Recommend (Lectures, SB canto 1)

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Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 21, 1975:

Hṛdayānanda: ...God is light and that, within us, inside of us.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That everyone will say, one who is (in) knowledge. So if you follow Bible, you also get knowledge. That is knowledge. We are after seeing people, that he has got knowledge of God. It is not a question of Bible or Bhagavad-gītā. We want that you become God conscious. That is our movement. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no such mention as Christian religion, Hindu religion, Muslim religion or Buddha religion. There are so many... No. Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "That is first-class religion which helps one to love God." So we are propagating teaching people how to love God. That is our mission. We don't say that you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim or..., no. You become a lover of God. So comparatively, the process which we are recommending, that is the easiest process. That is admitted by one priest in Boston. He said that "These boys and girls are our countrymen or our boys. Before this movement, they did not come to the church, and now how they are mad after God?" So therefore this is the easiest process, to become pure and go back to home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

This is the process of acquiring knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—that we receive knowledge from the perfect person. Now, here it is said that because it is given by the perfect person Vyāsadeva, we should take knowledge from this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the proof is that we have now become Godless, we have no information of God, but if you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then immediately you will realize God. Just like you can see in reality that these boys, these girls who have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, because they are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, they are now gradually realizing what is God and what is his relationship with God. So unless we realize God and our position, and we become lover of God, there is no question of peace in the mind. Therefore it is recommended here that if you want real peace in the mind, try to understand what is God, what is your relationship with God, and act accordingly. You will be immediately peaceful. As soon as you become peaceful, your life is successful. Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:

Similarly, this fruit, the ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is already very tasteful because it is the ripened fruit, but it has been tasted by the lips of Śukadeva Gosvāmī; therefore it is still more tasteful. Drava-saṁyutam. Therefore it is recommended, pibata bhāgavatam, "Now, this ripened fruit, just taste it," pibata, "drink it." Pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam.

When we eat something, we taste its rasa, the juice. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "Kaunteya, My dear Arjuna, I am the taste of the water." Everyone, when he's thirsty, he wants, "Give me water, give me water." Because there is a taste in the water which will immediately quench your thirst. So we enjoy everything because there is some taste. That is called rasa. Anything we do. Just like a man, he's working very hard day and night. What for? For maintaining his family, his children and wife. So unless there is some rasa, some taste, he cannot work so hard day and night. There is some flavor in maintaining the family with hard labor. And sometimes we see therefore one who has no family, one who has no family affection, he does not work so hard. He doesn't care to work. This is practical. Therefore in the Vedic civilization the family life is recommended unless one will become confused, hopeless, because he has no taste for the family life. So everything there is some rasa, taste. Without that taste, nobody can live.

Now here it is recommended, śrīmad-bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayam. Here is a taste which you can enjoy up to the end of your life or up to the point of liberation.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:

So this verse recommends that pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayam. Rasam ālayam. Ālayam, laya. Laya means "to merge." We are also merged into this material world. Just like your body, my body is material. But I am the soul, you are the soul. I am merged into this material... But because I am spirit, although I am merged, I am not getting happiness. Just like if you are put into the Atlantic Ocean, you merge, but because you are not the living entity of the water, you cannot be happy. You cannot be happy. That merging is there. You have to merge into the spiritual existence; then you'll be happy. That is bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayam.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

So everything should be regulated. That is described, that is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā. We are executing yoga. So yuktāhāra. And Rūpa Gosvāmī also says,

anāsaktasya viṣayān

yathārham upayuñjataḥ

nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe

yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate

Anāsaktasya viṣaya, this is called viṣaya, material enjoyment. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is called viṣaya. So one has to give up this viṣaya. Narottama (Locana) dāsa Ṭhākura says, viṣaya chāṛiyā, se rase majiyā, mukhe bolo hari hari. Unless you are detached from the viṣaya... Viṣaya is there even in birds' life, beasts' life. Viṣayaḥ sarvataḥ syāt. So in the beginning we cannot give up this viṣaya all of a sudden. But we should be trained up not to be attached to the viṣaya.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

In India there is a class, they are professional Bhāgavata reciters. They make contract that he shall recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, finish within a week, and he should be rewarded. These things are not recommended in the authoritative scriptures. We should follow the footsteps of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He's explaining Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the very beginning. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Try to understand the philosophy of Bhāgavata. Then gradually, when you are accustomed to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then go to the Tenth Canto, wherein Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance is described. Without reading in the beginning what is Kṛṣṇa, if we all of a sudden jump over to understand the rāsa dance... That is a very natural tendency. No, we should not go like that. First of all, try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. To understand Kṛṣṇa is very difficult subject matter. But by the grace of Lord Caitanya we can understand little about Kṛṣṇa. And then gradually... Of course, the ultimate goal is to enter into the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. But not by speculation or by material misconception. Gradually, step by step. Prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975:

Therefore hearing of Bhāgavata from Śukadeva Gosvāmī is recommended. Or the representative of Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Representative means one who is strictly following the principle adopted by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Just like Śukadeva Gosvāmī first of all spoke Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam before Mahārāja Parīkṣit. And in that meeting, Sūta Gosvāmī was present. So here you will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sūta uvāca, means Sūta Gosvāmī, after hearing from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he repeated the same Bhāgavata recitation in the Naimiṣāraṇya. There was a big meeting about 2,500 years ago or more than that at Naimiṣāraṇya. That Naimiṣāraṇya is still there in India. It is now changed by the name, Nimsar. It is situated about hundred miles off from Lucknow. So still there are many hermitages in Naimiṣāraṇya. People go there to visit as it is a place of pilgrimage. So this Bhāgavatam was discussed there at Naimiṣāraṇya.

So here it is recommended that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of all Vedic literature, and it was first spoken by Śukadeva Gosvāmī." The Vedic literature is full of knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975:

Real religion. Therefore He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "Give up all these. Simply surrender unto Me." So any religious system which is teaching to divert the attention of the follower to so many things, that is cheating religion. Just like in India, there is a class of men. They are called Māyāvādīs. They recommend that "You worship any demigod. The result is the same." This is false religion. Kṛṣṇa said that mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "Only surrender unto Me." Then one may ask that "In the Vedas there are... So many demigods' worship is recommended. Is that false?" That is not false. Because it is mentioned in the Vedas, you cannot say it is false. But they are meant for all material benefit. Material benefit means it is mentioned that "If you want to be very educated, you worship this demigod," that "If you wants a beautiful wife, then you worship this demigod; if you want to be very wealthy, then you worship this demigod." In this way there are different items, but these things are all material things. So that is mentioned in the Bhagavad... kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ: "Those who are desirous of getting success in this material life, for them the different demigod worship is recommended."

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975:

This is bhakti-mārga, means simply to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti-mārga, no other desire, no other motive. So that is recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He says,

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)

This is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We are following Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and therefore His instruction should be followed. What is it? Na dhanam: "I don't want any wealth, material wealth," na dhanam. Na janam: "I don't want any so-called followers." Na sundarīṁ kavitām: "Neither I want a very beautiful wife." "Then what do You want? These are the material things everyone wants." No, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktiḥ: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "Even I don't want liberation." Liberation means there is no more janma. But He said, janmani janmani: "Life after life, I want to be engaged in Your devotional service." This is real characteristic, and that should be followed.

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

Pradyumna: (reading purport) "In the Bhagavad-gītā, worship of the ācārya is recommended. The ācāryas and the gosvāmīs are always well-wishers for the general public."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The ācārya or gosvāmī, their business is... Just like our ācāryas, sad-gosvāmī, they left their service, big service, ministership, and by the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu they went to Vṛndāvana. But what for, going to Vṛndāvana and sleeping and eating? No, no, not for that purpose. They, rather at home they had time to sleep more, but when they went to Vṛndāvana they were sleeping only one half-hour to two hours only. At the present moment when a man becomes old, he requires more rest. But according to Vedic civilization, no more rest, more work, more work. But these gosvāmīs, they were deputed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu... At that time this Vṛndāvana, which you have seen, now it is nice city, but during the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu it was a big field only, that's all, nothing was there. Everything, all Kṛṣṇa's līlā were vanished. Not vanished, it was not visible. Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw one small hole, little water, and He indicated, "This is Rādhā-kuṇḍa." Then Rādhā-kuṇḍa was discovered. So these Gosvāmīs were working very hard.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

There are sāttvika-purāṇa, rājasika-purāṇa, tāmasika-purāṇa. Three kinds of purāṇas. So the aim is to take the leader on the liberation platform, but according to the quality. In the tāmasika-purāṇa there are recommendations for goddess Kālī and other. And rājasika-purāṇa there is recommendation for yajña or worshiping the demigods in the heavenly planet, Indra, Candra. But in the sāttvika-purāṇa only about Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, is recommended to be worshiped. So this is called purāṇa-guhyam because in this Purāṇa you won't find any recommendation for worshiping any other demigod. Simply satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). Only the absolute. Satyaṁ param. The ultimate Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

Saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyam. He first of all spoke Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to, being compassionate to the people suffering from these material pangs. Taṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi guruṁ munīnām. Guruṁ munīnām. "He's not only my guru, but he is guru, spiritual master, of great sages and saintly persons." Even Vyāsadeva also considered his son greater than himself. When Śukadeva Gosvāmī appeared in the assembly where many saintly persons were present at the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, so at the time all the munis stood up to receive him. All the munis. Even there was Vyāsadeva, he also stood up. Therefore he is guruṁ munīnām. He is spiritual master of all saintly persons.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

They make a business. Therefore there are many, many very artistic Bhāgavata reciters, but they could not turn even one man to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because they are not self-realized, svānubhāvam. Of course, we have tried our best; so in few years there are so many Kṛṣṇa conscious persons come out. This is the secret. Unless one is svānubhāvam, self-realized, life is bhāgavata, he cannot preach Bhāgavata. That is not... That will not be effective. A gramophone will not help. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, recommended, bhāgavata pora giyā bhāgavata-sthāne, that "If you want to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you must approach a person who is life living Bhāgavata." Bhāgavata pora giyā bhāgavata-sthāne. Otherwise, there is no question of Bhāgavata realization.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:

Otherwise, it is impossible." So he went to worship Kṛṣṇa. But actually, when he met Kṛṣṇa face to face, he said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "My dear Lord, simply by seeing You I have become satisfied. I don't want anything more from You." That is the result of pure devotion. Even one goes to God with a motive, but if he actually becomes a devotee, he becomes motiveless, no more motive. Simply by association, simply by serving God, he is so satisfied that he has no more demand, "Sir, I want this." That is recommended here. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharma yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. If we can promote ourself, elevate ourself, to the standard of loving God without any motive, without any return... Sometimes we go to God for some return. That is motive. So no. God should be loved, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us, āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu māṁ marma-hatāṁ karotu vā adarśanāt (CC Antya 20.47).

Sometimes... Just like Dhruva Mahārāja went into the forest to see God. But here Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches, marma-hatāṁ karotu vā adarśanāt: "If You break my heart perpetually by not being present before me." He doesn't say that "We want to see God." Doesn't matter. "Why I shall see God? He is busy. Why shall I call Him to become present in my presence? No. Although I am broken-hearted... I would have been pleased to see God, but doesn't matter if He does not come." That is pure devotion. "Oh, I served God so many years, and still I could not see Him. Oh, give up this job. Let me go to māyā." That is not devotion.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Visakhapatnam, February 20, 1972, At Ladies Club:

Don't follow any rascal. You follow the ācārya, you get the benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our request. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Then your human form of life will be blessed. You'll get success in obtaining this human form of life. Not only that. You are all mothers here. Teach your children from the very beginning, as it is recommended by Prahlāda Mahārāja,

kaumāra ācaret prājño

dharmān bhāgavatān iha

durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma

tad apy adhruvam arthadam

(SB 7.6.1)

Prahlāda Mahārāja said that children should be taught about religious principle, especially Bhāgavata dharma. What is dharma and Bhāgavata dharma? Bhāgavata dharma means the dharma of the soul, and ordinary dharma means the dharma of this body. Generally we understand the varṇāśrama-dharma, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā śṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: (BG 4.13) the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdras, brahmacārī, gṛhasta, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. So actually this is our..., Vedic principle is varṇāśrama-dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Edinburgh, July 17, 1972:

So questioning about Kṛṣṇa and answering the question is kṛṣṇa-kathā. So here it is recommended that if we are constantly engaged in kṛṣṇa-kathā about Kṛṣṇa, talking about Kṛṣṇa, questioning about Kṛṣṇa, then ātmā suprasīdati. We are hankering after peacefulness of our heart, peacefulness of our atmosphere. So here it is recommended that simply by inquiring about Kṛṣṇa and taking answer of the question, both the questioner and the answer-giver, both will be pleased. Yenātmā suprasīdati. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered, yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). The world is like the blazing fire in the forest. So this kṛṣṇa-kathā, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, will give them relief. Yenātmā suprasīdati. And the Sūta Gosvāmī said, "You question is very pious question, sādhu, because it is about Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

That is the highest perfection. And therefore here it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). So if you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. You have to adopt this means, bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, cannot be understood by karma, jñāna, yoga. No process will be sufficient to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you have to take to this process as recommended by Kṛṣṇa, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaśs cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Therefore we do not indulge in Kṛṣṇa's līlā unless it is performed or it is executed by the devotees. Not professional men. That is forbidden. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never indulged in. Because the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa can be understood only by the process of bhakti. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Without bhakti, it is not possible. The bhakti process one has to adopt if he actually wants to go back home, back to Godhead. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

In this age of disagreement there is no possibility of executing different process of self-realization. No. They say that there are as many paths as one can manufacture. It may be true. But in this age, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā: "There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative in this age." Therefore an intelligent man will take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is the test of one's intelligence. And it is very easy. And by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you gradually develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the highest platform. So one who has accepted the simply method recommended for this age, he is called the intelligent. That is required. That much intelligence we must have.

So it is quarter past eight. I will stop here. Next meeting we shall explain further. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can put. (break) ...you say like that, 'Only persons who are joining this movement, they are intelligent and others are not intelligent?' " that is our challenge. Now you can defend on behalf of those who do not accept this proposal. This is my challenge. This is a fact. As I... Now you can talk. It is very intelligent question also. And Janārdana will reply.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:

So one question was there, that in this age, Kali-yuga... Kali-yuga means the age of dissension, disagreement. Nobody agrees with anybody. Everyone is independent. That is the sign of... They don't... Unless they are forced, they don't care for any authority. Of course, we care or do not care, the authority is there. If I do not care, then I will be forced to care. That is the law of nature. So in this age, the question was, "What is the best form of religion by which one can become elevated to spiritual emancipation?" The best form of religion. So somebody may recommend that Hindu religion is best, or others may recommend that Christian religion is very good and others may say, "Oh, Muhammadan religion is very good," and others may say, "Buddhist religion is very good." But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says very nicely... Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not advocate that "Hindu religion is good" or "Christian religion is good" or "Muhammadan religion is good" or "Buddhist religion is good." Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives a general description. What is that? Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ: "That is the best form of religion for a person." What is that? Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. "That is the best form of religious principle," yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, "by performing which you become a devotee of the adhokṣaja." Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, July 23, 1973:

So this is the process. Therefore Bhāgavata recommends, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ: "That type of religion is first class who has accepted this process how to awaken Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Adhokṣaja. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. What kind of bhakti? Ahaitukī, without any motive, without any motive. Because generally we go to temple or perform religion with a motive, some material purpose. But bhakti should be without any motive, ahaitukī, no cause. Apratihatā, and it cannot be checked. It is not that because one is Christian or one is Muhammadan or one is outside the Vedic culture, he cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. No. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means nothing can check. Anything material impediment, is not able to check Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. If you follow this method how to awaken your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then automatically your ātmā will be satisfied, oh. Just like Mrs. Sharma was describing, "Now I am so happy." She is not an ordinary woman. She is very rich. She has got business. But she is finding happiness here. This is practical example. This is practical example. Yayātmā, yayātmā suprasīdati.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, April 18, 1974:

Therefore our only request is that anyone who has got little taste for spiritual life, you chant this mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And in many places of the śāstra it is recommended that,

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ

tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ

dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ

kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt

(SB 12.3.52)

In the Satya-yuga, they were all saintly person. So that time it was possible to meditate. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. That also Viṣṇu, meditation on Lord Viṣṇu. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. And in the Tretā-yuga by performing great sacrifices. That is also not possible. You cannot perform big, big sacrifices. It is very costly affair. You require so much ghee, grains, and distribution of so many things. That is not possible. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ, dvāpare paricaryāyām. In Dvāpara-yuga the temple worship.

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

So if the superintendent is satisfied, you must know the managing director is satisfied. Similarly, you are under the direction of your spiritual master. If you see that the spiritual master is satisfied, then you should know that Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That is confirmed by Viśvanātha Cakravartī: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. And yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi: If the spiritual master is not satisfied, then you are gone to hell. Yasya aprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. Because who will recommend to Kṛṣṇa the promotion and so many things?

So therefore our business is to see. It doesn't matter whether you are acting as a śūdra or brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. It doesn't matter. If by your actions, sva-karmabhis tam abhyarcya. If by your action Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, then your life is successful. It doesn't matter in what position you are. It doesn't matter, if Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. This is the principle of life. That is real dharma. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān pa..., mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. So whether we have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and satisfied Him? This is our business to see. In this way... And this chapter is very important. We may discuss.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

You can enquire about God in this human form of life, that's all. Therefore in any civilized society, there is an enquiry of God, that is called religion. One may be, or in degrees there may be different. Just like in India, they are also making inquiry. Not now, not at the present moment. They have given up. But hundreds and thousands of years ago. Not thousand, even two hundred years ago, India was so inquisitive about enquiring about God. Even one Chinese gentleman, he has written one book, philosophical, that is recommended—I forgot the name, title of the book—that is studied in New York University in the religion class. In that book he has written that if you want to know about God, if you want to know about religion, then you must go to India. Yes, that's a fact. Because in no other country the great sages and saintly person engaged themselves so seriously about understanding God. Therefore the Vedānta-sūtra is there.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give chance to the people in general hearing about Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Either hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra or hearing Bhagavad-gītā or hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, anything you like, hear about Kṛṣṇa. Try to hear about Kṛṣṇa in meek and humble attitude. Then gradually, everything will be revealed. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By simply speculation you cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His name, what is His form, what is His quality, what is His pastimes. We cannot. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. By these blunt senses we cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. But if you engage yourself in His transcendental loving service, beginning with the tongue, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau... So hearing by the ear and chanting by the tongue is the supreme method recommended by all authorities.

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

You may execute your sectional duties as a brāhmaṇa, you can execute your brahminical principles as they are let down in the śāstras, or kṣatriya, you can do your duty, but there should be a test whether you have become successful in discharging your duty. That test is hari-toṣaṇam, whether you have satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then it is perfect. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Everyone should see perfection of his particular duties. And that is recommended that hari-toṣaṇam. This the example is Arjuna Mahārāja. Arjuna is a kṣatriya. His duty is to fight, to give protection to the poor and to annihilate the disturbing element. That is kṣatriya's duty. So Arjuna was trained in that way—he was a soldier—but by his soldier's business, occupational duty, he satisfied Kṛṣṇa. He fought for Kṛṣṇa, not for his personal sense gratification. That is his test, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13).

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

Therefore, as recommended here, nārthasya dharmai-kāntasya. Dharmai-kāntasya: not for the irreligious demons, but those who are actually religious, dharmaikāntasya. Kāmo lābhāya... No kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ. Your money should not be free, should not be spent unnecessarily for sense gratification. Formerly, this was the civilization in India. We see so many big, big temple in South India, in other places also, especially South India. It is not possible—in Vṛndāvana also—it is not possible at the present moment to construct such huge, expensive temple. But actually they were done by rich kings, rich mercantile people. That Madana-mohana temple was constructed by Sindhi merchant. He approached Sanātana Goswāmī.

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

Why should you kill so many animals and maintain slaughterhouse for the satisfaction of the tongue? Therefore here it is said, kāmasya, we have some demand for maintaining the body, but not for sense gratification. Kāmasya nendriya prītiḥ. Na indriya prītiḥ. Indriya prītiḥ, if you cannot satisfy your tongue by so many preparation... Hundreds and thousands of preparation can be made from these ingredients-grains, vegetables, fruits, flowers and milk and sugar. Actually we still, in Hindu family, they are preparing so many nice foodstuff. Why should we go for indriya prītiḥ? For satisfaction of the tongue we shall kill so many chickens and cows and goats, why? What is the use. There is no use. It is simply sense gratification. Therefore Sūta Goswāmī recommends that you have got some demand for keeping the health properly, not..., but not, don't try to do it for indriya prītiḥ, indriya prītiḥ.

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

So therefore we have to practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness method. Here it is said that kāmasya nendriya-prītir jīveta yāvatā (SB 1.2.10). Try to live decently by taking kṛṣṇa-prasāda and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Jīveta: in this way you can live hundreds of years. That is recommended in the Īśopaniṣad, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). So jīveta yāvatā, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. And why shall you live at all? What is the use of living? The trees are also living for ten thousands of years. What is the meaning of that living? Similarly you if live for a hundred years or two hundred years. What is the meaning of your living? Of course, living in this material world is not very comfortable. Every one of us will know it. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58).

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:

This bhajana word is there. "Four kinds of people can be engaged in bhajana." Who are they? Sukṛtino 'rjuna: "Whose background is very, very pious activities." Now, at present, bhajana is nuisance. Bhajana is stated in the Vedic scripture that it is performed by the pious man, and now, at the present circumstances, bhajana is nuisance. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). These are the statements of Vedic scripture. Who is mahātmā? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). These are mahātmās. Nitya-yukta upāsate. But at the present moment... Not at the present moment. From time immemorial this is going on. As soon as you become devotee, as soon as you are inclined to take part in bhajana, you will have so many enemies. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that you tolerate. Still, you cannot give up your bhajana and Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. Tolerate. Tṛṇād api. What is the process of toleration? Yes.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:

So our books are being well received, because in the Western world outside India, they never heard of this idea that God can be approached personally, we can talk with Him, we can live with Him, we can play with Him. These new ideas, of course, novel to the Western world. Therefore they are taking very careful attention. So why not India? Do not waste your time this way, that way. And the process is very simple. The process is very simple. We are recommending the followers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just now I received one letter from Jaipur. They wanted my guidance. The guidance is not very difficult. It is very simple thing. First of all try to become sinless: no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. Observe these four regulative principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as far as possible, at least sixteen rounds. Then see how your life changes.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Although we are on the grip of material nature, we are very much puffed-up. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamāyī (BG 7.14). We are beaten every step, we are so beaten by the material nature, still I am thinking, "I am God." Every step. This position should be given up, and we have to become namanta eva, submissive. Then, becoming submissive, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām, we have to hear about Kṛṣṇa from the Kṛṣṇa devotee, not from others, not from professional men, not from the impersonalists, even not from the yogi, but from the devotee, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya. Because they will misrepresent it. A devotee will not, never misrepresent. A devotee will say exactly what Kṛṣṇa says. He'll not adulterate. That is not his business. Therefore it is recommended that you should hear about the Supreme from the realized devotee. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtāṁ sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhir. You remain in your position. Remain in Calcutta, Bombay or any big city. Because nowadays, in this age is city life. No gentleman, no intelligent man lives in the village. So you remain there, but try to hear from the devotee about Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974:

The Bhāgavata recommends that in the human form of life, the only necessity is to inquire about the Absolute Truth. That includes so many other things. The Absolute Truth is experienced by different persons from different angle of vision. That is explained here. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). That is the Absolute Truth—Brahman or Para-brahman—which is nondual. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). Advayam means without any duality. When we say Brahman, impersonal Brahman, or when we speak Paramātmā, or when we speak of Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no difference between these three terms. Just like sunshine and the sun globe and the sun-god. According to Bhagavad-gītā, we have got the name of the predominating deity in the sun globe. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). This is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. First of all Kṛṣṇa says, "Long, long ago, millions of years ago, I spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to Vivasvān."

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

I don't find any Bhāgavata-saptāha any authorized book. I don't find. There are so many big, big stalwart commentators of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, beginning from Śrīdhara Svāmī. Nobody has recommended this Bhāgavata-saptāha. But it has come to existence by the professional man. But actually nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. How you can finish Bhāgavatam in seven days? You cannot finish even one word. My Guru Mahārāja explained Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the first verse, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), in Dacca, for three months. Actually, it is so profound. Janmādy asya yataḥ. This very quote contains all the Vedānta philosophy. How you can finish Bhāgavatam within seven days? It is a farce. Actually, Bhāgavata should be relished. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

So these are the processes. So Bhāgavata recommends, tat śraddhā, śraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). There must be sufficient knowledge. Otherwise this kind of vairāgya has no meaning. I have, I've taken renounced order of life, but I've, privately I've got all these nonsense, illicit sex, intoxication, gambling—that is not required. Real knowledge means there must be renouncement of this nonsense. That is real knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā munayaḥ paśyanty ātma... For him, it is not difficult to find out where is God. He can immediately find out God sitting within his heart. Immediately. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Anywhere he can sit down and he can talk with God, he can see God, he can take direction from God. Paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. By devotional service. Not by other means. Śruta-gṛhītayā. By understanding from the Vedas. Not manufactured. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). You have to hear from Kṛṣṇa or from His bona fide representative. Then it will be sufficient.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:

So it is there. Simply we have to hear. Suppose if you are illiterate, you cannot read Bhagavad-gītā. Or... Of course, many of you, you do not know Sanskrit language, so you cannot read, but there are English translation. But you can hear. Bhagavān, the Lord, has given you the chance of hearing. You have got God-gifted ear. If you can attentively hear, you'll learn everything. Formerly, of course, people were very intelligent. Simply by hearing. They need not take any note or need not read any book, but simply by hearing. So śrotavyaḥ. Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is recommended first thing that you have to hear. Simply by hear. And if you think, you become a spiritual master and you distribute this knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Vaiṣṇava is meant for delivering all the fallen souls. Just like a very good example: Lord Jesus Christ. According to the Christian idea, he took all the sins of all people and he sacrificed his life. Very good example. Similarly, Haridāsa Ṭhākura also. There... Nityānanda Prabhu. The Vaiṣṇava is always eager how to deliver all these fallen souls rotting in the hell of māyā. Therefore here it is recommended, syān mahat-sevayā. You have to take shelter of a mahat. Mahat means mahātmā or Vaiṣṇava. Mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, who is mahātmā: Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That mahātmā, simply by dressing like me with a saffron cloth, does not become a mahātmā.

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

Bhagavat-tattva-vijñāna... Bhagavat-tattva-vijñāna means the science of God. The science of God becomes perceivable by such person who is situated in the brahma-bhūta, I mean to say, status. So from that brahma-bhūta status, we have to work, and that work is recommended here,

buddhi-yukto jahātīha

ubhe sukṛta-duṣkṛte

tasmād yogāya yujyasva

yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam

(BG 2.50)

Now, so, so long we have got this material body, we have to work. We cannot stop working. That is not possible. But we have to adopt the tactics of yoga so that even by doing ordinary work in which by destiny or by circumstances I am put into, there is no harm. You'll find in Bhagavad-gītā that even if you find in your own occupation there is... Suppose I am occupied in some business in which I have to speak lie. Without speaking lie, my business cannot go on. Now, suppose if that is the position.

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

We want to happy, to become by some extraneous, artificial means. And how long it will stand? It will not stand. You'll again come back. Suppose by intoxication you feel happy. Oh, that is not your actual happiness. Suppose by chloroform I am unconscious; I don't feel the pains of operation. Oh, that does not mean that I am out of these pains and pleasures. This is artificial. So real, real pleasure, real life is here, as recommended in Bhagavad-gītā by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Just see. Karma-jaṁ buddhi-yuktā hi phalaṁ tyaktvā manīṣiṇaḥ. Manīṣiṇaḥ means the thoughtful. "They give up the reaction of, of work, being situated in the platform of consciousness. And the result will be that janma-bandha-vinirmuktāḥ, this bondage of birth and death and disease and old age, he becomes free from that." Then the next life? Padaṁ gacchanty anāmayam. Anāmayam. Anāmayam means where there is no death, no, I mean to say, old age, no birth, no disease.

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

Whatever you are, that doesn't matter. But act it on the platform of consciousness. And that platform, acting on the consciousness, is, Lord Caitanya has made very easy. Just like there are some note-makers of school books, "Easy Study." So Lord Caitanya has recommended that "You may be engaged in whatever occupation. That may be good or bad. We don't mind for that. But you must hear the kṛṣṇa-kathā. You must continue to hear this Bhagavad-gītā." That is... For this, we are trying to organize this institution, that "You come. Whatever you do, that doesn't matter. Everything will be adjusted by and by." Because, as I have described in the beginning, that śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi (SB 1.2.17). Everything will be adjusted as our mind becomes clear, clear, clear, simply by hearing. Simply by hearing.

So this process, this association of hearing about the kṛṣṇa-kathā, what Kṛṣṇa is speaking and what is spoken about Kṛṣṇa, if we continue about the, about this process and chanting the Kṛṣṇa name, you'll practically see how much your heart is becoming clearer and clearer and how much you are pro..., making progress towards spiritual realization and real, real identity of pure consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Los Angeles, August 21, 1972:

So here it is said bhāgavata-sevayā, not bhagavān-sevayā. Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and bhāgavata means in relation with Bhagavān, who has got relationship with Bhagavān. So here it is recommended bhāgavata-sevayā, not bhagavān-sevayā. The idea is that you cannot approach Bhagavān, God, directly. That is not possible. First of all, you have to serve bhāgavata, the devotee bhāgavata.

There are two kinds of bhāgavata: book bhāgavata and devotee bhāgavata. So in the Śiva Purāṇa, there was a question by Pārvatī to Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva and Pārvatī, husband and wife. Pārvatī means the material nature. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā-devī. Durgā-devī is in charge of this material world. It is called durgā, durgā, just like fort. And the superintendent of this fort is Durgā. You cannot go out of this fort; you are imprisoned. So such Durgā-devī, who is so powerful energy—she can create, annihilate, maintain, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana—she is always sitting by the side of her husband, Lord Śiva, and questioning about spiritual enquiries. Just see. Such powerful deity is also ignorant about spiritual life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Los Angeles, August 21, 1972:

There are many demigods' worship, even Lord Śiva's worship, but Lord Śiva says, "Viṣṇu worship is the best." Then he says again, tasmāt parataraṁ devi. "My dear Devi, better than that Viṣṇu worship is tadīyānāṁ samarcanam." Tadīya. Tadīya means those who are in relationship with Viṣṇu, tadīya. Just like His devotee, tadīya. Tulasī-vṛkṣa. Tulasī is tadīya. Or temple tadīya. Preaching tadīya. Tadīyānāṁ samarcanam. This is bhāgavata. So Lord Śiva recommends that "Of all methods of worship, Viṣṇu worship is the best, and better than Viṣṇu worship is to worship His devotee or things in relationship with Him."

Tadīyānām, that is bhāgavata. Here it is also said, tadīyānām, bhāgavata-sevayā. This book bhāgavata, spoken by the devotee bhāgavata, this should be taken very seriously daily. Otherwise you..., we do not understand what is Bhagavān. Therefore it is recommended here: nityam, daily, or constantly, twenty-four hours. We have to mold our life in such a way that twenty-four hours, not a single moment leaving aside, we should be engaged in bhāgavata-sevayā, in the service of Lord's relations. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, the spiritual master, tulasī-devī, the temple, the preaching, the books—these are all bhāgavata.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Calcutta, September 26, 1974:

So if we associate with sādhu... Sādhu means, mahātmā means, who are fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is sādhu. That is mahātmā. Therefore it is recommended, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). And if you associate with sādhu, then bhajana-kriyā. If we... Just like so many thousands of Europeans, Americans, they have joined us on account of sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). First of all they come in the temple and hear for some days. Then all of a sudden he becomes shaven-headed. We haven't to request. He takes a bead and bead bag, although he's not initiated. Then, after some days, he approaches, "Please get me initiated." The bhajana-kriyā. This is called bhajana-kriyā. So we initiate. "Yes, now you are interested, we initiate." We give him hari-nāma: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." This is the first initiation. "And chant sixteen rounds and observe these rules and regulations." Then, when I see, six months or one year, he's doing very nicely, then we accept him as my disciple, the second initiation. So this is bhajana-kriyā. Then he's admitted to worship the Deity or cook for the Deity, so many things. Bhajana-kriyā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:

Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. This conclusion comes when one is partially advanced. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu. Not fully. Then it will come. He'll be ready to serve Bhāgavatam-Bhāgavata, he person bhāgavata and the book Bhāgavata. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī. Niṣṭhā, I have explained already yesterday. Tadā, at that time, when you are fixed up, "Now I shall devote my life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness," when you come to this conclusion... Nityam. That will come. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī (SB 1.2.18). Not deviated. But... Not this worship, that worship, this worship, this worship... No. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānā yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Those who are worshiping other demigods... That is recommended for the less intelligent class men. Tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām. These things are recommended for the persons who are less intelligent, whose brain is packed up with cow dung, not intelligent persons. Intelligent persons-sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is intelligence.

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

Therefore śāstra recommends that either you are karmī, either you are jñānī, either you are yogi, you take to devotional service. Your all desires will be fulfilled. That is the injunction.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta puruṣaṁ param

(SB 2.3.10)

This is the recommendation. It is all-inclusive. If you have got desire like the karmīs or the jñānīs or the yogis, you take to bhakti-yoga. Bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. You will become prasanna-manasa. You will be engladdened. You will come to the platform of joyfulness. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Spiritual life means ānandamaya. There is no displeasure. Always ānanda. That is spiritual life. Spiritual life means ānanda, and material life means anxiety. You can distinguish. If you are always put into anxiety, that is material life. And if you are always jolly, that is spiritual life. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

Therefore one should not jump. One should learn Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara: bhāgavata giyā paḍa bhāgavata sthāne.(?) One who is practical bhāgavata, one who knows what is Bhāgavata, what is Bhagavān. Not from the professional reciters, who are reading Bhāgavata for belly's sake. Now they are reading Bhāgavatam, and if they get more money, they can become a sweeper. Because their consideration is money. They'll give up immediately reading of Bhāgavatam. But my Guru Mahārāja used to say that it is better to become a sweeper and honestly earn one's livelihood than to become a false Bhāgavata reader for earning livelihood. Yes. Because they'll mislead the whole public. Nobody will improve. And actually we have seen that so many people, they're very much accustomed to attend the Bhāgavata-saptāha, but they remain in the same darkness as they were. No improvement. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

So because we have accepted this material body, asad-grahāt, therefore we must be always in anxiety. This is the law. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām, dehinām. One who has accepted this material body, he must be full of anxiety. He may be the King of heaven, Indra, or he may be a small ant in the stool. It doesn't matter. Everyone is full of anxiety. So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended that when his father asked him: "What is the best thing, my dear boy, you have learned?" He explained, "My dear father..." He did not say "father." He addressed his father as "the best of the demons," asura-varya. Asura-varya. Because he was... (Hindi, aside) Asura-varya. Varya means the best, varīyān, varya.

Lecture on SB 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa never says that "You do anything nonsense and you come to Me." Kṛṣṇa never says. If you, if you worship demigods, you'll be promoted to the planets of the demigods. If you want to, if you worship the Pitṛs, the śrāddha performance, then you enter the Pitṛlokas. But one who is endeavoring in devotional service, yānti mad-yājinaḥ. Mad-yājinaḥ. Mad-yājī. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Kṛṣṇa recommends, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). And in another place He says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25).

So those who are devotees, those who are always engaged in the worship of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa... Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu-They're all the same, viṣṇu-tattva. So in the previous verse: nārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntā bhajanti hy anasūyavaḥ. Anasūyavaḥ, they're not envious. They, they're not envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not like the so-called scholar, envious of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām, he's envious of Kṛṣṇa. He's recommending, "It is not to the person Kṛṣṇa," Because he's envious. He does not like that Kṛṣṇa should be worshiped.

Lecture on SB 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

So those who are envious of Kṛṣṇa, they take to the worship of other demigods. Śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. Because to quickly attain achievement or achieve perfection in these three things, beauty, opulence, and good generation. So Bhāgavata says that "Even though you are very much anxious to get all these things," śriyaiśvarya-prajā, "still, we recommend that you worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta puruṣaṁ param

(SB 2.3.10)

That is the recommendation. Akāma. Akāma means bhakta. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu is saying: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "We don't want." He's called akāma, no desire. Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā (SB 2.3.10). Sarva-kāma means this: śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. Dhanaṁ dehi rūpaṁ dehi yaśo dehi balaṁ dehi dehi dehi dehi dehi dehi. They are sarva-kāma. Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā (SB 2.3.10). And another, mokṣa-kāma. So mokṣa-kāma and sarva-kāma or, what is called, the yogis, siddhi-kāma. They are also siddhi-kāma.

Lecture on SB 1.2.33 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

So if we execute devotional service with some material purpose, that purpose may be served, but you cannot rise to the transcendental platform. So we should be very careful that we may not take to devotional service... Even though we take it, still, it is recommended that you prosecute, you go on with the devotional service by the regulative principles. Then you'll come to the uttama platform. There is no question of disappointment, but we must know that if we remain on the material platform, then we have to take so much time. From the material platform, we have to go to the spiritual platform. That means we require to follow the regulative principles very strictly and sincerely. Then we'll be promoted to the nirguṇa platform. Without performing the regulative principles, one cannot come immediately, all of a sudden... Maybe, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, one can come, but the regular way is first of all let us follow the regulative principles strictly. Then gradually we shall be purified and come to the spiritual platform. And that will be successful, a success of our life.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

So ass politician, ass family man, ass community leader. So... All asses, mūḍhāḥ. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ. All asses. They'll not surrender to Kṛṣṇa to get relief. They'll work like ass. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). They have no brain, alpa-medhasaḥ. No brain substance. Filled up with cow dung. And those who have got real brain, then, for them it is recommended: saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ.

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

(SB 11.5.32)

Oh, one who has got brain, he catches Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam, always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. And simply worship by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is brain substance. All cow dung.

Lecture on SB 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972:

So these dangers are there, but don't be afraid of. Kṛṣṇa will save you. And tolerate. If there are disturbances... Because it is the nature of this material world, as soon as there will be devotee, God conscious person, there will be so many enemies from the side of the demons. So we have to tolerate.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore has recommended:

tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

(CC Adi 17.31)

You have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra against the demons. Just like in Australia, the demons have instituted a case against us, a big case by the city authorities. So what can be done? They wanted to appoint big, big lawyers. I have advised, "Don't appoint lawyers. You go on chanting. They may put you in the jail. So you go on chanting." What is that? You chant on the street or chant on the jail, they're the same thing. So don't be afraid. They'll take you in the jail, "Go on, Hare Kṛṣṇa." We have got one means.

Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:

So this Veṇa was made king by the desire of the saintly person. The significance is that formerly the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas and the śūdras, these four departments, they must remain. Varṇāśrama. That must be maintained, class division. So the brāhmaṇas, the saintly persons, sages, they used to recommend that "Yes, this person is fit for becoming king." Then the coronation was celebrated. Or... This means that the kṣatriyas were under the order of the brāhmaṇas. So when Veṇa become king, of course, the rogues and thieves, they were immediately subdued. Because rogues and thieves, and here the king is also greater rogue. So the smaller rogues were subdued immediately. That was one of the benefit, because he was very strong and cruel. Immediately, caught a rogue, he will immediately cut off his head. So they were subdued. But he himself is a rogue. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. This is our experience. "Might is right." If you are stronger, then you can subdue less strong. But he became very much disturbing. He was atheist, and he ordered that "There is no God. I am God. So what I say, you have to abide." The brāhmaṇas were also... "You cannot perform yajñas. This is not required." In this way, he became too much disturbing.

Lecture on SB 1.3.29 -- Los Angeles, October 4, 1972:

So seeing God is very mysterious, but it is very easy also, very easy, provided we know the method how to see God. So that is bhakti-yoga. And therefore Kṛṣṇa recommends in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: (BG 18.55) "Only through devotional service one can understand Me as I am." Otherwise he will commit mistake. There are different processes undoubtedly: jñāna, yoga, karma, bhakti. But if you want to see God, then you have to accept this bhakti-yoga, no other yoga. Neither jñāna-yoga, nor karma-yoga, nor haṭha-yoga. You cannot see. You can see. Kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). Those who are impersonalists... All of them are impersonalists. For them, it is very difficult, troublesome, to see God. They may try their process, but it will take long, long time to see God. But if one takes to bhakti-yoga, immediately... Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55).

So one may argue that "These bhaktas are not always very learned scholars. Mostly, they are mediocre. And there are so many big, big scholars. They cannot see God easily and only the bhaktas can do?" Yes.

Lecture on SB 1.3.29 -- Los Angeles, October 4, 1972:

So karmī, jñānī, yogi, and the last is bhakta. So bhakta can see God very quickly because Kṛṣṇa recommends, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Tattvataḥ, in truth, one can understand what is God by following the process of bhakti-yoga. And so far the jñānīs, yogis are concerned, they will come to that point of bhakti-yoga after many, many births. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). At the end of millions of births, jñānī, jñānavān, those who are searching through knowledge... So what is the value of our knowledge? Teeny knowledge. Imperfect senses. We are gathering imperfect knowledge. But we don't neglect knowledge. We give credit to the philosophers, scientists, because... But we advise them that "Your research work should be for God, not for any temporary physical or chemical compound. No."

Lecture on SB 1.3.29 -- Los Angeles, October 4, 1972:

So therefore here it is said, janma guhyaṁ bhagavato ya etat prayato naraḥ. Any person who endeavors for understanding Kṛṣṇa through the relative śāstras and devotional service, then what is the result? When? Sāyaṁ prātaḥ. Two times at least, in the evening and in the morning. So if we sleep in the morning, snoring, then how we can understand? It is recommended here, sāyaṁ prātaḥ. Tri-sandhyā. Tri-sandhyā means three times. We initiate... We... They promise that three times they will chant gāyatrī-mantra, but I do not know what they are doing.

So these are the recommendation in the śāstra. If we don't follow, then we must fall down. There is no doubt about it. But if we follow the regulative principles, as they are enjoined in the śāstra... Sādhu-guru-śāstra. Śāstra will say the same thing as guru advises. Sādhu-guru. A saintly person also will say the same thing. Just like here, Sūta Gosvāmī, he is saintly person. He is advising, sāyaṁ prātaḥ, "Morning and evening you should try to understand the science of God." Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, topics, chanting. So these are the process. Sāyaṁ prātar gṛṇan bhaktyā.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So one should be inquisitive, assimilate them, and susampannam, and... This is called śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). The inquiry means śravaṇam. Inquiry means to get the answer; that is hearing. And then assimilate. Then kīrtanam, then distribute the knowledge to the world. That is the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who has taken birth in this holy land of India, Bhāratavarṣa... Just see how Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives power to every Indian. Every Indian has got this opportunity because his land of religion, the land of knowledge, spiritual knowledge. But these rascal men, they are being taught that "Throw away these books." You see. Such misfortunate condition is now in India. They are recommending wholesale cow slaughter in India, to make this business... Unfortunately, we have to be governed by such rascals. So the sooner the Indians give up their..., now, so long these nonsensical things are going on, it is better. It is better.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

So he does not deny anybody. He has made books in such a way that any person reading books... Just like in a school there are different classes and different books are recommended for different classes. Similarly, Vyāsadeva has given the whole Vedic literature in such a nice way in the form of Purāṇas that any man can be elevated to the highest position, reading books like this. Take for example that one who is addicted to take intoxication, eating flesh, and sex life—because these are natural instincts. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantor na hi tatra codanā. Nobody is required to give lesson, to teach. Nobody required to be taught how he has to make sexual intercourse. Nobody has to be taken, I mean, given lesson how he can become intoxicated. Don't you see that the intoxicants, intoxicated person, they have become automatically? There is no university. There is no educational system that "You become... Take LSD like this." No. That is a natural tendency. To become intoxicated, to take liquor, LSD, gāñjā, pān, oh, very easily you can learn. To use sex life...

Loke vyavāya... These, they are natural instincts. They can be... Automatically they will be done. There is no question of... Then what is the use of book? Book is for restricting. That they do not know. When Vyāsadeva recommends that you must have sex life by marriage, that means restriction. That means restriction.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

Mādhavī-latā, she revolted. She revolted. She was always trying to plead, "Why this restriction? Why this restriction?" So I had to tell, "If you don't like the restriction, then go away. You don't associate with us." What can be done? So they do not want restriction. That is natural tendency. But these śāstras are meant for restriction. Just like marriage is restriction of sex life. And offering sacrifice before goddess Kālī, that is also a restriction of meat-eating. You cannot eat meat by purchasing from the slaughterhouse. Oh, that is not recommended. If you want to eat meat, then you just sacrifice one goat. Not, I mean to say, cows. No. Goat. Any useless animal. "All right. You take." Goat is recommended to be sacrificed. So you can take. And in India the meat-eating or flesh eating is not restricted. But not the useful animal, cow, the most useful animal, the cow.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

So similarly, even if we present our Back to Godhead or any other literature in broken languages, it does not matter because the glorification of the Lord is there. That is recommended by Nārada. Tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavaḥ. Janatā agha. Agha means sinful activities. If one reads one line of this literature, although it is presented in broken language, but if he simply hears there is Kṛṣṇa, then his sinful activities immediately vanquish. Janatāgha viplavaḥ. Tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api nāmāny anantasya (SB 1.5.11). Ananta means the unlimited. His name, His fame, His glory, His qualities are described. Nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni. If glorification is there, even they are presented in broken language, then śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ. Just like my Guru Mahārāja, sādhu, a saintly person, immediately passes: "Yes. It is all right." It is all right. Because there is glorification of the Lord. Of course, general public will not understand... But this is the standard, standard version, spoken by Nārada. You write something; the aim should be simply to glorify the Supreme. Then your literature is pavitra, purified. And however nicely, either literally or metaphorically or poetically, you write some literature which has nothing to do with God, or Kṛṣṇa, that is vāyasaṁ tīrtham. That is pleasure spot for the crows.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:

So the symptom of the human being in this age is that prāyeṇālpāyuṣa: people will become very short duration of life. It is said that time, at the end of Kali-yuga, the, if somebody lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as very old man. So gradually the food grains like rice, wheat, milk, and sugar will disappear. In this way, in the Kali-yuga, prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. In this age, people will be of short duration of life; manda, very slow; sumanda-matayaḥ, accepting some rubbish theology. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10), almost all of them are unfortunate. Manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ: over and above that, they will be disturbed, especially by lack of rain, lack of..., scarcity of food grains, and overtaxed by the government, so much so that people will give up their hearth and home and go to the forest and hills in disappointment and confusion. So these are the symptoms of Kali-yuga, gradually degrading.

So this is also recommended, prāyeṇa... In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in another chapter, Twelfth Canto, it is said, kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan. These instructions were given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. So he addressed the king, "My dear king, in this age the faults are like the ocean," kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan.

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

So that is recommended here, that samādhinā. Samādhinā, meditation, anusmara: "Don't manufacture your meditation." Just like there are so many meditators. They have manufactured their own way of meditation. That is not recommended, anusmara. Anu means "Follow. You become thoughtful, you think, but taking the instruction from higher authority." Just like Arjuna is taking instruction from Kṛṣṇa. He is thinking, "Whether I shall fight or not fight?" So you become thoughtful. That's very nice. But don't be thoughtful without accepting a spiritual master. That thoughtfulness will not help you, because you are conditioned. You are, you have got the four kinds of defects. So that defect will not... Simply by becoming philosopher, speculator, will not help you. Athāpi te deva ciraṁ vicinvan (SB 10.14.29). You cannot understand God for millions and millions of thinking. No, it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

So if such thoughtful speculators go on speculating about understanding God... How? Vāyor athāpi manasaḥ. In the speed of, in the velocity of air and mind. Not sputnik. A sputnik can run... Your mechanical can run, say, eighteen thousand miles per hour, but the air, that can run still more quicker. And the mind can run still more quicker. So here it is recommended that if one is seated not on the ordinary airplane, but the airplane of air... The yogis can do that. The yogis know how to rise on the aeroplane of air, and they can immediately transfer to any planet. Vāyoḥ. Vāyor athāpi. There were... There were planes made of air. Here... Just like now we have manufactured the planes, iron or aluminium, but there are planes of air, and similarly, there are planes of mind. You see?

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

The fool does not know if you cut this portion, that portion will be stopped also. So these, all these ordinary commentator... Just like Gandhi. He wanted to prove his nonviolence some way or other from Bhagavad-gītā. How he can prove? This is the same thing, that he was finding out, "If there is something, simply cutting the head, if I can get egg?" That is not possible. That is not... If we have to accept Bhagavad-gītā just like Arjuna says, that sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, Keśava, whatever You are saying, I accept in toto. And this is confirmed by such authorities like Devala, Vyāsa, Asita. It is not that because we are friends, I am accepting You, but I know it is confirmed by such great authorities like Nārada, Asita, Vyāsa."

So we have to follow. This is called anu. Anu means following. Therefore it is recommended by Nārada that samādhinā anusmara: "You try to understand the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by samādhi, by trance, meditation, by following the instruction of me, or predecessors, like that." This is the way.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

Then dhāraṇā, meditation. And what is that meditation? That meditation... Here it is recommended, tad-viceṣṭitam: "meditation on the activities of the Supreme Lord." If the Supreme Lord is impersonal, then where is the question of activities? And how you can concentrate your mind something impersonal? Bhagavad-gītā says that kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām: "Those who are trying to meditate on the impersonal feature, impersonal feature, their process is very troublesome." Kleśo 'dhikataraḥ. Adhikatara means greater. Any spiritual realization, without painstaking, without accepting some voluntary trouble... And nobody can very easily..., eating, drinking, merrying. No, that will... That is not spiritual advancement. One has to accept voluntarily some principles. That is called tapasya. So dhyāna. Dhyāna means meditation. So that dhyāna.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

So by yoga process, one has to come to this platform of samādhi. That is the perfection of yoga. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is directly that stage. Therefore it is the perfect yoga system. One has to come to that stage, samādhi. And samādhi means without any diversion, you have to think always of Kṛṣṇa. So even a... Just like this man, this brāhmaṇa. He was simply... He was illiterate. He did not know what is Bhagavad-gītā's character, what is written there. But there is samādhi. He was thinking of "Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, how they are talking, how they are sitting, how the chariot is going, how Kṛṣṇa is nice." This is thinking. That is samādhi. Samādhi is not an artificial thing, by pressing your nose, or this or... That is... These things are recommended for the third-class men who cannot concentrate his mind in Kṛṣṇa, for the fourth-class, third-class men. It is not for the first-class man. A first-class man is automatically Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:

Everything, real fact, real goods, not bogus things. So we have to simply accept. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Every one of you just become... Each and every one of you become a spiritual master under My order." "Oh, so what is Your order?" Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Whomever you meet, simply you say what Kṛṣṇa has spoken or what about Kṛṣṇa has been spoken." The Kṛṣṇa has spoken the Bhagavad-gītā. You simply speak about Bhagavad-gītā. And this Bhāgavata is also spoken about Kṛṣṇa. This is also kṛṣṇa-kathā; that is also kṛṣṇa-kathā. One is spoken directly by Kṛṣṇa, and the other is spoken about Kṛṣṇa. So they're practically the same thing. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "You simply deliver the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, and you become a spiritual master."

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

The marriage ceremony or the meat-eating, the so much ritualistic performances, there is motive. What is that motive? Motive is restriction. Just like the same example, marriage: the real idea is to restrict the boy and the girl to one woman and one man. That is the idea, main idea. If he's not married, then he will be just like cats and dogs. So idea is very good. But Nārada Muni says, "After all, you're coming to the point of sex life. So why so much propaganda?" Similarly, for meat-eating, there is also sanction in the śāstras, tāmasika-śāstra, not sāttvika. There are three divisions of śāstra-sāttvika, rājasika and tāmasika. Those who are meat-eaters, cannot give up meat-eating, for them, the prescription is, "All right, you can eat meat, but you have to sacrifice one goat, but not cow." The... For sacrifice the animal is recommended: goat. So you can, I mean to say, cut throat of a goat in the presence of goddess Kālī and you can eat. There are so many prescriptions. But that is also restriction, that Kālī-worship is one day in a month, on the dark moon day. What is called, dark moon? Amāvasyā. Full moon and...? Eh? No, no, no. When there is... On that particular..., there is no moon in the sky.

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

It is called dark moon, yes. So that Kālī-pūjā is recommended on the dark moon day. The... That is one day in a month. Similarly, according to marriage life, the sex life is also allowed one day in a month. The whole thing is restriction. Similarly, drinking wine also, there is Devī-pūjā. That is also once in a year or something like that. The whole point is restriction. But after all, this is drinking and mating and meat-eating.

So Nārada Muni says that "You have described these things for which a man has got natural propensity in a religious form. So it is jugupsitam. This is most abominable." Just see. Even the restricted system of marriage, drinking and meat-eating, described in the śāstra, that is also condemned by Nārada. Jugupsitam. Jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte 'nuśāsataḥ: "You are the leader of the śāstras. You are writing śāstras. People will follow you." Just like in Vedic, Vedas, there is recommendation of sacri..., in the sacrifice, animal-killing, but that animal-killing is not killing. This... There was a discussion between Lord Caitanya and Chand Kazi, the Muhammadan magistrate.

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

So Chand Kazi was also very learned scholar. He said, "Well, this cow-killing is also recommended in Your Vedas, because there is cow sacrifice." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied... Now, we should know it that the animal sacrifice, according to the Vedic scripture, that is not killing. That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said that "In the previous time, this cow sacrifice was actually being done. That's all right. But that was not for killing. That—to give the cow, the old cow or bull, a new life. By the power of mantra, just to give evidence of the Vedic mantras, the brāhmaṇas would sacrifice a cow, old cow or old bull, in the fire and give, give him, again, new life. That was... Now, in this age, there is no such powerful brāhmaṇa who can chant the mantras rightly and give again rejuvenation, another new life. It is not possible. Therefore in the śāstras, these sort of sacrifices are forbidden."

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

So this sacrifice, this animal killing, that is also forbidding, that... Nārada Muni said that "Why you have bothered your head in that, that way, that you have made this, this is a type of religion?" Jugupsitam: "This is abominable." Jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte 'nuśāsataḥ: "You are authority, and if you recommend animal sacrifice, they will take it. They have got already natural tendency, and they will accept it, 'This is the religious process.' And when they will be forbidden by other, saner persons, they'll not care for it. So it is jugupsitam. It is abominable." Jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte 'nuśāsataḥ sva-bhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ: "It's a great mistake you have done." Yad-vākyato dharma itītaraḥ sthitaḥ: "They'll accept you authority, and they'll be steady in that assertion, in that conviction." And na manyate tasya nivāraṇam: "And if you say..." Just like in other religious principles, if we say that "Don't eat meat..." I had some conversation with some Christian priests. They put forward this argument, "Why should we not eat? Our Christ took flesh. And why should we not? We must do it." They say like that. But Christ said that "You should... You shall not kill."

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

So how it can be achieved, nivṛtti, ceasing this materialistic way of life? So Nārada Muni says that "You simply describe the activities of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, and by hearing simply the activities of Kṛṣṇa, one will be very easily able to cease from this materialistic way of life." Caitanya Mahāprabhu also recommended that people should be given chance to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa-kathā means speaking or, I mean to say, narration about Kṛṣṇa. So Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also recommended that "Let them be situated in their own position. There is no necessity of changing his position. Give him chance. Give him chance to hear. Then gradually..." Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam.

So our attempt is... We are opening so many branches. The idea is that people should get chance of hearing about the Supreme Lord, either by chanting this mahā-mantra or... This is also chanting. What I am speaking before you from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā, that is also chanting. This is also kīrtana.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

Just like in India, those who are born in brāhmaṇa family, they are falsely proud that "We are born in brāhmaṇa family. Now we are perfect. Now we can do any nonsense thing. Still I am brāhmaṇa." And it is actually being done. They are doing work less than a śūdra, and still, they are passing on as brāhmaṇa. That is the cause of India's spiritual falldown. Some people, they have exploited simply being born in high family. But actually that is not the position. Actual position is by quality. If one has got the quality of a brāhmaṇa, then he should be recognized as brāhmaṇa, as we are doing here. Here nobody is born in a brāhmaṇa family, but how we are offering him sacred thread? By the quality. That is recommended by Sanātana Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī gives a very nice example in his Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, that yathā kāṁsyam,

yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti

kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ

tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena

dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām

He gives that "Just like by chemical process one can turn gun metal into gold, similarly, by the process of initiation, one can become dvija." Dvija means twice-born, or brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

The so-called meditation is a farce. Those who are trying to meditate... Therefore you don't see any improvement in their life. They're making a formal meditation, but they remain what they are. Don't improve anything. That is not possible.

So therefore in this age it is recommended that

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ

tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ

dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ

kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt

(SB 12.3.52)

Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the only way. There is no other method. There are methods, but you cannot perform it. You are so condemned. "You" means we also, everyone. We are so condemned and the age is so condemned that it is very, very difficult. It is not possible. And another process is this, as Nārada Muni says, ucchiṣṭa-lepān anumodito dvijaiḥ. To serve the devotees, a pure devotee. If you serve some way or other, you contaminate his quality. Tad-dharma. Sakṛt bhuñje. One side is apāsta-kilbiṣaḥ. Kilbiṣaḥ means the sinful reaction of life. To reduce the reaction of sinful life.

Lecture on SB 1.5.28 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:

So although there is bondage in the sattva-guṇa,... Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). You can be promoted to the higher planetary systems, but that is also bondage. Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). If you remain within this material world, even if you are promoted to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, Satyaloka, still, you have to accept the material bondage, means janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Brahmā, he also dies. Although he has got very, very long duration of life, he also dies. So Kṛṣṇa therefore recommends, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: (BG 15.6) "If you come to My place, then you are no more under the laws of birth, death, old age, and disease." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). That should be the aim of life. Those... There are others who are aspiring to go to the heavenly planet or Satyaloka or Brahmaloka, but Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that "Why we should go to the heavenly planet or Brahmaloka or any other material planet? We shall go directly to the abode of Kṛṣṇa, Goloka Vṛndāvana." That is the aim of the devotees.

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

Therefore it is addressed, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ, "O the best of the dvijas, twice-born." Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. There is division, varṇāśrama. Varṇa and āśrama. Varṇa means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and āśrama means brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. So for the brāhmaṇa, one who is brāhmaṇa, for him, the four āśramas are recommended. One... First of all he must become brahmacārī, a brāhmaṇa, son of a brāhmaṇa. Then, when he's fully trained up, he should become a gṛhastha. Not should, but if he likes. Then... Otherwise, sometimes you will find naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī. Never... Just like my Guru Mahārāja was. He never married. Naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī. So brahmacārī, gṛhastha, then not to stuck up with the family affairs up to the end of death. No. At a certain stage, after fifty years, he must give up. That is called vānaprastha. And then, after being trained up in vānaprastha very nicely, he takes sannyāsa. This is brāhmaṇa's..., four āśrama. And for the kṣatriya, up to vānaprastha. Up to vānaprastha. Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and all the brothers, they left home, but the wife was there. That is called vānaprastha. They did not take sannyāsa. Kṣatriya. Up to vānaprastha. Vaiśyas. No vānaprastha, no sannyāsa. Up to gṛhastha. Brahmacārī... Brahmacārī is compulsory for the dvija. Because there is the training. And for the śūdra there is no brahmacārī. Only gṛhastha, married. Otherwise, life will be very irregular. So in this way varṇāśrama. So there are duties.

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and go to, back to home, back to Godhead. Is it not susukham? Otherwise you'll have to work like an ass day and night simply for sex life. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). So sex life we also allow, but not illegitimate, not illicit. But that is not required. As you advance, you'll give it up. But so long you are not advanced, oh, there is... (break) ...according to regulation, even your gṛhastha does not have. But this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, taking prasādam and work for Kṛṣṇa... That is recommended here: karma brahmaṇi bhāvitam. Brahmaṇi bhāvitam. Only for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, you work, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, take prasādam. So bhakti-yoga... You un... Try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then? What will be the result? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Immediately.

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

So our business is how to get out of this tāpa-traya. That is first-class civilization. Otherwise hackneyed. Again and again, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). That is not. Now, those who are thinking of worshiping other demigods, that is not recommended. That is not recommended because Kṛṣṇa clearly says, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Even there are some inconveniences, Kṛṣṇa is completely able to remove your inconvenience. Kṛṣṇa assures, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). So we should stick to the position of devotional service, execute regularly the orders of the spiritual master and the śāstra, and try to understand Kṛṣṇa. And you can understand Kṛṣṇa only by service. There is no other way. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). If you want to see Kṛṣṇa or want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then it can be possible only by your service, nothing else.

So the best service, as recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is this preaching work. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-kathā, kṛṣṇa-kathā. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). That's all. This is preaching. Doesn't require any good academic qualification. You have got your tongue. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and whomever you meet, you ask him, "You become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa." That's all. In this way preach and live very nicely by eating kṛṣṇa-prasāda, chanting, dancing, and then get a life like Nārada Muni. This is the formula.

Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:

So here it is said, yad atra kriyate karma. Everyone is doing something. Vaidikī laukikī vā. There are two kinds of karmas. Vaidikī means according to the Vedic rituals. Performance of big, big sacrifices and so many other, that is called vaidikī. And laukikī... Just like we have got good experience nowadays. There are so many activities, factories, mills, and scientific research work, so many. This is laukikī. So Kṛṣṇa does not say... Yes. The Sūta Gosvāmī does not say that simply by vaidikī activities, big, big ritualistic ceremonies, you can be happy. You can be happy even by laukikī. Laukikī mean these material activities. Generally, people understand, big, big factories nowadays, or agriculture or anything, there are laukikī. Laukikī means for maintenance of the body. So Nārada Muni recommends that yad atra, anything you are doing, kriyate. Atra means in this material world, atra. Yad atra kriyate karma bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. It doesn't matter that you do not understand these Vedic rituals, but you want to develop the economic position of your country by industrial enterprises. Yes, that is also good. That is also good. How? Bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. If it is conducted for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, then it is good.

Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:

That is the instruction of the Gosvāmīs. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Don't be attached to the bodily demands. Bodily demands means eating, sleeping, sex life, and defending. These are bodily demands. So if we say that "I am not this body, so I don't care for this eating, sleeping..." No. That is not. It is not vairāgya. This kind of renunciation is not recommended by our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the Gosvāmīs recommend anāsaktasya viṣayān. You do not be attached to the demands of the body, but you utilize it for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Eating is required. If you don't eat nicely, then body cannot be maintained. But anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham. Eating is required, but not eating too much. Not eating to the taste of the tongue, unnecessarily eating meat, fish, eggs. Why? You are human being. For you Kṛṣṇa has given so much varieties of food stuff. Fruits, vegetables, nice rice, ḍāl, milk, ghee. Why should you go to the meat-eating? This is required. You eat like human being, not like cats and dogs. But eating is not prohibited. That is not our philosophy. Don't eat like cats and dogs, but eat like human being.

Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it's only aim is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Method, that is intelligence: What method we should accept so that our, this process of, or the propaganda of Kṛṣṇa consciousness may go on very nicely. The process should be only to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, hari-toṣaṇam. That is the recommended Vedic process.

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

(SB 1.2.13)

Saṁsiddhi means perfection. So perfection, if we want perfection of our activities, then we shall try to satisfy by our activities the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You may say that "I do not see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. How I shall be able to know that I am satisfying or dissatisfying Him?" That you can know through your spiritual master. It is not very difficult. If your spiritual master is satisfied, then you should know that Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. There is no difficulty. Yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. You cannot satisfy Kṛṣṇa by dissatisfying your spiritual master. That is not possible. That is not possible. You must satisfy. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. You do not take the excuse that "I do not know God, I do not meet Him. How I shall know that I have satisfied Him or dissatisfied Him?" No, śāstra says, "Yes..." It doesn't matter.

Lecture on SB 1.7.5 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1976:

In every country, in every human society there is a conception of dharma, or religion. So what is the purpose? The purpose is to contact the supreme authority, Adhokṣaja. We cannot see Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means beyond our sense perception. Akṣaja. Akṣa means eyes, and akṣa means atukya(?). So our knowledge, our experience, experimental knowledge, everything will fail to understand the supreme controller. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Still you have to understand that. So that is recommended here:

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād

bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje

lokasyājānato vidvāṁś

cakre sātvata-saṁhitām

(SB 1.7.6)

People do not know it, how to become transcendental to this material conception of life and how to contact the supreme controller, Adhokṣaja. That is the only way. It is recommended... Not recommended; it is the fact. Bhakti-yoga, only by bhakti-yoga. There is no other way. So in the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you want to know Adhokṣaja, that is the real purpose of religion. Religion is not a type of ritualistic ceremonies. That is external. Real fact is how to contact the adhokṣaja who is beyond our material conception. But bhakti-yoga, if you take to bhakti-yoga, then it is possible. Anarthopaśamam. Then anartha will be cleansed-things which are not wanted.

Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:

So Vyāsadeva recommends that anartha, this unwanted business of repetition of birth, death, old age, disease... And there is no certainty what kind of body I shall get. So this is our position. If you want to stop it, anarthopaśamam. If you stop this business, bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje... So how to execute bhakti-yogam? So lokasyājānata: "The people in general, they do not know it." There must be... For everything there must be education. Lokasyājānato vidvān. He compiled this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām (SB 1.7.6). For your eternal life, here is the saṁhitā, Vedic literature. You take it and study it and follow it and be happy.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:

Therefore it is recommended here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. If you engage yourself in transcendental loving service of the adhokṣaja... Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Person who is beyond your sense perception. That is called adhokṣaja. So you have to engage yourself in the service of Adhokṣaja, bhakti-yoga. Then this anartha, this misunderstanding that "He is such and such. I am such and such," this will be finished, no more. That is called paṇḍita. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini, śuni caiva śva-pāke (BG 5.18). When your anarthas will be finished and you will see every living entity as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, that is called real Brahman realization. Part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa every one of us. So we shall not only engage ourself as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa in His service, but also we shall try to engage others because they are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Why should we eliminate them? That is Vaiṣṇavism. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. So... And that mission is to be started from India, Bhārata.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 23, 1975:

So if we want to get relief from the suffering, then it is recommended, yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyām. If we regularly hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, this sātvata-saṁhitā,... Yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyām (SB 1.7.7). Śrūyamāṇa means simply hearing, śravaṇam. Then, by hearing, what will be the effect? The effect will be kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe, kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe bhaktir utpadyate: "The Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, unto Him your devotional service will be increased." Because anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. The remedy has been described that if you be engaged in the devotional service of Adhokṣaja... Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Person who is beyond your material experience. That is called adhokṣaja. Akṣaja means material, and adhah-kṛta, where material knowledge fails, that is called adhokṣaja. So if you be engaged in devotional service upon this Adhokṣaja... And who is that Adhokṣaja? That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa you cannot understand by the material knowledge. They are studying Kṛṣṇa with material knowledge, but it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 23, 1975:

Otherwise, it is not possible. If you don't accept bhakti-yoga, if you accept jñāna-yoga, karma-yoga or haṭha-yoga, then you can make some material progress, but there is no possibility of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is recommended here the bhakti-yogam particularly. Everywhere it is made, bhakti-yoga. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55).

So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is further explanation of the knowledge given in the Bhagavad-gītā. So it is recommended also that we have to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam always, twenty-four hours. Not that bhāgavata-saptāha. It is a business. Bhāgavata-saptāha is not recommended in anywhere in authorized scripture. There are many big, big commentators of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīdhara Svāmī, Vīrarāghavācārya, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Jīva Gosvāmī and many other. There are eight authorized. Nowhere you will find bhāgavata-saptāha is recommended. No. Bhāgavata should be studied every day. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. That is recommended. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Nityam. Nityam means always, at least daily.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1976:

So anartha, if you want happy life, peaceful life, progressive life, then you have to curtail these anarthas. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Without curtailing these anarthas, unwanted things, you cannot become happy. So that is recommended here. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt sākṣād bhaktim adhokṣaje. As soon as you become a devotee, all anarthas become immediately vanquished. Just like here, these Europeans and Americans, they are accustomed to anarthas from the very beginning of their life. And the latest anartha was their intoxication, LSD. But by bhakti-yoga, because they have taken to bhakti-yoga, very easily they have given all these habits. Even government is surprised. In Europe, and especially in America, their government is spending millions of dollars to stop this LSD habit. They cannot do it. They praise our movement in this connection. And as soon as one comes to this movement, he immediately gives up. Immediately, without any hesitation. I make this first condition, that you have to give up all kinds of intoxication. Not only LSD, but even drinking tea, coffee, smoking, everything you have to give up. Chewing pān, everything. And they agree. We do not make any compromise that "You can do any nonsense and still you become initiated. Give me some money." No. We don't make such compromise. You must first of all agree to give up all these sinful activities. Then I can accept you. I can initiate you. This is our process.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1976:

Anyway, if we want to, I mean to say, abolish all kinds of anarthas, unwanted things, then we must take to bhakti-yoga. Then everything will be clear. Everything will be clear, very clear. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ. This śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ, just like you are so kind enough to come here to hear about Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by this process. This has been recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You remain in your place. You don't require to become a sannyāsī, mendicant, or brahmacārī, or change your place. No. When Rāmānanda Rāya quoted this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to Caitanya Mahāprabhu... He was discussing about the aim of life and the process of reaching the aim of life. He mentioned so many things—karma, jñāna, yoga, etc., so many things. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, eho bāhya, āge kaha āra: "Yes, this statement is not very important. If you know still further more, you can say."

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1976:

Therefore if we want to abolish all unwanted things of life, simply we come to the spiritual platform. Because that is our aim. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human life is meant for spiritual understanding, not for any other purpose. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ, śāstra recommends. Only for spiritual understanding engage your activities. And what will be other things, about my family life, worldly life? That is said that tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Just like you don't aspire or don't wish for distressed condition. It comes upon you. Similarly, whatever happy condition in your life is expected, that will also come. You don't require... There are many places. So our endeavor, the human energy should be fully engaged in understanding Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Nothing else. Other things we should minimize. Yāvad artha-prayojanam. Just to maintain the body and soul together you should live very nicely. You should not become weak by health; otherwise, we cannot execute. But don't eat more, don't eat unnecessary things. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ. Atyāhāra, to eat more or to collect more than is required, that is forbidden by Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

But because we are surrounded by so many unwanted things, anartha, we are becoming entangled in the cycle of birth and death and old age and disease in different forms. So we do not know it. Most people, they do not know it. Therefore Vyāsadeva, lokasya ajānataḥ. Because these fools and rascals, they do not know it, therefore he has compiled the sātvata-saṁhitā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the next, it is recommended,

yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyāṁ

kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe

bhaktir utpadyate puṁsaḥ

śoka-moha-bhayāpahā

(SB 1.7.7)

The bhakti-yoga means to become free from these anarthas, unwanted things we have created. Now, how it will be, how we shall become free from the anarthas, that is recommended, yasyāṁ vai śrū... "That sātvata-saṁhitā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, if we hear regularly..." Yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyām (SB 1.7.7). Simply by hearing. You don't require to understand even; the hearing is so powerful. That is stated in other place, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Kṛṣṇa-kathā is puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. If you simply hear and talk about Kṛṣṇa, you become pious, pious. Even if you don't understand the Sanskrit or English, simply if we become eager to hear about Kṛṣṇa, then you become pious. It is so powerful. Therefore it is recommended, yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyām. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). This should be our practice. We are giving this Bhāgavata translation all over the world. And you will be surprised that we are selling more than thirty, forty lakhs of rupees per month. This movement is helping the whole human civilization. So yasyāṁ vai... If one purchases... That is our propaganda.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

So we have to cure this heart disease, hṛd-roga-kāma. And that will be done simply by chanting and hearing the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. The heart is all right, but it is covered by the material dirty things, namely the three guṇas: sattva-raja-tamo-guṇa. But by hearing simply Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, by hearing chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you will be purified. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Nityaṁ bhāga... If we take this opportunity... We are opening centers all over the world just to give the people this opportunity, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam. Then, as soon as the heart is cleansed by hearing about Kṛṣṇa... Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa because by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you will be interested in kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, about Kṛṣṇa. That is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, and the upadeśa, instruction, given by Kṛṣṇa, that is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.11 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1976:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore recommends that niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Anyone who is aspiring to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya... Why bhagavad-bhajana required? Pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. For a person who wants to go to the other side of the ocean of nescience, pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣoḥ. (break) ...means one who is very rich man. No. Rich man and poor man doesn't matter. If one is interested simply with the four principles of the bodily necessities, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna-eating, sleeping sex and defense, they are called viṣayīs. Viṣayiṇām... Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. If viṣayī means rich man, then why the śāstra says viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt: the enjoyment of these four necessities of body, it is available everywhere? The sparrow, he's also enjoying viṣaya. There is a male and female, and they are jumping from one tree to another, from here to there. And as soon as they require, they are enjoying sex and eating something.

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

So these Pāṇḍavas are the best example, and better than the Pāṇḍavas, there are other devotees. And the topmost surrendered devotees are the gopīs. There is no more higher exalted devotees than the gopīs. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended that the gopīs, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. There is no better type of worshiping Kṛṣṇa than the method by which gopīs worship Kṛṣṇa. They, their love was so intense that they did not care for any family, any honor, or any prestige—nothing. That is the highest, topmost loving stage of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa also loved the gopīs, so much so that Kṛṣṇa asked them that "You cannot expect any return from Me for your ecstatic love. I cannot give you. It is beyond My power." So they purchased Kṛṣṇa. And the topmost gopī is Rādhārāṇī. So we should not consider these gopīs' dealings with Kṛṣṇa as ordinary material dealings. It is not that. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). The gopīs are expansion of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency.

Lecture on SB 1.7.24 -- Vrndavana, September 21, 1976:

That is spiritual life. Not that to become lazy fellow. The difference is, as it is said by author, Kṛṣṇadāsa, ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāre bali 'kāma' (CC Adi 4.165). What is kāma? Kāma means when one desires to satisfy his own senses. That is kāma. Kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare 'prema' nāma. And what is prema? Prema means when you engage yourself for satisfying Kṛṣṇa's senses. Why gopīs are exalted? Because their only endeavor was to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. They had no other business. Vṛndāvana means, those who are in Vṛndāvana... If they actually want to live in Vṛndāvana, their business should be how to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. Not that "I am living in Vṛndāvana and trying to satisfy my senses." That is not vṛndāvana-vāsī. That kind of living is... There are so many monkeys, dogs and hogs also; they are in Vṛndāvana. Do you mean to say that they are living in Vṛndāvana? No. Anyone who wants to satisfy senses in Vṛndāvana, their next life is dogs, hogs, and monkeys. You must know that. So one should not try to sense gratify in Vṛndāvana. That is a great sin. Simply try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses.

Lecture on SB 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976:

That opinion is already there in the Bhagavad-gītā, Vāsudeva personally giving instruction, but we neither take moral instruction, neither Vāsudeva's instruction, neither we have got any intelligence. This is Kali-yuga. Mūḍha. Generally, we are mūḍha, especially in the Kali-yuga. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Here it is said, prajopadravam. So many upadravas. Actually, we are very much harassed on account of the time, place, circumstances, so on, so on. It is a very hopeless condition. Therefore śāstra has recommended that "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." It is very hopeless condition. Harer nāma. Harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Three. Three times. When you speak three times anything, it means I am giving stress, "You do this, you do this, you do this." So it is like that, that in order to stop so many inconveniences of the present day life, Kali-yuga... Kali means quarrel, simply creating quarrel, misunderstanding. This is Kali. So śāstra has given us... Kali-yuga is very dangerous to... One cannot make his life's mission fulfilled. One is not very happy. There are so many obstacles in the peaceful way of life.

Lecture on SB 1.7.34-35 -- Vrndavana, September 28, 1976:

That was the system. Brāhmaṇa lived very humbly. He was not poor. Not that they are poor men. They were so rich that when Viśvāmitra approached Mahārāja Daśaratha, immediately he vacated his seat and welcomed, "Sir, sit down here." So respectful. This is Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas would not accept any comfort, but the kṣatriyas would be very, very glad to give all comforts to the brāhmaṇas. In our śāstra, brāhmaṇa-bhojana, it is recommended that brāhmaṇas should be invited to take prasāda. Now they have manufactured daridra-bhojana or daridra-nārāyaṇa-bhojana. They have made daridra-nārāyaṇa. But that is not Vedic culture. Vedic culture is to find out qualified brāhmaṇa, sages, sannyāsīs. They would refuse, but still they'll fall down, "Please come, take some prasāda." This is Vedic culture. Brāhmaṇa's position is very, very exalted. Now, since after the battle of Kurukṣetra, they have become brahma-bandhus. The example is here, brahma-bandhu.

Lecture on SB 1.7.41-42 -- Vrndavana, October 2, 1976:

So there is sufficient information in the Vedic literatures how a man should be trained up, a boy should be trained up, a girl should be trained up, so that in future they may become happy. The ultimate aim of life is how to become connected with Kṛṣṇa. That is the ultimate. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. If I say to anybody that "Your ultimate goal of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu," naturally there will be inquiries: "Who is Kṛṣṇa? What is Kṛṣṇa? What does He do?" So many questions. That question is recommended in the Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is life. So the boys and girls should be trained up how to inquire about the ultimate goal of life, Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That they do not know in the modern civilization. That they do not know. Not merely in the modern civilization. In the past also, those who were entrapped by the modes of material nature, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, the material conception of life, false ego... Ahaṅkāra this is called... Ahaṅkāra there is. But when we are in a false ahaṅkāra, that is our cause of all trouble, miseries. Ahaṅkāra, ahaṅ... If we become entrapped in false ahaṅkāra, then we are vimūḍhātmā, entrapped by nature. That is the difficulty.

Lecture on SB 1.7.41-42 -- Vrndavana, October 2, 1976:

So when we come to that stage, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching, the gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ. He's also bringing the reference of the gopīs because Kṛṣṇa is completely under gopīs. He's so much indebted to the gopīs that He said that "I cannot repay your debts. It is not possible." Kṛṣṇa, the all-powerful, all-opulences, but He had no means to repay the debts of the gopīs. This is the position of the gopīs. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. There is no other better shape of worshiping Kṛṣṇa than it was planned by the gopīs. Ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. This is the highest. In the same say, He says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa... Gopī-jana-vallabha. Gopī-jana-vallabha is Kṛṣṇa; pada-kamalayoḥ, one who has taken shelter. Don't try to become gopīs. No. Rather try to become the dust of the lotus feet of the gopīs. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Just like Uddhava. Uddhava wanted to become one grass in Vṛndāvana because the gopīs will trample over it. This is the highest perfection. So liberation... Liberation means gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. The more you become servant of the servant, servant of Vaiṣṇava, then your perfection is there (CC Madhya 13.80). That is perfection. Our, the Vedic injunction is just try to understand yourself, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is a fact.

Lecture on SB 1.7.51-52 -- Vrndavana, October 8, 1976:

Pradyumna: "Bhīma, however, disagreed with them and recommended killing this culprit who, in an angry mood, had murdered sleeping children for no purpose and for neither his nor his master's interest.

Caturbhuja (the four-armed one), or the Personality of Godhead, after hearing the words of Bhīma, Draupadī and others, saw the face of His dear friend Arjuna, and He began to speak as if smiling."

Prabhupāda:

tatrāhāmarṣito bhīmas

tasya śreyān vadhaḥ smṛtaḥ

na bhartur nātmanaś cārthe

yo 'han suptān śiśūn vṛthā

(SB 1.7.51)

niśamya bhīma-gaditaṁ

draupadyāś ca catur-bhujaḥ

ālokya vadanaṁ sakhyur

idam āha hasann iva

(SB 1.7.52)

So in the previous verse it is described, bhagavān devakī-suta. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, Devakī-suta. Still, people may doubt that Kṛṣṇa, being Devakī-suta, how He can become the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because sometimes very powerful person is also called bhagavān. So such persons have very confidence in Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is Caturbhuja. Therefore here, in this verse, Kṛṣṇa is confirmed to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead by adding this word, Caturbhuja. Don't doubt. Because Kṛṣṇa has appeared with two hands, that does not mean He is not Bhagavān. He is Caturbhuja. To confirm it.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971:

It is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā: sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca. Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ (BG 6.1). One who is working, anāśritaḥ karma-phalam, without any desire to enjoy the fruits of his activity. These sannyāsīs, they are working for Kṛṣṇa. They have no desire to make any profit out of it. Other sannyāsīs, they are making any profit. They want mukti, mokṣa. But these sannyāsīs, they do not want even mokṣa. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the ideal sannyāsī. He says, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). He never claimed that "I may not have any more birth." Mokṣa means one who hasn't got to take birth of this material body. That is called mokṣa. So a Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī, they do not want even mokṣa. Therefore they have no demand.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Mayapura, September 29, 1974:

Now, if we say that "You are all foolish, rascal people. You are wasting your time in this way," they will think us crazy. And they think us like that, that we do not recommend these things. So it is very, very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa in this condition, in this situation. Māyā-javanikācchannam and ajñā, foolish people. Ajñā. And the other, other side, Kṛṣṇa is adhokṣaja. Even one is advanced in knowledge... Knowledge means, our knowledge means we manufacture words or syllables from A to Z. That's all. ABCD. We compose words with these twenty-six, or how many? A to Z?

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Mayapura, September 29, 1974:

These are the practical experience of mahājana, Brahmā. The Brahma-saṁhitā is written by Brahmā. He's mahājana. Mahājana means the person who knows Kṛṣṇa. The mahājanas are described, you know. Twelve mahājanas. Nāradaḥ svayambhūḥ śambhuḥ. Nārada is mahājana, and Brahmā is mahājana, Svayambhū. And Lord Śiva is mahājana. Kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ prahlādo bhīṣmaḥ. The mahājanas are there. So we have to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We should not remain mūḍha-dṛśā. We should follow the mahājanas and the sādhus, śāstra. And they recommend... The most important process is śravaṇam. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If we don't hear about Kṛṣṇa, then how we'll make advance? We have to hear. My Guru Mahārāja was very kind upon me because I was very much interested to hear him. That you know. I hear him. I did not understand him, actually. In the beginning I could not understand him. He was speaking in so high philosophical way that it was not... Still, I wanted to hear him. That was my only qualification.

Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- Mayapura, September 30, 1974:

So these are the qualifications to understand Kṛṣṇa. One who is spiritually interested, one who is very thoughtful, and one who is cleansed of all dirty things from consciousness or from the mind, these are the qualifications when one can understand Kṛṣṇa. These things... Why these things, indiscrimination, dirty things, they are accumulated within the heart? It is due to our sinful activities. The more we become sinful, the more dirty things will cover our consciousness, and it will be difficult to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is freed from the reaction of sinful life... Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Persons who are engaged in pious activities, they do not do anything which is vicious. Therefore they remain pure, without any contamination. Therefore pious activities are recommended. For common men it is recommended in the śāstra that "You take your bathing in the Ganges." That will make him pious. If he simply takes his bathing daily, regularly, automatically he'll be pious. Or go and see the temple and offer your obeisances. Everything will be taken.

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- Mayapura, October 1, 1974:

That is karma-yoga. Whatever you doing... In the beginning one cannot take to pure bhakti-yoga. Therefore karma-yoga is recommended: "Never mind whatever you doing. In that position you can become a devotee." Karma-yoga, that is. People are interested with different types of work. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yat karoṣi. "Never mind whatever you are doing." So how it becomes karma-yoga? Now, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam: "You give it to Me." Suppose you are doing business, and you are earning lots of money. So Kṛṣṇa says, "All right, go on. You are attached to business. You go on doing that. But the money earned out of your business, you give it to Me." This is karma-yoga, not that you earn money and spend for your sense gratification. That is not karma-yoga. The rascals, they are saying this is karma-yoga. For sense gratification they are using, and that is karma-yoga. No. That is not karma-yoga. Here is karma-yoga: "It doesn't matter, whatever you are doing, but the ultimate result, you give it to Me."

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- Mayapura, October 1, 1974:

In another place, Kṛṣṇa says, karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana: "You can go on. You can go on with your business, but don't expect the fruit of the business." Mā phaleṣu. He indirectly says, "The fruit should be given to Me." Mā phaleṣu kadācana: "Don't expect the fruit." Suppose you grow a nice mango tree, and there will be fruit, nice fruit. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, mā phaleṣu kadācana: "You don't take the fruits." "Oh? Such a nice mango tree I have nourished in so many years. Now the fruit is there, and Kṛṣṇa says, mā phaleṣu kadācana: 'Don't take the fruit.' Then who will take the fruit? It is will rot? It will fall down on the ground, and it will rot?" No. The idea is "You don't take, but you give it to Me." This is karma-yoga. It is not that it should be wasted. So that is karma-yoga. So those who are karmīs, very much attached to material activities, for them, this karma-yoga is recommended. Some way or other, be connected with Kṛṣṇa. It is not so meant... It is very great achievement that you work hard earn money and give it to Kṛṣṇa. That is a great sacrifice.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Los Angeles, April 20, 1973:

Meditation is meant for the less intelligent class of men. Meditation means you have to control the senses. Yoga practice means yoga indriya-saṁyama. Our senses are very restless. By yoga practice, by, I mean to say, practicing different āsanas, so mind is controlled, the senses are controlled. Then we can concentrate upon the form of Viṣṇu with our heart. That is yoga system. Or those who are too much in bodily concept of life, for them the yoga system is recommended, practicing the bodily exercise, and find out the Supreme Lord within the heart. But bhaktas, those who are devotees, who are still more advanced, they don't require to control their senses separately, because to be engaged in devotional service means controlling the senses.

Suppose you are engaged in worshiping the Deity, in cleansing the room, in decorating the Deity, in making foodstuff for Deity, everything nicely... So your senses are already engaged. Where is the chance of your senses being diverted? The senses are already controlled.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

So this is to be understood. Superficially understanding Kṛṣṇa... Of course, even not understanding. Simply by uttering the word "Kṛṣṇa" in love and affection, one becomes delivered. It is said: eka kṛṣṇa nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa karibare nare(?). Kṛṣṇa-nāma is so powerful... It is said, if you chant thousand times Lord Viṣṇu's name, then the result is equal to once chanting Lord Rāma's name... I forget that, to recite that verse. But the purpose is this that... Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma is recommended to be chanted by common man. But śāstra says that after chanting one thousand of Lord Viṣṇu's name—there are hundreds and thousands of names—it is equal to if you chant once Lord Rāma's name. Similarly, if you chant three times Lord Rāma's name, then it is equal to once chanting Kṛṣṇa's name. So we understand or not understand, if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, the result is there. Without any offense, if we chant, then the result is... Once chanting of Kṛṣṇa's name is so powerful that immediately the chanting makes you free from all kinds of reaction of sinful activities. Eka kṛṣṇa-nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa kari bare nare(?). The pāpīs, they are very much expert in committing sinful activities, but Kṛṣṇa, this holy name, once chanted, is so powerful that this expert sinful man cannot commit so many sinful activities. This is there. So some way or other, if we offenselessly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa name, it is so powerful.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

In this way, Kṛṣṇa is explained in so many śāstras, and He explains Himself. If we simply try to understand the constitution of Kṛṣṇa, then we become liberated. And if we try to understand, Kṛṣṇa will help. Kṛṣṇa says, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). The more we hear about Kṛṣṇa, we become purified. We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa because we are not purified. But the, simply if you hear the Kṛṣṇa name—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare—if you chant and hear, you become purified. So why should we not this, take this simple method and as it is recommended in the śāstra, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21), simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours? Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). You become perfect. Why we are losing this opportunity? That is our misfortune. That is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi: "My Lord, You have shown Your mercy so liberally that name, chanting of Your name, is sufficient." Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. This chanting of the name, abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ... (CC Madhya 17.133), there is all potency of Him. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā. There is all potencies.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Mayapura, October 12, 1974:

So to understand kṛṣṇa-līlā... So therefore we have to understand Kṛṣṇa-līlā, Kṛṣṇa, from these books, Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā, but not directly. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, bhāgavata giyā paro bhāgavata sthāne. Just try to understand Bhāgavata or Bhagavān from the realized soul, not from the professional man. So here: kecid āhur ajaṁ jātam (SB 1.8.32). Āhuḥ ajaṁ jātam. Contradiction. Now Kṛṣṇa says, ajo 'pi: "Although I am birthless, I do not take birth," ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san... He is the Supreme Being, He's the master of everyone, and He never takes birth. Still, He takes birth—contradiction. He never takes birth, aja; at the same time... Ajo 'pi... Here it is said, kecid āhur ajam. God, or Kṛṣṇa, is aja. He never takes birth. But again he (she) says, jātam: "He has taken birth." This contradiction should be understood. The Vedas, there are many such contradictions like that. Paśyaty acakṣuḥ: "Kṛṣṇa, or God, sees, but He has no eyes." Similarly, God, Kṛṣṇa, takes His birth although He never takes birth. These are contradictions. Paśyaty acakṣuḥ. Apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā: "He has no leg, but He goes so fast, nobody can compete Him." These are Vedic statements. You'll find in the Upaniṣads, apāṇi-pāda: "He has no leg, He has no hand," but javano grahītā, "but if you offer Him something, He takes." Kṛṣṇa says... It is not my word.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:

If I believe, no, two plus two equal to five, or two plus two equal to three No. So dharmasya glānir bhavati means there is codes, laws of God. When you violate that laws of God, that is called dharmasya glānir, dharmasya glānir. Glānir means deviation, discrepancy. So we are suffering by violating the laws of God. Just like we suffer by violating the laws of the state, similarly as soon as we violate the laws of God, we're subjected to so many tribulations. Now how to get out of it? That is bhakti-yogam. So Kṛṣṇa comes to take you out from this position, dharmasya glānir, and that is ... The process is, Kṛṣṇa recommends that: "You do this," and if you take it, then you'll be delivered, you'll get relief. And that is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, bhakti-yoga.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

(SB 7.5.23)

Tan manye adhītam uttamam. Prahlada Mahārāja said one who is engaged in these activities, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, hearing and chanting. Hearing means to hear about somebody else, his activities, his form, his quality, his entourage, so many things. If I want to hear about you, you must have some activities, just like history. We hear about history. What is the history? History means the record of activities of different persons in different ages. That is history.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:

Just like our preachers are going from here to interior parts of the village. Why? What is the purpose? For gāyanti., for preaching, for chanting. So that they may get the opportunity of hearing. Giving the opportunity to the people for hearing. That is gāyanti. And gṛṇanti, and takes seriously. Abhīkṣṇaśaḥ. Abhīkṣṇaśaḥ means twenty-four hours, without any stop, always. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore recommends: kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. One should be engaged twenty-four hours in chanting. That is the business of Kṛṣṇa conscious men. Hearing, chanting, śravaṇam kīrtanam. Either all the items or take to one item. Simply hearing. Just like Parikṣit Mahārāja did. Parikṣit Mahārāja did not do any other things. He sat down tight before Śukadeva Gosvāmī and went on hearing, hearing, hearing for seven days. And then his life is finished. So anyone or all of them. If you simply hear, without doing anything. Simply sit down in the temple and whenever there is talk of Bhagavad-gītā, Bhaga..., you go on hearing. Bas. Even if you do not understand, please hear. That's all. That vibration, that mantra vibration will help you. Understanding is not very important thing. There may be so many fools and rascals, they do not know grammar, do not know Sanskrit.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:

There is another nice verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: samāśritā ye pada-pallavam-plavam. Just like in the current... The currents are in the ocean. So if you get a nice boat. then you can cross over the currents very nicely. So it is recommended: samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. You have seen the lotus petal. That is also just like boat. Is it not? Like small boat, imitation. So if you get the help of the pada-pallavam, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, bhavam, then by that petal boat, bhavāmbudhir, this great ocean of birth and death, vatsa-padam, it becomes just like the water contained in the hole created by the hoof of a calf. Vatsa-padam. You have no experience, but in India, during rainy season, the roads become muddy and the cows and the calves go. They have got holes created, and there is some water. So such vatsa-padam water, you can jump over, at a time, one dozen. So similarly, this great ocean of bhavāmbudhir, birth and death, although it is very great for others, for a devotee, it becomes like that hole. He can jump over one dozen at a time. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam. Then, by that way, he attains the paraṁ padam, the supreme abode. Then what about this world? Now this world is padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). It is simply full of dangers at every step. Na teṣām, not for the devotees. This is not a, this not the place for the devotees. This is for the persons who are suffering, kliśyamānānām. Therefore Kuntī-devī is suggesting "This is the medicine for your suffering." Take it and be happy. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Los Angeles, May 1, 1973:

So unless we remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, we are liable to be punished for all these unknowingly committing sinful activities. Knowingly, of course, you'll be... That's a fact. Unknowingly. Knowingly or unknowingly. Just like fire. A child unknowingly touches the fire. Does it mean that the fire will excuse the child? No. The nature's law is so strict, so stringent, that there is no question of excuse. In the ordinary law also, ignorance is no excuse for legal obligation. If you go to the court, and if you say, "My lord, I did not know that the result of this action is this, criminal," that is not pleading that you'll be excused. So therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be there. If we actually want to be free from the reaction of sinful life, that we are doing, knowingly or unknowingly, then Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be there. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Therefore it is recommended, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Always we have to be engaged in chanting: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma..., so that Kṛṣṇa will save us. Knowingly we cannot commit any sinful activities. That is one thing. Unknowingly also we cannot do it. Then we'll be liable.

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1973:

Of course, I must deserve. First deserve, then desire. Suppose if I want to become king. So I must have pious activities behind me so that I can become king. But Kṛṣṇa can fulfill. Whatever you want, Kṛṣṇa can give you. Kṛṣṇa can give you even mukti, liberation, the Māyāvādīs' mukti. But He does not give very easily bhakti. That He does not give. Kṛṣṇa can give you all material gifts, even up to mukti if you want. But when He gives bhakti, oh, that is special consideration. Because when He gives somebody bhakti, He becomes purchased by the bhakta. So therefore He considers, considers. Become... Kṛṣṇa becomes a tool in the hands of bhakta. Although He's so..., the supreme powerful. Just like Rādhārāṇī, the symbol of the topmost bhakti, Rādhārāṇī. So She has purchased Kṛṣṇa. She has purchased Kṛṣṇa, She's so powerful. Therefore Vaiṣṇavas, they take shelter of the lotus feet of Rādhārāṇī so that if She recommends, "Oh, here is a nice devotee," Kṛṣṇa has to accept.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:

So therefore bhakti is beyond karma and jñāna. Anyābhilāṣitā. The karma, jñāna, if there is another, other desires also, that should be also nil, no desire. That is called desirelessness. But desirelessness can be possible when you desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, that is not possible. Therefore, bhakti means we should be desireless in the matter of jñāna, karma, or any other thing. Attach... Without any attachment. But we must have attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Then it will stay. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). That attachment, anuśīlanam, cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, ānukūlyena... Ānukūlyena means favorably: "How Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied?" That is favorable Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply always thinking of Kṛṣṇa... Just like the gopīs. Their Kṛṣṇa consciousness is perfect because they had no other desire except trying to please Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended: ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā. There is no better process of worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead than the method adopted by the gopīs.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

Even after death, it is giving you its skin for your shoes, and you are so rascal that you are killing. And you want to be happy in this world. You see? How sinful they are! They have no consideration that this animal... Why cow protection is so much advocated? Because it is very, very important. Therefore... There is no such injunction that "You don't eat the flesh of the tiger." You can eat. Because those who are meat eaters, those who are meat eaters, they have been recommended to eat the flesh of goats or other lower animals—sometimes dogs also, they eat, or the hogs—you can eat. But never the flesh of cows. So, innocent animal, the most important animal, giving service even after death... While living, giving service, so important service, giving you milk, even after death she is giving service by supplying the skin, the hoof, the horn. You utilize in so many ways. But still, the present human society is so ungrateful and rascal that they are killing cows. So Kṛṣṇa comes to punish them, these rascals. Therefore it is said that go-dvija-surārti-hara. Kṛṣṇa comes to... Therefore we worship Kṛṣṇa, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Mayapura, October 23, 1974:

Now the Durgā Pūjā is going on. This is also recommended in the Vedic śāstra, that those who want material opulence... Material opulence means riches and good wife. For this purpose, śāstra recommends that you can worship Durgā. There are different purposes, and different demigod worships are recommended. But at the conclusion it is said that,

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta puruṣaṁ param

(SB 2.3.10)

There are three kinds of men: akāma... Akāma means one who has no desire. Desire there is—not material desire. Desire you cannot kill. Desire must be there. We have to simply transfer the quality of the desire. Instead of desiring material opulence, we have to desire the favor of Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Mayapura, October 23, 1974:

So śāstra recommends that either you belong to the group of akāma or to the group of sarva-kāma or to the group of mokṣa-kāma, tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena yajeta puruṣaṁ param (SB 2.3.10), you worship very seriously Paramaṁ puruṣam. Paramaṁ puruṣam means Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti-yogena. Kṛṣṇa cannot be worshiped by any other yoga system except bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible to any other means. There are many other means-karma, yoga, jñāna and bhakti—but if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you have to take the bhakti-yoga, no other. Neither... Kṛṣṇa never said that "By jñāna, by cultivation of knowledge, one can understand Me." They can do so. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. By cultivation of knowledge, after many, many births, if that person, searching out the Absolute Truth, by cultivation of knowledge, if he comes in contact with a devotee, then he gets the chance of understanding what is Kṛṣṇa.

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

So this is the way, that "Don't speculate nonsensically." That is the injunction of Lord Brahmā, jñāne prayāsam, that "You are very much learned scholar. You are a great politician-'So I can speculate some religious system by misinterpreting this Bhagavad-gītā'—no, you should stop this." That is the recommendation. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva: "Just become submissive, submissive." That is the only way, to become submissive first of all. Then you can understand what is God. Therefore Kṛṣṇa demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So jñāne prayāsam udapā..., namanta eva. And what is the next business? San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. One should hear bhavadīya-vārtām, the message of Kṛṣṇa, from a realized soul, not a professional man. A realized soul. San-mukharitām. Sat. Oṁ tat sat. That same, again. That is the way. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, bhāgavata paro giya bhāgavata sthāne.(?) Don't go and hear Bhāgavata-saptāha by a professional man. That is useless waste of time. If you want to learn about Bhāgavata, then bhāgavata paro giya bhāgavata sthāne-realized soul. Grantha-bhāgavata and... That is the recommendation of Brahmā, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted it.

Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Los Angeles, May 10, 1973:

Just like these children who were born amongst our devotees, they are not ordinary children. Because from the very beginning they are getting chance of devotional service: dancing, chanting, seeing the Deity, offering a flower, offering obeisances to the spiritual master. These things will not go in vain. Don't think. Every account is kept. Every account. Therefore the Deity worship is recommended—why? If somebody comes, consciously or unconsciously, and offers obeisances, he gets immediately credit certi..., credit note, yes. Immediately. In this way, when the credit notes are so much, oh, it is a big amount. It is a big amount. Then he can purchase Kṛṣṇa. This is bhakti. Even... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even little of it can save you from the greatest danger. Bhakti is so nice. Svalpam api. Just like Ajāmila. Ajāmila, he was the greatest sinful person. But at the time of death, he uttered "Nārāyaṇa," and he was protected by Kṛṣṇa. Immediately Nārāyaṇa's soldiers came and protected him from the Yamarāja's soldiers. Ajāmila uddhāra.

Lecture on SB 1.8.49 -- Mayapura, October 29, 1974:

So we are indebted to the demigods. Just like water department. You have to pay tax. Or the light department, you have to pay tax. If you don't pay the bill of the electrical department, it will be cut off, will be discontinued. But we are not paying any bill to the sun-god. Just see. We are taking advantage of the sunshine, but what payment we are paying? Nothing. Therefore this yajña is recommended. Saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. Saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā. You are born with the responsibility of performing yajña. If you perform yajña or if you perform sacrifice in the name of Sūrya, in the name of Candra, in the name of Indra, Vāyu, then they will be pleased and will give you regular sunshine, regular moonshine, regular rain. Then you'll be happy. Therefore in the Vedas this deva-yajña is recommended.

But this yajña is performed not for satisfying the particular demigod. Even if you perform any yajña for satisfying the demigod, the Nārāyaṇa is situated there. The nārāyaṇa-śilā, śālagrāma-śilā is there whenever there is some yajña. Because He is the yajña-puruṣa. Actually, when you pay tax to the light department or water department, it is not that the director or the in-charge of the light department and water department takes that money. He does not take money. It goes to the government treasury.

Lecture on SB 1.8.52 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1973:

One atonement, by the prescribed method. You have done... Just like I'll give you common example. Just like you have committed theft. One atonement is that you go to the jail and live there for some time. This is atonement. If you have committed a murder, then you also be hanged. These are the laws. When the king orders somebody to be hanged on account of his committing murder, the king is not sinful. King is helpful. King is helping that rascal to atone his murdering activities. Otherwise, if he is not hanged, then next life, next time, he will be put into difficulty. Next time he will have to become animal. He will be slaughtered. These laws they do not know. Why these animals are being slaughtered? There is some nature's law. They were murderer or slaughterer in their past life as human being. Now they have assumed, they have accepted a body to be slaughtered by the laws of nature. When an animal is slaughtered in sacrifice, there is mantra. The mantra is that... The animal slaughter in sacrifice is recommended for the animal-eaters, not for all. Those who are... To restrict.

Lecture on SB 1.8.52 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1973:

This is a long subject matter. But the sacrifice in yajña, recommended, that is not for killing the animal, but it is a testing, how the Vedic mantras are being properly chanted. Because an old animal put into the fire, by Vedic mantras he would come out again with young life. That is sacrifice of animals in the yajña. Therefore in this age there is no such expert brāhmaṇa who can chant the mantras properly or he can behave because the life is very abominable. Therefore, because there is no expert brāhmaṇa, so these sacrifices are forbidden in this age. Kalau pañca vivarjayet aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ devareṇa sutotpattiṁ sannyāsam (CC Adi 17.164). These things are forbidden in this age, because there is no proper men to conduct.

So in the Kali-yuga this sacrifice is recommended: yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Saṅkīrtana-yajña. This yajña will help you. Real thing is the heart, the mind. If this yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña, cleanses your mind and heart, then you come to the platform of knowledge. Then automatically other things become effective. So in this age it is recommended that other yajñas will not be effective, neither it is recommended. But the saṅkīrtana-yajña-yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ—that is recommended. Everyone can join it, and he can become purified, he can become situated on spiritual platform, and his life becomes successful.

Lecture on SB 1.9.2 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1973:

Such sixty-thousand horses, how much it comes? (laughter) Where is that gold? They are very much proud, advancement of material civilization, but instead of gold, we find plastic. (laughter) And the nonsense, they are very much proud of their wealth. Just see. Even they cannot decorate their wives. And woman, they require also ornament. It is psychology. Manu-saṁhitā, it has been recommended that "If you want to keep satisfied your wife, then you must give her good food, good sari and good ornament." This is the system. Therefore during marriage time, the girl is given by the father according to his means, as many saris, nice saris, beautiful costly saris, and as much as possible, golden ornaments. And those who are very rich, they, still in India, they give jewelries, means diamonds, pearls, sapphire, according to means. Those who are richer class, they don't touch gold. They must give jewelry. This is the system.

Lecture on SB 1.9.2 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1973:

Therefore Bhagavad-gītā recommends, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Here you cannot find all one class of men. That is not possible. There is those rascals who are trying to have a classless society, no class, all one. That is rascaldom. That is not possible. There must be classes. That is scientific. Why? Because this material nature is being conducted under three modes: first class, second class, third class. Goodness, passion and ignorance. So how you can make classless society? There must be divisions. There must be classes, color, colorful. So it has to be scientifically arranged, how all classes can cooperate for one purpose and they develop very nicely in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). Mayā sṛṣṭam means anything created by God, you cannot nullify it, you cannot reject it. That is not possible. You have to accept it and possibly utilize it. Therefore devotees, they take it for granted, even there is distressed condition of life, they take it that "It is created by God. I am now in distress. It is creation of God. So why shall I hate it? Let me tolerate. Let me undergo this distressed condition of life."

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

Therefore in our śāstra, when you commit some necessary sinful activities, to counteract it, a fasting, fasting is recommended. Therefore Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was observing fasting, taking little necessities. Therefore śaunaka Muni is inquiring that sahānujaiḥ pratyavaruddha-bhojanaḥ kathaṁ pravṛttaḥ kim akāraṣīt tataḥ: (SB 1.10.1) "Then he was undergoing some prāyaścitta system; then how did he take the reigns of ruling over the kingdom?" That was his inquiry, Śaunaka Ṛṣi. Actually, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was first of all, in the beginning... The first beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was in front of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Śukadeva Gosvāmī explained, and Sūta Gosvāmī was in that meeting also. So he learned explanation of Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. This is called paramparā system. Now, generally the professional reciters of Bhāgavatam, they do not follow the paramparā system. They make business. Just like we are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we are discussing about the warfares, the professionals, they will go immediately to rāsa-līlā, as if these things are not necessary.

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

So unfortunately, these professional reciters, they do not begin Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the very beginning, where Vedānta-sūtra is discussed. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So Bhāgavata begins with this word of Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. So it is the, in the beginning, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the explanation of the Vedānta-sūtra. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has recommended, therefore, one should learn Bhāgavatam from a person who knows Vedānta-sūtra. Śruti-gṛhītayā, bhaktyā śruti-gṛhītayā. Bhakti should be generated, śruti-gṛhītayā, by studying Vedānta-sūtra. Bhakti is not sentiment. Bhakti is the transcendental science. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, jñānī viśiṣyate(?). You should be in full knowledge what is Kṛṣṇa, not that accepting Kṛṣṇa as something fictitious. Even big, big scholars—Dr. Radhakrishnan, Gandhi—they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. How they can understand? It is not understandable by the fools and rascals.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:

So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, now all the Pāṇḍavas along with Kṛṣṇa, they have come to Bhīṣmadeva for taking his last instruction. He was lying on the bed of arrows for death. So his father's benediction was that Bhīṣmadeva would not die unless he desires to die. He was a very avowed brahmacārī, truthful. And Bhīṣmadeva recommended in the rājasūya-yajña that "Kṛṣṇa is greater brahmacārī than me. Although I am brahmacārī, but Kṛṣṇa is greater brahmacārī." Why? "I am brahmacārī. I have avoided association of woman, but Kṛṣṇa, He was young boy and He had so many young girlfriends, still, He was not sexually agitated. He is the greatest brahmacārī." That is the recommendation given by Bhīṣmadeva. When Śiśupāla was criticizing Kṛṣṇa, Bhīṣmadeva supported Kṛṣṇa, that "What kind of brahmacārī I am? He is greater brahmacārī than me. I think I could not save myself, keeping myself amongst the young girls. No. But Kṛṣṇa can do so. He is real brahmacārī." So therefore His another name is Acyuta, "never falls down," "infallible."

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:

Of course, we do not recommend that saṅkīrtana should be used for some material purpose, that is nāma-aparādha, nāma-aparādha. Shama sa bhakti kriya (?) pramāṇa. Saṅkīrtana, you can utilize saṅkīrtana for some material purpose, but that is not allowed. That is nāma-aparādha, because nāma, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa, they are identical. You cannot utilize Kṛṣṇa for your personal, material benefit. That is aparādha. Kṛṣṇa is the Lord. You cannot engage the Lord for your service. Similarly you cannot utilize the holy name of the Lord for some material purpose. That is not allowed. So anyway, because ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If you wanted some material benefit by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you'll get it, but that is nāma-aparādha. You won't get the ecstasy of loving God. That is the aim of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra: how you shall elevate yourself to the platform of loving God. That is required. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Not for utilizing the holy name for some material purpose. But this happened, we have got experience, I have heard, I have seen.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

So if you want to enter into the spiritual kingdom, as Lord Jesus Christ also said, "The kingdom of God is for the meek and the..." Huh? Meek and mild, yes. So that is the qualification. You have to become humble. Therefore the Bhāgavata also says the same thing. Jñāne prayāsam. Don't be very much proud of your so-called knowledge, that "I can understand everything." You should become namra, meek and mild. And then how to be...? Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. You should engage yourself to receive spiritual knowledge from the authority, reliable source. Spiritual knowledge is understood through the ear. Therefore the Vedas are called śruti. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. This is recommended, that Kṛṣṇa's kathā should be heard from the realized source. San-mukharitām. Sat means devotee. Sat. Oṁ tat sat. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. Then sthāne sthitāḥ, you can remain in your place. It doesn't matter whether you are a brāhmaṇa or a śūdra or American or Indian or... It doesn't matter. You keep yourself in your position. Simply go there. Where these things are discussed authoritatively, you hear. Śruti-gatām. Śruti-gatām. Śruti means the ear. You just give the aural reception of the words of realized soul. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtāṁ sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatām. You can keep yourself... It doesn't require that you have to change your position. Simply you have to hear from the right source.

Lecture on SB 1.10.13 -- Mayapura, June 26, 1973:

Yes. So that is their interpretation. Marriage, Vedic śāstra enjoins marriage, and it is for prostitution. Just see the interpretation. All the great ṛṣis, they recommended: "Yes, you can go on, prostitution, with your prostitution, under the sanction of the śāstra." No, it is not that. The real purpose is to restrict. Just like meat-eating. Meat-eating is recommended in Vedic literature. There is kālī-pūjā. Kālī-pūjā. By sacrificing one goat before Goddess Kālī. Goddess Kālī's worshiped on the amāvasyā. Amāvasyā takes place once in a month. Therefore these rascals who are meat-eaters, they'll be restricted. If they accept the śāstra, "No, no, if we eat meat from the butcher's place, then we shall be sinful. Let us eat meat..." Just like in Calcutta you'll find so many butchers, they have kept one Goddess Kālī deity so that people will think now it is not sinful. Here the māṁsa, the meat is not..., it is sanctified. Hindu-brāhmaṇa-kati(?). So these things are going on. Actually, it is restriction. And even when there is bali, the sacrifice is given, the mantra means, the mantra says that "This man is killing you. You'll get next life a human being.

Lecture on SB 1.10.13 -- Mayapura, June 26, 1973:

So this is the process of restriction. Similarly those who are drunkards, for them is recommended by offering liquor to Caṇḍī, they can drink. Similarly, marriage is also like that. It is restriction. It is not prostitution. It is restriction. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. This is natural tendency. If you want, if one can stop it, that is called tapasya. And human life becomes perfect by tapasya.

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa

śamena ca damena ca

tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ

yamena niyamena vā

(SB 6.1.13)

This is human life. Not like animals, unrestricted. Animals are also restricted. So vaidha-avaidha. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has strongly restricted that: "Don't associate with these rascals. Asat." Asat means those who are interested in material affairs. Asato mā sad gama. The Vedic injunction. That is Vedic injunction: sad gama. Just try to make progress towards sat. Oṁ tat sat. Don't be interested in asat. Asato mā sad gama. Jyotir gama. So these are the Vedic injunctions.

Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:

So these are not the methods. Method is, here it is recommended by Arjuna, vāsudeva-anudhyānam. Anudhyānam. Anu means constantly, and dhyānam means meditation. They have manufactured so many meditation—without Vāsudeva. That so-called transcendental meditation club and yogāsana, but go there, what you meditate upon? Zero. That is there. They cannot say, "What is that meditation? And where is that transcendental meditation?" No rascal will be able to explain. But they'll call big, big words, "Transcendental meditation." And what is that transcendental meditation? Please explain. "Oh, that cannot be explained." You see. Is it not? But we have got (indistinct), vāsudeva-anudhyānam. You just say.

Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:

So people are voluntarily accepting some nonsense method, and they are not happy. That is their misfortune. Misfortune. Narādhama. The, everything is there, but because they do not know... Duṣkṛtina, narādhama. Duṣkṛtina, duṣkṛtina means misfortunate, or always engaged in sinful activities. They'll not meditate upon Vāsudeva; they'll meditate on something, some color, some zero, or something like that. We do not know what kind of meditation there is. But real meditation, recommended in the Vedas, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Yogi. Yogis see the Supreme Personality of Godhead by meditation. Meditation, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā, mind is absorbed in the Supreme Personality. That is the real process of yoga system and meditation—to see the form of Viṣṇu. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā, this is the recommended process, standard recommended process.

So here, if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa recommends also that, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nothing, just to train people how to think of Kṛṣṇa and how to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So you may become devotee... But you will become devotee.

Lecture on SB 1.15.41 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1973:

So yoga practice means the controlling the senses. This is the real purpose of yoga. There is certain mechanical process, that is called yoga practice. Therefore yoga practice is meant for a person who is too much in bodily concept of life. Otherwise, one who is convinced that "I am not this body," then where is the necessity of exercising the body? But it is meant for a person who is too much absorbed in bodily concept of life. For him, this yogic practice is recommended, that by mechanical practice of the different parts of the body, the air within the body, one can control the senses. And unless the senses are controlled... The whole thing is sense. Therefore consciousness, it depends on the senses, purifying the senses. Spirit soul is eternal, so his senses are eternal. You cannot stop the activities of his senses. That is not possible. Just like others. They think that "If we stop... " Just like Viśvāmitra Muni. He was a great yogi. He stopped the senses. He wanted to stop. He closed the eyes, "I'll not see a beautiful woman." But he failed as soon as he heard the tinkling sound of the bangles of the apsarā, Menakā.

Lecture on SB 1.15.41 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1973:

So any yoga practice... But other yoga practice-haṭha-yoga practice, dhyāna-yoga practice, karma-yoga practice, jñāna-yoga practice—these are very difficult in this age. But if you take to bhakti-yoga practice... It is recommended, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. In this age, Kali-yuga, this hari-kīrtana is bhakti-yoga. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ (SB 12.3.52). In different ages, because the people are different, so different methods are prescribed in the śāstra. In the Satya-yuga the meditation method was possible. In other yuga it is not possible. In Tretā-yuga, by sacrificing big, big yajña, performing yajña; in Dvāpara-yuga by temple worship; and kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt, and in this Kali-yuga, simply by hari-kīrtana, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, you can get the same result. Therefore our process is kīrtana always. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31).

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

It is all described. Yan maithunādi... A gṛhamedhi... Gṛhamedhi means a so-called householder. There are two words: gṛhamedhi and gṛhastha. Gṛhastha means... That is called āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama, to live with wife and children, but the business is how to developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is gṛhastha-āśrama, as we recommend. And where there is no such attempt how to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply living like cats and dogs... They have also sex life. They also produce children. They also eat. They also work. Such kind of life, household life, working day and night simply for sense pleasure, and at night they have got sense pleasure... That is also described in the Bhāgavata: divā cārthehayā rājan. At night either sleep or enjoy sex life, and in daytime, simply work hard, "Where to get money?" And as you get money, spend it for maintaining your family. Nidrayā hriyate naktam. Nidrā means sleeping. Hriyate, that night is passed. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). Or one who has got facility to enjoy sex, so night is passed. One who has no... Everyone has practically, but... Two things: sleep or sex. And then, at daytime, cārthehayā. Artha. Artha means money. Īhayā means trying for to get it. Divā cārthehayā rājan. All right, they are getting money. Then? Then kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā, spending for kuṭumba, for the dependents. That's all. So finished. Then where is the time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That is called gṛhamedhi. But gṛhastha means they will see whether every moment is utilized for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.51 -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1973:

Therefore here it is said that bhagavat-priyāṇām. These Pāṇḍavas... Why one should be interested in the Pāṇḍavas' activities, Arjuna's fight with his brothers? There are so many other people, they are fighting with their brother, with their enemies. Why we are not recommended to hear about that thing? Why the Battle of Kurukṣetra? Because Arjuna is there, tadīyānām. We are not interested in any battlefield stories. Why we should be interested? There are so many cats and dogs fighting. So we are not interested. But why we are interested in the Bhagavad-gītā, Battlefield of Kurukṣetra? Tadīyānāṁ samarcanam. Because there is Arjuna. He is fighting. So to worship God is very good, but to worship the devotee of God is still very good. This is the... That is also admitted in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). Kṛṣṇa says, yo māṁ mad-bhakteṣu. "Now, this Bhagavad-gītā... Anyone who is preaching this Bhagavad-gītā..." Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ. Bhagavat-priyāṇām. Priya-kṛt. Priya means dear, very dear. So Kṛṣṇa said that na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu: (BG 18.69) "Anyone who is preaching the message of Bhagavad-gītā to the suffering people of the world," Kṛṣṇa says, na ca tasmāt priya-kṛt "nobody is dearer to Me than him."

Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973:

If there is excess milk product, if there is excess grain product, then you can sell to others. Nowadays the trade is that you take as much milk as you can, and then kill the animal and sell the flesh to other countries. That is going on. No. Go-rakṣya. Go-rakṣya. Cow protection is very, very essential in human society because it gives the milk, the miracle food. You can prepare hundreds and thousands of preparation, all not only delicious, but brain-maintaining. You can get good brain. Therefore go-rakṣya, cow protection is especially recommended, not that animal protection. If you want to eat meat, you can eat many other animals. There are. But don't eat the cows. This is Vedic civilization. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam. And those who are neither brāhmaṇa... They have no brain to become brāhmaṇa or to become kṣatriya or vaiśya, they are called śūdras. And śūdra's business is to serve the other upper three classes, laborer, worker classes, and satisfied with some service.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

So this is sacrifice. This is sacrifice. But it is not possible. Aśvamedhaṁ gavālambham (CC Adi 17.164). This is forbidden. Here, at the present moment, the yajña is saṅkīrtana. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. Here at the present moment this yajña is recommended. This is recommended in the śāstra, not manufactured.

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

(SB 11.5.32)

This is the process of yajña in this age. What is that? Now, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. The God's incarnation, that is incarnation, not a manufactured incarnation. There must be reference to the śāstra. So what is the incarnation? Pracchanna-avatāra. In this Kali-yuga the incarnation is Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

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

So guru teaches him to remain brahmacārī, naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī. Just like my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. He was brahmacārī. He was brahmacārī, strict brahmacārī, ideal personality. So that is recommended for everyone. Up to twenty-five years' age, nobody should have any connection with woman. That is brahmacārī. Strictly. That brahmacārī rules and regulation are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that he would go door to door for collecting alms for his spiritual master, and address every woman as mother, from the very beginning. From five years old, if a child is trained to call all woman as "Mother," naturally his culture is different. Because he has learned to call all woman as "Mother." He has no other idea. A small child, any woman comes before him, he knows "(S)He is my mother." So this was the practice. That is not only religiously, but morally, it is so good, to look upon all woman as mother. That is the system still in India, any unknown woman who has no introduction with you, (s)he is addressed "Mātājī." Address her. She may be just like daughter or granddaughter, but one would address, as a respect to the woman, as "Mother, Mātājī." This is Indian system. Now some rascals have introduced "Bhaginījī, sister." But that is not shastric. In the śāstra, all the woman, except one's wife, should be addressed as "Mother."

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

So actually, if we want to have knowledge of everything, the source of knowledge is Vedas. And the essence of Veda is called Vedānta. And the descriptive explanation of Vedānta is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **. Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra is the Vedānta philosophy. Kṛṣṇa has also referred to Brahma-sūtra: brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). He recommends that hetumadbhir prasthāna. There are three prasthānas, and Brahma-sūtra is also prasthāna, the way of understanding. So Kṛṣṇa has recommended that "If you want to know things with reason and argument, then try to understand Vedānta-sūtra." Those who want to know the Absolute Truth through reasoning and argument, then one should study Vedānta-sūtra. But Vedānta-sūtra... Sūtra means codes. Just like they have got code book. One word, it is meaning so many other things. Businessmen, they have got codes. When they send cable to their customer or to their principle, they use some codes. It saves so many words. So Brahma-sūtra. Sūtra means codes. So in that code also, required explanation. That explanation is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **. Brahma-sūtrāṇām, the codes explained in the Brahma-sūtra, that is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

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

So out of the yogis, the bhakti-yogī is the best. That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, yoginām api sarveṣām. Yoginām api sarveṣām (BG 6.47). There are many classes of yogis. Out of all these yogis, the one yogi who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, he is first class. He is first class. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā. Mad-gata, "thinking of Kṛṣṇa only." He may not know very much about Kṛṣṇa, but simply he is thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is sufficient. That is sufficient. Here we have got the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, and if we twenty-four hours see the Deity only, seeing here, you will be perfect. You will be perfect, simply by seeing. And then hear, then chant. There are so many. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23), nine kinds of methods. You adopt them all, or some of them, or at least one. Then you become perfect. That is bhakti-yogī. Some way or other, think of... Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. That is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī, "Some way or other, just engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa." Some way or other. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10).

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

Kṛṣṇa also says, satata-yuktānām, "continuously attached to Me." Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). Prīti-pūrvakam. Here it is prīti, it is said. Prīty-ujjṛmbhita. So with love. With love or no love. Without love, you cannot think of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. So as soon as you think of Kṛṣṇa, there is a tinge of love, must be there. So as you increase your thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then you increase your love of Kṛṣṇa. That is recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is our ultimate goal of life. Premā pum-artho mahān. Premā pum-artho mahān. Everyone is attached to... Those who are human beings... Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41). The karmīs, they want to be religious. They go to temple, church, for some material benefit, "O God, give us our daily bread." That is their purpose. But still, that is accepted. So in this way, we have discussed many times. The jñānī... Who is mahātmā. That is the subject matter here discussed. So jñānī, the mahātmās are to be found not amongst the karmīs, but of the jñānīs, jñānī field. Just like in India, we manufacture some mahātmā. But according to śāstra, he is not mahātmā because he was-Mahatma Gandhi, I mean to say—he was not on the platform of knowledge. He was on the platform of karma, karmī. He wanted to deliver his countrymen from the clutches of the British, Britishers. That was his aim. But because he was not jñānī, he could not understand that "Why I am trying to drive away some people for the benefit of another?" That is a great subject matter.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

Now, this is śāstra. Five thousand years ago, what was written, that is now becoming true. Now there is no marriage as it was taking formerly, Vedic marriage. The father (and) mother will select the bride, bridegroom, and there will be gorgeous ceremony and marriage. The father will spend... Both parties, the girl's father and the boy's father, will spend. Still in India, there are cases like that. They'll spend their hard-earned money during the marriage ceremony of their son and daughter. But in this age, gradually, it is said, svīkāra eva codvāhe. Udvāha means marriage, taking the charge of the girl. The boy takes charge of the young girl from the custody of her father. This is marriage. Woman, according to Vedic civilization, they are not recommended freedom. They should be taken care just like children are taken care of. You cannot give independence to the children. That is not possible. Then it is not good for them. Similarly, woman also should be taken care of. They should not be given freedom. That is not good for them. They should be protected by the father in childhood, by the husband in youthhood, and by the grown-up children in old age. Three stages. But in this age, women are trying to take independence of father, husband or children. That is not good. That is described in the śāstra.

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

So everything should be regulated. But in this age there is no regulation, there is no knowledge. Less than animals also. They have sex life at a certain period of the year, not always. But human being has become so low-graded that... And that is due to Kali-yuga. Therefore it is very lamentable. Everything is topsy-turvied. It's no regular. It is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy that we are reforming the whole society very simple way-chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You see. It is so nice. You see? The examples are here. It is no story. Simply by chanting. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

There is no other alternative. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Everything will be reformed. Life will be polished and everything will be successful. This is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Human life, he is also a soul. Animal is also a soul. Everyone. But the human form of life is meant for God realization, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is Vedānta-sūtra. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Not only human being, everyone. But everyone less than human being, they cannot inquire about the Absolute Truth: "What is the aim of life? What is the Absolute Truth? What I am? What is my relationship?" These things are the subject matter for discussion in the human form of life.

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

But unfortunately, on account of Kali-yuga, the heart being full of dirty things, they cannot think of the aim of life, how to achieve it. That is called Kali-yuga. Therefore so much fallen socially, politically, economically, culturally, everything, religiously, we are so fallen and down-trodden that the only method, as recommended in the Vāyu Purāṇa and other Purāṇas: kalau nāsty eva... Kalau means "in this age of Kali," nāsty eva, "there is no other alternative." And factually by spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are seeing practical result. The most wretched, most rotten, they are coming to life, they are understanding the value of life, the aim of life, and they are trying to be elevated more and more. Of course, it is an attempt. Not that anyone will be successful. But if everyone follows the simple rules and regulation, he will be successful. There is no doubt about it. There is no doubt about it. The four simple regulative principle: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, and chant sixteen rounds. Very simple method.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

Similarly, your duration of life is there, and it is being wasted by breathing. If you can control the breathing process, then your life can be increased. This is yogic... But after all, we are under the full control of time. Kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā. That is explained here. Kālena vā te balināṁ balīyasā. Very, very strong—there is no power. Your so-called scientific power... You cannot struggle against the influence of time. So save time. Save time.

Another process is, save time, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then the time is not lost. Time is not lost. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, read book, Kṛṣṇa book. Any moment, any time you spend for thinking of Kṛṣṇa, working for Kṛṣṇa, chanting for Kṛṣṇa, eating for Kṛṣṇa, dancing for Kṛṣṇa, that time is saved. That time is saved. Therefore it is recommended, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva... (CC Adi 17.21). Otherwise, by yoga process, it is not... How many men can actually practice yoga? It is all farce. This is possible. Even a child can take part, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

So therefore the process is before accepting a guru, one must hear him at least for one year. And when he's convinced that "Here is actually a guru who can teach me," then you accept him, guru. Don't accept whimsically. This system now should stop that somebody's coming for three days—"Prabhupāda, initiate him." Why? First of all see whether he's fit for becoming a disciple; then recommend. Otherwise, don't recommend. Because the chief recommendation is creating havoc. One is not fit for becoming a student, disciple, and he's accepting discipleship, and after three days he's going away. This should not be allowed. Therefore, in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta..., er, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa by Sanātana Gosvāmī it is directed that the spiritual master and the disciple must meet together at least for one year so that the disciple may also understand that "Here is a person whom I can accept as my guru," and the guru also can see that "Here is a person who is fit for becoming my disciple." Then the business is nice. Because the business is tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34), one must be prepared to surrender. So unless that character is there, surrendering, how he can become a disciple? It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

So satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā kṣāntis tyāgaḥ santoṣa ārjavam. These are the qualities. Now, these qualities, we have to explain one after another, it will take time. So three qualities: satyam, to become truthful... They say, "This truthful is a qualification of ass." Some big politician some years ago, he visited India. You know. He is Mr. Lloyd George, British politician. So he was asked by somebody that "Why you are not truthful?" So he answered that "Truthfulness is the qualification of an ass." He replied like this. Truthfulness, especially in politics, he said, that "In politics, truthfulness is the qualification of an ass." So here the first thing is recommended, satyam, truthfulness. Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). And the biggest politician says, "This is the qualification of an ass." Just see how much opportunity we have got to make spiritual progress. The first beginning is satyam, and our leaders says, "This is the qualification of an ass." So just see our position.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) Questions? We are dealing with satyam, the qualification of an ass. This is difficulty.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

So whatever Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going forward, it is due to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's magnanimous compassion for the poor people suffering in this Kali-yuga. Otherwise, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not very easy job, is not easy job. So those who are getting the chance of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they should not lose the opportunity. It will be suicidal. Don't fall down. It is very easy. Simply chanting by Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, not always, twenty-four hours, although Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31), always chant. That is the principle. But we cannot do that because we are so much overwhelmed by the influence of Kali. So at least sixteen rounds. Don't miss this. Don't miss this. What is the difficulty, sixteen rounds? At most it will take two hours. You have got twenty-four hours. You want to sleep; all right, sleep, ten hours sleep. That is not recommended. Don't sleep more than six hours. But they want to sleep. They want to sleep twenty-four hours. That is their desire in Kali-yuga. But, no. Then you'll be wasting time. Minimize eating, sleeping, mating and defending. When it is nil, that is perfection.