimes he is in heaven and sometimes in hell. Sometimes he is a demigod, and sometimes he is a demon. Sometimes he is a servant, and sometimes he is a master. In this way the living entity wanders all over the universe. Only when he comes in contact with the bona fide spiritual master can he understand his real constitutional position. He then becomes disgusted with material existence. At that time, in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he regrets his past experiences in material existence. This regret is very beneficial because it purifies the living entity of material, conditional life.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.1.1, Purport:

The human form of life is especially meant for getting out of the bondage of fruitive activities, but as long as one is forgetful of his life's mission and acts like an ordinary animal—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—he must continue his conditioned life of material existence. Such a life is called svarūpa-vismṛti, forgetfulness of one's real constitutional position. Therefore in Vedic civilization one is trained in the very beginning of life as a brahmacārī. A brahmacārī must execute austerities and refrain from sex indulgence. Therefore if one is completely trained in the principles of brahmacarya, he generally does not enter household life.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 22.16, Purport:

This verse is also quoted in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (3.2.35). When we chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra we are saying, "Hare! O energy of the Lord! O my Lord Kṛṣṇa!" In this way we are simply addressing the Lord and His spiritual potency, represented as Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Sītā-Rāma or Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. The devotee always prays to the Lord and His internal energy (consort) so that he may engage in Their transcendental loving service. When the conditioned soul attains his real spiritual energy and fully surrenders unto the Lord's lotus feet, he tries to engage in the Lord's service. This is the real constitutional position of the living entity.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 7:

There are different processes for self-realization, but this process of devotional service—of which hearing is the most important function—when adopted by any conditioned soul, will automatically cleanse him of the material contamination and enable him to realize his real constitutional position. Conditional life is due to this contamination only, and as soon as it is cleared off, then naturally the dormant function of the living entity—rendering service to the Lord—awakens. By developing his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, one becomes eligible to create friendship with the devotees.

Krsna Book 73:

Dear Lord, O killer of the demon Madhu, we can now clearly see that Jarāsandha was not at fault in the least; it is actually by Your causeless mercy that we were bereft of our kingdoms, for we were very proud of calling ourselves rulers and kings. A ruler or king who becomes too much puffed up with false prestige and power gets no opportunity to understand his real constitutional position and eternal life. Under the influence of Your illusory energy, such a foolish so-called ruler or king becomes falsely proud of his position, just like a foolish person who considers a mirage in the desert a reservoir of water.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

We are... Just like a drop of sea water is as good as the sea water in quality—the whole sea water is also salty, and the drop of sea water is also salty—similarly, we have got all the chemical composition, or qualities, of God. Now, God is eternal; therefore we must be eternal. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). After destruction of this body, the soul is never destroyed. This is our real, constitutional position. Then why we have accepted this changing process: birth, death, old age and disease? This is our material life.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

So kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. We are servant of our senses, kāma-krodha-moha-mātsarya, all these. By, dictated by our lusty desires, we do anything which is abominable. Teṣāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. So we are servant, everyone. Therefore, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Our real constitutional position is that we are eternal servant of God, Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. But in this material condition of life, every one of us is trying to become the master. That is the struggle for existence. Everyone is trying: "I shall become the master. I shall become the Supreme." But our position is servant. So this is called illusion.

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

We are thinking of enjoying through this body. But bodily enjoyment is not my enjoyment. It is artificial. So if you want to stick up to this artificial enjoyment of life, then you cannot enjoy or you cannot be elevated to your real constitutional position of eternal enjoyment. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says, bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayā apahṛta-cetasām. Apahṛta-cetasām, one whose mind and intelligence has been misled by this false enjoyment, false enjoyment, for him, the working on the pure consciousness platform, vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ, that "I am not this body"... We are talking of this, that "I am not this body. I am pure consciousness. I am pure soul."

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Most ignorant, he is called mūḍha, or an ass. So this word is used there, mūḍha. Mūḍha means rascals. "Rascals, they decry upon Me, Kṛṣṇa, because I am here just like an ordinary man. Mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam. Because I have appeared here as an ordinary man, as Kṛṣṇa, as Arjuna's friend or the son of Devakī and Vasudeva, or the descendant in the Yadu dynasty, so many things. Avajānanti. They are decrying Me, neglecting." Why? Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. "They do not know the real constitutional position of Me." Paraṁ bhāvam. Paraṁ bhāvam means "the supreme truth about Me." That supreme truth is partially explained here, that tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi. "I know past, present, and future, but you do not." This is paraṁ bhāvam.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

Here Kṛṣṇa, because He is Supreme Soul, Supreme Personality of Godhead, He means that dharma, or occupational duty on the spiritual platform. He does not mean dharma or occupational duty on the gross bodily platform or subtle mental platform. He means dharma, the occupational duty on the spiritual platform. And that is confirmed by Lord Caitanya. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That real constitutional position of the living entity, especially of the human being, is to accept servitorship of Kṛṣṇa. So in other word, when there is discrepancy in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at that time Kṛṣṇa comes. Kṛṣṇa descends. Kṛṣṇa descends.

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

"My dear Arjuna, the reason, the mission for which I appear is now explained, that I come here to establish the real constitutional position of the living entity. That is My mission. Now, when I come with some mission there are some activities. There are some activities." So there are some philosophers. They do not agree to accept that God comes as incarnation. They do not believe in this theory. They say that "Why God shall come to this rotten world?" That is their vision.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

We are... Actually, our real constitutional position is to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa, but because we have revolted against Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are servant of māyā. Servant is my nature. Therefore it is called, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. If you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa controls you, He takes care of you. But if you do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, but your position is to surrender, you have to surrender to the laws of material nature and you'll be controlled. Therefore ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. Māṁ prapadyante.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted these sixteen names—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—therefore we also follow the footprints of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We are also chanting the same Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and we shall request you also. There is no expenditure, there is no loss on your part, but if there is any gain, why don't you try it? That is our request. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is the process for increasing your attachment for God and Kṛṣṇa. And as you increase your love... That is our real constitutional position, to love God.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

Out of many millions and millions of persons, actually they are serious to understand, "What is the aim of life? What is God? What is my relation..." Nobody is interested. Just like... Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Everyone is interested with this bodily conception of life like cats and dogs. This is the position. Not only now, always, this is the material condition. But somebody, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu, out of millions, one tries to understand, to make his life perfect. And out of such perfection... Perfection means to understand his real constitutional position, that he is not this material body; he is spirit soul, Brahman. That is perfection, perfection of knowledge, brahma-jñāna.

Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966:

So sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means complete pure. What is that purity? "Oh, I am spirit. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I am Brahman. I am Brahman. I am not this matter. This is my covering. I am now eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is my real identity." So one who is freed from the designation and situated in his real constitutional position, that person, when he is fixed up, when he renders service in that way, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Hṛṣīkeṇa. Hṛṣīka means the senses. Now my senses are designated. When my senses will be free from designation and with that freedom, with that freedom, in that purity, when I shall engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness service, that is called devotional service.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

This is Vedic injunction. If you want to be elevated to the, your real constitutional position, then you have to take these principles, guru-kṛṣṇa.

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

(ŚU 6.23)

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya..., yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. Guru.

yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo

yasya aprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi

dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya (yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ)

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

So this is rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam. This is the secret, guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya (CC Madhya 19.151). We should take advantage of this rāja-vidyā, devotional service, and take the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa and make our life successful.

Lecture on BG 9.22-23 -- New York, December 8, 1966:

Under the spell of this illusory energy, we are captivated by this temporary sense gratification and we have forgotten our real life. So those who are in the sense of his real constitutional, of their real constitutional position, as Bhagavad-gītā started from the very beginning... This very conception, that "I am this body," beginning from, from beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā this is discredited, that "You are not this body." So you have to mold your life in your identification of spiritual existence. So so far the materialist is concerned, they are chewing the chewed.

Lecture on BG 13.17 -- Bombay, October 11, 1973:

We are now in forgotten state. This conditioned material life means we have forgotten our real constitutional position. I am thinking, "I am this body," but I am not this body. I am spirit soul; ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But we have forgotten it. We have forgotten our relationship with the Supreme Lord. This forgetfulness is also due to the influence of the Supersoul. Because we wanted to act... Just like a very first-class dramatic director, he instructs the player in such a way that sometimes he forgets. The more he forgets he plays very nicely.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Hawaii, January 31, 1975:

Self-realization does not mean something humbug. Self-realization means to understand his real constitutional position, what I am. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Śrīla Gaurasundara, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He asked, ke āmi: "Who I am?" Ke āmi... Ke āmi, kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya: "What is my constitutional position? Why I am suffering the three-fold miseries of this material existence?" This is the enquiry. Everyone is suffering. Somebody is in ignorance. Although he is suffering, he is thinking that he is very well. This is called māyā. Māyā means you are accepting something which is not. This is called māyā. Mā yā: "What you are accepting, that is false." This is called māyā.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, September 17, 1972:

So there are many conception of God. But there is a conception of God: to accept God as son. That is only in Vaiṣṇava philosophy, because we are eternal servants of God. That is our philosophy. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). The living entity, his real constitutional position is to serve God. We have several times explained this fact, that the part and parcel of God must be engaged in the service of the Lord. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. Its duty is to serve the body. It has no other duty. The finger cannot go elsewhere and serve something else; it must serve my body. Therefore, it is part and parcel. Similarly, if I am part and parcel of God, then my only duty is to serve God. This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. So therefore, in Vaiṣṇava philosophy, everything in relationship with God is service.

Lecture on SB 1.3.17 -- Los Angeles, September 22, 1972:

Liberated soul means hitvā anyathā-rūpam. Now we are working under the designation of this body. Everyone is working under this designation of this body. When we become above the designation of the body, that is our real, constitutional position. So first of all, to realize that "I am not this body," and the next stage is that "I am spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore as part and parcel is meant for giving service to the whole, therefore my constitutional position is to serve Kṛṣṇa." That is perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

So our business is also like that. We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, and we should give, render, we should render service to the best of capacity. That is our real constitutional position. But here Devahūti says that bhūmann asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt. Asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt. At the present moment in this material world, we are busy to enjoy these material senses. This is our position. Everyone is satisfying. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhiḥ... (BG 3.42). In this way, you go, and when you go beyond the range of buddhi, that is soul. That is spiritual platform. In the ordinarily we are, in the material platform, we are interested in gratifying senses: "I like it. I must have it." But that sense gratification means we are becoming implicated, implicated in the laws of nature.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

So this is all conditional life, the so-called puruṣa life, or so-called prakṛti life. Unless we have got real enlightenment, what is our real, constitutional position? That we can learn only by the association of mahat, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). That is the Vedic process, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We must take shelter. Kṛṣṇa also says that

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

(BG 4.34)

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Honolulu, May 9, 1976:

Vaiṣṇava is very, very merciful. They are merciful to the fallen souls. Their only concern is how to deliver these fallen souls. They are under the clutches of māyā, suffering. So various means adopting, just try to save them. This is Vaiṣṇava business. Nānā-śāstra-vicā raṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. These Gosvāmīs, they were studying so many books, Vedic literature and found out the cream, how to establish... Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthā... Sad-dharma, not cheating dharma. Dharma means religion. Real religion, sad-dharma. So the sad-dharma... As soon as we become addicted to sinful activities, then our real, constitutional position we forget, and we become mad after it and the disease increases.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

If sugar is pungent and chili is sweet, then you throw it away. It is not real. It is not real. Similarly, what is the constitutional position of human being, dharma? To serve. This is the constitutional position. Every one of us, we are serving. Without service we have no other business. So this is our constitutional position. But we are serving wrongly; therefore we are not satisfied. This is the position. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore begins His philosophy from this point, that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa: (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109) "The real constitutional position of all living entities is to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is constitutional position.

Lecture on SB 6.2.1-5 -- Calcutta, January 6, 1971:

There are two kinds of servants: the māyā's servant and Kṛṣṇa's servant. Nobody is master. That is illusion. Everyone is servant. Every living entity is a servant. As enunciated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa: (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109) "The real constitutional position of the living entity is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." When he does not render service to Kṛṣṇa, under false prestige... Just like somebody says, "The Vaiṣṇava religion is slave mentality." "Vaiṣṇava religion is slave mentality. They want to be servant." But the rascals do not that (think) "What you have gained by master mentality?" You are simply servant of your senses. But they criticize that Vaiṣṇava is a slave men. Everyone is slave. Somebody is slave of the senses, and somebody is slave of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master. That is illusion.

Lecture on SB 7.9.33 -- Mayapur, March 11, 1976:

So from this false ego, when we come to real ego... What is that real ego? That "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). That is real ego. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people how to come to the real ego, real constitutional position. The Māyāvādī philosophy, they are also trying to do that, but they're another false ego: ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi—"I am Brahman"—that is a fact, but I am not Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman. The Māyāvādī, they take it: "Because I am Brahman, I am Supreme Brahman." No. Suppose you are all coming from America. You can claim that you are American, but that does not mean you are Mr. Ford, the President. So similarly, this is false ego.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- Bombay, November 24, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa also said in the Bhagavad-gītā, śarīra yātrāpi te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. In this... This material world means everyone has to work. Otherwise he cannot live. Therefore it is called karma-samjñā. Karma-samjñā anyā. And avidyā. If I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa... Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. If Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do, then—I am also part and parcel—I will also have nothing to do. Everything will be there, present. But that is our real constitutional position. We don't require to work. Everything is there for my enjoyment. But because we are now in this avidyā, ignorance, this material darkness, therefore I have to work.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

Successfully living does not mean that you work hard just like cats and dogs, and eat something and have sex life at night. That is not successful life. That successful life is there even in the cats and dogs and hogs. The hogs are also laboring very hard. The cats and dogs, they are also for their food. And the sex is there. Everything is there. That is not successful life. Real successful life is how to understand his real constitutional position as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. That is successful life. This is not successful life. What is this successful life? I see... I have got so many students. They are well-qualified. But they have got... When they work, they have to work so hard, they go at six o'clock to the working and comes again at six o'clock, all day, tired. They lost all vitality, all sense. Is that successful life, simply for one morsel of food, working so hard? And unless one works so hard, he cannot eat.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

So Lord Caitanya, who started this movement five hundred years ago in Bengal, India, He immediately informs you that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109), that our real identity, real constitutional position, is that we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God. Therefore you can understand what is your duty. Just like this hand is part and parcel of your body. Now, what is the duty of this hand? To serve the body, that's all. The hand cannot enjoy independently. It is not possible. If you cut off this hand from this body and throw into the street, nobody will care for it. But so long it is attached with this body, it has got millions and trillions of dollars' value.

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

The whole material world is full of problems. These problems are compared just like blazing fire in the forest. Just like in the forest, there is fire, nobody can check. Although nobody goes to the forest to set fire, it takes automatically. Similarly, in this material existence of life, we do not want any problem, but problems are created. Just like automatically there is fire in the forest without our endeavor, similarly, material problems are created automatically by our dealings, by our behavior. So if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the first result will be that you will understand your real constitutional position, for which many great mystics, sages and saints are meditating, "What I am?" That, I mean to say, procedure of spiritual realization will be the first installment, your profit. You'll understand that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am not matter, I am spirit soul." And as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, as soon as one is self-realized, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

Liberation means to get out of the blazing fire of this material existence. That is liberation. It is simply change of consciousness, that I am thinking in so many ways, my consciousness is polluted in so many ways. But when you think that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is your real constitutional position, then that very understanding makes you liberated, immediately. Pāpa-kṣaya bhavati smaratāṁ tam ahar-niśam. Tatraiva ca tasmāt saṅkīrtanaṁ viṣṇu jagan-maṅgalam amhasā... Jagan-maṅgalam amhasā. Śrīdhar Swami gives his comment, tasmāt, therefore; sankīrtanaṁ viṣṇu jagan-maṅgalam amhasā. The world (is) full of sinful reactions. If this saṅkīrtana movement is pushed on there will be peace, there will be auspicity all over the world.

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

Mukti means give up your false designation. That is mukti. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu begins from this mukta stage. Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa gave us information what is mukti. Mukti is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam, that is mukti. And Lord Caitanya, when he was instructing Sanatāna Gosvāmī, he began from this point: what is that real constitutional position of the living entity. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was asked by his disciple Sanatāna Gosvāmī that actually what I am? The exact Bengali verse, he says that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita.

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

So actually, in this material existence we are forgetting our real constitutional position, that we are all eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). But some way or other, we have come to this material world for enjoying, for lord it over the material nature. And that is not possible. You cannot lord it over. The Lord is Kṛṣṇa, but we are trying to be lord. And the endeavor, the labor which we are giving incessantly, that we are thinking happiness. The nature, the material nature, is putting stumbling block every time. That, to overcome the impediments offered by the material nature and our trial for overcoming that stumbling block, that is our endeavor.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: It is no search. We are individual, always. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter, that we are individual now, we are individual..., were in the past, and we shall continue to remain individual in future. So the individuality is always there, but the living entity, we, we are not as big as Kṛṣṇa. Our intelligence is very meager, is very small, so, so therefore we forget what is our real constitutional position. So to bring to our original constitutional position the..., Kṛṣṇa and His instructions are there. The individuality is always, past, present and future, but when we forget Kṛṣṇa, make our own plan, then we suffer, and when we utilize our individuality properly, little independence, and follow Kṛṣṇa's instruction as His servant, then our life is perfect.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Dr. Weir of the Mensa Society -- September 5, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: According to the body I create my designations. But one has to become free from all designations. That is called liberated stage. This is own constitutional position. That position is eternal servant of God. That is the real position of every living entity. But because at the present moment the living entity is in contact with matter, so according to the material modes of the body, he's identifying himself with this body. That is called material designation. "I am American." "I am Englishman." "I am Hindu." "I am Muslim." "I am this." "I am that." These are all designations. So real perfection of life is without designations. And that is the real constitutional position. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Actual, position of the living entity (indistinct) So that is the perfection of life.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Journalist -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: No, total human being, 400,000 species. Altogether, 8,400,000 species of living entities. So these are coming, evolution, by the laws of nature. You cannot stop it. The laws of nature, you cannot interfere. In this way we come to the human form of body, and especially civilized human being. Supposedly, it is the Aryans. The Aryan family, they are the topmost civilized group amongst the living entities. Now, in this life one has to enquire about himself that what is the difference between me and the dog? Why I am claiming a better position than the dog? What is the difference? The difference is that a human being, if he endeavors, he can understand his real constitutional position and he can understand God also. God. Therefore in the human society, civilized human society, there is some sort of religious system. It does not matter whether it is Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion, or Buddha religion. There is some religion in the civilized human society.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Press Conference -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Prabhupāda: The real fact is the..., I am not this body, you are not this body. I am living entity within this body. Just like you are within your coat and shirt. The coat and shirt you are not. Similarly, we living entities, we are within this gross and subtle body. The gross body is made of earth, water, air, fire, and the subtle body is made of mind, intelligence, and egotism. So we are within this. So nobody knows; there is no educational system, what is our real constitutional position. We are wrongly accepting this body. And that kind of acceptance is there in the animals. The dog also thinking that "I am this body." So if I am thinking like that, "I am this body," then what is the difference between the dog and me? We are educating from him that point of view, that the living entity is entrapped within this body, and according to his desire, he's changing different types of body and undergoing continually birth and death.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Bhagavan -- London 21 August, 1971:

Our mission is undoubtedly the highest welfare activity to the human society. Everyone has forgotten his real constitutional position. Therefore all of them are hovering in the air without any concrete knowledge of the goal of life. Actually we are in the position to teach everyone, never mind however great a philosopher or scientist he may be, but everyone must learn from us about spiritual activities. All the universities and educational institutions are in darkness and still they are very much proud of advancement of knowledge. This we shall challenge everywhere and come out victorious.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Saxena -- Hyderabad 23 April, 1974:

My Krsna Consciousness movement is especially meant for this purpose. I wish that from the very beginning of life everyone should be enlightened with Krsna Consciousness, because the human life is very important for fulfilling this mission. The mission of human life is to understand the real constitutional position of the spirit soul and to know that everyone of us living entities is an eternal servant of Krsna.