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Rich man (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"rich man" |"rich men" |"richer man" |"richest man" |"richest men"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

So that is our main business from the very beginning of life. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). This human form of life is so rare, after many, many millions of birth, many many millions of years rotating through different species of life, by the evolutionary process, we have come to this human form of life. In this life also, if you are simply engaged in the matter of eating sleeping, sense gratification, and defending, then where is the advancement? No advancement. So that inquiry should be there, that "What I am? What I am put into these tribulations of conditional life under the laws of nature?" Unless this question arises in one's mind, he's not a human being. He's animal. Just Sanātana Gosvāmī went to Caitanya Mahāprabhu and although he was minister, very learned scholar, he said, "My dear Lord, people eulogize me as very big man, learned man, minister. But I know that I do not know what I am. This is my position." Grāmya-vyavahāre kaha ei paṇḍita, tāi satya māni. "The people, the ordinary people, common people, they say that 'You are so great scholar, so rich man, minister.' They say like that. But I know that I am fool number one. I do not know what I am." This is the position.

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:

So simply by having rich father and mother does not mean that he'll be happy. No. If he is unfortunate, in spite of having rich father and mother, he'll be unhappy. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha nārtasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ. Ārtasya, one who is suffering from disease, it is not that because he is given the help of good physician and first-class medicine he'll be cured. No. There is no guarantee. There is no guarantee. We have seen. First-class medicine, first-class physician employed for curing one..., but he dies. So we have manufactured so many counteracting. The scientists, they are very much proud that "We are now manufacturing counteracting medicine." But where is your counteracting medicine for stopping death and disease? Disease is happening. You cannot make, manufacture any medicine that one tablet I take, I shall never be diseased or I shall never die. That is not possible. You are manufacturing some medicine for some disease. All right, that disease is cured, but another disease is there. Huh? Just like in India there are malaria or some disease. In your country there is cancer. Rich disease. You are rich men. That disease is also very rich. (laughter) India, poverty stricken, they suffer only a little malaria. That's all. Oh, you are rich. You have got cancer. There is no cure. That's all. Finished. This is actually to be studied.

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

Ah, breaking stone. He doesn't want. But there is jail superintendent—"All right, you must break so many." And there is stick. "If you don't break, then..." So it is going on. Māyā. Māyā is kicking always, "You must do it." Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27). "You wanted to eat anything and everything. All right, you take this body of hog and eat stool." That's all. This is māyā, prakṛti. He has given you a body. You have to suffer according to the body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Why there are different types of bodies, different types of enjoyment? Everyone is in the material world. Why one has become hog, one has become dog, and one has become very rich man, and demigod? Why? Who is making arrangement? Who wants to become cat and dog? Who does not want to become king? But why this is arrangement? Who is doing this? This rascal cannot understand.

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

We have seen many rich men, but if you find out somebody, that nobody is richer than him, then he is God. We have seen many men, wise men, but if you find out somebody—nobody is wiser than him—then he is God. In this way, the six opulences, when they are full represented in one person, he is God. He is Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, He exhibited all these opulences in fullness. Nobody could conquer Him. Nobody was richer than Him. Nobody was beautiful. In the history of the world, you cannot compare with Kṛṣṇa anybody has more rich, more beautiful, more wise, in this way. Therefore, Bhāgavata ascertains, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: "The original Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa." So the Bhāgavata-dharma is: if anyone is taught how to love Kṛṣṇa, that is first-class religion.

Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). What kind of bhakti? Now, there are sometimes motive.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Therefore Sūta Gosvāmī says, yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno yenātmā suprasīdati. Actually, everyone is suffering. That is the law of material nature. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he says, viṣaya-viṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale, juṛāite nā koinu upāy. Viṣaya. Those who are materialistic, that is called viṣaya. Viṣaya means eating, sleeping, sex intercourse, and defence. How I shall be protected, how shall I enjoy sex, how I shall eat more, I shall sleep more: this is called viṣaya. Viṣaya does not mean a very rich man, viṣayī. A poor man can be viṣayī, and a rich man can be renounced. Just like Rāmānanda Rāya. He was governor, a gṛhastha, not even sannyāsī. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted him not as gṛhastha—more than a sannyāsī. So viṣaya. Viṣayī means, does not mean that if one is very rich, then he's viṣayī. Viṣayī means one is only interested with these four things: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. The whole world is going on like that. The modern civilization, they're simply interested how to eat, how to sleep... In your country, in America, you know very well. They're whole day working, how to construct a skyscraper building, how to own at least four cars.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

Bhaga. Bhaga means opulence. Just like we sometimes speak bhagavān. That comes from this word bhaga. Similarly, bhagavān. Bhagavān means the owner of all opulences. That is called bhagavān. There are now nowadays so many bhagavāns, but they are not owner of all opulences. Maybe partly. But God means, bhagavān means samagrasya. Samagra means complete. One rich man can claim that "I am owner of so many crores." Another can claim, "No I have got one or two more crores more than you." Others may say... So on, so on, so on, go on. But nobody can claim that "I am the owner of all opulences." But in the Bhagavad-gītā, you will find, Kṛṣṇa claims, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Sarva-loka-maheśvaram, "The supreme proprietor of all the lokas." That is admitted by the śāstra.

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

He's attractive by His opulences, six kinds opulences, which I have described many times in this class. Another name is adhokṣaja, this name here. He has got many millions and trillions of names, according to perception of the devotee or the knower. He is also known as Brahman, Paraṁ Brahman, Paramātmā, and Kṛṣṇa, Madhusūdana, Govinda. There are many millions and trillions of names of God, but in the Vedic literature it is said that out of all kinds of names designated... Not designated. Designated will be wrong word. Actually. Because God name, God's name is given according to His transcendental quality. Just like this word, "Kṛṣṇa." "Kṛṣṇa" means, real means the all-attractive. So because He has got transcendental qualities to attract everyone, He can attract the richest man, He can attract the most beautiful man or woman, He can attract the most strong man, He can attract the most wise man; therefore He's all-attractive. So adhokṣaja means you cannot perceive. You cannot have any actual idea of God by your mental speculation. He is called adhokṣaja.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

Generally, I am passionate, and You are so exalted, You can give me anything. So I shall be inclined to ask You again. Just like my father had so many opulences. So kindly do not induce me in that way. I am not a merchant that because I have rendered some service unto You, I expect some return. No. Sa vai vaṇik. It is not business with You. I am your eternal servant." Oh, just see. This is pure devotee. Ahaitukī. No reason. "It is my duty." That is occupational duty. "It is my eternal occupation to serve You." These are the highest ideas of pure devotion. Ahaituky apratihatā. Then "You are poor man. How you can serve Me?" No. "You are illiterate. You have no education. How can you serve Me? You cannot understand Vedānta philosophy. How you can know Me? How you can serve Me? You are poor man. You are poor man, you are woman, or you are śūdra." No. Apratihatā. Whatever you may be, either you are poor man or rich man or black man or white man or woman or man, it doesn't matter. Everyone has right to serve Kṛṣṇa. Apratihatā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

So the yoga-siddhi, that is magic. But devotee can show better magic, but they do not bother their time for yoga practice. That is bhakta. Because he's under the care of the supreme magician, Kṛṣṇa. So if there is need of magic, Kṛṣṇa will show. Why he should bother? Just like a small child is dependent on his father. Father is rich man. So he says to his father, "Father, I want this." That is very costly. So he doesn't require to get the money. The father is there. He'll get the money. "All right, take it." So that is the facility for the devotees. A devotee is under the care of the Yogeśvara. Yatra yogeśvara hariḥ. If you can catch up the hand of Yogeśvara Hari, then you can show wonderful magic, which no magician, no yogis can display. That is the position of devotee. They do not care for practicing yoga to show some magical feats. Neither they require it. Neither they want it. Because devotee's position is āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā (CC Antya 20.47). "Whatever You like, You can do." That's all. He has no desire.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

So one has to become... If one becomes a devotee, ahaituky apratihatā, such devotional service can never be checked. It is not conditional. "If I am very learned, then I can read Vedānta philosophy, then I can understand what is the Absolute Truth." So that is checked. "If I am not very nice Sanskrit scholar, then I, I cannot become a Vedantist." That is conditional. But bhakti is not conditional. Not that because you are not a Vedantist, not that because you are a very not rich man... Not that. Bhakti is unconditional. Ahaituky apratihatā. They're... Just like class of men, they say, "First of all, let us enjoy this world. Then we shall think of bhakti, God, later on." That is the general public; they say like that. But no. Bhakti is not that conditional, that you finish your business of sense gratification, then you become bhakta. No. Become bhakta immediately. Immediately. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). If one is intelligent, he should begin devotional service immediately. As soon as he gets the information that devotional service is the perfect type of religion, he should take immediately, without waiting. Ahaituky apratihatā. It is not that "I am conditioned by so many things. I cannot take to bhakti just now." No. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā. Without any check. Without any hindrance, you can adopt bhakti.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

Generally we go to temple, to church, or to mosque, anywhere, the place of worship, "O God give us our daily bread." There is a motive. Similarly, others also, they go to the temple, "O God, I am in need of money, I am distressed, kindly mitigate my distress, give me some money." There is motive. But here it is said ahaitukī, without any motive. If you can love God who is beyond your sense perception and without any motive, that activities of love will never be stopped. Ahaituky apratihatā—without being impeded. Without being impeded by any material condition. That means that if you actually love God, there is no condition. Because you are poor man you cannot love God, that is not the fact. Or because you are rich man you cannot love God, no, that is also not fact. Because you are not educated you cannot love God, that is also not acceptable. Because you are very much educated, highly philosophical... So many conditions you can bring but all these conditions are not applicable in the business, in the transaction, of loving God without motive. So this is the description of love of Godhead and if we practically try to cultivate this knowledge of Godhead, that is called, that process is called bhakti. That process is called bhakti.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Nobody knows how to become perfect. They are struggling very hard to become perfect individually, socially, nationally. But how they can be perfect? They do not know what is perfection. This is perfection. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you do not take another material..., and do not accept another material body, this is the final..., that is perfection. That is perfection. That is the injunction of the śāstra: na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum, gurur na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt (SB 5.5.18). These are the injunction of the śāstra. "Don't try to become a guru or don't try to accept a so-called guru." Who? Who cannot save you from this repetition of birth and death. This is the injunction. Not that "Guru has given me some mantra. I am now a poor man. I become very rich man." No. That is not. Real purpose of life—how to get out of this repetition of birth and death. That is wanted.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply to teach people how to love Kṛṣṇa, how to become beloved of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai puṁsām, the greatest type of religious life. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Because we are teaching how to love Kṛṣṇa. And if you can, if we, you or we, if we some way or other, if we love Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6), ahaitukī... But there must not be any motive. And it cannot be checked in any circumstances. It is not that because one is very poor man, he cannot love Kṛṣṇa, or because one is very rich man, he cannot love Kṛṣṇa. Of course, sometimes to become very rich, janmaiśvarya (SB 1.8.26), they become very proud. They do not come to Kṛṣṇa. So sometimes Kṛṣṇa shows the mercy to turn His devotee into poverty-stricken position. Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8). That... Therefore somebody is afraid of coming to Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is also very kind. When you become actually a devotee, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22), there will be no scarcity.

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

So because they are all śūdras, what they can make, make solution? The present moment, the whole world is full of śūdras, and they have got money. So they are simply spending for sense gratification. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, śūdras should not be given much money. Simply what they actually require, that's all. Because they do not know how to utilize money. At the present moment, because the whole population are śūdras, as soon as they get money, they spend it for wine, women, and squander it away. Big, big rich men in America, they spend fifty thousand dollars in a week in Florida for seeing naked dance. Is it not? Is it not a fact? Because they are śūdras. They do not know how to spend money. And formerly, before this, people were little intelligent, or at least they had some religious faith. So they constructed temple, churches, mosque. Nowadays these things is stopped. As soon as one gets money, "How to spend it after sense gratification?"

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

So why one has taken the body of the worm of stool and why one has taken the body of Lord Brahmā or Indra, Candra, Varuṇa or rich man, very nice man, beautiful man? Why? Why these differences of body? Because the kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). As you are associating with the modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa... There are three guṇas. Sattva-guṇa, if you associate with sattva-guṇa, then ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you remain in sattva-guṇa... Sattva-guṇa means brahminical qualification. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). If you remain on the platform of brahminical qualification, that is called sattva-guṇa. And less than that śauryaṁ tejo balaṁ yuddhe cāpalāyanam, kṣatriya qualification—that is modes of passion. And others, remaining, they are in the modes of ignorance, do not know what is the value of life, what is next life, what is spiritual realization, why we are suffering. Nothing, no knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

So pious and impious activities, this is going on. Generally, people understand dharma by these. But here Bhāgavata says, "No. Dharma, religious principles, should be executed to nullify..." Hy āpavargyasya. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na arthāya upakalpate. "Not for material benefit." Material benefit... Either you become poor or rich, you have to undergo the tribulations of this material existence. Because you are rich man, you cannot avoid death. Because you are rich man, you cannot avoid hard working. Because you are rich man, you cannot avoid fearfulness. So the same thing is for the poor man. He's also working hard. It may be that he's not getting more money; you are getting more money. But getting more money, you have to work like ass and dog. So you cannot get out of these principles, either you become rich or poor. Generally, they understand that "By becoming religious, I shall be rich." That is fact; you can become. But what is the benefit? Suppose you are rich. Do you think that you will not die? Do you think that you will not be attacked by any disease? Do you think that you will not become old? So what is the benefit? But real religion means to nullify these principles. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya nārtho 'rthāyopakalpate. Not that becoming religious I become richer, I become, I get so many material benefits. No. That is not. But you can say that "We require some money for existence." Yes, that's a fact, that's a fact.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

If you get more money, then engage it for Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to... Therefore it is said, dharmasya, nārthasya dharmaikāntasya. Na arthasya, neither money, arthasya, dharmaikāntasya, one who is actually religious, dharma, kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ. The money you get, it is not for your sense gratification. Nārthasya dharmaikāntasya. Actually, if you are dharmic, if you are religious, then suppose you have got money... You can get money because you are dharmic. So you can get money. But don't employ it kāmo lābhāya, for your sense gratification. Therefore in any country, in the past, I mean to say, millenniums of years, in the days gone by, any rich man, if he has got some money, he would construct some church or some temple or some mosque. That was the system throughout the whole world. Because they knew that "I have got this extra money, I must employ it for God consciousness." But at the present moment, the churches are being transformed into factories, because they have lost religion. And because they have lost religion, they are animals. And how you can get peace and prosperity in the society of animals?

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

Actually who is religious, his money is not meant for sense gratification. Formerly anyone who had money, he used to spend for Kṛṣṇa. Just like you see here in Vṛndāvana big, big temples. They were constructed by very, very rich men. They knew that "Now I have got extra money. I can spend it for Kṛṣṇa." Just like Mahārāja Mansingh. He approached Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī was sitting here. Or sometimes somewhere. Rūpa Gosvāmī was famous, saintly person in Vṛndāvana. So Mahārāja Mansingh approached: "Sir, what can I do for you? I have got some money. I want to spend some money for you." So Rūpa Gosvāmī, what he'll do with the money? He was, he left his minister, ministerial post to come to Vṛndāvana not for earning money. So he advised him, "All right, if you have got money, you spend it for constructing a nice temple for Govindajī." So he constructed so nice temple, seven stories. It is impossible now to construct such a temple, such nice work. But he spent, he utilized his money in that way.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

As soon as we forget or defy to enjoy with Kṛṣṇa... Just like a big man, a rich man... So the rich man is enjoying along with the servants are also enjoying. The servants are not poor in a rich man's house. He is eating of the same thing. He is also riding on the same car with the master. Rather, the driver is in the front, and the master is in the back. So in this way we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like in a family, why you take the risk of family? For enjoyment. I am alone. I can remain happy. Now, why you take the wife? I know if I marry then there will be children, there will be so many responsibilities. But why you accept? For happiness. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme happy person. So we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. To remain with Kṛṣṇa always... And He becomes happy, we are happy. This is our position.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

This brahma-jijñāsā is explained here as tattva-jijñāsā, the same thing. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. This human life... Athāto brahma jijñāsā means this human life is made for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, he inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya, "Who am I?" This is also brahma-jijñāsā. Because I am part and parcel of Brahman, the Absolute Truth, so I must know myself. So that is the beginning of brahma-jijñāsā. Just like Bhagavad-gītā begins... Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna that "You are not this body. You are Brahman." Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe, in this body, there is the proprietor of the body. So that is the beginning of brahma-jijñāsā. "Who am I?" Ke āmi. And without knowing myself, I cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. If I, without knowing myself, I try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then I shall misunderstand. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). I shall consider that "He's also a man like me. Maybe a better man or stronger man or richer man. That's all." Because they have no conception of the spiritual identity of self, therefore they misunderstand Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

That has been also explained. Bhagavān means ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa, complete in six opulences. He is Bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence. Just like we say bhāgyavān. This bhāgyavān word comes from bhaga. Bhaga bhavārthe śrī-karṇa(?), bhāgya. And vān is vatup, asty arthe vatup(?). If somebody possesses something, this affix vat or mat is used. So bhagavān means one who has opulences. So Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, when He was present on this planet, nobody could excel His opulences. That's a fact. Everyone knows. People want to enjoy. That is natural tendency, the association of woman. Here also we see that very, very rich men, they want to associate with nice, beautiful woman. In the Western countries I have seen. In Paris there are many clubs. So the club business is to go and enjoy the association of nice beautiful woman. So everyone knows it. So tendency is there. That is also richness. So that richness I have already explained. Here in the material world the same thing is represented pervertedly, not in actual position. Therefore we are frustrated.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

So naturally the minister must have association with big, big zamindars, lords, aristocratic family. But about them it is said, when they joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, resigning from their ministership, so that is described by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ. Maṇḍala-pati means big, big zamindars, aristocrats. So tyaktvā, gave up their association. Just like we flatter here. If we can mix with a very big rich man, we consider very fortunate. But these Gosvāmīs, they gave up, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa, not only one, two. Because they were ministers, everyone is coming to flatter him, all big, big zamindars. But he gave up that association. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Tuccha means very insignificant. Then what they became? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Dīna-gaṇeśakau, just to show favor to the poor souls, dīna-gaṇeśakau. Gaṇa. Gaṇa means people in general. So just to show them favor, accepted the life of a mendicant. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Kaupīna-kanthā. That is the last stage of sannyāsa, paramahaṁsa stage: a loin cloth and an underwear, kaupīna-kanthāśritau.

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

So this is the benefit of being Kṛṣṇa conscious, that whatever we are acting in our past life, and according to that we have got this body... Either impious or pious, whatever you have done, that's all right. Don't think that because we are doing some pious activities we shall be out of the bondage of fruitive activity. No. That is also not possible. I have several times explained that if we do pious activity, then the result will be that we shall be able to get our birth in a very nice family, aristocratic family, rich family, pious family, big family. These are the results. Janma. Or janma aiśvarya. Janma means high birth. A very rich man, born in a rich family or high family, that means automatically he becomes a rich man. Janmaiśvarya-śruta (SB 1.8.26), or somebody becomes very highly or great learned man, śruta. And śrī; śrī means beauty. Or one becomes very beautiful. So these things are obtained by righteous activities. And similarly by acting impious activities we become very ugly, we become fool, we are born in a very low family or animal family and we become very poor. These are the results of different activities.

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

One may say, "If I get next life in a very rich family and becomes very rich man and becomes very learned man, very beautiful man, why shall I not take this opportunity?" But intelligent man says that "Even if I get such opportunities, the material miseries are there." It is not that because a child is born of a very rich family, he hasn't got to go into the womb of his mother and suffer the consequence. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). The distress of birth, death, disease and old age equally there, either you become born in a very high family or either you born in a very low family, either you're born in India or you are born in America. This suffering, the four kinds of sufferings are everywhere. Not only India and America, they are in this planet, but even if you go to the moon planet or if you go to the sun planet. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. Even the highest planet. The modern scientist says that if we want to go to the highest planet it will take forty thousands of years. No. Four hundred thousands of years. Something like that they say. By sputnik.

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

So here, in the Bhagavad-gītā, just see how the Lord says that karma-jaṁ buddhi-yuktā hi. Karma-jam. Karma-jam means whenever you act, there will be some reaction. If you act good things, there will be a good reaction. If you act bad things, there will be bad reaction. But reaction, either good or bad, that is, in higher sense, all suffering. I have already explained to you another, some other day, that suppose by good action I get good birth, good riches and good features of the body, good education, all these thing I get, but that does not mean that I am free from the material pangs. The material pangs are janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: (BG 13.9) birth, death, old age and diseases. Because you are rich man, because you are beautiful man, because you are educated man, because you are born in a aristocratic family, that does not mean that you have avoided death, old age and disease.

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

You are under the complete subjugation of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). These guṇaiḥ. The prakṛti is forcing you to work because you have infected a kind of guṇa. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu (BG 13.22). Kāraṇam. Why one man is born, one living entity is born as a very rich man and one is born as a dog? Sad-asad-yoni. Yoni means mother, and bīja means father. Yathā yoni yathā bījaḥ. So the every living entity is born—bīja and yoni, father and mother. So why there are varieties? Nature is working. Why not one, one kind of living entities? No. Sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. There are 8,400,000 of species. One has to take. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change. But why one is in the lower grade birth, why in the higher grade? Now, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. These guṇa. These guṇa, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972:

This is the version of Vyāsadeva. The... Because they neglect the Supreme Person. Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. The Vedantists... There are many Vedantists in Vṛndāvana, but they do not come to see the temple, because they think themselves that they have become Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vedānta, so-called Vedānta philosophy conclusion. But Bhāgavata says that vimukta-māninaḥ. "They are thinking that they have become liberated." That is their concoction. Māninaḥ. If somebody thinks that "I have become the richest man in the world," although he has nothing to show... To become richest man, there must be some symptoms. But if a poor man says that "I am the richest man in the world," so one should test him, whether he has got the complete riches of the world.

Lecture on SB 1.2.31 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

Antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. But Kṛṣṇa, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi-sanniviṣṭaḥ, as Paramātmā, He has entered in everyone's heart. He is in His knowledge. He knows that "This individual soul wanted to enjoy this material world," so He gives him facility: "Now you enjoy." Those who have no discrimination of eating—all abominable things one can eat—he's given the chance of eating everything up to stool in the form of a hog. The facility's given. One who is shameless... Now this civilization has spread in the Western countries—they want to remain naked. There are so many nudie clubs. So next life they'll be given chance to become tree, to stand naked for thousands of years. This is laws of nature. They do not know how they're getting chance, different types of body for different types of enjoyments, material enjoyment. Sometimes he's put as a poor man; sometimes he's put as a rich man. Sometimes as demigod, sometimes as cat, sometimes as dog. In this way, it is going on. But they are..., there is no knowledge. The modern civilization, they do not take care of this Vedic information, neither they have got any sufficient knowledge how these 8,400,000 species of life are becoming possible. They have no science. But here it is stated: antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

We living entities, we are also vibhinnāṁśa. We are also part and parcel, but we are separated. Therefore we haven't got the full potency of God. We have got potencies of God. The six potencies, namely opulence, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and renunciation, we have also got these in minute quantity. Whatever we see here, the richest man in the world, that is only minute particle of the richness of God. Because we are part and parcel, minute part and parcel. Therefore we have got all the opulences in minute form. Just like gold and a minute particle of gold. Chemically analyze the small particle of gold has got all the composition as the original big gold. A drop of sea water... Chemically, a drop of sea water has got all the composition as the big sea water. Similarly, we have got all the qualities of God, but in minute quantity. That is the difference between God and ourselves. Or in other words, you can study God also by studying yourself. Whatever propensities you have got, that is also there in God. Everything. Otherwise wherefrom it comes? Because I am part and parcel, if I have got all these propensities, naturally, in full and without any inebriety, those things are present in God.

Lecture on SB 1.3.30 -- Los Angeles, October 5, 1972:

Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). Jantu means living entities. For giving him a body, it is decided by the higher authorities. You cannot say, "Now give me the body of a king." Now you are American. You cannot say, you cannot dictate, that "Give me again the American body as the son of Rockefeller." No. That will be judged, what you have done. Of course, you have got this opportunity for your pious activities. Because to take birth in rich family or rich nation, that is due to pious activity, past. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). Janma, birth; aiśvarya, riches; śruta, education; and śrī, and beauty. These things are obtained according to past activities. Not that everyone becomes educated. No. There is no such chance. We were discussing this morning. There is no chance. Everything depends on some cause. Not that by chance anyone becomes very rich man. No. One has to work for it. Not that by chance one becomes very educated. These things are not chances. So as soon as there is no chance, there is cause, there must be judgment. There must be judgment. Otherwise why one man is born rich and other man is working so hard, but he is lying down on the street?

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969:

Parāvareśo manasaiva viśvaṁ sṛjaty avati. Manasaiva, "simply by thinking." Just like in the Bible it is said, "Let there be creation." Immediately there is creation. Manasaiva. We can compare just a very rich man, many assistants, many managers. Just like, take, in your country, Rockefeller or somebody like that. He thinks something to do, business. Simply he orders his secretary, "This should be done," it is done. Without his personal effort, immediately done. Because why? Because he has got superior energy or power. In the material world... Material world means this monetary strength he has got. So simply by his desire, the secretary arranges everything and everything is nicely done. But he is sitting in his room. If it is possible for a person who is little materially rich, just imagine how much it is possible by God, the Supreme. Simply by willing, everything will be done. He hasn't got to do anything. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Veda also.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

Suppose a boy is born in a brāhmaṇa family, but his quality just like śūdra or laborer class. The people will not accept. Just like if I am born of a brāhmaṇa family, so they will ask my qualification, how I am qualified. So those who are born in high family but not qualified according to the family tradition, they are called dvija-bandhu. Dvija. Dvija means twice-born. Dvi means two, and ja means birth. The śūdras have one birth, one birth by the father and mother. But those who are higher caste... Just like a man may be born in a low family or poor family, but by his intelligence he gets another birth. He becomes very rich man or very learned man, very intelligent man, very philosophic... That life is from the university. Similarly, dvija means first birth is from the father-mother, and the next birth is accepting a spiritual master. The next birth is... Father is the spiritual master, and the Vedas are the mother. So those who accept the spiritual master as father and the Vedic knowledge as mother, they are called dvija, twice-born. Twice-born. That means cultured. Cultured family. So those who are born in cultured family, but... A son is born in a cultured family, but his cultural knowledge is very poor, he is called dvija-bandhu. So woman class, laborer class, and those who are born in higher family, but intelligence is very poor, they are called dvija-bandhu. And for these classes of men the Mahābhārata was compiled. That means Vedic knowledge explained in simple historical facts.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

But Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says, (chuckling) "Oh, you are trying to go to other higher planets by your karma, by his work? Oh, this is just like horse egg. Huh? Why should you bother yourself?" Horse egg means it has no substance. As, like there is no existence of horse egg, similarly, even if you attain that higher planetary system, what do you gain by that? You don't gain anything, because the four principles of material existence will continue there also. Birth, death, old age, and disease, you cannot stop. You may live for a greater period—that is possible in higher planets. But if you are simply satisfied only by living a bigger span of life, is that very success? Just stop death. That is success. To become very strong in body, that is not success. But either you become strong and weak, you have to die. There is no, I mean to say, excuse, because you are a strong man you will not die. Or because you are rich man you will not die. Because you are... No. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says, it is just like ākāśa-puṣpa, phantasmagoria.

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

Just like a man is addicted to commit theft. He has got a habit of stealing. And if I say, "Stealing is very nice art. You can go on with you, with it," then where is the reformation? There is no question of... He, he's already addicted. So it is encouragement. So similarly, in the dharma-śāstra... Just like in Mahābhārata there is... (aside:) Where is that "cut cut" noise? Don't make that sound. Just like in marriage ceremony. Marriage ceremony... Of course, in your country, the marriage ceremony is different. In India still, the people spend as much as possible in the marriage ceremony, millions of dollars. If one man is rich, he'll spend for his son's marriage or daughter's marriage. That is a great credit. "Oh, this man is very rich man. He's spending so much money." So there are so many religious performances, ritualistic performances. You have to spend money. So you must find out so many performances. So they have all these in the śāstras.

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

He says, Nārada Muni says, that evaṁ tāvat tat karma-karmādi anartha-hetutva taṁ vihāya harer līlāiva bandhaniya tam.(?) Therefore everyone should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If we pass Kṛṣṇa consciousness examination at the end of our life, it is very good, but even if we fail, just like the medical man, failing, as we can execute, we can work as a medical man, we get the license, just like to take birth in a nice family, that means again devotional service. In India, a rich family means they must have their own private temple. Generally they have got private temple, all rich men. Now they are not constructing. Just like in your country, those who are rich, now they are not constructing any churches. They... Everywhere, people are losing interest in religion. But in formerly, say, even twenty-five years ago, both the Hindus and Mussulman, if one becomes rich, immediately he tries to construct a temple or a mosque. I have got personal experience. When I was doing medical business, one Muhammadan... His name was Abdullah. He was supplying me bottles. So he was very poor man, but by making business in bottle supply he became rich. So one day I asked him, "Abdullah, you have got now money. How you are going to utilize your money?" So he said, "Bābājī, masjid banāyange(?)" He said that "My dear sir," that, "I have got an intention to construct a mosque." So people, either Christian or Jew or Muhammadan or Hindu, formerly they were religious and, according to their faith, they used to construct either synagogue or church or mosque or temple all over the world. Now they have lost interest. You see?

Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:

So Nārada Muni also says the same thing what Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, what Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, what Kṛṣṇa says. This is paramparā system. He says that "Don't be," I mean to say, "very much anxious how to adjust your material comforts of life. Let it come as it is destined. You simply try to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because this consciousness is not available." In higher planetary system... Just like this example. They were puffed up with so much opulence. A man... Just like we are inviting, we are attracting, middle class of men. Those who are too much rich, in consideration of this, they are not attracted. They think that "All right, these boys are chanting in the street. All right." Not, I don't think very rich men contributes. They also, middle class of men, they contribute something. So to become too much rich, too much puffed up with opulence like the two sons of Kuvera, is another chance of being degraded. To remain a little poor is better condition for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore our duty should be not to become a very great man in the consideration of these materialistic men. If he wants thousands and millions of dollars, become like a Rockefeller or Ford, that will be great a estimation of these common materialistic man, but from spiritual point of view, such things have no value—unless such opulence is engaged in the service of the Lord. Otherwise, it is the cause of falldown.

Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

Just like Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. I think I have several times spoken about Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. So Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, he raised himself in his previous life to the bhāva-bhakti. Bhāva-bhakti means always feeling for Kṛṣṇa. That is the prior stage of loving Kṛṣṇa, bhāva-bhakti. So he, in his previous life he was raised, but somehow or other, he fell down. But it is assured, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate: (BG 6.41) "Even such Kṛṣṇa consciousness person falls down, he is given chance to take birth in nice brāhmaṇa family or śuci, pure family, and rich family." So Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura was very rich man. He was born in a very rich brāhmaṇa family. And he was addicted to prostitute. By some way or other, he had some inclination like that. So he could not finish Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He fallen down. But at a opportune moment he got again the Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

So in those days plague in Calcutta, plague was going on. So municipal declaration was any dead mouse brought to the municipal office, he'll be paid two annas. So he took that dead body of the mouse and took to the municipal office. He was paid two annas. So he purchased some rotten betel nuts with two annas, and washed it and sold it at four annas, or five annas. In this way, again, again, again, that man became so rich man. One of their family members was our Godbrother. Nandi family. That Nandi family still, they have got four hundred, five hundred men to eat daily. A big, aristocratic family. And their family's regulation is as soon as one son or daughter is born, five thousand rupees deposited in the bank, and at the time of his marriage, that five thousand rupees with interest, he can take it. Otherwise there is no more share in the capital. And everyone who lives in the family, he gets eating and shelter. This is their... But the original, I mean to say, establisher of this family, Nandi, he started his business with a red, a dead rat, or mouse.

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. So eating, sleeping, mating, this is going on. That viṣaya is available... I have seen at night a small insects, they are also enjoying eating, sleeping, mating. A small, very small ant is captured.

Lecture on SB 1.7.20-21 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1976:

It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā even though one falls immaturely, then yoga-bhraṣṭo..., śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). One who has not been successful, one is fallen from this bhakti-yoga, for him also there is guarantee nice. That guarantee, Kṛṣṇa says that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Śucīnām. Then he's given the chance of taking birth in a very pious brāhmaṇa's family. Not ordinary: śucīnām. Śuci means brāhmaṇa, and śrīmatā, śrī means fortune, and mat means one possesses fortune—that means very rich man. Śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Even...

Therefore Nārada Muni has said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ
(SB 1.5.17)

This verse is very important. He says that if one takes sentimentally this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, tyaktvā sva-dharmam... Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you young men, young boys and girls, are coming. You had some engagement previously, undoubtedly. You may be you were a student, you may be businessman or so on, so on. Everyone has got... At least you had some business for LSD. So you have given up all this.

Lecture on SB 1.7.20-21 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1976:

In the material world, dvaite bhadrābhadra, "This is good, this is bad," it is all mental concoction. After all, it is material world. Either you become very expert in handling these material affairs, very big businessman, Mr. Ford, Mr. this and that, or so many things... (break) ...successful, what is the meaning of this "Successful, unsuccessful"? You have to die. You have to suffer from disease. Just like nowadays the flu is going on. Does it mean that a big man or a rich man will not suffer? When the disease is there, either you are big man or rich man or poor man or small man, everyone has to suffer. So long you will be in the material world, if you do not rectify yourself, śuddha-sattva... Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). If you don't rectify your existence, then this janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi will go on (BG 13.9). Then what is the good? Actually, there is no good. 'Ei bhāla, ei manda'—ei saba 'bhrama'.. It is simply mental concoction. So in the material world, even you become very expert to deal with your business very nicely, it is all useless. Ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ. If one does not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, his so-called success in this material world or failure, they have no value. Rather, if by sentiment somebody comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if for a few days he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, their success, in future at least, guaranteed.

Lecture on SB 1.7.26 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1976:

The kṛṣṇa-bhajana is not so easy thing. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is completely free from the reaction of pāpa, he cannot (can) take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But in the ordinary way, karma... According to karma... Just like you are working to earn some money, businessman, karma. So ordinary way you have to work very hard day and night to get some money. Suppose if you want one lakh of rupees or one crore of rupees, you have to work for it. But there is another way. Suppose one rich man gives you, that "You haven't got to work. Take this one lakh of rupees or one crore of rupees. You take it." That is another way. Ordinary way to accumulate crores of rupees, it may not be possible in your life. But if some friend or some rich man becomes kind upon you and delivers you, "Take it," you can get it immediately, without any hard labor. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the supreme rich man, supreme rich being, is offering you, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām... (BG 18.66). "You haven't got to do anything. Come on. You surrender unto Me, and I give you immediately liberation." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. There is no anxiety.

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

Even fifty years ago, in Calcutta there was a very big barrister. He was a political leader. He was Mr. C.R. Das. So his father died insolvent. His father was also very respectable man, but later on he became so much debtor that he died insolvent. Declared... This Mr. C. R. Das, he did not get any property from the father, but by his practice as a barrister he became very rich man. In those days his monthly income was fifty thousand rupees. So he called all the creditors of his father and paid paisa to paisa, that "My father died in debtor. Now I have got money, you can take." So this is the duty of the son. But if one is poor man, he cannot pay. So he becomes a subject matter of criticism. Under the circumstances the father becomes the enemy. So therefore the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's enunciation, ṛṇa-kartā pitā śatruḥ. And mātā śatrur vyabhicāriṇī. And if the mother, either she becomes prostitute or marries for the second time in the presence of elderly children, she is enemy. Ṛṇa-kartā pitā śatrur mātā śatrur vyabhicāriṇī. And Cāṇakya Paṇḍita had very bad experience with his wife. So he says, rūpavatī bhāryā śatruḥ: "If the wife is very beautiful, she is enemy." And putraḥ śatrur apaṇḍitaḥ: "And if the son is a rascal, no education, he is enemy." So these are the family enemies.

Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:

A similar is stated about the Gosvāmīs. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. We have seen it practically. One big politician in Calcutta, C.R. Das. He was earning fifty thousand monthly. In those days. Fifty thousand means... I am speaking... He died in 1925. That means fifty years ago he was earning fifty thousand per month. Now fifty thousand means fifty lakhs nowadays. He was so rich man. But on the Congress resolution that the prominent members of the Congress, they should not cooperate with the government... And one of the item of noncooperation was they should not practice in the British court because there is no justice. That was Gandhi's order, that "In the British court there is no justice. So why should you go there? Don't go." So this C.R. Das, on the resolution of the Congress... He was one of the prominent members. He gave up. So he had no income. So he had no income. The Congress was giving him five hundred rupees, pocket expenses. Because he was such a rich man. What is five hundred rupees for him? He was earning fifty thousand rupees and spending. So he could not bear that inconvenience. He died within a year. He was a rich man. He could not provide. And he was very charitably disposed. If somebody would come to him he would say, "I have lost my all income. Now I have got this five hundred rupees. You can take it." He was such a charitably disposed. So anyway he could not tolerate.

Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:

Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he also did the same thing. What is that? Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. When he was inspired by Caitanya Mahāprabhu... He was a minister in charge of Nawab Hussain Shah's government, but he decided, "What is this nonsense ministership? Let me join Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So he did it. Therefore about him it is said, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. He was associated with big, big men. Maṇḍala-pati. He was minister. But he gave up. "What is this nonsense? It has no value." So if we compare with C.R. Das, he also gave up his income, but he died. But what happened to Rūpa Gosvāmī? Naturally, such a rich man, minister, he gave up his position, he should have also died because no income? No. He did not die. That is the difference. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. For benefiting the mass of people who are suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to do them good, they became mendicant. Kaupīna-kanthāśritau. You have seen the picture of Rūpa Gosvāmī. A small loincloth, and nothing more. Then? He should have died. No.

Lecture on SB 1.7.49-50 -- Vrndavana, October 7, 1976:

Just like a big rich man. He eats so many nice things. But sometimes he says, "Give me some puffed rice." Puffed rice is not his food, but he likes sometimes. Similarly, everyone prays to God with reverence and vow and obedience, but He wants to be chastised sometimes. That chastisement, from where this chastisement will come? It will come from His devotee, not ordinary. If ordinary man chastises, imitating Yaśodāmāyi, he will be offender. He will be punished. But where He agrees to be chastised, "Mother you chastise Me," that is bhakti. That is devotional service. So there is nothing extraordinary when it is said here, bhagavān devakī-suta. He can become Devakī-suta. It is His mercy.

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

Lord Viṣṇu has nothing to do with these material affairs, as a big man, a rich man has nothing to do personally, but he gets things done by his assistant, by his servant. It is like that. In the Vedas also, Upaniṣad, it is said, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Lord Viṣṇu has nothing to do personally. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody is equal to Him, neither nobody is greater than Him. Everyone is below. Therefore viṣṇu-tattva is asamordhva. Nobody is equal, nobody is higher. To consider equal to viṣṇu-tattva is aparādha, offense. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned this offense very strictly.

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- New York, April 13, 1973:

We do not wish. So He's always finding out the opportunity how you can be taken back home, back to Godhead. Just like affectionate father. Rascal son left his father, loitering in the street and have no shelter, no food, suffering so much. The father is more anxious to take the boy home. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father. All these living entities within this material world, they're exactly like the misled child of a big, rich man, loitering in the street. Therefore the greatest benefit to the human society is to give him Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Greatest... You cannot give any benefit; any kind of material profit will not satisfy the living entity. If he's given this Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just like the same process. A bewildered boy is loitering in the street. If he's reminded, "My dear boy, why you are suffering so much? You are the son of such and such very rich man. Your father has got so much property. Why you are loitering in the street?" And if he comes to his consciousness: "Yes, I am the son of such and such big man. Why shall I loiter in the street?" He goes back home. Yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6).

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- New York, April 13, 1973:

Of course, it is very revolutionary. People will hate me. "What Swamiji's speaking?" But actually this is the fact. This is another madness. Suppose you have got your rich father, enough food. Where is your economic problem? This is madness. There is no economic problem. If you are, if you know that "My father is the richest man of the city," then where is my economic problem? Actually, that is the position. We have no economic problem. Everything is there, complete. Pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Everything is complete there. You want water. Just see: there are oceans of water. You want purified water. You cannot. Although the ocean water's so much, when there is scarcity of water, you have take help of Kṛṣṇa. He'll evaporate the water, He'll make it cloud. Then when it falls down, then it becomes sweet. Otherwise you cannot touch. Everything under control. Everything is full-water, light, heat. Everything is complete. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). His stock is never finished. Simply you become obedient and the supply is there. You can understand.

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

So here also, nanda, nanda-nandanāya... He (she) says, nanda-gopa-kumārāya (SB 1.8.21). Kumāra. Kumāra means "who is not married." So Kṛṣṇa remained in Vṛndāvana up to sixteen years. Therefore He remained always kumāra, Nanda-kumāra, Nanda-nandana. Here it is explicitly said, Nanda-gopa. And who was Nanda? That is also explained. Nanda means that leader of the cowherds men or he was king, Nanda Mahārāja. King does not mean always one has to become a king of very big kingdom. No. Anyone who possesses... Still in India, anyone who possesses some land, he is called king, rāja. He is called rāja, the zamindar, one who possesses some land, in..., especially in the up-country. So Nanda Mahārāja, because he possessed some land... He was well-to-do, rich man. Because... (aside:) Where is water? He possessed cows and grains. Formerly, a man... Still now, also... Actually that is rich, riches. Gavayā dhanavān, one who has got many cows, he is to be considered as rich man. Dhānyena dhanavān. One who has got large quantity of food grains, he is dhanavān. Nowadays one who has got a bunch of paper, he is considered... And the paper is nothing. As soon as the government is failure, then the thousand-dollar note and hundred-dollar notes, it will have no value.

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1973:

This is very significant, that you may have many enemies or many fighters, very powerful fighters, but if you remain at the protection of Kṛṣṇa, then nobody can do you anything, harm. Rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke: "If Kṛṣṇa protects you, nobody can kill you." But if Kṛṣṇa kills you nobody can give you protection. That is this, rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke, māre kṛṣṇa rākhe ke. This is the... If Kṛṣṇa desires to kill you, nobody can save you. Just like a big man, a rich man, is suffering from disease. All first-class physician, medicine, hospital, available for him, but still, he dies. That means Kṛṣṇa desires that "This man must die." So these things will not help you. The so-called protective methods that we have discovered, they will be useless if Kṛṣṇa does not desire that you should live. They will be useless.

Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Los Angeles, April 18, 1973:

So these are the disqualifications. Material opulence, these things... Janma, to take birth in very aristocratic family or nation. Just like you American boys and girls, you are born of rich father, mother, nation. So this is, in one sense, it is God's grace. That is also... To take birth in nice family or in nice nation, to become opulent, very rich, to become advanced in knowledge, education, all, everything material. And beauty, these are the gifts of pious activities. Otherwise, why a poor man, he does not attract anyone's attention. But a rich man attracts. An educated man attracts the attention. A fool, rascal, does not attract attention. So similarly in beauty, in opulence, these things are materially very beneficial. Janmaiśvarya-śruta.

Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Los Angeles, April 18, 1973:

But when a person is materially opulent in this way, he becomes intoxicated. "Oh, I am rich man. I am educated man. I have got money." Becomes intoxicated. Therefore we advise... Because they're already intoxicated by these possessions. And again intoxication? Then, by nature, these people are already intoxicated. Intoxicated in this sense... Just like if you drink wine, you become intoxicated. You are flying in the sky. You are thinking like that. You have gone to the heaven. Yes. So these are the effects of intoxication. But the intoxicated person does not know that this intoxication, intoxication will be finished. It is within the time limit. It is not going to continue. That is called illusion. One is intoxication, that "I am very rich. I am very educated, I am very beautiful, I am very..., I am born in high family, in high nation." That's all right. But this intoxication, how long it will exist?

Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Mayapura, October 6, 1974:

So Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja did not like this botheration. He was sitting by the side of a municipal lavatory so that "These rascal will not come out of the bad smell and will not disturb me." You see? So Mahārāja Mahīndrānandī, he was one of the... He had organized one saṅkīrtana festival. So he came to Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja and to invite him. So after many requests, Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja said, "Mahārāja, you have got many tenants. You are Mahārāja. Why you are trying to make me your tenant? Because you are rich man, you also want... As your tenants carries your order, so you also want me. So why you are...?" "No, sir, no. You are my lord. Whatever you say, I shall carry out." "Will you carry out?" "Why not?" So he said that "Don't go home. Sit down here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." He fled away. (laughter) You see. So he was very humorous also, Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī, that "If you are so obedient, then I ask you, 'Don't go home. Better give up your dress and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa here.'

Lecture on SB 1.8.27 -- Los Angeles, April 19, 1973:

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja indirectly inquired from Kṛṣṇa that: "We are completely dependent on you, and still we are suffering materially so much, that our kingdom is taken away, our wife is insulted, we were attempted to be burned in a house." So Kṛṣṇa said: "Yes that is My first business." Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad dhanaṁ śanaiḥ. "If I specially favor anybody, then I take away all his sources of income." Very dangerous. Yes. I have got my practical experience in this connection. Yes. That is Kṛṣṇa's special favor. I do not wish to narrate, but it is a fact. It is a fact. My Guru Mahārāja ordered me when I was twenty-five years old that: "You go and preach." But I thought: "First of all, I shall become a rich man, and I shall use that money for preaching work."

So that's a long history. I got good opportunity for becoming very rich man in business. And some astrologer told me that: "You should have become like Birla." So there was some chances, very good chances. I was manager in a big chemical factory. I started my own factory, the business was very successful. But everything was dismantled. I was forced to come to this position to carry out my order of my Guru Mahārāja. Akiñcana-vittāya. When everything was finished, then I took Kṛṣṇa, that: "You are the only..." Therefore Kṛṣṇa is akiñcana-vitta.

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

Therefore here it is said that priyasya, yadoḥ priyasya. King Yadu became very dear to Kṛṣṇa by rendering service. Priyasya. The... As Kṛṣṇa is very dear to the devotee, similarly, devotees are also very, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. There is another verse, sva-pāda-mūlaṁ bhajataḥ priyasya. Sva-pāda-mūlaṁ bhajataḥ priyasya: "If one is engaged at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he becomes very, very dear." Sva-pāda-mūlaṁ bhajataḥ priyasya. Bhajataḥ, one who is simply engaged for rendering service to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa—he has no other business—he becomes priya. And as soon as you become priya, or dear to Kṛṣṇa, then your all problems solved. Just like if you become a dear child of a very big, rich man, then where is your problem? Automatically he's taken care of. Because he has become dear child of a very big man, so what is his problem? No problem. Similarly, we have to become very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Then all our problems solved.

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

But brahma satyam is fact, but because they are trying to understand Brahman by their speculative method, they cannot understand Brahman. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam (SB 10.14.29). You can understand the Supreme Brahman... Simply understanding Brahman will not give you satisfaction. Simply understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi, this will not... Suppose if you have got money, and you are aware that you are very rich man. So simply thinking that you are very rich man and you see your money in the treasury, you'll be happy? No. When the money is utilized in so many ways for your gratification, then you are happy. Similarly, simple understanding, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, this realization, will not make you happy. You have to utilize his Brahman's position. That means bhakti. This is called śānta-rasa, simply to understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is called śānta-rasa. You must develop further. That is called dāsya-rasa, to become the servant of the Supreme Brahman. Then further advance.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Mayapur, October 14, 1974:

So five thousand years ago Kṛṣṇa came to kill some of the demons. Not all of them were demons. But next time, when Kṛṣṇa will come, it will be only demons. Only demons. Kalki avatāra. What is that stotra? Keśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. So at that time Kṛṣṇa will not preach Bhagavad-gītā. Kalki avatāra will simply come to cut the throat only. That will be the preaching. That will be preaching. Mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālam, karālam. Karālam means death personified. Mleccha-nidhane. Mleccha means meat-eaters. Those who are meat-eaters, fish-eaters, they are mlecchas. Mleccha-yavana, they are called, according to Vedic... So people are becoming meat-eaters nowadays. I have... There is no secrecy. Formerly, at least in India, the meat-eaters used to eat meat very secretly. We had seen in our childhood. If somebody will meat-eat, it was not allowed within the house. They, formerly, rich men, they used to keep Muslim servants as the caretaker of the horse or the carriage driver. So in the (horse)(?) stable(?) they would secretly cook some meat, and the so-called Babu, Zamindar, will eat. It was not allowed. And those who are not rich men—poor men, śūdra class—they would go to Kālī-ghāṭa, and get one goat, sacrifice there, and cook there and eat, then come back. Meat-eating was not at all allowed. The higher caste, especially the brāhmaṇas, they would never touch. Still in some provinces, in Maharastra provinces, in Madras... Of course, they are now taking.

Lecture on SB 1.8.37 -- Los Angeles, April 29, 1973:

This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha. When Prahlāda Mahārāja offering prayer to Kṛṣṇa, Nṛsiṁha-deva, he said, "My dear Lord, bālasya, for the children, it is not to be thought that because one child has got father and mother, he has got full protection. No. That is not." If Kṛṣṇa does not give protection to a child, in spite of having thousands of father and mother, he'll not be protected. This is the fact. Similarly he says, nārtasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ. It is not that good physician or good medicine can give one protection. No. Suppose one is suffering from some disease and one is very rich man. He engages first-class physician, first-class medicine is being... Does it mean that his life is guaranteed? No. If Kṛṣṇa does not give him protection, despite all supply of good medical treatment and medicine, he'll die. This is a fact. Similarly, if you have got good, nice boat, it is not guarantee that you'll not drown in the ocean. No. At any moment, if Kṛṣṇa does not give you protection... This is our position.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:

Jagāi-Mādhāi in those days were taken as very, very sinful, although they were born of brāhmaṇa family. But by bad association, they became thieves, rogues, guṇḍā and drunkards, meat-eaters, woman-hunters. These are all good qualification now, very good qualification. If one is woman-hunter and drunkard and meat-eater, oh, his social position is very nice, up-to-date. Up-to-date. This is modern civilization. But formerly, especially a gentleman-gentleman means born of high caste: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—if they would be woman-hunter, drunkards, meat-eaters, immediately they'll be rejected from the position. Immediately. That was Hindu society. No gentleman could... Still now, in some provinces, the high caste men, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriyas, they'll never take, touch these things. This is sinful. So Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were zamindars, very rich men, and brāhmaṇa. But because they were addicted to these habits, they were taken as the most sinful. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu delivered them: pāpī-tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo.

Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Mayapura, October 20, 1974:

So festival. So there was no scarcity. Why? People were religiously inclined. Even for a beggar, there was sufficient. The temple, sufficient, everything. That is called ime jana-padāḥ svṛddhāḥ. Svṛddha, svṛddha means opulent. All the cities and towns were opulent; villages, opulent, no want. And they depended on the trees, plants, this river, the mountain, the sea. Those who were... They're expert, they would go underneath the sea and pick up the pearls. That is very valuable. And still there are. So for rich men, the jewelries, the silk, nice food, nice building. And poor man, also, even they do not require jewelries, but they were not hungry. Everything was complete.

Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Mayapura, October 20, 1974:

"The gigantic industrial enterprises are products of a godless civilization." Godless civilization, they no more can depend on the natural gifts. They think by industrial enterprises, they will get more money and they'll be happy. And to remain satisfied with the food grains, vegetables and natural gifts, that is primitive idea. They say, "It is primitive." When men were not civilized, they would depend on nature, but when they are advanced in civilization, they must discover industrial enterprises. So instead of eating on metal dishes, the civilized men should eat on, what is that called, plastic. That's all. Now plastic utensils, not even metal. Still, according to Vedic civilization, these Hindus, they would not touch this china, clay utensils, or this plastic utensils. Never they'll... Or glass utensils, they'll never touch. Especially in South India they are very strict. A poor man would prefer to eat on the plantain leaf. And the rich men, they eat on silver utensils. They do not even like to, I mean to say, brass or other base metals.

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

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

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

So this system was formerly even for golden plates. Once used, then it cannot be used second time. It is thrown away. And "thrown away" means some poor man will collect. So there was no question of poverty. The rich men, they eat once and throw away. Their servants or other poor man... Just like these brāhmaṇas, they threw away all these golden plates. Brāhmaṇas were not required golden plate, but they were given in charity: "Brāhmaṇas, you take." They accepted, but they thought it that "It is a load. Why should I carry? Throw it." So there were heaps of golden plate lying near Himalayan mountain. So Kṛṣṇa was given information, er, Arjuna was given information by Kṛṣṇa that "You go there and collect those golden plates. Then your purpose will be served." So Arjuna went there and collected and brought it to his brother, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, for converting them into money for spending in the sacrifice. So this was the system. Therefore Arjuna's another name is Dhanañjaya. Dhanañjaya means "one who can conquer over riches." His brother was in need of money, and he brought money. Therefore, from that day, his name was Dhanañjaya, "one can conquer over riches."

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

So actually, human opulence means not these tin cars. Once it is dashed with another car, it is finished, no value. Human opulence means the society must have enough gold, enough jewelry, enough silk, enough grains, enough milk, enough vegetables, like that. That is opulent. That is opulence. Formerly a person was considered rich by two things: dhānyena dhanavān. How much grain stock he has got at his home. A big, big barn, filled with grains. Still in India, if I am going to give my daughter to some family, to see the family's opulence, I go to see the house, and if I see there are many, many barns' stock of grains and many cows, then it is very good. It is opulent. Dhānyena dhanavān, gavyaṁ dhanavān. A man is considered to be rich when he has got enough quantity of grains, enough quantity of, I mean to say, number, enough number of cows. Just like Mahārāja, Nanda Mahārāja, the foster father of Kṛṣṇa. He was keeping 900,000 cows. And He was rich man. He was mahārāja, king. But see the behavior. His beloved son, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, he has entrusted to take care of the calves or cows: "Go in the forest." He is well dressed with ornament, and nice dress, everything. All the cowherds boys, they are very rich. They have got enough grains and enough milk. Naturally they will be rich. But not that the cows and the calves will be taken care of by some hired servant. No. They would take care himself.

Lecture on SB 1.9.40 -- New York, May 22, 1973:

So the gopīs' activities, they are the supreme platform of pure devotion. There is no other business, there is no other business. Gopīs, they are not interested to know philosophically whether Kṛṣṇa is God. Although they are seeing every step, Kṛṣṇa is God. Mother Yaśodā is that Kṛṣṇa is God. Gopīs also gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. Kṛṣṇa is lifting the Govardhana Hill, who can do it except God? They are seeing it, still they do not know that Kṛṣṇa is God. Kṛṣṇa is wonderful, that's all. They do not like to know whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not. They want to love Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa may be God or not God, it doesn't matter. Just like if you love somebody, what he is, is he rich man, poor man, educated or non-educated? There is no consideration. Love has no such thing, consideration. Similarly, gopīs' love for Kṛṣṇa was pure. There was no consideration that Kṛṣṇa was God, therefore they wanted to dance with Him. No, Kṛṣṇa wanted to dance with them, therefore they came to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is now calling by the vibration of His flute at this dead of night.

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

Ah, bhavanti bhūtāni. Annād. Anna means food grains. Either animal or man, they must eat sufficiently. Either you eat grass or you eat rice or wheat or oats, or..., something must be... So they are are called anna. In Sanskrit language it is called anna. Anna means foodgrains. So annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Every living entity lives. Nowadays there are scarcity of foodgrains. Even the human being cannot eat sufficiently. But formerly the kings, they used to maintain elephants. They were supplied very nice cāpāṭis. Do you know that? Still there are kings, they have elephants. Therefore elephant can be maintained by very rich man. If suppose, if somebody comes, he says, "Take this elephant, I give you free," will you take? Will you accept? You know that elephant will devour you, your all your means or income and all family income, because you cannot maintain elephant. (laughs)

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

Now we have opened such a big hall, inviting people to come to take part in the sat-saṅga, but nobody's interested. So therefore if anyone becomes interested, he's very intelligent. He's intelligent because he wants to stop this repetition of birth and death. This is the problem. This problem, the so-called scientists, philosophers, educationists, politician, they have set aside this question. The real problem is to solve the question of birth and death. They do not touch it. They are making plan for economic development and other things. Economic development... Suppose you become rich man for twenty years or fifty years, utmost, at the present moment. Then you become a cat and dog in next life. Then what is your economic development? But they do not know that there is life after death. We have to prepare for the next life. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Then according to my karma, by superior inspection, I'll get next birth. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is plainly spoken: janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says, "Simply try to understand My janma. I take birth." Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. He's aja. Every one of us aja. Na jāyate na mriyate. We don't take birth, don't die, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa must be aja.

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

So Kṛṣṇa takes birth. That is Janmāṣṭamī. So if anyone tries to understand why the Aja, the Unborn, takes birth, janma karma... And God, Kṛṣṇa, who has nothing to do... That is the Vedic information. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Why He has to do? Actually He hasn't got to do anything. He has to enjoy only. Just like we see the Deity Kṛṣṇa is not working in the factory as a factory manager. He's enjoying the company of Rādhārāṇī. We have to work. If we enjoy with our so-called Rādhārāṇī, then we'll starve to death. We have to work. But God is not like that. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. These are the informations from Vedas, Upaniṣads, that He has nothing to do. Yes. That is real God. If God has to work, God has to do something, then what kind of God He is? Here, the so-called imitation Gods, even a rich man, he does not do anything. And why God will work? Therefore God comes... He's aja, unborn. He comes, janma, karma, He works also. Just like Kṛṣṇa. He worked ordinary cowherd's boy. He worked as ordinary politician. He worked as ordinary philosopher, left the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā and so many other instructions, sublime instructions.

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

Ah. Sandarśanam atha yoṣitāṁ viṣayiṇām atha yoṣitāṁ ca (CC Madhya 11.8). So niṣkiñcana means do not hanker after any more money and women. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu refused to see persons who are after money and woman, because by their association we may be infected. We may be again hankering after. Suppose I have taken sannyāsa, and if I see one gṛhastha having a very faithful and beautiful wife, if I think, "Oh, I left my wife. If I would have possessed, I would have been happy," he's immediately fallen. Because within the mind, he's associating with yoṣit. Suppose we go to see some rich man. I see that he has got money, nice motor car, nice building. If I think, "Oh, I have taken sannyāsa. If I would have possessed all these things, I would have been...," then immediately fall down. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu strictly prohibits that if you have become niṣkiñcana, renounced order, with a idea of going forward, bhava-sāgarasya, on the other side of the ocean, then aspiring after money and women is lower than dying, committing suicide. Hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu. If you take poison, that is criminal. Similarly, He says, "A man in renounced order of life, if he's thinking of woman and money, then he's committing suicide more than ordinary suicide." Viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu. Viṣa-bhakṣaṇa. If you drink poison, then you are criminal. If you survive, by law you'll be punished. Perhaps you know it. Anyone attempting to commit suicide, if he survives, by law he'll be punished: "Why you attempted suicide? This is criminal." Similarly, to see, to aspire after women and money, by the renounced order people, is lower than committing suicide. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's version.

Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:

So this is the instance, that we may be very powerful so long Kṛṣṇa keeps us powerful. We are not independently powerful, even in the case of Arjuna. We are very much proud of our janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ (SB 1.8.26). The material world, everyone is very much proud of his birth, riches, education and beauty. Beauty. These four things are obtained as result of pious activities. And as a result of impious activities, the opposite number. Not birth in a very nice family or nation, no wealth, poverty, no education and no beauty. But one should know that these assets, material assets... Just like you American people. You have got nice assets. You are born of a very respectful nation-American nations are still honored all over the world. So that's a good opportunity for you, janma. You are born in... Every American is... In comparison to India, every American is rich man, because any ordinary man earns here at least four thousand, five thousand rupees. And in India, even the high-court judge, he cannot earn so. Utmost four thousand. So you should be conscious that by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, you have got all these things. There is no poverty, there is no scarcity, there is good chance of education, and you are wealthy, beautiful, everything. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ. But if you do not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you misuse these assets, then again punar mūṣiko bhava.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

So these are actually knowledge. People are after something false. That is called māyā. Māyā means which is not actually fact, but we are after that. Similarly, this so-called advancement of civilization is māyā. It will be finished at any second, but they do not know. They do not know. It will be finished at any second. Even though we accept it, all right, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham: (BG 10.34) "I am the death, and I take away everything at the time of death." Either you take as a philosopher, scientist or rich man, capitalist, as soon as there is death... Just like you see, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was very powerful, and as soon as Nṛsiṁha-deva appeared, everything finished. Now he is dying. You see? So people do not understand it, that without Kṛṣṇa, without God, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply we are wasting our time, that's all, after false things. Everything will be useless. Today or tomorrow or day after. It will be useless, all useless.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

The modern civilization, they are so rascals, they are expecting something utopian, that by material advancement of civilization they will be happy. Now, one gentleman, that doctor, what is his name, Ifrenzia,(?) yes, he said that in Sweden they are the richest men, but the largest number of suicide cases are there. So this kind of material richness will not help you. That will not help. Actually, practically, we are experiencing. Why their every nation is dissatisfied? Although they have materially advanced so much, but dissatis... In your country also, why this section of people have become hippies? From university student, they have become hippies. Why? Frustration. They know that "What is this life? If I am become educated, then what is my future?" There is no future. Frustrated.

Lecture on SB 1.15.22-23 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1973:

So the hellish condition. So we create our hellish condition. Wherefrom the hog comes? The hog comes also... He is also living entity. By process of transmigration of the soul, one is accepting sometimes as a hog, sometimes a dog, sometimes a demigod, sometimes rich man, sometimes poor man, sometimes tree. That they do not know. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). We are spoiling our time in this way, transmigrating from one type of body to another, and there are 8,400,000 types of body. So in the human form of life, if one is actually fortunate, then guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). By the mercy of guru and by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa one gets the opportunity of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise they are entrapped by māyā, intoxication, and wandering through out the whole universe in different types of body.

Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:

So īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is there. Now He's giving chance, "You living entity, you did not surrender to Me. You wanted to enjoy this material world. So you take this chariot and take this driver and go on." This is going on. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). "Whatever you want, you do it. But you'll never be happy." That is the point. "You can do whatever. I will give you chance. I'll give you." Just like you want a Rolls Royce car. "All right, it is." If you want this car, "All right." So you are changing this car. Sometimes you are carried by the doggish cars, sometimes goddish car. These are all cars, but we are different from the car. We wanted to sit down in a certain car, so Kṛṣṇa is giving us the chance. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni (BG 18.61). Yantra means car or machine. It is very easy to understand. So this is going on because we are identifying with the car. Just like foolish man, if he rides on a Rolls Royce car, he's thinking "Now I am very rich man. I have bought a Rolls Royce." Similarly, if one body has got inferior car, he thinks that "I am poor"; identifying with the car.

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

So why Kṛṣṇa will come to you, take your foodstuff? Because Kṛṣṇa wants that you surrender. That is required. That is required. Therefore we should serve Kṛṣṇa, because without bhakti, many times Kṛṣṇa has said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: (BG 18.55) "simply through bhakti." You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by your so-called scholarship, scientific knowledge and speculation. These are all useless, nonsense things. You cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa clearly said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Bhaktyā. Simply by devotional service one can understand. Bhakti means serving, service. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). When you become in service attitude, just to serve Kṛṣṇa with humble attitude, with devotion, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal. Otherwise you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. If you think that "I am very rich man, I can offer Kṛṣṇa so many things, nice dress, nice foodstuff. Kṛṣṇa now is within my grip." No. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap. There also it is said that vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa because you are very learned scholar in Vedic knowledge. No. Vedeṣu durlabham, it is very difficult. But adurlabham, He is very cheap unto His devotees. He is very cheap. Like Vidura. Vidura invited Him, and Kṛṣṇa did not to go Arjuna's house..., I mean to say, Duryodhana's house, very palatial building. Vidura, a cottage, so He went there. And Vidura being in ecstasy was offering Him some banana. So he was so overpowered by ecstasy that instead of giving the fruit banana, he was giving the skin, and Kṛṣṇa was eating. So when he came to his senses he saw that "I have given only the skin, and Kṛṣṇa is eating." So this is bhakti. This is bhakti. Kṛṣṇa wants that. Kṛṣṇa can eat anything, either you give the pulp or skin, He can eat anything because He is all powerful and everything is equal to Him.

Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:

But we are trying to give the contribution, what is God. Not only God—His form, His name, His address, everything we are giving. Here is the form of God, Kṛṣṇa. If you do not believe, that He is not God, then you must say what is your idea of God. If you do not know what is the idea of God, then you must accept from me. And how can you deny that Kṛṣṇa is not God? First of all you have to know what is God. God means the Supreme. That is the dictionary word, "Supreme Being." So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. Here we see a rich man, he enjoys, and his assistants, his managers, his secretaries, they work. They bring money from business, from factory, and the proprietor enjoys. This is a crude example. Similarly, here is God. He is in the enjoying spirit. He is not going to the office to manage his factory. No. He doesn't go. He simply enjoys. That is the injunction of the Vedas: na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca... Definition of God, what is God.

Lecture on SB 1.15.42 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1973:

In all the śāstras, the guru is respected as Kṛṣṇa is respected. Sākṣād-dharitvena. Haritva. Hari means Lord. Samasta, in all the scriptures, guru is accepted as Kṛṣṇa. But he never says that I, he is Kṛṣṇa; neither he is Kṛṣṇa. Then what is his position? Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya: he is the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. He never says that "I am Kṛṣṇa, I am God." That is not guru. Guru must place... He knows perfectly well that he is serving Kṛṣṇa. His business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants all these fallen souls to be delivered because they are Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. Just like a rich man, if his son goes out of home, he is suffering. His father knows that rascal boy is suffering. He is very anxious to get him back. "Bring this rascal at home." That is father's concern, naturally. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is more eager to take you back. Therefore He comes. He comes. He has got his agent, the guru. He has got His instruction, the Bhagavad-gītā. The whole concern is that God is so anxious, Kṛṣṇa is anxious, to call back these rascals, back to home, back to Godhead. So sometimes He is so eager that He comes Himself. Just like I have sent some my agent to do something. I am seeing that it is being delayed, so I go there: "What you are doing? Why it is so delayed?" Like that.

Lecture on SB 1.15.42 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1973:

So religion means, we have already explained, religion means the science of God. So the chance is there in the human form of body to understand the science of God. In the body of cats and dogs, it is not possible. Therefore this life should be fully utilized for understanding the science of God, and understanding... As Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja... Now he is closing the business. The business is that "I am creating this body." Just like a businessman opens a business house. Sometimes when the business is simply troublesome, he liquidates. Similarly, we should come into the understanding that our material business is always troublesome. Is it not troublesome? Practical, material business. Suppose in this life you have got all good facilities. You have got a skyscraper building, nice... Suppose you are Mr. Ford. He was a very rich man in your country. So where is Mr. Ford now? That they do not see. That they have no eyes. In Paris I saw some statue of Napoleon. There is written, "Napoleon is France; France is Napoleon." But I inquired that "Where is Mr. Napoleon? The France is there, but where is Napoleon?" Just see. This is called ignorance, māyā. When Napoleon was very victorious, he might think that "I am making my France very strong, very powerful," but that's all right. But you are not powerful. You have to go away. By one kick of nature, go away. That they do not see. This is called ignorance. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974:

So devotional service so nice, that even if you fall down, there is not very great loss. Great loss means you get human body, not an animal body. That is stated in the Bhag... Yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ (BG 6.41). One who has fallen down from the bhakti-yoga, where does he go? Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: in the house of very rich man and in the house of nice, Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa. This is the opportunity. This is first-class opportunity. If you take your birth in the house of Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa, just like these children are taking birth, father and mother Vaiṣṇava... They are very fortunate. They are not ordinary children. Otherwise they would not have gotten this chance of chanting and dancing before Deity and Vaiṣṇava. They are not ordinary children. The parent must take care, very good care, that they may not fall down. They have got the chance. Now train them to complete this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the duty of father and mother. "Now this child has come under my care." If both the father and mother think like that... Not contraceptive. Oh, rascaldom. "Oh, here is a child who has taken shelter of me as mother, who has taken shelter of me as father. Oh, it is my duty to train him in such a way that no more birth, no more death." Therefore Bhāgavata says, pitā na sa syāt...na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum: "One should not become mother, one should not become father, if he cannot release his children from the clutches of death." And how one can be saved from the clutches of death? This is the process, hari-līlāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ. If he is trained up... Therefore we have got this school from the Dallas. From the beginning, hari-līlāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ. They are being trained up in hari-līlāmṛtaṁ vacaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

There are seven kinds of mother. Real mother, then a spiritual master or teacher's wife, guroḥ patnī. Brāhmaṇī, the wife of a brāhmaṇa. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā. And the queen, the wife of the king. Dhenu, cow; dhenur dhātrī, maidservant, nurse. Because it was also formerly the practice, rich man, or mother is not unable to suck breast milk. So they used to employ young girls who has also children. Otherwise there is no milk supplied. So that is also mother. As Kṛṣṇa took Pūtanā as mother... Pūtanā came to kill Kṛṣṇa, smearing poison over her breast. And Kṛṣṇa sucked the milk and her life also. But Kṛṣṇa took her as (His) her mother. This is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa did not take the black side. The intention was to kill Kṛṣṇa, Pūtanā came. But who can kill Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible. But Kṛṣṇa thought Himself as obligation, that "I have sucked her breast. So she is My mother. She must be given the position of mother." So Pūtanā, after being killed, she was given the same opportunity as Mother Yaśodā. This is Kṛṣṇa. Bhāva-grāhī-janārdanaḥ. Any way you serve Kṛṣṇa, it will be accepted. Not any way. I mean to say, we should serve Kṛṣṇa according to regulative principle. Still, some way or other, unknowing or knowingly, if you render some service, that is called ajñāta-sukṛti.

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

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific, authorized. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa. We have got so many literature. Don't waste a single moment. Kālena. And Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, the moral instructor... He's not spiritual instructor, but moral instructor. But he has said that āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. One moment of your life, if it is wasted without any profit, just imagine how much loss you have suffered. Because you cannot get back one moment of your life again even if you are prepared to pay millions of dollars. That you cannot get back. Nineteen seventy-four, 19th January, passed—you cannot get it back again. If you, any rich man comes forward, "Please get me back again 1974, 19th January," "No, sir, that is not possible." Any price you offer, it is not possible.

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

So unless there is sufficient education on these principles—dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90)—you cannot have peaceful life in human society. That is not... That is animal society. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If there is no principles of life, that is animal society. Unfortunately, at the present moment, the education is simply for sense gratification. That is animalistic education. Therefore, in spite of advancement of so many things, people are not happy. People are not happy. So here it is said, caturbhir vartase yena pādair loka-sukhāvahaiḥ. Sukhāvahaiḥ. Sukha means happiness. If you want to increase happiness... Everyone wants to become happy. That is the highest principle. Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. The whole struggle is going on to minimize our miseries and to increase our happiness. That is our attempt. Everyone is working for that. Ātyantika-duḥkha, nivṛtti. Duḥkha means unhappiness, and ātyantika means ultimate. So people do not understand that what is that ultimate happiness. Ultimate happiness is there. No, there is no duḥkha, there is no unhappiness. That is ultimate happiness. If you study whatever happiness we are trying to establish, there is unhappiness also. It is not unmixed. It is mixed. The economic development... Just like modern age, if you, if any man wants to become rich man, he has to first of all accept unhappiness, to work very hard, day and night. Then he can get some money. Then, engaging that money for increasing further money, increasing further money... Then one day he may be millionaire. So that millionaire, to become, that is also not undisturbed happiness. "How to keep the money?" "How to invest it?"

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:

And if we accept a material body, then all the miserable conditions that we are undergoing with this body, we have to accept it. This is not pessimistic view of life, but this is a fact. Only responsible persons, they can understand. Sanātana Gosvāmī was minister of government. His society was very aristocratic. Very rich men they were. So rich society, aristocratic society, could not satisfy him. He... They resigned the post and joined Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu for ultimate solution of life. These examples are many. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's disciples, direct disciples, they were all very important men, just like Six Gosvāmīs. Even Svarūpa Dāmodara, His private secretary, he was very learned man, Vedantist. And next to his secretary, the six Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, they were very, very important rich men of that time. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī happened to be the son of a very big landlord, zamindar. That father's income was twelve hundred thousands of rupees in those days, five hundred years ago. And he was the only son of his father and uncle. So he did not like to enjoy the father's property, but he joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is known as Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. Similarly, Rūpa-Sanātana Gosvāmī also joined. They were also very rich men, important men. And Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī... Jīva Gosvāmī, very learned scholar and philosopher. He was the nephew of Rūpa Gosvāmī. So they were all very important men of the society. They joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu to make life successful. So these examples we should take and make our life successful.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Delhi, November 6, 1973:

Now, this does not mean that we shall completely exclude sleeping. That does not... Just like gosvāmīs. They were liberated persons, but they were also sleeping. Because we have got this body, sleeping, rest, is necessary. We cannot neglect this body. But not that that we shall increase the necessities of life, increase the necessities of the body. That is... Rūpa Gosvāmī has given: nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. We have to, I mean to say, mold our life in such a way. What is that? Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. This is viṣaya. Viṣaya means this āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. This is called viṣaya. Viṣaya does not mean one who is very rich man, he is viṣayī. No. Anyone, he may be very poor man, if he is attached to this eating, sleeping, mating and defending only, he is a viṣayī. The Locana dāsa Ṭhākura says, viṣaya chāṛiyā, se rase majiyā. One has to gradually give up, minimize this viṣaya. Viṣaya means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. Viṣaya.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

Each word of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is important. This bhagavān word means all-attractive. Bhagavān... I've explained several times, bhaga means opulences, and van means one who possesses. So there are six kinds of opulences: richness, reputation, strength, beauty, wisdom and renunciation. Six kind of opulences. So anyone who possesses these six kinds of opulences in full, not partially, He's Bhagavān, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Take, for example, we are attracted. Suppose some rich man comes in this meeting, very rich man, very famous. We shall immediately be prepared to receive him, because he's attractive. If some reputed philosopher or scientist comes, we shall immediately be prepared to receive him nicely, because he's attractive. So these things are attractions: richness, beauty, education, knowledge, reputation, strength—either bodily strength or political strength or monetary strength; there are so many divisions of strength. So if one is strong, powerful, if one is beautiful, if one is wise, reputed, these things are attraction. Therefore the very word is used "Bhagavān," because God is all-attractive, Kṛṣṇa is all attractive. So he recommends that Bhagavān, that beautiful Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive, all-powerful, He should always be remembered. Smartavyaḥ śrotavyaḥ. And He should always be heard about His activities.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

Everything has definition. Nothing to be accepted blindly. Aiśvaryasya, richness. So Bhagavān means who has got the complete riches. He is called Bhagavān. Now, I have got some money, you have got some money, he has got some money, but nobody can claim that "I have got all the money." No, that is not possible. So one who possesses all the money, that is Bhagavān. Similarly, money, strength, beauty, intelligence, knowledge and vairāgya, when you find out such a person... You can find out some very big rich man in this material world, but you cannot say that he is the supreme richest man. That is not possible. You will find another man richer than him. You will find another rich. In this way, if you are very scholar, researching, you research. When you come to a person where you see that nobody is richer than him, that is Bhagavān. That is God. That is God.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So that is the highest gift to the human society. There are so many welfare activities in the human society. People open hospitals, schools, colleges, charitable institution. They are nice. But the best contribution to the human society is to revive his lost relationship with God. Just like a rich man's son. Someway or other he has left his father's home and he's loitering here and there. Somebody finds him: "Oh, you are Mr. such and such. You are the son of such and such gentleman. He's very rich man. Why you are suffering? Come, come with me. I shall take to your father." So this is one kind of welfare activity. And another welfare activity, the same person who is loitering in the street, somebody says, "Oh, you are hungry. All right, come on. I shall give you some bread." That is also welfare activity, but this welfare activity, to get the lost son to his father, rich father, not ordinary father, that is the best service.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- New York, March 5, 1975:

So because it is very difficult to maintain sannyāsa in this age, therefore the sannyāsa order is completely prohibited. Real sannyāsī means... Here is the description of life. What is that? Cīrāṇi kiṁ na pathi santi. They have to pick up some torn cloth lying on the street and cover it. That's all. Then this diśanti bhikṣāṁ naivāṅghripāḥ, aṅghripāḥ, aṅghri means legs, and pa means drinking. The trees drink water through the root. That is their leg. Therefore they're..., another name is aṅghripa. And aṅghri means leg. So different species of life there is different process of eating. We are eating through mouth; the trees are eating through the legs. This is God's creation. Not that the mouth is only eating. No. There are other senses, active senses, hands and legs, tongue. These are active senses. Genital, rectum, these are active senses. So aṅghripa means tree. The sannyāsī should depend completely on God. That is sannyāsa. Not that I shall go to a rich man and beg something and take money and utilize it. No. That is not required. Completely independent. Because that kind of sannyāsa is not possible at the present age, therefore, generally, sannyāsa should not be accepted. They cannot follow the prohibit.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

The process is sense gratification, but if you want your sense gratification, that is material. And if you want to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's sense gratification, then you are spiritual. So anyone who wants to gratify his senses, personal, he is pushed here, in this material world. Now, according to different karma, you create your field... Just like ordinarily, everyone is working in Los Angeles, hard, day and night, but somebody's poor man, somebody's rich man. Why? According to karma. One is intelligent enough. He can do things very nicely. He's getting more money. So field is open for everyone. It is not, the government is giving a special facility for somebody, and he's becoming rich, and another man is forbidden to use the government facilities, therefore he's becoming poor. No. It is not that. Government is giving facility everyone equally. You become educated, you become high-court judge. And if you become criminal, then go to jail. So similarly, God, He's equal to everyone.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

At least we should know. They have no intelligence. Because they are entangled. Just see this list. Here is, brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu. Brahma-varcasa means those who are desiring to become one with the effulgence, to merge into the effulgence of the Lord. Varcasa. Varcasa means the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Just like the sun and the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahma, and His effulgence is called brahma-jyotir. So these jñānīs, they are desiring to merge into the Brahman effulgence. Therefore, it is called brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu. And kāma means desire. Therefore, they are still desiring. They are fed up with these ordinary desires. Ordinarily, they are desiring, "I shall become rich man. I shall become minister. I shall become this, I shall become that." And they are also desiring to merge into the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. That is also desire, kāma. The word is explicitly said, kāma. Kāma means desire.

Lecture on SB 2.3.10 -- Los Angeles, May 28, 1972:

Anyone, you find out ordinarily, in this world, you ask him, "What is your ultimate desire?" There is no limit. Therefore he's called sarva-kāmaḥ. Pralayāntam upāśritam. Till the time of death, there is desire. A dying man, he is also desiring. I have seen it practically. One gentleman in Allahabad, he was contemporary, of our age. He was dying at the age of fifty-four years, and he was crying, and he was requesting the doctor... He was very rich man. "My dear doctor, can you not give me at least four years life so I could finish my program?" The nonsense, what is your program? You see? I have seen it. (aside) Don't move leg like that. So therefore they are called sarva-kāmaḥ. There is no end. He does not know... He's going to die, and he thinks that doctor can prolong his life. Is it possible to prolong life? Not for a second even. When you are destined to die, you must die. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). This death is Kṛṣṇa. You cannot defy Kṛṣṇa; that is not possible. Kṛṣṇa says, mṛtyur aham, sarva-haraś ca. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja's father. He was so proud, and he was confident, "Now I have taken benediction from Brahmā. I'll live forever." So he was very much proud. Just like karmīs, they also think, "When there will be disease and there will be point of death, I shall take care very nicely. There are so many good physicians. I shall call them, and they will give me life." So this is demonic. You cannot protect yourself by so-called science, physician, or power. It is not possible. Because the death is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

So this Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, accepted this mendicant life although they were ministers, very rich men. Not only Rūpa Gosvāmī, all the Gosvāmīs. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was the only son of his father and uncle, and in those days the income was twelve lakhs, twelve hundred thousands of rupees. Almost king. So for being compassionate with these poor fellows, who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and working simply unnecessarily so hard to get some bread... That's all. Mūḍha. So by becoming kind upon them, they took this mendicant order. Therefore kindness. And peaceful. Vaiṣṇava is never turbulent. But the demons, they create disturbance. Vaiṣṇava is peaceful. Peaceful, truthful. Truthful. A Vaiṣṇava knows the ultimate truth, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he's truthful. And equable. He has no distinction "Oh, here is a man, here is an animal. The animal has no soul, the man has soul."

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

Pradyumna: "In the Bhagavad-gītā (6.41) it is stated that even a person who has failed in the proper discharge of yoga practice is given a chance to take birth in the house of devout brāhmaṇas or in the houses of rich men like kṣatriya kings or rich merchants. But Mahārāja Parīkṣit was more than that because he was a great devotee of the Lord since his previous birth, and as such he took his birth in an imperial family of the Kurus, and especially that of the Pāṇḍavas. So from the very beginning of his childhood he had the chance of knowing intimately the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa in his own family. The Pāṇḍavas, all being devotees of the Lord, certainly venerated family Deities in the royal palace for worship. Children who appear in such families fortunately..."

Prabhupāda: People still, in India, those who are rich men, they have got their family temple Deities. One temple is there in Kanpur. The family members, they are very rich. The rule is that if the family members do not come in the temple to offer obeisances to the Deity, they'll be fined. The mother, the head of the family... Mother is still living. She has imposed this law, that "Any of my children or grandchildren, if he or she does not visit the temple, then according to this rule, this fine should be realized from them." So if somebody misses to go in the temple one day, the priest presents the bill: "Sir, you have been fined five rupees." (Laughter) So they pay. Yes. So we should also enforce that rule. Anyone who is not attending maṅgala-ārati should be fined. (laughter) And the fine should be that he must sell one Kṛṣṇa book. (laughter) Is that all right?

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

So the consciousness of the trees are admitted in the Vedic literature. Similarly, the consciousness is developed from tree to worms, microbes, worms, germs—their consciousness is little more higher. Then birds, their consciousness is little more higher; then beasts, their consciousness is little more higher. This is development, gradual process of evolution. Gradual process of evolution means gradual process of developing the status, the state of consciousness. In this way the consciousness in human form of body is further developed, very nicely developed. And similarly, there are other elevated living condition in higher planets. They are called demigods. They are far advanced, very more and more intelligent. Their standard of living, their everything, is far, far above than all these planets, thousands and thousands of times. Just like we can discriminate here, even on this planet. Your standard of living, from materialistic point of view... Just like to get a motorcar in this country is ordinary thing, but in our country, in India, if somebody has got a motorcar, he's considered to be very rich man. Here even a worker goes on motorcar, but in India only a person who is very rich, he can have a motorcar. As there is difference of standard of living from one country to another, similarly, there is difference of standard of living, standard of duration of life, standard of intelligence, standard of developed consciousness, everything different.

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

Pradyumna: "As stated herein before, there are three kinds of devotees of the Lord. The first-class devotee does not see at all anyone who is not in the service of the Lord, but the second-class devotee makes distinctions between devotees and nondevotees. The second-class devotees are therefore meant for preaching work, and as referred to in the above verse, they must loudly preach the glories of the Lord. The second-class devotee accepts disciples from the section of third-class devotees or nondevotees. Sometimes the first-class devotees also come down to the category of the second-class devotee for preaching work. But the common man who is expected to become at least a third-class devotee is advised herein to visit the temple of the Lord and bow down before the Deity, even though he may be a very rich man or even a king with a silk turban or crown. The Lord is the Lord of everyone, including the great kings and emperors, and as such, rich men in the estimation of mundane people must therefore make a point to visit the temple of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and regularly bow down before the Deity."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This bow down... Even the children, they are imitating, bowing down, but it has got the effect. Not that the children, they have no seriousness about... Seriousness or no seriousness, simply if he bows down, he gets the result. He gets the... Dancing, he's dancing. He's getting the result. He's becoming a devotee. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. These are the statements in Bhakti-rasām... Nectar of Devotion. You'll find. The temple is meant for giving chances to the nondevotees. Some way or other, if he comes in the temple, bows down, and dances with us, takes the prasādam, takes caraṇāmṛta, that means he is becoming spiritually advanced. Therefore this is a chance. And actually, our Society is giving this chance. In the beginning they come as a inquisitive visitor. Then dances, then chants, then take prasādam, and, say, after a week, he becomes shaven. So this is the process. Association of the devotee, coming to the temple, will give him impetus to make further progress.

Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972:

Anyone who is rich in India still, they have got Deity worship at home. Very nicely. A separate house, a small house attached to their big buildings, and there is Deity worship, and the all the members should go there, offer prayers. Just like we are doing, the similar, same thing there. In Kanpur there is one temple, Dvārakādhīśa. The temple belongs to a very rich man, Singhania. The, all the members... It is order of the lady, the mother of Mr. Singhania, that "You all of you, you must visit the Deity..." Very rich men, always busy in business. But still, they have to come to the temple and offer respect, take caraṇāmṛta and prasādam. Then go to office. If one misses one day, then he will be fined. Still. The head man will be fined ten dollars, and the next man five dollars, like that, according to position. So if one day somebody misses, immediately the priest will go with the bill of fine: "Sir, you have to pay this fine." "Yes. You take immediately."

Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Hm. This is Deity worship. Not that sleeping up to 9:00 and Deity worship. This is farce. That is not allowed. That will be offense. All the members must rise early in the morning, just we are doing in the temple. At 4 a.m. take bath, cleanse, and offer ārātrika. That is the beginning of Deity worship. And all the members should be so trained up... Suppose one is absent for some business, the other members should take it. There will be so many assistants, but the Deity worship must go on very nicely. Then?

Pradyumna: by performing maṅgala-ārātrika, nirañjana, arcana, pūjā, kīrtana, śṛṅgāra, bhoga-vaikāli, sandhyā-ārātrika, pāṭha, bhoga (at night), śayana-ārātrika, etc. Engagement in such worship of the Deity, under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, will greatly help the householders to purify their very existence and make rapid progress in spiritual knowledge. Simple theoretical book knowledge is not sufficient for a neophyte devotee. Book knowledge is theoretical, whereas the arcana process is practical. Spiritual knowledge must be developed by a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge, and that is the guaranteed way for attainment of spiritual perfection. The training of devotional service for a neophyte devotee completely depends on the expert spiritual master who knows how to lead his disciple to make gradual progress towards the path back home, back to Godhead. One should not become a pseudo spiritual master as a matter of business to meet one's family expenditures; one must be an expert spiritual master to deliver the disciple from the clutches of impending death. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has defined the bona fide qualities of a spiritual master, and one of the verses in that description reads:

śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-
śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau
yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

Śrī-vigraha is the arcā, or suitable worshipable form of the Lord, and the disciple should be engaged in worshiping the Deity regularly by śṛṅgāra, by proper decoration and dressing, as also by mandira-mārjana, the matter of cleansing the temple. The spiritual master teaches the neophyte devotee all these kindly and personally to help him gradually in the realization of the transcendental name, quality, form, etc., of the Lord.

Only attention engaged in the service of the Lord, especially in dressing and decorating the temple, accompanied by musical kīrtana and spiritual instructions from scriptures, can save the common man from the hellish cinema attractions and rubbish sex-songs broadcast everywhere by radios. If one is unable to maintain a temple at home, he should go to another's temple where all the above performances are regularly executed. Visiting the temple of a devotee and looking at the profusely decorated forms of the Lord well dressed in a well-decorated, sanctified temple naturally infuse the mundane mind with spiritual inspiration. People should visit holy places like Vṛndāvana where such temples and worship of the Deity are specifically maintained. Formerly all rich men like kings and rich merchants constructed such temples under the direction of expert devotees of the Lord, like the six Gosvāmīs, and it is the duty of the common man to take advantage of these temples and festivals observed in the holy places of pilgrimage by following in the footsteps of great devotees (anuvraja). One should not visit all these sanctified pilgrimage places and temples with sightseeing in mind, but one must go to such temples and sanctified places immortalized by the transcendental pastimes of the Lord and be guided by proper men who know the science. This is called anuvraja. Anu means to follow. It is therefore best to follow the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master, even in visiting temples and the holy places of pilgrimage. One who does not move in that way is as good as a standing tree condemned by the Lord not to move. The moving tendency of the human being is misused by visiting places for sightseeing. The best purpose of such traveling tendencies could be fulfilled by visiting the holy places established by great ācāryas and thereby not being misled by the atheistic propaganda of moneymaking men who have no knowledge of spiritual matters.

Prabhupāda: So you can keep (indistinct) (devotees offer obeisances-end)

Lecture on SB 2.9.3 -- Melbourne, April 5, 1972:

This Māyāvādī philosophy, they are thinking of Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I have become Nārāyaṇa." So how long they will think like that? Therefore they fall down. Artificially he is Brahman. That's all right. Everyone is Brahman. But simply thinking, "I am Brahman, I am Brahman." Suppose you are rich man. So if you simply think, "I am rich man, I am rich man, I am rich man," will that give you pleasure? You must act like a rich man. If I am rich man, I must have a very nice motor car, I must have very nice society, friendship, love, buildings. Then that will give me pleasure. And if I have got millions of dollars bank balance and if I think, "Oh, I am so rich man, I am so rich man, I am so rich man." That will not give you pleasure. Is it not practical? Try to understand. Will any rich man, if he thinks simply that "I am rich man, I am rich man," will he be happy in that way? Rather, a poor man who has got variegated life, he is happy.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11-15 -- Tokyo, April 28, 1972:

Śriya-pati. Śriya, the goddess of fortune. He is not only sātvatāṁ patim. He is not only the Lord of the devotees. So therefore if we accept the Lord of everything, then where is the question of our poverty? If your father is very big man, very rich man, then where is the question of poverty? So devotee renounces. But a devotee has got all the opulences of the Supreme Lord, background. So he doesn't want to be opulent himself, but the background is all-opulent. If need be... Just like a small child, a very rich man's son. So he may remain a simple child, but all the property of his father is there on his back. If there is need, the father will spend all the property for the child. So the child does not require to acquire property. That is bhakti. If you simply become devotee... Because Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, is described here, sātvatāṁ patim... Sātvata, a devotee. Then you get everything. If you know Kṛṣṇa, then you know everything. If you get Kṛṣṇa, then you get everything. Why should you try to get this thing, that thing, that thing? Simply try to get Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's protection. Then you get everything. You simply try to know Kṛṣṇa; then you know everything. Śriya-pati. Śriyaḥ patiṁ yajña-patiṁ jagat-patim.

Lecture on SB 3.1.10 -- Dallas, May 21, 1973:

So Vidura was so expert advisor, counselor, that there was a statement, vaidurikam. Just like the cāṇakya-śloka. On ordinary things, cāṇakya-śloka is evidence. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said... I think you can introduce cāṇakya-śloka amongst the students. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said that vidvatvaṁ ca nṛpatvaṁ ca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana. A man who is learned, and man who is very rich, so how they should be compared? The Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, "There is no comparison." Comparison must be there when there is points of similarity. Just like we say, "Your face is just like moon." So if the face is actually similar to the moon, then we can say. Points of similarity. Analogy means there must be points of similarity. The largest number of similarity makes the analogy perfect. This is logical rules. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that to a rich man and a learned man, there is no comparison. They are different categories. Why? Sva-deśe pūjyate rājā vidvān sarvatra pūjyate. A rich man, a king, may be very respectful, respectable, in his own country amongst his own men, but a vidvat, a learned scholar, he is respected all over the world. Tri-bhuvane mānyau. So if one is respected all over the world and if one is respected in his own village, so how there can be any comparison? These are the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's instructions, very valuable. There are many.

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

So Bhagavān, Bhagavān is not like that person. Therefore it is said, bhagavān ātma-māyayā. When Bhagavān... We come here to stay for some days, say fifty years or hundred years, enjoy or suffer life, but Bhagavān does not come for that purpose. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti (BG 4.14). That is stated in the previous verse. And the second verse it is further... Na hy asya varṣmaṇaḥ: "Nobody is greater than Him." Bhagavān means the person, nobody is greater than Him and nobody is equal to Him. That is Bhagavān. Everyone is lower. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Āra saba bhṛtya. Only one master is Kṛṣṇa, and others, beginning from Brahmā... Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, Indra, Candra, all these demigods... There are hundred and thousands. Thirty-three million demigods. And then this naraloka, there are so many rich men, Rockefeller, Ford, Birla and others, others... So they are bhṛtyas, all servants. When Kṛṣṇa will order, "My dear Mr. such and such, now give up your place. Go away," finish. So therefore they are all servants. This is the position beginning from Brahmā down to the ant.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

So this Sanātana Gosvāmī, I was speaking to you. He was minister. He had enough money. When he retired, he came to home bringing money with him, one big boat full with golden coins. Just imagine. Big, big coins in those days. Aseraphee.(?) It is... At that time it was eighty rupees worth. Now there is no gold. Where is aseraphee.(?) It is paper only. One-rupee note. So, so Sanātana Gosvāmī, in those days... Even we have seen in our childhood in India, there was gold coins available, any number you want. People used to purchase this guinea gold for making ornament. We have seen it. There was no... Now you cannot get this guinea gold. So that is all finished. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was very rich man. Still, he's asking Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita tāi satya māni: "These foolish villagers, or my neighbor men, they call me 'Paṇḍitajī.' " He was brāhmaṇa. Actually he was paṇḍitajī. You know, in India, the brāhmaṇa is addressed as "paṇḍita." Because a brāhmaṇa is expected to become very learned. A foolish man cannot be a brāhmaṇa. Learned means Vedic knowledge. Veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipraḥ. How one becomes brāhmaṇa? By studying thoroughly the Vedic literature, when one can understand Brahman, he realizes himself, hṛdayānanda, then he becomes brāhmaṇa. Therefore a brāhmaṇa means naturally paṇḍita. But nowadays simply by birth. That is another thing.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

But Sanātana Gosvāmī was a great learned scholar in Urdu, Farsi, Sanskrit. And he was a very rich man, minister. Everything honorable. Coming of a very respectable, aristocratic family, Sārasvata brāhmaṇa. But still, he says to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita tāi satya māni. "These, my neighborhood men, they call me 'Paṇḍitajī',and I am very much satisfied that I am paṇḍita." "Why you are dissatisfied?" Now, he says, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "I am such a paṇḍita that I do not know what is the goal of my life and what is real benefit for me. I am such a paṇḍita." That means, "I am mūrkha. I do not know my own self-interest. I am simply being carried away by the sense gratificatory means." Therefore he came to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He did not come to Caitanya Mahāprabhu to get some gold or some medicine for curing some disease. As people go, Bhagavān: "Bhagavān will give me some gold. Bhagavān will..." If you want to have gold, you can have. You can get a gold mine and get, as much as you like. Why you should go to a Bhagavān? So... But..., but they do not know. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's disciple, this Sanātana Gosvāmī, he had enough gold. But he was not satisfied. He went to Caitanya Mahāprabhu to take from Him that āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "I do not know actually what is my self-interest. You please tell me." This is the real approach of guru. "So I have got you after many, many births. I have got your contact. Kindly enlighten me because I am thinking I am very learned, I am very rich, but actually I do not know my self-interest. I have therefore come to you."

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

You have to change this body, but Kṛṣṇa does not say what kind of body. That will depend on your qualification. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. Qualification. If you associate with sattva-guṇa, then ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18), then you are elevated to the higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. If you are associating with the modes of passion, then you will remain here. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ: and if you associate with the tamo-guṇa, then you go lower and lower, abominable family, lower family, animal family, or trees, plants, like that. So the 8..., 8,400,000 forms of life is due to kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. And according to the body, there are distresses and happiness. You cannot expect in the dog's body the same happiness as a king or a very rich man is enjoying. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sa... He has got the dog's body, he has got the king's body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). So this happiness or that happiness, this distress or that distress, they are all due to this material body. Therefore yoga means one has to transcend this happiness of body, distress or happiness. That is here said, that atyanta-uparatiḥ yatra. If you connect yourself again with the supreme yoga—that is called real yoga—then you get rid of this so-called material happiness and distress, which is due to this body.

Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

So we have to cleanse this heart, the ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). They are doing all these things. These are not good things. Asādhu ayam. Na sādhu manye. These, this is not good for human being. Why it is not good? Because according to your karma you'll get another next life, another next body, and you'll have to suffer. Again you have to suffer. You are already suffering. You may be very rich man, but does it mean that you'll not be diseased, because you are rich man? No. This is suffering. You may be very rich man, very, I mean to say, influential man, prime minister... Even Jawaharlal Nehru-last time he became paralyzed. So you cannot avoid these things. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You should not be puffed-up because you have got some bank balance, you are happy. No. Your real unhappiness—these four things: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That any intelligent man should always keep in front, that "These are my distresses." These temporary distresses and to relieve it, that is not very good. You must make ultimate finishing of all distresses. That is bhakti-yoga. That is bhakti-yoga. And that bhakti-yoga begins this, by hearing and chanting.

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

As soon as you're fifty years old, you must give up family life. Compulsory. Therefore we have got... Vedic religion means varṇāśrama-dharma: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa, and brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So for brāhmaṇa, the four āśramas are compulsory. He must become a brahmacārī. Then from brahmacārī he becomes gṛhastha. Then from gṛhastha he must become vānaprastha. Then he must become a sannyāsī. But when he becomes a sannyāsī, that is the... Tyakta-karmāṇas tyakta-svajana-bāndhavāḥ. Tyakta-karmāṇaḥ. So long we are in this material world we have to work. Karma. Karma means to gain some profit. Karma, akarma, vikarma. Vikarma means against the law. Just like ordinary laws. If you are working honestly, business or karma, that's all right. But if you do something wrong, then you are punishable. So karma and vikarma. Vikarma is punishable. Karma you can do. You ripe (reap) your own fruit by working. You become big man, you become rich man, and you become poor man also, by your karma. If you cannot handle your business nicely, then you become poor man. And if you can handle your business nicely, you become rich man. That is karma. Karma means you have to enjoy the result, fruitive result. That is called karma. And vikarma means punishable, pāpa. And akarma means you do something, but you are neither punishable nor rewardable. It is rewardable, practically. And that is bhakti, or satisfying Kṛṣṇa. There is no result. There is result; ultimate result is go back to home, back... But the material... Materially, if you expect some material profit by becoming a devotee, that is not possible. That is not possible. Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). Then you become above all the resultant action of karma.

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

Just like the Gosvāmīs. They used to... Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhur vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. It is possible if we follow the Gosvāmīs. The Gosvāmīs were minister, minister of Nawab Hussain Shah in the Bengal government in those days. Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rū..., very, mean, prime, finance minister, chief minister, very important ministers, and they gave up everything, everything. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. By their determination to worship Kṛṣṇa they gave up everything. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇī... Maṇḍala-pati means very big, big leaders. When one is minister, certainly he is connected with so many big, big men. So they were actually connected with them, but they gave up, sadā tuccha-vat, as most insignificant thing. And what was their next adoption? Now, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Kaupīna, a, simply a loincloth and underwear, kaupīna-kanthāśritau, and one quilt. That's all. Minimum. Minimum necessities of the body. But how they lived? They were so big men. How they adopted such life and lived? Because if a man, rich man, adopts immediately renunciation, that affects his material condition of life. That we have seen. Just like in Bengal, C.R. Das, he had fifty thousand rupees' income in those days, and he gave up everything and joined Gandhi's movement. He died within one year, because he could not tolerate. So without spiritual engagement, one cannot give up this material engagement. That is the real fact. One must... Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati... They gave up this material enjoyment. That's all right. How they lived? Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhuḥ. They dipped into the ocean of the transcendental loving affairs of the gopīs with Kṛṣṇa. That was their asset. Therefore they lived very peacefully and very happily.

Lecture on SB 3.25.23 -- Bombay, November 23, 1974:

So the my Godbrother said, "Yes, it is not very difficult. If you give up these bad habits—intoxication, illicit sex life, meat-eating, and gambling—you can become a brāhmaṇa." So he said, "It is impossible." Yes. A very big man, he said, "It is impossible. This is our life." Actually, we have got experience in the Western countries, this is their life. Even very, very old men, they cannot give up this. For want of this, it is a great suffering. But here you see practically. These young boys, young girls, they have given up. There is no suffering. Take practical example. And an old man, a very respectable gentleman, he was requested to give up these four habits; he replied, "It is impossible." How it is becoming possible for these boys? If they would have suffered for want of this illicit sex, intoxication, the boys or girls, then how they could remain with me? I am not a very rich man. I cannot give them nice shelter. I cannot give them nice food. But why? Because they are not feeling... They have no furniture. They are lying down on the floor, no bedding, no proper cloth. Because they are not suffering actually. Otherwise they could not remain with me. This is a fact. If they would have suffered, then, like Lord Zetland, they would have also said, "It is impossible to remain with Prabhupāda." But they are not saying that. There is suffering from disease also; still, they are not leaving. They are not leaving.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

So a devotee is not very much anxious for mukti because a devotee is always mukta. He is already mukta. Why should he... Suppose if you have got millions of dollars, why should you hanker after ten rupees? So bhakti is such a nice thing. But what is that bhakti? That bhakti is animittā bhāgavatī. That bhakti should be animittā, not with a motive that "I shall go to the temple and serve Kṛṣṇa for this purpose." Kṛṣṇa can fulfill any purpose you desire. It is not very difficult for Him, because He is almighty, full with all opulences. So if you want something, material happiness, from Kṛṣṇa, it is not very difficult for Kṛṣṇa. He can give you mukti even. But to ask from Kṛṣṇa anything else than bhakti is foolishness. That is foolishness. My Guru Mahārāja used to give this example: just like if you go to a rich man and he says, "Now whatever you like, you can ask from me. I shall give you," then if you ask him that "You give me a pinch of ash," is that very intelligent? Similarly, to... There is a story, that one old woman in the forest... I think it is in Aesop's Fable or somewhere. So she was carrying a big bundle of dry wood, and somehow or other, the bundle fell down. It was very heavy. So the old woman became very much disturbed, "Who will help me to get this bundle on my head?" So she began to call God, "God, help me." And God came, "What you want?" "Kindly help me to get this bundle on my head." (laughter) Just see. God came to giving benediction, and she wanted to "Give this bundle again on my head."

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

So how this can be possible? This suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām is possible when one has surrendered himself to the Supreme Being. On His account, because he has surrendered to the Supreme Being, he is friend to all living being. Artificially you cannot. Artificially you select some section, the poorer section, and worship him like Nārāyaṇa, and you call him daridra-nārāyaṇa. But a devotee, if he has got vision of Nārāyaṇa, he will see the daridra-nārāyaṇa, the rich Nārāyaṇa, the chāga-nārāyaṇa, and the every Nārāyaṇa, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Why a section should be called Nārāyaṇa? If you have got such broader vision, that you are seeing Nārāyaṇa in everything, then what the rich man has done? He is also Nārāyaṇa. And the goat has... He is also Nārāyaṇa. The cow, he is also Nārāyaṇa. Then you should... If you have such broader vision, that you see everywhere Nārāyaṇa, then why should you specify a section, daridra-nārāyaṇa?

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

People become dharmika, go to the temples. That's very good. They are pious—to ask something: "O God, give us our daily bread." A bhakta, a pure bhakta, he does not ask anything. Why he should ask? A pure devotee is kept in the hand of Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you keep something very carefully, jewels, in your hand, you are very careful. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa takes care of you, as He says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66), then you are just in the, at the care of... Just like if a big man, a very rich man, if he assures you, "Oh, don't bother, I'll take care of you for everything," just imagine what is your position, if a big man gives you assurance that "I'll take care of you. Don't bother. You haven't got to do anything. I shall take." So when Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme Lord, who is the proprietor of all opulences... Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. Aiśvarya. Six kind of opulence. Kṛṣṇa has got full control over six kind of opulences. All riches. We can say, "I am millionaires. I am proprietor of crores." But I cannot say that "I am the owner of all the banks of the world." That is not possible. But Kṛṣṇa can say. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Not only the banks, but everything which contains the banks, all the planets. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. So who can be richer than Kṛṣṇa? So if Kṛṣṇa says, "I'll take care of you," then where is the question of poverty?

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

If you want to understand God, then try to understand from God Himself. He knows. Just like if you speculate of a big man, a neighbor, a friend, that "What is his wealth? Oh, he appears to be very rich man and very strong man, very influential man." And these are the opulences: very beautiful, very wise. So you can calculate. But if you make friendship with that gentleman and if he speaks about himself, then you can understand what he is. Then how you can understand God, Kṛṣṇa, by speculation? This is foolishness. Therefore, śāstra advises you that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya: "If you think that you are very learned scholar, you are very advanced in knowledge, and you can manufacture what is God, give up this foolishness first of all. Don't make this foolishness." Jñāne prayāsam. Oh, what is your knowledge? Limited. Kūpa-maṇḍūka, the frog in the well. How you can imagine? Simply by imagination? Is imagination God? Can you create? The Māyāvādīs say that "We can imagine God. God, it is so great that it is not possible to understand the Brahman, but we can imagine some form." This is Māyāvādī philosophy. This imagination will not... You cannot imagine God. God is fact. God is not subjected to your imagination. And your senses are imperfect. How long you will simply speculate? Give up this practice, foolishness. Don't... Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya nam... Just become submissive. Jñāne prayāsam udapā..., namanta eva: "Be submissive." That is bhakti-mārga. Bhakti-mārga is submissive.

Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:

So the question is that if I am nityaḥ śāśvataḥ, na hanyate han... and my position is I never die, never take birth, so why I have been put into this condition, accepting this machine? That is real problem. That is real problem. Then what is the cause? That cause is that because I want to enjoy this material world. What is that material world? Here it is said, rāyaḥ paśavo gṛhāḥ. Rāyaḥ means wealth. Formerly a man was considered to be wealthy—now also it is... Dhānyena dhanavān, gavayā dhanavān. If you have got many number of cows, then you are considered to be rich man, not papers. Nowadays, if you have got bunch of paper written "one thousand dollar," but they are paper only. You are dhanavān. Formerly, practical. Not dhanavān by the papers, by the currency notes, but by how many cows you possess, because that is life. You get milk. And dhānyena, if you have got food grains, then you are rich, not by possessing some paper. No. Therefore it it said here, rāyaḥ paśavo gṛhāḥ. So these are the material possession.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

So if one is intelligent enough, he will understand by association of sādhus that this material life is not happy at all, but we want happiness. That is a fact. Every one of us, we are searching after happiness. Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiḥ. Duḥkha means unhappiness, and nivṛtti means decreasing or completely avoiding. But that is not possible. Everyone... T his morning I was talking that everyone who have come on this beach just to mitigate some trouble. So many people are exercising, throwing the hand, throwing the leg or something, but because there is some trouble. Because there is some trouble. Not that because they have come in car, very rich man... But still, he is throwing his hands and legs and something like that. So we have to study like that. We should be intelligent, that there is nobody happy in this material world. Nobody happy in this material... But by the illusion of māyā he is thinking, "I am happy." That is called māyā. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). By foolishness, being spelled by māyā, he's think that "I have got my home, very nice home, gṛha. I have got my property," gṛha-kṣetra, ato gṛha-kṣetra-suta, "I have got very nice children, sons and daughters," ato gṛha-kṣetra-suta-āpta, "I have got my relatives, my friends, so nice, and vitta, so much bank balance, so much money. Then I am the most happy man." But this is moha. Janasya moho 'yam. This is illusion.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

So we are all sons of God. This is a fact, either I am human being or demigod or cats or dog or tree or plants or insect, anything, all living entities. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu. Sarva-yoniṣu mean "All different forms or species of life, as many living entities there are, they are all My sons." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "I am the seed-giving father," or "They are all My sons." This is our relationship. Actually, this is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. And as the father and son relationship means the son may live at the cost of the father... Father has got immense property. They can enjoy. But they must remain very obedient to the father—very natural—then he is happy. If the father is very rich man, he has got all the resources, and if the son is obedient, then where is trouble? Is there any trouble? Father wants simply... Father is ready to give all the property to the sons. That is natural inclination. And the son's duty is just to become obedient to the father.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

So anartha upa... In order to get out of this anartham, purposeless life, anartha upaśamam... Upaśamam means curbing down or finish it, upaśamam, finishing. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. The... If you want to be free from this purposeless, useless life, then you have to engage yourself in the bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, to the Supreme. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam. Sākṣāt, directly. Yo may have many other means to become free from this useless, purposeless life. There may be karma, jñāna, yoga. But that is indirect. That is not actually factual. Suppose a poor man is trying to get out of this condition, poor condition. He becomes a rich man. So that is also purposeless. From poor man to become rich man, it is also purposeless. Because today you are rich man; again you will become poor man. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), chewing the chewed, sometimes poor man, sometimes... Practically we see a man in our presence. He was very poor man; he became rich man. And again his everything, business, failed. He again became a poor man. So this kind of poor man, rich man, sometimes Brahmā, sometimes ant, sometimes cats, dogs—this is all purposeless life. Purpose... Real life is eternal blissful life, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). That should be our aim of life.

Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:

So we should utilize the result of pious activities to become more pure. That is called svaccha. We have discussed this verse, svaccha. Yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svaccham. That is... Just like you have got by, on account of pious activities you have got very nice surroundings, aristocratic family, wealth, beauty, education, but it may be polluted again by the other two qualities, means tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. Then you are finished again. Naturally they become polluted. But they do not know that "By dint of pious activities, I have got this position" and misuse the position by tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, and therefore they again go to hell. This way we are wandering all over the universes, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite (CC Madhya 19.151). We are sometimes rich man, sometimes poor man, sometimes demigod, sometimes dog, sometimes this, sometimes that. This is going on. That is called māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). They do not know the ultimate happiness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but wandering in this way.

Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:

This is perfection: "I am fully satisfied." Svaccha, śānta, no demand. No demand. That is position, no demand. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce. This is the highest perfection. That is called svacchatvam avikāritvaṁ śāntatvam. And this śāntatvam cannot be attained unless you become pure devotee and fully dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the standard of śāntatvam or vasudeva-śabditam. Svacchatvam śāntatvam. Everyone is hankering after śāntatvam, the whole world, because in the material world you cannot be on the platform of śāntatvam. Only on the spiritual platform and when you are engaged in the service of the Lord, then you will get this position, svacchatvam avikāritvaṁ śāntatvam. Iti cetasaḥ vṛttibhir lakṣaṇaṁ proktam. How one has become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there are, these are the symptoms, the brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na... (BG 18.54). We have to understand by the symptoms. If somebody says, "I am very rich man," so generally we want to see the symptoms: "Oh, he is very rich man. Oh, he has got this car. He has got this house. He has got this..." Then we can understand he is rich man. But if these symptoms are not there, how we can understand that he is rich man? Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means these are the symptoms: svacchatvam avikāritvaṁ śāntatvam. When you attain these three stages, these symptom, then you are perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:

So he has got a separate planet which is called Candraloka. Similarly Sūryaloka, Varuṇaloka, Vāyuloka, Indraloka, many. There are hundreds and thousands of demigods, and they have got their different planets. Similarly, the Lord in the spiritual world has got multiforms, and the each and every form is the predominating Deity of the Vaikuṇṭha planets. The spiritual planets are called Vaikuṇṭha planets. The material planets, they are not Vaikuṇṭha; they are kuṇṭha. Here, in these planets, anyone living, he is always full of anxiety, kuṇṭha. In the Vaikuṇṭha planets there is no such thing as anxiety. That is the difference between the spiritual and material planets. Vaikuṇṭha planets means without any anxiety. Here everyone is full of anxiety, whatever he may be. He may be Lord Brahmā or he may be Mr. Ant, small, very insignificant. Everyone is full of kuṇṭha. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām. Samudvigna, fully anxious, "What will happen next? What will happen next? How things will go on?" This anxiety. He may be very rich man or very poor man. The anxiety must be there. Why? Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt: (SB 7.5.5) "Because they have accepted this material body."

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

So they manufacture all these concocted ideas. Therefore it is called māninaḥ. They are thinking they have become liberated. Vimukta-māninaḥ. They are ordinary living being, but they can befool some foolish persons. But they are not liberated. They are under the spell of māyā. Māyā is dictating. Just like in the material world, māyā is dictating, "Now you are prime minister. Now you are president. Now you are very rich man, so your life is..." (break) Then you can surrender. Yes. Mattaḥ... Actually, He is na mattaḥ paratara... That is fact. Even Śaṅkarācārya accepts: nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa is not a living being of this world," but his followers, they are thinking, "I am Nārāyaṇa." You see? They do not know even their original philosophy. It is clearly written by Śaṅkarācārya, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. So... And in the śāstra it is said, yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, ekatvena or samatvenaiva vīkṣeta sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam (CC Madhya 18.116). Pāṣaṇḍī. Unbeliever, atheist, infidel, faithless—they are called pāṣaṇḍī. So anyone who thinks Nārāyaṇa on the same level with such exalted demigods like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā, brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ samatvenaiva vīkṣeta, if he puts Nārāyaṇa on the same level, sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam, he is pāṣaṇḍī.

Lecture on SB 3.28.17 -- Nairobi, October 26, 1975:

Just like these European, American or African boys. They have joined this Kṛṣṇa con... They have not come here for some material progress. No. They have not come here. Others may come. You can say, "The Africans are poor. They have come." No. Nobody has come for material profit. What about the Europeans, Americans? They are not poor. They have got enough money. Why they are after Kṛṣṇa consciousness, after me? I am not rich man. No. That is called ahaituki, without any motive. Nobody. "Kṛṣṇa is my lovable, worshipable. I shall worship Kṛṣṇa." This is wanted. Ahaituky apratihatā. And if you have got this intention, that "Kṛṣṇa is my Lord. I must love Kṛṣṇa. I must learn how to love Him," then apratihatā—no material condition can check it. Either you become American or African, black and white or this or that, nothing can check you. You can go on—if it is motiveless. This is wanted.

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

What is this foolishness? Why should you pay the electric bill? Go there and live there. There is no need of... Na yatra... Na tad bhāsayate. It is... The spiritual world is not lighted by the sun, moon. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. Because everyone is effulgent, every planet is effulgent, so therefore there is no need of these things. There is no ignorance. There is no scarcity. There is no miserable condition. That is called Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means vigata kuṇṭha yasmād iti vaikuṇṭha. Kuṇṭha, anxiety. Here every man, even the richest man is full of anxiety. Your president, he is the richest person in this country, and he is the third richest man in the world, somebody. But do you think he is without anxiety? No. That is not possible. That is not possible. He is full of anxiety: "The other party may not take." (aside:) You sit down properly. Other party may not take his position. This is all politicians' anxiety. Even the king of heaven, Indra, he is also full of anxiety. There are Hiraṇyakaśipus. So sometimes they drive away that Indra, King Indra, and he enjoys there. This is going on, not only in this planet. In all planet, wherever you go, the same condition prevails. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna. Don't think that by going to the heavenly planet you'll be happy there. No. There is no possibility. Either you go to the heavenly planet or you go to the hell, you will have to undergo the threefold miserable conditions.

Lecture on SB 4.14.14 -- November 16, 1971, Delhi:

So irresponsible government. It is not now—such things happened in long, long days ago also. That is the nature of this material world, that everything deteriorates. Whatever good thing you may prepare, in due course of time, it will deteriorate. That is the nature of material nature, that something is produced which in the beginning it goes on nicely, then gradually it deteriorates. Influence of time, and then vanish. So even in religious movement, if there is materialistic motive, then it will deteriorate. It will not stand. So beginning of religious life should be without any material motive. Pure devotion means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (Brs. 1.1.11), no material motive. Generally, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, people go to the temple and the churches or any religious..., synagogue, with a material motive. Ārto arthārthī. Generally they are in need of money or they are unhappy somehow or other, and they go to God, Kṛṣṇa, or according to their religious principle, and pray for material benefit. But that is also accepted as good, because they are approaching Kṛṣṇa, or God. But that is not pure devotion. If such material motive continues, then he will fall down from that devotional service. Because as soon as his distress is mitigated, he will think that there is no more need of worshiping. Naturally he forgets. Just like rich man. A rich man becomes rich not very easily, with great austerity either in this life or in the past. But when he gets money, he becomes extravagant and again falls down. Similarly, we may go to Kṛṣṇa in times of distress, but as soon as the distress is gone, we forget Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 4.14.14 -- November 16, 1971, Delhi:

There is a very nice verse in Hindi that duhk se sab hari bhaje, sukh se bhaje (?), sukh se agar hari bhaje, dukh ahan se hoi (?). Generally people take to devotional service when they are in materially distressed condition. The rich men, they do not care for it. But if a rich man takes care that "I have got this money by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. I must use it for Kṛṣṇa," then he will never be unhappy. He will never be unhappy. Because after all, whatever we get, it is by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So by His favor we get opulence, riches, but when we are opulent we forget Kṛṣṇa, because māyā is very strong. Māyā will detect, "Oh, you have got so much money, why don't you enjoy wine and woman?" As it is going on in European and American countries, anyone who gets money, he utilizes it for wine and woman. He has no other engagement. He does not know how to utilize money. Therefore, now the British Empire, we have seen it practically, how opulent British Empire was and now how they are coming down. Recently we have seen in London that people are lying down on bench. So this is the nature. Luxury leads to poverty.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

There is a very nice story—these are very instructive story from Bhāgavata. There was a very nice prostitute. Her fee was, if anyone wants to visit that prostitute, she was charging one hundred thousands of, what is called, diamond pieces. Diamonds you can understand. One diamond piece is at least five hundred dollars. So she used to charge, "If somebody wants to visit my house, then he must pay one hundred thousand pieces of diamond." So there were rich men. For sense gratification she was being paid. But one poor man and diseased man, so he had his very faithful wife. Although he was very poor and diseased, his wife was serving him very nicely. The husband could not work because he was diseased, and the wife was working, and, I mean to say, maintaining her husband, herself. Fortunately she had no children. But the husband was always morose. Now the wife is asking, "My dear husband, I am trying to satisfy you in so many ways, working myself and cooking for you, giving you foodstuff, and I am getting you bathed and everything. Why you are so morose?"

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

Yes, so that is their enjoyment. But Ṛṣabhadeva says, or the śāstra says, "No, no, you should not eat at all. That is your perfection." Just see. These, these animal like men, they are eating so much, they are enjoying, but your business should be to decrease up to the point of need, no more eating. So are they prepared? No. It is very difficult. But that is the aim. Therefore, you will find, those who are for spiritual advan..., just like Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī. Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī belonged to a very rich man's, son. His father and uncle were very rich men in... Five hundred years ago, the income was twelve lakhs of rupees per annum. That one lakh, one hundred thousand of rupees, I think at the present moment, the value has increased one hundred thousand times.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

So Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī's father's income was one hundred thousand rupees per month. Now, I have heard that sometimes in one rupee, they were selling nine mounds of rice. So anyway, Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī, the point is, Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī was very, very rich man's son, only son, and had very beautiful wife. The father saw that this boy is a little restless, he's very much attracted with Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, he wants to join, so he'll go away from home. So let him have a very beautiful wife, so that he may not go away. So rich man, to get a beautiful wife is not a very difficult thing, he got, and a special house, garden house, and with guard, so that the son may not go away. This was the position of Raghanatha Dāsa Gosvāmī. So one day Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī's... At that time he was not Gosvāmī, Raghunātha, Raghunātha's mother was advising her husband or Raghunātha's father, "Why don't you shackle him?" As woman she was suggesting that better, just like in prison house they are locked up in iron chain, similarly you do for my son so that he'll not be able to go away. So the father was replying, "You mad woman, don't you see I have given such a nice wife, shackle, he's not attached at all. And what this iron shackle will do?" This was Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

So the old man said, "No, I feel myself." So he said that "My youngest daughter I'll give you." So he said, "Sir, don't say like that, because you are rich man. I am poor man." Because in India, still, the father, parents, they arrange for marriage. So they want equal status. If the father of the girl is rich man, then he must find out a son-in-law who is coming also from rich family. If he's educated, he wants a son-in-law who must be educated. So this young man was neither very much educated, nor at all rich. But this old man was aristocrat, rich man, and educated, complete different. The young man said that "Why you are promising like this? You do not know you are talking before the Deity. You should not talk like that. Because it will not be possible. Even though you agree, your sons, your wife will not agree. So it will be failure and you are talking before the Deity, you should be careful." So the old insisted, "No, maybe they protest, but it is my daughter, I shall give you. Who can protest? I promise." So the young man said, "Now, it is up to you, but you are promising before the Deity. Mind that."

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

Then other neighborhood men said, "What is the trouble?" So he said that "This man, this young man, went with my father to Vṛndāvana. He took all his money by giving him intoxication. And now he's talking that my father has promised to give my sister to him. Do you think it is possible?" So all the neighborhood men said, "Yes, he's very rich man, How this poor man can be...? Maybe he has taken his money." So the young man said, "No, sir! He has promised before... I am not very much anxious to marry his daughter. But I'm simply anxious that he promised before the Deity. So how is that he can withdraw the promise? It is a great offense." He's thinking in that way. So in the meantime his son came out, "All right, if the Deity has become witness, if you can bring the Deity here and He gives witness: 'Yes, my father promised,' then I also promise that my sister will be married with you." Because he's atheist, he's thinking that "Deity is not going to come here. How He can come and from such a long distant place? This is impossible. This crazy man may say that Deity has become witness, but it is not possible." So he said, "All right, I'm going to Vṛndāvana to bring the witness."

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Vrndavana, October 25, 1976:

So there is consideration of deśa kāla patra. In the Kali-yuga people cannot undergo very severe austerities. That is impossible for them, because mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). They are already very much suppressed and suffering because they are all unfortunate, manda-bhāgyā. Mostly people, they have no provision for eating either today or tomorrow. Manda-bhāgyā. There is no sufficient grains. Formerly even in the villages you would see that a common man has very good stock of foodgrains and cows, dhanvena dhanavan, gavaya dhanavan. Formerly the standard of richness was considered how many morai, the bank, what is called? Where grain is stocked? Silo. So in India it is called morai, grain stock. And how many cows one has got in stock. Then he is rich man. Nowadays how much paper money he has got. Actually it has no value. Suppose you have got some papers. Each paper it is written there "one thousand dollars." But if there is no grain, what will this one-thousand-dollars paper will do? It actually so happened in the last war in Germany. Their money was thrown in the street. Nobody cared to take it, because it has no exchange. So long the paper money you can exchange, there is value. Otherwise it is paper only. But if you have got actual commodity—grains and cows—then you can eat in any circumstances. Never mind war is going on; you don't care. You get sufficient food. What you will do with the paper money? So this paper currency is useless. If the things are going on nicely it has value, but in times of crisis it has no value.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Vrndavana, October 25, 1976:

So anyway, mahāntas, these are the symptoms. Sama-cittāḥ: they have no such thing, "Oh, here is Hindu, here is Muslim, here is rich man, here is poor man." No. He's kind to everyone. That is godly qualification. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Sama-cittāḥ. This is explanation. Anyone who takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, he is te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. He's eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. So Kṛṣṇa gives this liberty, open to everyone. Now who will act it? Who will induce people, even though he's born in low-grade family... Māṁ hi pārtha..., ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yoni. Pāpa-yoni means one who is born in pāpa-yoni, in low-grade family. They say caṇḍāla yavana mleccha in the, there... But Kṛṣṇa is giving liberty to everyone. Ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Ye 'nye ca pāpa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said. Then who will do it? You are a big sādhu, very learned sādhu, and if you sit down, "No, no. I shall not go out of India. As soon as I cross the sea, immediately I'll become fallen." Then who will do this business? Kṛṣṇa wants that te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Then who will deliver these pāpa-yoni? If "I am a big sannyāsī and big devotee, I do not go out side Vṛndāvana, I do not go outside India. I am jagat-guru..." "Have you seen jagat?" "No. I'm self-made jagat-guru." This is going on. Cheating. This cheating is going on. What is mahātmā they do not know; still, they are posing themselves mahātmā. Mahātmāji he (Hindi).

Lecture on SB 5.5.4 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1976:

So they are all mad. So nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). And they are implicating so many sinful activities. Legally and virtually, they are becoming implicated. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra lokāyaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ. If you don't act only for yajña, then you become implicated. The evidence is, the proof is I am implicated that there are different varieties of life. You should know that "Why there are so many varieties of life." That is explained here. The varieties of life is na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). Here, and anyone who has got this material body Material body means kleśada, different degrees of kleśada. Somebody is millionaire—but don't think that his body is not kleśada. His body is also kleśada, giving some pain. Nobody is free from kleśa. There was a very big rich man in Calcutta. So he could not eat. His appetite, there was no appetite. So he's rich man. So he was given sufficient foodstuff, and simply show, he could not eat. But a big rich man. And one poor man was passing on the street, taking a fish and chanting very Not chanting; singing very jubilantly. So this gentleman saw. He said that "I have become so rich man, but I have no appetite inspite of so many nice foodstuff before me. And that poor man is carrying one fish. He's thinking that he'll go and cook it and eat it very nicely. He is so jubilant. So if I would have become a poor man like him I could have enjoyed some food." He was wishing that. Because real business is sense gratification. So in spite of his becoming so rich he could not gratify his senses.

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Therefore this so-called, what is called, excursion, to attempt to go to some planet, you cannot stay there, neither you'll be allowed to enter. So this endeavor to go there by so-called scientific advancement is simply defeat, because you will not be allowed, neither you can go there. And actually it is happening. What they have achieved so far? Nothing. No tangible action made. But they have spent millions of dollars, Russia and America, to go to the moon planet. And even you go there, but after all, you will have to die, you have to give up this body, and after death, you do not know where you'll be placed. That is under the nature's hand. You cannot dictate that "After death, I shall go to that planet or this planet." No. You are completely under the nature's control. Prakṛteḥ kriyāmāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Unless you are qualified... Everyone is ambitious, but does it mean by becoming ambitious, one can become very rich man or very respectable man? That is not possible. One must qualify himself. So these are futile attempts. You have to act according to the... But they do not believe that there is higher authority, there is judgment and everything. They think that it is blind: "Whatever we like, we can do." That is not good. Parābhavaḥ. This is called defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata.

Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976:

ust like first of all, Mahārāja Mansingh, he carried out the order of Rūpa Gosvāmī. He spent so much, in those days, lakhs and crores of rupees. You have seen the Govindajī's temple, broken. It is not possible to construct such a temple at the present moment. But is was done by the order of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. It is the system, if you want to see a saintly person, you must go there to serve him. Not that simply asking, "Give me your blessing." And, "Why, are you worthy for blessing?" Cheap blessing. And blessing also, they do not know what is blessing. Blessing, they think that "I have got some disease, if the saintly person gives me some blessing, I will be relieved from this disease." Now why don't you go to the doctor? But you go to saintly person for curing your disease. This is anyābhilāṣitā, that they do not know even how to approach a saintly person. So Mansingh was very important man, he was the commander-in-chief of Akbar, and he approached Rūpa Gosvāmī, "What can I do for you." So, Rūpa Gosvāmī, he did not require that temple, but he wanted to engage this rich man to the service of the Lord and he asked him that, "You construct a temple like this." Rūpa Gosvāmī was living very humbly, you know at the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple, his bhajanāśrama. He did not require a temple. But we are making members. Why? The idea is they'll spend the money for nothing in sense gratification. Take some money from them and engage in constructing temple.

Lecture on SB 5.5.15 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1976:

So itthaṁ vimanyur anuśiṣyād ataj-jñān. But they are foolish. Ataj-jñān. There is no knowledge. So simply see. Na yojayet karmasu karma-mūḍhān. They have natural tendency to work and get the benefit and make a plan, "How I shall become very rich man. How I shall own so many houses and so many properties, so many lands, so many, and..." Therefore why these people are so busy? Karma-mūḍhān, day and night. Ataj-jñān. They do not know that such persons cannot improve their economic position simply by working hard. That is not possible. Then everyone would have been rich man. In big, big cities like Calcutta, Bombay, London, New York, everyone is working very hard. Not that in big cities one can get their food easily. No. Everyone has to work. And everyone is working hard. Do you think that everyone is on the same level of position? No. That is not possible. Destiny. Destiny. One man is working hard day and night, twenty-four hours; simply he is getting two capātīs, that's all. We have seen in Bombay.

Lecture on SB 5.5.27 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1976:

Or if the child is a person, the father must be a person. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). So all living entities, we experience it, that we are all persons. Even a small insect, a small ant, it is a person. An ant is going this way. If you stop, it will struggle: "Why you are stopping me?" That is person. It will try its best to go this way and this way to avoid your checking. You will find it by practical experience. Even a small ant, it has got all the propensities. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna, these propensities, eating, sleeping, sex, and fearing, you will find everywhere. Viṣayaḥ sarvataḥ puruṣya(?). Viṣaya. Viṣaya does not mean to become rich man. Viṣaya means enjoyment of the senses. That is called viṣaya. Viṣaya chāriyā, se rase majiyā, mukhe bolo hari hari. This is instruction, that we can chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, we can chant the holy name of the Lord, purely, without offense. Because if we can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra once only—if it is pure—then immediately you become liberated. Ekara hari name yata pāpa hare, pāpi haya tata pāpa karibāre nare. Hari-nāma is so powerful that once chanting, immediately vanquishes the accumulated sinful reaction of millions of lives. Pāpi haya tata pāpa karibāre. Every pāpi, sinful man, is very expert in committing sinful activities. But hari-nāma is so expert that once chanted, the pāpi, the sinful man, will be failure to commit sin anymore.

Lecture on SB 5.5.32 -- Vrndavana, November 19, 1976:

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for showing mercy to the innocent who are suffering in this material world. That is wanted. It is not daridra-nārāyaṇa seva, that "I am very rich man. I am rich Nārāyaṇa, and therefore I can serve the daridra-nārāyaṇa." There is no question of serving. That is not. No. The fact is everyone is suffering. There is nobody... Because asad-grahāt. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Anyone within this material..., he is suffering, full of anxieties. Even the birds and beasts, you'll find, they are full of anxiety. Why? Asad-grahāt. Because he accepted this material body, which is asat, which is temporary. Asato mā sad gamaḥ. Therefore Vedic injunction is, "Don't stay in this material existence. Come to the spiritual existence, sat." Oṁ tat sat. This is the civilization, not to keep the people in ignorance and flatter them that "You are making very good advance." There is no advance unless one is interested in spiritual life. There is no... Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). In this way we are wandering within this universe in different forms of life, in different planets, in different social positions, in so many varieties.

Lecture on SB 5.5.35 -- Vrndavana, November 22, 1976:

If you think it is material sound, you are rascal. Therefore they are wonderful. The American people have become wonderful, astonished how simply by chanting they becoming brainwashed. That is the actual fact. The rascals, they do not know how these people are giving up illicit sex, meat-eating—their life and soul, all these things. How they are giving up unless they have become mad, hearing? The hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana can do that. Yes. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was chastised by His guru, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21), so He said that "You are rascal. You cannot read Vedānta. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said, "Yes, and chanting, I have become mad."

So this is actually the fact. But these rascals cannot calculate that how simply by chanting they are forever becoming out of home, no more return. "My dear son, come back. Take all these things." "No, sir. I am..." This was actually proved. Our Gargamuni, his father is very rich man. He wanted to take back the son from the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. He was unable. Hardly! So many fathers. Our... So many... Not so many, few, they left this movement, but they could not stay outside. Again come. That is brainwash.

Lecture on SB 5.6.6 -- Vrndavana, November 28, 1976:

Ah. So yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ jñāna-vairāgya. This is vairāgya. Not that Kṛṣṇa is simply enjoying sixteen thousand palaces, sixteen thousand queens, and millions of descendants, yadu-vaṁśa. This is another side, and this is another side, vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya. Jñāna. We can understand a little piece of His contribution of jñāna, Bhagavad-gītā. That is a little piece of His stock of knowledge. Five thousand years He spoke, and still it is being continued, not only in India, but also all over the world. This is jñāna. So anyway—strength. When He was seven years old, Kṛṣṇa, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. Jñāna-vairāgya, everything complete. That is God. Nothing less. Not that, that "I am rich man, but I cannot lie down on the street." Not that kind of vairāgya. He is complete, completely different from a rich person. Akhila-loka-pāla. He is the controller of the whole universe; still, you see His vairāgya.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

We are not actually criminal. Just like a man born is not criminal, but by association he becomes a criminal, or by association he becomes a godly man. It is a question of association. Similarly, the spirit soul, as son of God, he is pure. He is as pure as anything. As God is pure, similarly the son of God is also pure. But as soon as he forgets God and wants to become free, or wants to become imitation God... Here in this material world everyone is trying to become an imitation God. God is one. God cannot be two. But here the struggle for existence means that these, I mean to say, living entities who are put into this material world, every one of them is trying to become an imitation God. Therefore there is struggle. I am trying to... Either collectively or individually, everyone is trying to become a certain type of God. What is that God? God means, I have several times explained that God means the richest man, the richest, famous man, the most famous man, the strongest man, the beautiful man, the learned man, and the renounced man. You just find out who is God. That is defined in the Vedic literature, that the person who has got the utmost opulence, utmost strength, utmost beauty, utmost knowledge, and utmost renunciation, He is God. This is the definition of God. You can find out some rich man, but you cannot find out the richest man. Every day you will find so many competitors. So as soon as you find the richest man, nobody can surpass him, then he is God. So these are some of the examples.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

You have read in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that one Buddhimanta Khan, he was formerly... He was very rich man and Nawab Hussain Shah was the servant when he was not Nawab. So he was menial servant. So he stole some money as servants are generally habituated. So he whipped him with his cane. So that whipping stripe was on his back side. When he was Nawab, so his wife saw it and inquired, "What is this scar?" So he replied the whole story, that "I was formerly a menial servant to this Buddhimanta Khan and I did something wrong. So as my father, he punished me. That's all. He was treating me as my son." So he admitted that he was so kind. But his wife said, "Oh, this scar is a defamation. If somebody sees and you explain, then it will be known that you were a menial servant previously." So the Nawab did not mind. He: "What is that? I may be... Now what I am, that's all." So the wife requested that "This man should be killed so that he may not disclose the secret of your life, that you were a menial servant in his house." And "No, no, no. This is... This cannot be. He is just like my father. How can I kill him? This is not possible." And just see. Then she advised, "At least make him Mohammedan.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture:

So these things are all gone. In Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time there was misuse also of this... Just like sometimes the physician does not give him the proper medicine. Just to keep him under treatment and take money from him, he continues. Similarly, in this age things are being deteriorated. So even you go to a learned brāhmaṇa, he does not give you the proper instruction. He wants to exact some money from you. Therefore things have gone, everything, very bad. Even in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was there, one gentleman, he was made into a Muhammadan. This is a long story. The shortcut is he was very rich man, and the Nawab of Bengal, Hussain Shah, when he was a boy, he was his servant. Later on he became the Nawab, the king. So one day the Nawab was being massaged, and his wife saw that there is a stripe on the back. So (s)he asked the Nawab, "What is this?" So he stated that "When I was a poor boy, I was servant of Buddhimanta Khan, and I committed some wrong, so he whipped me with a cane." "Oh? Then it is a sign that you were a servant of Buddhimanta Khan sometimes before. If people will see and you will explain, that is an insult for you." "Oh, what is that? He was just like my father. He chastised me. I don't mind." "No, no, no, no. You should kill him so that he may not say to anyone that you were sometime his servant." So Nawab disagreed. Nawab said, "No, no. He treated me just like my son, and I accepted him as my father. It is not possible to kill him." Then the queen suggested that "At least you make him a Muhammadan.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, May 8, 1976:

What is that further improvement? We can go to the better planets. There are many better planets. You can go there, heavenly planets. There you can live for ten thousands of years. Ten thousands of years, and that is also not our year. The higher planetary system, their one day—our six months. In that way you can live there for ten thousands of years. And the standard of living condition is thousand times better. Therefore it is called heavenly. So if you like, you can go there. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthaḥ (BG 14.18). Yānti deva-vrataḥ devān. Everything is explained. Or if you can go, if you like you can go to the Pitṛloka. If you want to remain here as human being, you can also remain here, but you have to work for it to keep your position, status. Just like if you become rich man, high standard of life, you have to maintain it. Not that it will continue automatically. No, that is not possible, sir. This material world is not like that: you get one position and it will continue. No. A little discrepancy, immediately deteriorate your position. So you have to maintain it.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:

No other desire than to please Kṛṣṇa. Not that "I have become a devotee. Now my income will increase," or "I shall be..." That, that will come automatically. You want money to increase your income to become happy. But if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, automatically you'll be so happy that you'll neglect to collect money. That will automatically come. There is no need of separate endeavor. Happiness will come. Yaṁ labdhvā. Just like Dhruva, Dhruva Mahārāja. He was so lamenting. Those who are recording, I mean, transcribing my tapes, how he was lamenting, that "How foolish I was that I took to devotional service with a desire for some material profit." He was so much repentant. So that is, that is another profit of the devotee. For material profit, somebody goes to somebody, some boss, some rich man, some demigod, some powerful man. But a devotee does not go anywhere. He goes to Kṛṣṇa only. Even if he has got material desires. That is the advantage. This advantage: that if you go to Kṛṣṇa for some material advantage even, then day will come, you'll forget that material advantage.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:

Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, he was repentant, that "I came to Kṛṣṇa for asking some material..." The example is given: Just like one has pleased a very big, rich man, and the rich man said, "All right, you ask me whatever you want. I shall give you." So when he's asked to beg whatever he wants, then if he asks that "Give me some broken rice grains," is that very good proposal? If he's asking that "You can ask anything else from me"—he's a rich man—ask him for millions of dollars or something like that. But instead of..., if you ask for your foolishness, that "Please give me some broken grains of rice..." So similarly, to go to Kṛṣṇa and to ask some material benefit is exactly like this, to go to some rich man and ask from his "Please give me some broken grains of rice." Why one should ask for material happiness from Kṛṣṇa? Material happiness will roll on his feet: "Please take me, please take me." These Kṛṣṇa conscious boys and girls, in sixty centers, just see how they are materially opulent. They're living in the best house. They're eating best food. They're in best consciousness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Prabhupāda: That all-powerful. Now let us come to our own concept of all-powerfulness. We consider a rich man powerful, influential man powerful. Then a strong man powerful, a man of knowledge powerful. A man that is very beautiful, he is also powerful, or a woman is beautiful, she is powerful—she attracts so many. In this way, when all the six opulences are together in fullness, he is God. Is it clear?

Pandiya: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: God means nobody can be richer than Him, nobody can be stronger than Him, nobody can be more beautiful than Him, nobody can be wiser than Him, and nobody can be influential than Him. That is God. When you find somebody that "Here is the richest man in the whole universe or in the whole creation. Here is the most beautiful man in the whole universe," in this way, when you compare the six opulences, then that you will find in Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was present He exhibited this practically. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

Therefore we have to learn, we have to be educated, we have to receive knowledge from the perfect. And Kṛṣṇa personally, the Supreme Perfect Person, is giving you knowledge. And if we are so unfortunate that we do not take the perfect knowledge—we concoct, we speculate, we create our own idea—then it is to be understood that durāśayā. We are thinking, "I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in this..." Nothing. You shall never be happy—this is perfect instruction—unless you go back to home, back to Godhead. Just like a mad boy, he has forsaken his father. His father is rich man, everything is there, but he has become hippie. So similarly, we are also like that. Our father is Kṛṣṇa. We can live there very comfortably without any botheration, without endeavor for earning money, but we have decided that we shall live here in this material world. This is called ass. This is the... Therefore mūḍha. We do not know what is our self-interest. And we are hoping against hope, "I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in this way." Therefore this word is used, mūḍha. They do not know what is actually his happiness, and he is trying one chapter, another, one chapter, another, "Now I will be happy." The ass. The ass. Sometimes the washerman sits on his back and takes a bunch of grass and puts in front of the ass, and the ass wants to take the grass. But as he moving forward, the grass is also moving forward. (laughter) And he thinks, "Just one step forward, I shall get the grass." But because he is ass, he does not know that "The grass is situated in such a way that I may go on for millions of years; still, I will not get the happi..." This is ass. He does not come to his senses that "For millions and trillions of years I may try to be happy in this material world. I will never be happy."

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976:

So, Kṛṣṇa is always joyful. Kṛṣṇa is always joyful. Just like see before you. Kṛṣṇa is joyfully accepting to be bound up by His mother. He is Supreme Lord; nobody can chastise Him, but He is taking pleasure: "How My mother chastises Me." This is also another pleasure. Just like a very rich man, he always eats very nice foodstuff. So sometimes he wants, "Can you give me little puffed rice?" Puffed rice is not very valuable food, but he likes. This is change of variety of enjoyment. So everyone worships God: "My Lord, my Lord, my Lord." So therefore God sometimes wants that "Who will chastise Me?" He selects one of His devotees, first-class devotees: "You become My father, you become My mother, and you chastise Me." This is God's pleasure. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. Then that is God. Ānanda, that is ānanda. Here, Mother Yaśodā is going to bind Kṛṣṇa. It is not His displeasure; He is not unhappy. He is feeling happy. That is Kṛṣṇa. So in this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa thoroughly. And if you simply understand thoroughly Kṛṣṇa, you are liberated. You are liberated. Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). One may question that... They may neglect that "If Kṛṣṇa is God, why Mother Yaśodā is binding Him?" But he does not know that is a pleasure. That is a pleasure. There are many instances. I'll cite one instance that there was a big prime minister in England, Gladstone. Perhaps you have heard the name.

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, June 9, 1976:

So this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will cleanse our heart. We are loaded with so many dirty things, so this can be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam (CC Antya 20.12). This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to cleanse the heart of the human being and get out all the..., projjhita, kick out all dirty things and concentrate on devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. And the beginning is śṛṇvatām, śṛṇvatām, this process. It doesn't require that you should be very rich man or you should be very educated or so on, so on. No. In whatever position you are, remain. There is no question of artificial improvement. There is no question. You remain. Simply God has given you the ear. Utilize it properly. That's all. You don't require to go to the university and get a Ph.D. degree and then you can understand. No. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, that,

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ

Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is so nice that you don't require to acquire something artificial. No. Wherever you are, remain there. Simply hear. And preaching means to propagate or to vibrate what Kṛṣṇa has said. So this is the position of the preacher, that you simply repeat, like a parrot, no qualification. You simply ... Whatever is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, you repeat.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Los Angeles, June 11, 1976:

So similarly, we cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is pāpa, adharma. Dharma is to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa. That is very simple. And if we do that then we become qualified to go back to home, back to Godhead. Very simple thing. It doesn't require much education. Simply it requires a purified mind, that "I shall execute it honestly." That much qualification is sufficient. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is Kṛṣṇa's law and order. Kṛṣṇa does not say anything which is very difficult to execute, because we cannot do it. Kṛṣṇa asks from you very simple thing. Not that Kṛṣṇa is asking from you very things which we cannot supply. No. We can supply. Anyone, any poor man, any illiterate man, any poor man or any rich man. Everyone, it is open to everyone. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not forbidden to anyone, even pāpa-yoni.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

Just like we are distributing prasādam. Not that because he is poor man and we are giving prasāda, no. This is not our idea. To our eyes, the so-called poor man and rich man, they are all suffering, not that the simply poor man suffering and the rich man is not suffering. Therefore we give them prasādam or īśa-saṅga. That prasādam is also Īśa. The prasādam accepted by Kṛṣṇa, offered to Kṛṣṇa, is also Kṛṣṇa. So if we give prasādam, then he is getting the opportunity of associating with Kṛṣṇa. This is our idea. But people very much appreciate poor-feeding. So that, you can take it, that. But everyone is poor. Who is rich? Unless one has got knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, he is poor. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). So-called knowledge has no value. Therefore a jñānavān, a man of knowledge, after many, many births he comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). So this is the process. Īśa-saṅgāt. So this prasāda distribution means giving chance to the people, those who are poor in knowledge, to awaken their Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is our policy. Otherwise we cannot do any good to any others.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

So even the jñānī and jijñāsu, they are not on the pure devotional service because pure devotional service is beyond jñāna also. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Just like gopīs, they did not try to understand Kṛṣṇa by jñāna, whether Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān. No. They simply automatically developed—not automatically; by their previous good activities—acute love for Kṛṣṇa. They never tried to understand Kṛṣṇa, whether He is God. When Uddhava tried to preach before them about jñāna they did not hear it very attentively. They simply absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Never mind Kṛṣṇa worship, but one loves Kṛṣṇa. And that is wanted. That is spontaneous. Real love means that. A lover does not consider what he is, the opposite party, what he is, whether he is rich man, whether he is educated man or educated... There is no such consideration. Love is spontaneous. That is an example also. Similarly, love for Kṛṣṇa, that should be simply spontaneous, without any consideration. Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām: (CC Antya 20.47) "Either You trample down under Your feet or embrace me, still, I love You." That is love, that kind of love.

Lecture on SB 6.2.7 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1975:

He is not loser because he will get the opportunity of another human form of life. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate: (BG 6.41) "Even one has fallen down, still, he will get the chance of taking birth"—śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe—"in the family of brāhmaṇa, first-class brāhmaṇa," śucīnāṁ, śucī, "very pure," or śrīmatām, "or very rich man, a rich vaiśya." Generally the vaiśyas are rich. So he will get chance either in a very good family of brāhmaṇa or vaiśyas. Vaiśyas are generally devotees. Therefore he gets the chance of taking birth in a nice family. And if he is fortunate or if he is guided, then he begins again Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the point where he lost it. Therefore he is not loser, whereas others who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he may be diverted, and there is no guarantee what is the next birth. Kṛṣṇa does not guarantee. Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma... (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, yathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. He will get another body. But what kind of body he is going to get, that is not certain. He may be a demigod or he may be a dog, according to his karma. But this man who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, if he is fallen and if he has to take birth again, it is guaranteed, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: (BG 6.41) "He will take birth in a very rich family or in a very pure family." This is guaranteed. For others there is no guarantee. He may take birth out of the 8,400,000's of different forms of life. There is no guarantee.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam. Malam means sinful reaction. And nirmala. If you want to become completely free from all contamination of this material world... Contamination means associating with the different modes of material nature—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Even if you are associating with sattva-guṇa, still, it is contamination, what to speak of other, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Those who are contaminated by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they are fully engaged in lusty desires and greediness. Tadā rajas-tamo bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). Kāma, lobha, rajas, tamaḥ. The whole world is infected with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Therefore they are simply absorbed in kāma and lobha, lusty desires and greediness. Not that only the poor man is hankering after money. Even the richest man in this material world, he is also hankering after. Lobha: "I want more. I want more." Kṛṣṇa is assuring that yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: "If one is fully surrendered, I supply him personally. I carry his personal necessities," yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham, "Not that I ask somebody but I carry Myself." He is giving assurance. So why we should be hankering after other things to become happy? It is foolishness. Kṛṣṇa assures, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22).

Lecture on SB 6.2.16 -- Vrndavana, September 19, 1975:

The first criminal action is that when we forget Kṛṣṇa and our relationship with Him Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer; we are eternal servant. This is our relationship. Just like a big man, rich man: he is the enjoyer and he has got many servants. That we practically see. The capitalist, he starts some business, big factory. Ten thousand men are working, but the capitalist is not working. It is our practical experience. He is aloof from the factory. In a nice place, in a nice bungalow, garden house, he is enjoying. Similarly, God, Kṛṣṇa, He is the enjoyer. You will find, therefore, Kṛṣṇa here in this temple, He is enjoying. He is standing with His elder brother, enjoying in the forest, sporting with His cowherd boy friends, His cows, calves—enjoying in the forest. The description is there in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. And those who are playing with Him, those who are associates of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, they are also not ordinary persons.

Lecture on SB 6.2.16 -- Vrndavana, September 19, 1975:

The certain section, they say that "Why God will come? God has no business to come here." So these rascals, they do not know. Why God will not come? Is He your father's servant, that you think God cannot come, therefore God cannot come? You can think in your way, but God is fully independent. Whenever He likes, He can come. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. Just to show the example. Why God should be restrained not to come? He is not God. If God is restrained by us, by our speculation, by our imagination, that is not God. That is dog. A dog can be restrained: "Don't come here." Why God can be restrained? So there is no reason. He says freely that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). He wants. We are part and parcel of God, just like sons are part and parcel of father. If the father is rich man, all-powerful, he does not like to see that his sons are loitering in the street without any food, without any shelter. He doesn't like. Father entreats, "My dear son, why you are rotting in this way? Come home. You'll be comfortable. You'll be happy." But these rascal sons will not go. They are thinking, "We shall make plan here and live peacefully." That is going on. And God is coming, Kṛṣṇa is coming, canvassing, that "Come back to home, back to Godhead," and we are not interested. We are making plan here. This is our misfortune. But this plan will be frustrated. That is the nature's law. Daivi hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Whatever plan you make, it will be frustrated. It will never be successful.

Lecture on SB 6.2.17 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1975:

So purification means to stop this low-grade life. And low-grade life is there. Otherwise wherefrom they are coming? These cats and dogs and other lower animals, wherefrom they are coming? Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). We are creating the facility for the next body, karmana. Therefore it has to be purified. That is called tapaḥ. Tapo divyaṁ-putrakā yena śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). This is the... "My dear boys..." Ṛṣabhādeva instructed His children, hundred sons, "My dear boys, just prepare yourself for tapasya." That is the whole Vedic civilization, tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ. Tapasya for realizing God. This is the only business of the human life, not any other business. Any other business will not help you. Otherwise everyone would have been very rich man. Everyone is trying, whole day and night working. Does it mean that everyone is becoming Birla and like that? No. That is not possible. You can get only what is destined to you, not more than that. You cannot get more than that. Therefore śāstra says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (1.5.18). We are, by the impelling of the material nature—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27)—we are wandering throughout the whole universe in different types of bodies, in different planets, but we are not getting released. Therefore our only business is to get released from this repetition of birth and death.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18-19 -- Gorakhpur, February 12, 1971:

Devotee (1): Does one have to be a pure devotee to be a...? The twelve authorities, are they all pure devotees?

Prabhupāda: Why do you ask this question? You have no sense. Without pure devotee, how they became authority? You are ask the question, "Is Mr. Rockefeller a rich man?" Your question is like that. He is known a very rich man, and he has foundation. If you ask, "Is he a rich man?" is that very intelligent question? Unless pure devotee, how they are authorized?

Devotee (1): What I was wondering about was the four Kumāras were... And I wanted to ask about Lord Kapila.

Prabhupāda: Kapilo manuḥ.

Devotee (1): They weren't pure devotees right from..., they weren't devotees right from the first. The Nectar of Devotion says that the four Kumāras were first situated in the...

Prabhupāda: Right from the... What do you mean by "right from the first"? What do you mean by that? Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī was a minister of Muhammadan government. So what is his position? He was minister, he was working under government service, and he was rejected by the brāhmaṇa community. Then how he became gosvāmī?

Lecture on SB 6.3.27-28 -- Gorakhpur, February 20, 1971:

The Gosvāmīs, ideal. They left their comfortable position as ministers, went to Vṛndāvana, and became a mendicant. Kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Because they were ministers, their associates, their friends, their companions were all rich men, aristocratic. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati. Maṇḍala-pati means "great leaders of aristocratic family." He gave up. Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they gave up this association of big aristocratic families. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Tucchavat means "There is no necessity. It is most insignificant. We don't want it." Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa... Why you are standing? Huh?

Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:

When Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa that "A yogi, he cannot finish his duty or yogic process in one life. Then what happens? He becomes neither this way or that way." Kṛṣṇa said, "No. Whatever he has finished, that is his permanent asset. Next life he begins from that point and he gets the opportunity of take birth—śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. He is given birth in very nice family, either in very nice brāhmaṇa family or very rich family." In these two places one gets the opportunity to increase his Kṛṣṇa consciousness very easily. If he gets his birth in a nice brāhmaṇa family, automatically he is trained in that way. And if he gets his birth in a rich family, he has no economic demand. He hasn't got to earn. He can save the time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So those who are born in rich family, they should know that "By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, by the grace of Lord, we are born with silver spoon, but we should utilize this opportunity." Not only rich man; every human being should be conscious to utilize this human form of life to understand God. That is the highest perfection of life. Otherwise it is animal life. The animal life means the animals are also eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So if we are simply engaged in four principles of bodily demand and do not inquire about the Brahman—athāto brahma jijñāsā, that is the Vedānta-sūtra—then we are no better than animals.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

Bhāgavata means from the word bhagavān. Bhagavān means the person who has got all the six opulences in full. He is called Bhagavān or God. In most scriptures of the world there is idea of God, but actually there is no definition of God. But in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because it is science of God, there is definition, what do you mean by God. The definition is that one person who has got six opulences in full, He is God. What are the six opulences? Aiśvarya. Aiśvarya means wealth. And samāgra, aiśvaryasya samāgrasya, complete wealth. Complete wealth means, just like we are sitting here, say, twenty-five or fifty men. Everyone has got some wealth in bank balance. But if some one of us can exceed the bank balance of every one of us, he is called samāgra. Now try to understand what is the definition of God. There are many rich men, not only here in your country, in other countries also. So take the whole world as a whole, and if you scrutinize who is the richest man, you will hardly find one who is the richest of all. There is a competitor, another. But here the definition is the richest. Nobody can compete with Him, the richest. Then, aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya. Vīryasya means strength. You have got some strength, I have got some strength, but another man may be stronger than you and me. Another man is stronger than he. So nobody can say that "I am the strongest," and nobody can say, "I am the richest." So aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ. Yaśasaḥ means fame.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

Just like at the present moment we practically experience. Everywhere there is discontentment, there is scarcity. Just like from India we thought that "When I go to America and other western countries, I will see that every man is very rich man and every man has got a very nice apartment and is enjoying life." But actually, when I come here I see that there are many poor men, there are many miserable men here also. Only the proportion is different, but the actual fact is the same, either in India or in America or in Canada or in everywhere. The same thing. Proportion different. Therefore, if we want... Prahlāda Mahārāja says that

kaumāra acaret prajno
dharmān bhāgavatan iha
durlābhaṁ manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
(SB 7.6.1)

This Prahlāda Mahārāja learned this bhāgavata-dharma from Nārada Muni from the womb of his mother. When he was living within the womb of his mother like this... Perhaps you have seen the child in the womb. At least, you have seen in the photograph. So he was lying there within the womb of his mother. And Nārada Muni instructed his mother about this bhāgavata-dharma, and the child... This bhāgavata-dharma is, therefore, without any impediment. Just like one child, four years old, he is associating with us, so he is also getting the same benefit as his father. It is so nice thing. It is not that because he is child he is not getting any benefit. Simply by associating with the devotees, he is getting so much profit, incalculable. Incalculable.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

Just like a boy, his father is very rich man, but he has left his home, so he is separated. The same boy, when he comes to his senses, "Oh, my father is so rich, and I am simply suffering for want of money. Let me go back to my father." And the father is always anxious to receive the boy. So he goes back to his father. The father says, "Yes, my dear boy, please come. I was so much anxious." So this separation means the father and the son relationship cannot be separated. But the son's rebellion to the father is separated. Similarly, our relationship with God cannot be separated. God is supplying us everything, although we think, "There is no God, God is dead," and all nonsense you may say. But it is due to God's grace that you are eating daily. That's a fact. Either you say, "God give us our daily bread," or you don't say, God is anxious to supply you bread. He is so kind because you are His son. (end)

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:

People are very much attracted by humanitarian work, but there are so many institutions that improvement the world's, I mean to say, condition has not improved. Just like from India I was thinking that every American is rich man, but actually, when I come to America, there is economic problem. There is poverty problem here also, although not in comparison to India. But proportion is there, five thousand upon five and five hundred upon..., like that. Proportion is the same. So karma, the karma, the law of karma is there. Everyone is subjected to law of karma, and he has to enjoy or suffer according to law of karma. So we cannot interfere. We can simply teach everybody that sometimes you are becoming in the point of starvation, and sometimes you are becoming extravagant in opulence. But this is changing. Your life, this material existence, is always changing. Sometimes I am very rich man. Sometimes I am very poor man. Sometimes I am human being. Sometimes I am cats and dogs. We shall stop this business of changing. Bhagavad-gītā says, mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. If we try this life to go back to Godhead, go back to home, that is our success. We should not bother about the condition of life. Whatever condition of life we are put in, we may be satisfied.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Suppose you are a businessman. Formerly, in any part of the world... We have seen in your country, in my country. There are many old churches, old mosques, old temples. In India there are temples just like a fort. Acres of land occupying big, big temples. So who has constructed these temples? Must be rich men, businessmen, landlords, princely order. Why? Because they wanted to satisfy God. Either you manufacture, either you construct a church or temple or mosque, it does not matter. The idea behind is that he wanted that he has labored so hard, he has accumulated so much money, "Let me spend something for God." But at the present moment there are so many skyscrapers, but nobody is constructing a nice church. This is the result of godless civilization. The mentality is changed, that formerly they... This Bhāgavata-sūtra is saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13).

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

So unless we train the children from the very beginning of life, just we send to school, they learn so many things, ABCD... Similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be taught from the very beginning. Otherwise, while he's grown up, either he'll be engaged in searching after boy or girl or in playing or in family matters, or so many problems, to solve, so many problems, political, social. They'll be all engaged. Then one day, (makes sound) khat!, the death will come. The cruel death will not wait. "Oh, my dear sir, now come on." "Oh, I have got so many duties." "No. Finished. Come on." I have seen practically. One of my friends at Allahabad, he died at the age of 54 years. He was very rich man, doing business. So he was seriously ill, and he was begging the doctor, "My dear doctor, can you not give me at least four years life more? I have got some scheme, I could not finish it." Just see. Everyone is thinking like that. He has got a scheme, but he has no scheme where he is going either to hell or heaven. That scheme he has forgotten. He's trying to make scheme so long this fifty years, hundred years. You see? This is going on. Parame brahmaṇi ko 'pi na lagnaḥ. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Don't misuse your, this boon of life, this human form of life. Just begin from the beginning."

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

So this is transcendental sound. It penetrates everyone's heart. Because everyone is spiritual being. That is the specific significance of sound vibration. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ahaituky apratihatā. This spiritual cultivation cannot be checked by any material impediment. Because the child is packed within the womb, within the belly, under the shackles (circles?) of intestines and so miserable condition... In the belly or the abdomen of the mother, the child remains in a very miserable condition. Because the consciousness is not developed. But as soon as the consciousness is developed at the age of seven months, the child wants to come out. Therefore it moves. If it is male child, then it moves toward the right side. If it is female child, then it moves to the left side. So these are description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So by the movement of the child you can understand whether it is male or female. (woman exclaims) So this transcendental sound is not checked by any material condition. Therefore it reaches. Therefore it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). One who cannot execute the full course of yoga system, he's given chance to take birth in the family of a pious man or a rich man. So, as you parents, you have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the child who is coming, he's not an ordinary child. He must have executed in his previous life the yoga siddhi. If you believe Bhagavad-gītā you have to accept.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Vrndavana, December 4, 1975:

Therefore it is said that sukham aindriyakam, the sense pleasure, it doesn't matter whether you enjoy as a dog or as a human being or a demigod or as European or American or Indian. The taste is the same. This is very important. You cannot have a better taste. Better taste is only Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). So if you do not increase your taste for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you will try to taste in this pot and that pot. That is the law. That will be, continue business and continue disease, to taste in this pot and that pot: "It may be very tasteful in this pot, may be tasteful..." The whole world is going on. All these rascals, they go to different countries for tasting sex life. They go to Paris... (break) ...kaṁ daityā, sarvatra labhyate daivād yathā duḥkham. Just like duḥkham. Duḥkha means unhappiness. So suppose a millionaire is suffering from typhoid and a poor man is suffering from typhoid. Does mean that the millionaire will have less distress than the poor man? When you have got typhoid fever, either you are rich man or poor man, the sufferings of typhoid fever is the same. It does not mean that "This man is very rich man, he is not suffering from typhoid," No. As unhappiness is the same in different pot, similarly, the happiness also is the same in different pot. This is knowledge. So why should I waste my time to taste happiness and distress in different pots? The different pots means these different body.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:

The other day I explained that suppose you are destined to live for fifty years. Now, you cannot make it fifty-one years or fifty years, one month, by spending any amount of money. Just like a man is dying. He's very rich man. The doctor says that "He will die at such and such time." And if somebody says, "My dear doctor, kindly increase the time little more. You say that 'He will die at 10 o'clock at night.' Now make it next day 10 o'clock. We have got some business," that is not possible. That is not possible. If you spend millions of dollars and bribe the doctor, "Please extend the life. We have to get him sign some document before he dies," oh, that is not possible. Therefore just try to understand, the duration of life, how much it is valuable. It is not in your power to increase even by moment. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "Don't spoil your life for so-called sense gratification. That is already arranged there. Don't spoil your valuable life simply for sense gratification." Just see. These instructions are to be noted by human being, that we should not spoil even a second of our life uselessly. Uselessly. How? The... How we spend our life? Na cen nirarthakaṁ nītiḥ, ka ca hānis tato 'dhikā.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

There are six kind of activities which will increase your transcendental importance of life, and there are six kinds of activities which will destroy your whatever little devotion you have got. These, in the Upadeśāmṛta you will find, how you can increase and how you can finish. So about finishing, if you are actually advancing in spiritual life, if that is your aim, then these six things should be avoided. As it is said, prayāsaḥ. The first thing is atyāhāra, eating too much than necessity, atyāhāra, or collecting more than you require. For maintenance of your body you have to secure some monetary benefit—but not more than what you require. People are not satisfied. At the present moment everyone is trying to get more and more and more and more and more. There is no satiation. This kind of endeavor is forbidden. It will not help you. But people are mad after money. If he is getting, say, five hundred rupees, he says, "No, why five hundred? Five thousand." And if he gets five thousand, then he says, "Why five thousand? Five lakhs." And if he gets five lakhs, then he says, "Why five lakhs? Five crores." This is there. The whole world is going on. They are never satisfied. You go to any rich man: "Sir, you have now enough money. Please come to our meeting in the morning, seven-thirty." "No, I have no time." He's earning money.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- Vrndavana, December 12, 1975:

So on account of this deep affection for maintaining family, everyone is risking life. The example is given here that taskaraḥ. There are many professional thieves, any country, India also. They are family men—not they are loafers—but their business is to steal. Their business is to steal. Why? They steal, they know it is risky,. He has heard it that "If you steal you'll be arrested, you'll be put into jail." Knowledge is gathered by hearing and by seeing. Hm? In Hindi it is called 'dekha śuna'-dekhavyair śunavyair, that "Have you seen or heard it?" That is experience. So thief knows he has heard it from lawbooks that stealing is not good, and from religious scripture also, that "It is sinful. Do not commit theft. Do not become criminal." But still he does, at the risk of ad At night he goes in the house of rich man and risk his life. Especially in Western countries, there is fire gun, and trespassers, even without permission, if anyone enters anyone's house, he can kill him. Is it not the law in your country? Trespassing? So there is risk of life, but he has entered the house for stealing. And why stealing? The family affection. That is the impetus for economic development. The Professor Marshall, the economist, he has given the definition, that "Wherefrom the economic development begins? By family affection." Or by sex attraction. So this earning money, there are so many smugglers, so many illicit businessmen, black market, they are risking their lives to get money. The purpose is when one becomes too much attached to family life and too much devoted to maintain it, he doesn't care. He has to earn money, some how or other, even risking life. Even risking life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- New Vrindaban, June 26, 1976:

So, otherwise our propensity for sense gratification will increase, and for satisfying our sense gratification we require money, and for money they are risking their life. Yesterday our Pradyumna was speaking about the description of the factory. For some money they are going to the factory, hellish life. But money required, never mind hellish life. Going underneath the mine, at any moment the mine may collapse, and we risk life. Especially, here it is given that taskaraḥ sevako vaṇik. Taskaraḥ means thieves, they risk their life, enter into the house of another rich man, and he can shoot him immediately. There is dog, so many, but he risks his life for money. Taskaraḥ. Taskaraḥ means thieves, burglars, they risk their life. And sevaka. Sevaka, as soon as we become servant of some materialistic person, he'll extract, as much as possible, service in the factory. That is also very risky. We are not happy, sevaka. And vaṇik. Vaṇik means merchants. Sa vai vaṇik. They also risk their life. In European colonization, how much they risked life. When the Americans came here, how much they risked their life. So because you require money, we have to risk our life in so many ways. So the best thing is that we have to minimize our wants. We should be satisfied with the yāvad artha-prayojana, as little as possible. Not that we shall starve. That is not recommended. But don't increase.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

You are all qualified boys and girls, I see. But still, if we calculate impartially, what is the advantage? The advantage: hand to mouth. You earn in the morning and eat in the evening—finished. You see? Such qualified boys that... I take, for example, Gaurasundara. He is thoughtful. He is educated. He knows so many things, artist. But for livelihood he has to go early in the morning and come late in the evening. So what is the result? This is the way of materialistic life. Life means that they should not work. Working hard, very hard working, that is the animal's business. The animal should be engaged to work hard for feeding, whole day. Just like the cow is standing here, sometimes eating this, sometime eating that, sometime eating that. What is the business? Only business: to fill up the belly. That's all. But after all qualification, if one has to do the same thing just to fill up the belly, working twelve hours, fourteen hours, then what is this civilization? Has this civilization given the opportunity that "Oh, you have no more to work. Simply sit down, every, all comforts." You can say some of the rich men, they are employing like that, but they are enjoying at the cost of others. They have made such machinery that hundreds of men will work for them and they will sit down and enjoy. What is the enjoyment? Women and wine. That's all. Therefore some, a section of people, revolting-Communists.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

They are angry upon the enemy, but sometimes, by diplomatic means, they take their work from the enemies. You see? Not that they show the anger always. Similarly, when you go to preaching, first of all try to convince him that "How you become God? What is your definition of God?" You simply ask, "What do you mean by 'God,' that you are claiming to be God? If you come under that definition, then you are God." Just like if somebody claims that "I am millionaire. I am very rich," a poor man, walking on the street with niggardly dress, if he claims that "I am rich man," will you accept? Then he is crazy. If he is claiming that "I am millionaire," then you have to ask that "Where is your sign of being a millionaire? You have no good dress. Your feature is so ugly. How you are millionaire? What is the definition of a millionaire?" First ask him. Similarly, ask him that "What do you know about God? What is the definition of God? If your behavior and everything tallies with that definition, then you are God. I will accept. We are God worshiper. Then I shall worship you. But first of all let me know what do you mean by God?" Is it very difficult job? Let him define what is God. "If you claim that I am God, then you must know what is God. If you falsely claim 'God,' then how you can be God?" You don't you ask like this, that "What is your definition of God that you are claiming God"? The same example: If somebody claims that "I am very rich man," but I see that he is a poor man, shall I not ask, "What do you mean by rich man?" By his definition he will be defeated. Ask him. Did you ask anybody, "What is the definition of God? What do you mean by God?" He's a rascal. He does not know what is the definition of God, but he has got some conception that "This is God." Then he must explain, "I mean by the word God, this." Then he will be captured by his definition, by his statement. Just guess what he will explain about God if you ask him like that. Did you not ask like this?

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

So how you can conquer over the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all these material qualifications?" Suppose if you are going to see some gentleman who is very rich, just like Rockefeller, and suppose you are drawing, say, one thousand dollars per month, or say five thousand dollars. So how we can become proud of your opulence before a very rich man? So Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, means that nobody can excel Him in richness, in fame, in strength, in beauty, in wisdom, and renunciation. However you may exhibit or manifest your opulences, still it is very insignificant. We can practically experience. Just like this very nice city, perhaps the greatest city in the world, New York, with so many skyscraper buildings, industrial enterprises, everything very opulent. But as soon as you go seven miles or eight miles high by airplane, you will see just like they are matchboxes. You have practical experience. And if you still go high you will find this whole planet just like a point. As you are daily experiencing that so many planets in the sky hanging just like small spots, but they are as big or greater than this planet. So nobody can excel the opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not possible. If you want to purchase the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by your material acquisition, it is impossible. It is impossible.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:

The example is this: although this creature, vulture, has gone very high... We are human being. We cannot see three, four miles away anything. So sense power... There are different animals who have got different kinds of sense power. Just like dogs. They can smell..., from distant place they can smell whether somebody, outsider, is coming, and he will at once begin barking. Similarly, there are fishes. They have got power of touch. The small fishes can understand that a big fish is coming from miles of distance simply by touch, by connection with water. So the sense power or living power... Suppose if somebody thinks that "I am living for a hundred years," you are living for hundred years, but you go in the forest. You will find one tree is living for seven thousand years. So these powers, by sense power, by your strength of money or by education... Everything is described. Or aristocratic birth, and tejaḥ. Tejaḥ means luster of the body, kānti. Tejaḥ and prabhāva, pratāpa, influence. Balam means bodily strength. Suppose you are Sandoz. You have got very good... Just like in your country there are some box fighters, very strong and stout. That is called balam. Pauruṣam, udyama. Udyama means industrious. Just like a very poor man, he becomes by his energy very, very rich man. There are many instances in the world. That is called pauruṣam. Buddhi. Buddhi means intelligence, prajñā. And yoga. Yoga means aṣṭāṅga-yoga, the eightfold practice of yoga system.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, February 16, 1976:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja analyzes that "These things cannot help you." If you think that "I am very rich man. I can purchase God..." Generally they think so, that by riches one can purchase God. Then dhana abhijana. Abhijana means aristocratic family, big connection with big, big men. That is called abhijana. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī was minister. So he was connected with very big, big family. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. This Rūpa Gosvāmī gave up this aristocratic position. Because he was minister, his connection with big, big zamindars, big, big businessmen, big, big Nawabs, he could not mix with ordinary men. But he gave up everything. The same example, as Prahlāda Mahārāja says, abhijana—"These are useless." So Rūpa Gosvāmī gave example, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-sreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Tucchavat: "Eh... It has no value, insignificant." Gave up. The same line... This is called disciplic succession. Many millions of years, the Prahlāda Mahārāja said that abhijana: "By these things you cannot achieve the platform of devotional service." And many, many millions of years after, so Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī also showed the same example. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-sreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. This is called paramparā system. Not that "Millions of years ago Prahlāda Mahārāja, what he did, that is now gone. Now something new should be introduced." No, it cannot be changed even millions of years after. This is called paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa said, "Millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā yoga process to sun-god." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham. The same aham, Kṛṣṇa, He spoke millions and trillions of years ago to sun-god. So nothing new. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a new, manufactured method. No. It is the oldest.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1977:

So these are material assets. (aside:) It's not working? (bumps microphone) Hm? Wealth, dhana... Nobody can captivate Kṛṣṇa by all these material possessions. These are material possessions: money, then manpower, beauty, education, austerity, mystic power and so on, so on. There are so many things. They are not capable of approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa personally says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). He doesn't say all these material possessions, that "If one is very rich man, he can have My favor." No. Kṛṣṇa is not a poor man like me, that if somebody gives me some money, I become benefited. He's self-sufficient, ātmārāma. So there is no need of any help from anyone else. He's fully satisfied, ātmārāma. Only bhakti, love, that is required.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1977:

There are so many other definition. And if we have bhakti, love for Kṛṣṇa, then we don't require huge amount of money or strength or education or austerity. Nothing of the sort. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). He doesn't require anything from us, but He wants everyone that because he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, He wants to see that everyone is obedient to Him, everyone loves Him. That is His aspiration. Just like the father is very rich man. He doesn't require any help from his son, but he aspires that his son should be obedient and lover. That is his satisfaction. That is the whole situation. Kṛṣṇa has created... Eko bahu śyāma. We are vibhinnāṁśa-mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7)—part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, every one of us. So everyone has got some duty. Kṛṣṇa has created us, expecting something to be done by us for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. So that, our opportunity, is obtained in this human form of life. We should not waste our valuable time in any other occupation or business. Simply inquire and be ready how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīla Ānukūla. Not your satisfaction but Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. That is called ānukūla, favorable. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). And anuśīlanam means activity, not that "In trance I am in meditation." That is also Something is better than nothing, but real devotional service is activity. One must be active, and the best activity is to preach the glory of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the best activity. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścid me prīya-kṛttamaḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

Anyone who has engaged this endeavor for the service of the Lord Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has described about this person whose endeavor is always in the service of the Lord. How Just like the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. What is their endeavor? Their only endeavor is how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be spread all over the world. Why they're endeavoring? Because Kṛṣṇa wants it. Kṛṣṇa wants it. God wants it. Why God wants it? Because we are all sons of God. We have gone to dog. Instead of going to God, we have gone to dog. Therefore God is very anxious to reclaim us. He comes therefore in person, Kṛṣṇa. He sends His son, Lord Jesus Christ, or He sends His devotee. He leaves behind Him the books like Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or many other such literatures. Why? To reclaim these obstinate, bewildered sons of God. They have forgotten God, and they are, instead of loving God, they are now loving dog. Therefore God is very anxious. It is natural. If a father is very rich man and he has got many sons, he wants to see the sons very happy. But if the sons go away from home and becomes crazy, do not come back home, the father is more anxious than the son. The son does not understand that what is his precarious condition of life in this material world, but God understands that how much in miserable condition he's living. Threefold miserable condition of this material existence. He's always disturbed, but still, he does not wish to go back to Godhead. Therefore there is a constant endeavor on the part of God to reclaim these conditioned souls.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

The difference between devotee and nondevotee is that if a devotee is rich man, then he will think, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa has entrusted me with so much money. So it is Kṛṣṇa's money. Let me spend it for Kṛṣṇa." Prahlāda Mahārāja, Bhisma Mahārāja, and Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, and many, many great kings, they were very rich, but they engaged their money for the service of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly a devotee, if he is educated, he tries to apply his educational qualification in describing Kṛṣṇa by so many literatures, so many publications. That is the proper use. And Bhāgavata says, as I have several times explained before you, that svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you want to see the perfection of your acquisition, if you want to take... Suppose you are a very great, learned man. Now you think over whether by becoming such learned man your life has become successful. That test is when you will see that you have engaged your learning in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then it is successful. Otherwise it is finished with this body. Similarly, take anything—learning, beauty, or wealth, or anything, whatever you possess. There are many good things to possess in this material world. But if that good thing is engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, or God, then it is success. Otherwise it is simply a burden, or it is finished as soon as this body is finished.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

So similar question was put. Because Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was a little doubtful, that "I am known as Dharma-rāja, the king, personified religion, because I never tell anything lie and my life is so pious. So, and my brothers Arjuna and Bhīma, they're the greatest warrior. And our wife Draupadī, she is personally the goddess of fortune. So we are combined together, religion, goddess of fortune, greatest warrior, and above all, the greatest friend, Kṛṣṇa. Why we are in difficulty?" This question was asked. Kṛṣṇa... This question was asked not for their personal benefit, just to teach us that sometimes in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you may be put in difficulty, but don't, I mean to say, be hesitated. Fixed up. You should know Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Why? Kṛṣṇa says, yasyāham anugṛhnāmi hariṣye tad dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8). He answered to Yudhiṣṭhira, "My dear Yudhiṣṭhira, the first test of a devotee is that I, if I show him special favor, then I take away all his wealth." Why? Why this sort of special favor? Because this material attachment is so great that one cannot go to Kṛṣṇa. So anyone who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at the same time he wants material enjoyment, Kṛṣṇa sees his foolishness. Foolishness. Anyone who is making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not be envious, "Oh, he is so great. He is so rich man. He has got so nice palace. He has got so nice wife. I haven't got anything." Don't be. Because it is completely different life. Don't be captivated by the material opulence, even you are put into great difficulties. Because you are not this material body. You are spirit soul. So your progress should be steady on the spiritual platform.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

Oh, for Kṛṣṇa he can have anything. That is a different thing. Not for himself. For himself, he should be satisfied whatever Kṛṣṇa offers. That's all. But for Kṛṣṇa he'll try to... Just like the example is Hanuman. Hanuman, he fought with Rāvaṇa. Why? Not for his personal sake. He did not fight with Rāvaṇa to take the kingdom of Rāvaṇa, become king there. No. He fought for Rāma. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness person's endeavor should be to give everything to Rāma. Not... But for himself he's completely dependent on Kṛṣṇa whatever position he may keep. It doesn't matter. He has no such perception, "Whether I'm..." He's always happy. Kṛṣṇa's service is so nice that he has no other idea what is happiness except Kṛṣṇa's service. So why shall he desire this or that? Naturally, he has no desire because he's already fulfilled his desire being in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But those who are thinking that "Becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious I shall become very rich, I shall become one of the richest men," that is his foolishness. That means he's not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He still requires to be more advanced. But actually one who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, that very consciousness is so happy that he doesn't want anything more. That very consciousness is happiness. Ahaituky apratihatā. There is no other cause. A real Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not become Kṛṣṇa conscious for any other purpose. That Kṛṣṇa consciousness is his purpose. That is the end.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:

So this church building or temple building or mosque building is coming down from time immemorial. People are investing their money, hard-earned money. Why? Uselessly? Nonproductive? No. They do not know. They do not know how much productive that is. Therefore in this godless civilization they have stopped building nice, decorated... In Vṛndāvana there is a temple of Govindajī that was seven-storied. Four stories was broken by Aurangzeb on political grounds. Still, three stories are still remaining. If somebody goes there he'll see how wonderful workmanship is there in that temple. So does it mean that those kings or rich men, they were all fools? Simply at the present moment we are very intelligent? No. They are not fools. That is explained in the Prahlāda Mahārāja's prayers. Naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṇo. You cannot satisfy the Supreme Lord by constructing a nice temple, but still He is satisfied. Still, He is satisfied. He is nija-lābha-pūrṇo. He is fully satisfied in Himself because He has no want. We are in want. Suppose I am renting one small apartment. If somebody says, "Swamijī, come on. I shall construct a very nice palatial temple. You come here." Oh, I shall be very much obliged. But does Kṛṣṇa, or God, is like that? He can construct so many nice planets, not only one, two, but millions and billions, with so many nice oceans and hills and mountains and forests, and full of living entities. And why He is hankering after a temple constructed by me? No. That is not the fact.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa eats and again keeps it as it is for... That is Kṛṣṇa. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). The atheist class of men, they think, "We offered so many things. Kṛṣṇa did not eat." No. He has eaten, but He is nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. He is not hungry, but whatever you have offered, He has eaten. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Everyone was offering so many things. It was stocked, and Govinda one day informed Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Sir, people bring so many nice foodstuffs for You. It is stocked. Practically the whole room is filled up, and when they ask me that 'Whether Caitanya Mahāprabhu has eaten my offering?' I say 'Yes, yes, He has eaten.' So I have to tell so many lies, and the stock is there. You do not eat." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "All right, bring them here." So one after one, the whole room was finished. Caitanya Mahāprabhu ate everything. Then He asked him, "Bring more." "No, Sir, only the empty pots are there." "All right, stop." So this is Kṛṣṇa. If you offer Him huge foodstuff, He can eat. And if you can offer Him little flower, fruit and water, that also, He is satisfied. So everyone should offer according to his means, and Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept, not that you have to become a very rich man and you have to offer Kṛṣṇa foodstuff fifty-six times as in Jagannātha Purī the foodstuffs are offered. Not that. He is pleased anyway. But become a devotee. Try to please Him to your best capacity.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says—we have already discussed about this—that it doesn't require any qualification. To pacify, to please, to satisfy the Lord, you don't require any pre-qualification: oh, you have to pass your examination in the university, or you have to become a rich man like Rockefeller or Ford, or you have to become this or that... No condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. If you want to love Kṛṣṇa, there is no check. There is no check. The road is open. Simply you have to become sincere. That's all. Then Kṛṣṇa will clear the way. And if there is no sincerity, then Kṛṣṇa's māyā is there. He'll always, she'll always put some stumbling block: "Not this, not this, not this." So Prahlāda Mahārāja decided that "Although I am a child, I have no education, I have no studies of the Vedas, and born of atheistic father, lowborn, so all bad qualification... So God is worshiped by highest intellectual persons, offering Vedic hymns, and brāhmaṇas, highly cultured. So I have no such qualification. But still, all these demigods who are so highly elevated in their position, they have requested me. That means God can be pacified even by me. Otherwise how they recommend? So whatever qualification I have got, whatever intelligence I have got, I may offer Kṛṣṇa." Therefore our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is like this, that whatever qualification you have got, that is sufficient. You begin with that qualification. You try to serve Krishna with your qualification. Because real qualification—your feeling of service. That is real qualification. So you develop that feeling, not your external qualification, beauty, wealth, knowledge, this, that, no. These things have no value. They are valuable if they are employed in Kṛṣṇa's service. If you are very rich man, if you employ your wealth in Kṛṣṇa's service... (aside:) You cannot sit like that? Yes. It is all right. But there is no need that you have to become very wealthy. Then you can serve Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:

When Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered benediction by the Lord, "My dear Prahlāda, now whatever you want you can ask from Me," Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My dear Lord, You are so opulent and I am so poor. And I am addicted to this material enjoyment. You are offering me, 'Whatever you want, you can take from Me.' " Just imagine. Suppose I am a poor man, and if a rich man says, "Swamijī, whatever millions of dollars you want, you can ask from me," then I shall put my claim, a big, very big amount: "Oh, here is a great opportunity." But Prahlāda Mahārāja refused. Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My dear Lord, it is my duty to render service unto You not in exchange of something, gain. Oh, I am not a merchant that I am doing this." Vanig-vṛtti. So the Lord was very satisfied. That is the way of pure devotion. That was taught by Lord Caitanya. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "My dear Lord, I do not ask from You any amount of wealth," na dhanaṁ na janam, "neither any number of followers." Because every one of us, we want to be the richest man in the world, the greatest leader of the world, and to have a very beautiful wife... This is our heart's desire in the material world, to control over a vast mass of people—I want to be prime minister, president, or political leader, Hitler or Gandhi, like that—and to amass vast amount of wealth. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, no, no. I don't want all these things." This is prayer.

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:

So they do not see to this, that in spite of our so much advancement of civilization, hospitals and other relief measures, why still people are suffering? You are increasing hospital or beds of hospital. You are very much proud that "We have opened hospitals." That... What does it mean? That means people have become diseased. You have opened hospitals, you are very much proud, but what is the other side? Other side: that people have increased their diseased condition. That they do not see. They are simply proud of increasing hospital. Why there should be hospital? Why not stop disease? That is scientific advancement. Stop disease, and there will be no need of opening hospital. Kṛṣṇa therefore presents in the Bhagavad-gītā that "You rascal, you see. Real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)." You can invent very nice, up-to-date, modernized medicine, but why don't you stop disease? That you cannot do. That is not possible. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. You are taking so many measures to stop untimely death. Just like in your country there are beaches and so many warning, "Don't come here." And there is guard seeing if anyone is dying, so... But you cannot stop death. That is not possible. You may take measure, so many. You cannot stop death. Children, somebody says, the parents do not take care, but even the parents take care, is it guaranteed that the children will not die? There are many rich men, they are taking care of their children. Rich men, they are taking care of the diseased person, good physician, good medicine. Why the diseased person is dying? Why the children suffering? So, these are to be observed. Why these things happen? That means the ultimate control is in the hand of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa sanctions, then everything will be possible. So why not take shelter of Kṛṣṇa? This is the idea. You take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, and if Kṛṣṇa likes, He will give you all protection. And He promises that "I'll give protection."

Lecture on SB 7.9.27 -- Mayapur, March 5, 1976:

Therefore the principle is sevānurūpam. Always remember this, as it is said here, Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prasāda... Kṛṣṇa is always ready to give you prasāda, all favor. Why not? Without doing something, you are getting so much favor. Without Kṛṣṇa's favor you cannot live even for a moment. He's so kind. Even the cats and dogs, they are also getting Kṛṣṇa's favor. Eko hi vidadhāti bahūnāṁ kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām... Eh? Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He is supplying stool to the hog because he wants to eat it. He wants to eat. He has desire: "Give me facility for eating stool." "Give me favor, facility, to drink fresh blood." "All right, you take the suitable body. You want fresh blood? I'll... You get the tiger's body, the nails and the claws and the teeth. As soon as touches you, immediately all blood sucking." So He has delivered: "All right, take this facility." But what is the advantage of this facility? The facility is... You know. The tigers, they do not get food every day. He has got the facility to suck blood, but... All the implements he has got, but there is no chance. Because every animal knows, "In that part of the forest there is tiger," they do not go, so he starves. He starves. You'll find so many rich men, they have got enough money, but they cannot eat more. They cannot eat more.

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

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore says that we have got our senses, they are acting as enemies because the senses are misleading me. My senses are meant for serving Kṛṣṇa, but the māyā is misleading me, that "Why should you engage your senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa? You engage your senses in my service." Our position is to serve. That you cannot change, because we are made for giving service. We are not made for becoming master. But unfortunately every one of us is trying to be master by falsely engaging the service, especially the karmīs. The karmīs, they're working so hard day and night. Everywhere you see, they are working day and night. But the purpose is how to become master. They cannot become master, but the ambition is how to become master, how to become the richest man like such and such big man. This is going... This is called struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to become the master. Nobody is trying to become a servant. Ask anyone that "Why you are working so hard?" "No, I shall get so much money, I shall become very wealthy, I shall have so many servants, so many workers, and I shall control over them." That is trying to become master. Therefore the jihvā, in the very beginning, jihvā, the tongue, should be controlled. If we can control the tongue, then other senses will be automatically controlled.

Lecture on SB 7.9.42 -- Mayapur, March 22, 1976:

You are so sinful. You are so fallen. My mercy is not meant for you." But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura reminds, patita-pāvana-hetu, tava avatāra: "Sir, I am the most fallen. There is no doubt about it. But You have specially come to deliver persons like us." Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-prabhu dayā koro more, tomā vinā ke dayalu, jagata saṁsāre. Actually we are hankering after favor of some big man and small man. That is going on. That is material world. But if we seek favor from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so that is very nice. Instead of going here and there, if we... We want favor. There is no doubt. But others cannot favor us. That is the point. They have started so many humanitarian institutes to favor the suffering humanity, but it is not possible. They cannot. They cannot do it. It is false attempt because... There are so many instances. Suppose the father and mother, they are always ready to show favor to their children. There is no doubt about it. But does it mean if one has got very good and rich and able father and mother one can be happy, the children can be happy? No. That is not so. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha. That is also Prahlāda Mahārāja's statement, that "Simply because there is kind father and mother, therefore the children will be happy? No. That is not possible." So actually, if the child is destined to suffer, the good father-mother cannot give him shelter. That is not possible. Suppose one is condemned by the court to be punished, capital punishment, to be hanged. The father-mother may be very big man or rich man. If he pleads in the court, "Sir, whatever you want, I'll give. Kindly do not condemn my son to be hanged," that cannot be checked. This is not possible. Nobody can show favor against the will of the Supreme.

Lecture on SB 7.9.42 -- Mayapur, March 22, 1976:

So best thing is to ask favor... Śuddha, śuddha-bhakta, those who are... (aside:) He's sleeping. You don't sleep and sit front. So therefore we should not ask favor. We can ask favor from anyone, but we must know that nobody can favor us unless it is sanctioned by the Supreme Person. We must always know. Not that because one is very, in a superior position, he can favor me. No, he cannot favor you unless it is sanctioned by the Supreme. Suppose we approach sometimes a rich man to favor us with some contribution, membership fees. But that rich man cannot favor us unless it is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is there within himself, and if He says that "You give him this money," the man will give us. So we shall not be sorry. Suppose we go somewhere and he did not favor us. We should not be sorry. We should know that Kṛṣṇa did not dictate him. He is not so fortunate now; therefore Kṛṣṇa did not dictate him. So there is nothing to be sorry. This should be our principle.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:

So I say to my American and European disciples always that your nation, American nation, you have got your birth in a very rich nation or rich family. In America, every family is rich because there the poorest man earns monthly not less than four to five thousand of rupees, according to our (indistinct). The poorest man. And what to speak of the richest man. So janma, aiśvarya, śruta, śrī, these things are achieved out of pious activities. Therefore, in the Vedas, the karma-kāṇḍa vicāra, performing great sacrifices, they are mentioned. (Sanskrit) Performing yajña. In order to keep ourself happy within this material world, we have to perform yajña. That we are forgetting. There is no yajña performance. Therefore, as we are forgetting to live according to the direction of the Vedas, we are meeting with so many dangerous ways of life. Take for example, in our country, 20 years ago, there was no fight between Punjab and Bengal. Now because we are advanced, we have got independence, now the fighting is between Punjab and Bengal. This kind of advancement we are making, and we have to face such calamities more and more if we forget performance of yajña.

Lecture on SB 7.9.53 -- Vrndavana, April 8, 1976:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja was chastised by his father so many ways, but he could not forget Kṛṣṇa. The love was fixed up. Therefore Kṛṣṇa became very much pleased, prīto 'ham. Prīto 'ham. Prahlāda atyanta. So mām aprīṇata āyuṣman. Āyuṣman, blessing: "Now you can live long," or "eternally live," āyuṣman. Āyuṣ means duration of life. When one approaches Kṛṣṇa... Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti. Duḥkhālayam (BG 8.15). So long we have got this material body, material world, it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is full of miserable condition, and at the same time not permanent. Even if we accept miserable condition... Everyone is trying to live. A old man does not like to die. He goes to the doctor, takes some medicine so that he can continue his life. But he will not be allowed to live. Aśāśvatam. You may be very rich man, you may take many pills, many injection to prolong your life, but that is not possible. That is not possible. But as soon as you see Kṛṣṇa, then you get your eternal life. Eternal life we have got. We are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We do not die after the destruction of the body. We get another body. This is the disease. And when you see Kṛṣṇa, when you understand Kṛṣṇa, even without seeing, if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then you become eternal.

Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:

This is the competition between Kṛṣṇa and His devotee. Kṛṣṇa wants to give everything to the devotee. He wants to see that "My devotee is very comfortable." Just like the father wants to see the children are very comfortable. So why the devotees should be hankering after something material? No. Kasmād bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadāndhān (SB 2.2.5). Śukadeva Gosvāmī said. Why we should go to the puffed-up rich men for begging something? Kṛṣṇa will arrange for everything. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "You do not try to preach for getting some money. Money will come automatically. On your feet money will say, 'Please accept me.' " You should preach very sincerely. That is your business. Never bother that "Where is money? Where is money, money, money?" Money... Muktir mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate asmān dharmārtha-kāma samaya pratīkṣāḥ. This is a statement of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura.

Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976:

So this will not make us happy. This is a fact, that punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). There is no meaning of giving up spiritual cultivation and taking to or imitating something. This is called anartha. Anartha means unnecessarily you are inclined. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for guiding us. Anartha-upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. These rascals, they have forgotten their own culture. They have accepted so many anarthas, unwanted things. Take for example drinking wine. Is it very necessary thing? But drinking tea, is it very necessary? Drinking... Smoking bidis. These are all foolishness. At the cost of bidi smokers, many millionaires are there in India and in your country also, at the cost of the smokers, many million... At the cost of the meat-eaters, there are many, many rich men. So the society is creating unnecessarily entanglement, anartha. So this, the Bhāgavata culture, Bhāgavata-dharma, which we are trying to spread, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is the only remedy for curbing down this unnecessary so-called civilization. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. This thing... Practically everyone can see that you Western boys and girls, so many anarthas you practice, but as soon as you come to bhakti-yoga, everything is finished. So this is a fact. Anartha-upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. If you take to bhakti-yoga, immediately anarthas, unwanted things, will be finished. Lokasya ajānata. They are trying to minimize the anarthas. In your country, you know, the government spending millions of dollars to stop this LSD habit. The government has admitted that "We are spending so much money, but when these boys come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, immediately they stop." Anartha-upaśamaṁ sākṣāt. It is a practical. The government has failed to stop this intoxication habit, LSD, spending million of dollars. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa the same hippie, the same LSD man, as soon as he comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes completely clean. Upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

So, therefore, these material qualities will not help us to become..., to approach the Supreme Brahman. How? Bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya. Gaja-yūtha-pāya, the Gajendra, he was in danger. But although it was animal, but by simple devotional service, he satisfied the Supreme Lord and he was saved. And another thing is that we should not think that opposite, as it is said, dhana jana, dhanābhijana-rūpa-tapaḥ-śruta. Now Prahlāda Mahārāja says that material wealth is not sufficient qualification to become a devotee to approach the Lord. Does it mean if we become poor then we can approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead? No. That is also not a qualification. In material sense, this dhana..., dhana, riches, it is relative. A poor man has got, say, ten rupees, he is thinking, "Oh, I am very rich man." And a rich man to our consideration, another man, he has got ten lakhs of rupees, he is thinking, "I am poor man because I have no ten crores of rupees." So it is not the money which makes one rich. Because it is a status of mental concoction. The poor man, he hasn't..., he gets one paise, two paise, he sometimes he gets ten rupees, he thinks, "I am very rich man." And another man, he earns one lakh, two lakhs at a time. So unless he comes to ten crores of rupees, he does not think himself rich man. So which one is rich and which one is poor? It is very difficult to ascertain.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

So the fact is that bhakti does not depend on such poverty or richness. That is to be understood. It is not that the poverty-stricken man will be a great devotee. No. That is also not a qualification. And it is also not a qualification that a very rich man can become devotee. No. Therefore, Caitanya Mahāprabhu suggests... Not the suggestion of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, it is in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ. You remain in your place, it doesn't matter. In your consideration whether you are rich or poor, it doesn't matter. You remain in your position. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatām. You simply give your oral reception. What is that oral reception? San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. San-mukharitām: those who are devotees, from their mouth you try to understand the glories of the Lord. This is the first-class qualification. Not that to become rich or poor. Richness or poverty is no hampering. Because spiritual life is so great, so sublime, that is this ahaitukī hata. No material thing can check your spiritual progress. The only qualification you require, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted when he was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya, he was prescribing one after another different processes. Karma, jñāna, yoga, dhyanavista, bhakti, so many things, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was denying one after another, eho bāhya āge kaha, "This is not. This is external." He began from the varṇāśrama-dharma, because that is the beginning of civilization.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

So these things, people think that these riches or yogic power or bodily strength or influence, these are qualification. They are not actually qualification, neither they are disqualification if provided. But the difficulty is, one who is rich, one who is very powerful, one who is very influential, he thinks, "What shall I do by hearing about Kṛṣṇa? I have got everything, I am so powerful, I am so rich." That is the disqualification. If he simply agrees to hear about Kṛṣṇa, then it is all right. We, according to Gosvāmīs, we don't say that riches, wealth, is a disqualification. But it must be engaged in the service of the Lord. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa sambandhe yukta vairāgyam ucyate. Just like Rāmānanda Rāya, he was very rich man, he was governor, but he always engaged himself in Kṛṣṇa's service. He was one of the most confidential servants and devotee of Lord Caitanya. So the conclusion is that richness or aristocracy, they are not qualification and they are not disqualification also, provided we agree to hear about Kṛṣṇa from the right source. This is the conclusion.

Page Title:Rich man (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:11 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=200, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:200