Significance (Conversations and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"significance"

1967 Conversations and Morning Walks

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Hayagrīva: Narrated this to Lord Caitanya? Nityānanda narrated this to Lord Caitanya.

Prabhupāda: Yes, how the Deity was known as Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha. The story was narrated that formerly He stole one...

Hayagrīva: Condensed milk.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Pot of condensed milk for His devotee.

Hayagrīva: Now what direct relationship does this have to Lord Caitanya?

Prabhupāda: Lord Caitanya also visited. Anyone in those days going to Jagannātha Purī from Bengal they had to pass that way. And on the way the Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha temple is there. So everyone used to visit. So formerly Madhavendra Purī, he also visited, and for him the Deity stole the condensed milk. From that time He's known as Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha. That story was narrated to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So while sitting before the Deity, the story was narrated and Caitanya Mahāprabhu relished it that God is so kind that sometimes He steals for His devotee. This is the significance of this. So here the scene should be arranged that very nice temple, the Deity within, and Lord Caitanya entered while chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and saw the worship, ārātrika. These things are to be shown in this scene. And a little story about Him, that's all.

Hayagrīva: About the temple.

Prabhupāda: About the temple. This will finish the first scene.

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: This is another temple, yes. Here also, this temple, Sākṣi-gopāla.

Hayagrīva: I might be able to combine these if they...

Prabhupāda: No. They are different temples. So Lord Caitanya is visiting different temples, that you have to show. And each temple, the significance of the temple has to be described. Especially the Deity. When the importance is to the Deity, the Deity should be shown nicely decorated. (end of first tape)

Hayagrīva: Well I don't know if I have enough information for that first scene. But I'll think of something ... I don't know if I have enough information for the first scene. It can be very short.

Prabhupāda: First scene, why you have to... The ārātrika is going on and kīrtana is going on, you can continue for five minutes, ten minutes the kīrtana, and short description of the Deity. That's all. That will finish.

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: That's all. But how this temple was established, how Gopāla was established, that history is in that story. The Sākṣi-gopāla means witness. This Gopāla was situated in Vṛndāvana, but to give witness for His devotee He came to Orissa, that place. That is the significance of this Gopāla. Do you follow?

Hayagrīva: No. (laughs) No.

Prabhupāda: This Gopāla was situated at Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana means about more than one thousand miles away from where the temple is situated now. But He came one thousand miles to give witness for His devotee. Since then, Gopāla is situated there. So that story is narrated. That story should be narrated or what? How to do it? That is the significance of the temple. There was some family quarrel and Gopāla came to give witness to decide judgement on that quarrel. So it is possible to describe?

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Twenty-four years. It is just after His sannyāsa. He took sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four. So He's visiting. After sannyāsa He's going to Jagannātha Purī. On the way He visited this Kṣīra-corā-gopīnātha, Sākṣi-gopāla, and ultimately He came to Jagannātha temple. And in the Jagannātha temple was very crowded temple because it is always at least 500, 1,000 devotees are always seeing. It is significance of Jagannātha temple. So He entered and as soon as He saw Jagannātha He became overwhelmed with ecstasy and fell down unconscious. So all the people gathered, "He's a young sannyāsī. He has fallen down." So there was Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, the learned scholar of Purī. He saw, "Oh, this young sannyāsī, He's not ordinary." So he asked his men to carry Him to his place and that will be the scene. Then after His departure His followers will come, and they will search in the temple that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not there. Then one Gopīnātha Ācārya, I think the character is there? Gopīnātha Ācārya?

Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Similarly, there are ghāṭas in Benares, Prayag, and all, I mean to say, Vṛndāvana. That is the specific significance of Indian places of pilgrimage.

Hayagrīva: Yes. They bathe there every day I noticed.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So similarly, there is a ghāṭa which is called Daśāśvamedha Ghāṭa at Prayag. He instructed about the science of devotional service to Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Hayagrīva: Now how old is Rūpa Goswami? Is he an old man?

Prabhupāda: Oh, he was old enough. He was not less than fifty years at that time.

Hayagrīva: I see. All right. Anything else in the second scene, fourth act?

Prabhupāda: That is it... And then He came back to Benares.

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview -- February 1, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, this our process is chanting. It is very innocent. If you sit down and chant with us, you have no loss, no harm, but there is great gain. You see? By chanting, you gradually cleanse your heart and you can realize what is God. That is the greatest gain. Human life is meant for knowing God. The animals, they cannot know, although the bodily demands of the animal and the human being are the same. The animals, they sleep; man also sleeps. Animal, they eat; man also eats. The animal, they are also afraid of some enemy; man is also afraid of some enemy. The animals, they mate with the opposite sex, and men also do that. But what is the special significance of man? He can understand about God, but the animal cannot. Therefore if a man does not take to this understanding, he is no better than animal. A man who has no God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is no better than animal because he has no other business than the four principles of bodily demands.

Interview -- February 1, 1968, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Initiated members, there are about one hundred or little more, but sympathizers, admirers, there are many. Those who come, those who contribute, take sympathy, they help, and in that way there are many followers. But actually initiated members, there are about a little more than one hundred.

Interviewer: What is the significance of... Right after the chanting, everyone bows, and that I don't understand, what they're doing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is offering respect. The whole, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to ask people to surrender to God. They have rebelled against God. Somebody says, "There is no God." Somebody says that "I am God." These nonsense things are to be eradicated from human society. So they should be trained to submit. So the submission is symbolized by bowing down: "Yes, you are great; I am humble." This should be taught. Otherwise, whimsically somebody is thinking that "I am God." They do not know what is God.

Radio Interview -- March 12, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: It is not exactly a church, but it is an institution for understanding the science of God.

Interviewer: Could you tell people how you are dressed today, what's the significance of your clothes?

Prabhupāda: About the significance of our institution?

Interviewer: No, about the way your clothes, the way you're dressed today. Uh, the robes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, the robe? Yes, I am a sannyāsī. The sannyāsī is the highest status of human social division. According to Vedic culture there are four divisions of human society. Brahmacārī, student life; then householder, gṛhastha; and then vānaprastha, retired life; and then sannyāsa life, means preaching transcendental knowledge to the society from door to door. So this dress... In Vedic culture, there are different dresses for different persons. So this saffron colored dress means that he is admitted without any introduction anywhere because he's understood to be a man of transcendental knowledge. And the householders receive them and take knowledge from them. That is the system of Vedic culture.

Radio Interview -- March 12, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Yes. These marks are a temple of Kṛṣṇa. We mark these different twelve parts of the body. The idea is that we are being protected by God from all sides.

Interviewer: One other thing, I went to shake hands with everybody and I found that all your right hands were wrapped. What is the significance of that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That wrapping... It is not exactly wrapped. It is a bag for our beads. We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. So the beads are supposed to be sacred and therefore we keep it in a bag so that it may not touch the dust or any other impurities. So it is not wrapping, it is covering of the sacred beads.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1968, Montreal, With First Devotees Going to London On Evening of Their Departure:

Prabhupāda: Buckwheat? What is that?

Janārdana: Raw buckwheat. It's a grain.

Śāradīyā: (break) What is the significance of using the barley and the sesame.

Prabhupāda: Some eatables, that's all. Grains are eatables. Therefore I am substituting. They are eatable. There must be something eatable.

Devotee (1): Does eatable... Does Kṛṣṇa eat out of the fire?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (1): He does? He eats all that?

Prabhupāda: Everyone eats. Kṛṣṇa also... Kṛṣṇa eats through fire. Therefore yajña is offered. Kṛṣṇa eats by so many ways, but people want to see that "I give foodstuff; it must be finished." (chuckles) So for the rudimental seers and the less intelligent class, this is.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: So our, the Vedic system is called varṇāśrama. Varṇa means the social order. Āśrama means spiritual division. Therefore those who are following strictly the Vedic principle, that family life is called gṛhastha āśrama. Āśrama. Whenever you add this word āśrama there is spiritual significance. So all the division-brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa—they are known as āśrama. Anyone can understand āśrama. As soon as there is āśrama that means "Here some men, saintly persons, spiritually advanced persons, lives." That is āśrama. So that āśrama, when a student follows the regulative principles, he is supposed to be situated in brahmacārī āśrama. A householder living with family, husband, wife, children, if they are following strictly the regulative principles—gṛhastha āśrama. Similarly, retired life, if he is following the regulative principles—the vānaprastha āśrama. Similarly, a renounced life, sannyāsa, if he is following the regulative principles, that is sannyāsa āśrama. Not that imitating somebody, I put on a saffron dress and I become a sannyāsī and by begging I live. This has killed the whole Hindu society or the sanātana-dharma society.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 11, 1971, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Yes. They make money.

Guest: ...the real significance, that spiritual...

Prabhupāda: The significance..., there is no significance. These professional Bhāgavata readers, they make money from the public because public wants to hear all these things. Just like we read a novel-a woman is embracing a man, or kissing or having sex. They like it. Therefore they go the Bhāgavata Tenth Canto immediately. Their Bhāgavata reading is professional, not understanding of Kṛṣṇa. If you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then go step by step, one by one. First of all read Bhagavad-gītā, try to understand, and you surrender to Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says, then you enter. Just like after passing entrance examination you enter into the college. Similarly, when you are qualified in accepting Kṛṣṇa as all in all, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66), then you enter into Bhāgavata. Bhāgavata is the graduate study, not ordinary study. But these professionals, they take advantage of the weakness of the people, and they make profession and earn some money. That's all. When we speak of Bhāgavata we speak from First Canto, Second Canto, Third Canto..., the nine cantos to understand Kṛṣṇa. Just like in First Canto the beginning, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, janmādy asya yataḥ. This is Vedānta-sūtra verse. Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. (Hindi) Kṛṣṇa for perfect knowledge, then you'll understand what is kṛṣṇa-līlā.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bob: So what is the significance of this energy being separated from Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Separated means this is made out of the body of the cow, but is is not cow. That is separation.

Bob: So this earth and all is made out of Kṛṣṇa, but is not Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: It is not Kṛṣṇa. Or you can say, Kṛṣṇa and not Kṛṣṇa simultaneously. That is our philosophy. One and different. You cannot say different because these things without Kṛṣṇa has no existence. At the same time you cannot say, "Then let me worship water. Why Kṛṣṇa?" That the pantheists, they say, that "Because everything is God, so whatever I take, that is God worship." The Rama-Krishna Mission says like that. But that's wrong.

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego:

Prabhupāda: That is material. It has no spiritual significance.

Devotee (2): Prabhupāda, I've heard that every one of us who are in the movement now has had some association with Lord Caitanya (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (2): Is it so?

Prabhupāda: Yes. He's associating with Lord Caitanya just now.

Devotee (2): Yes, now. But in some other life, this is what is...

Prabhupāda: In other life may not, but he is associating at the present. That's a fact.

Room Conversation with Kenneth Keating, U.S. Ambassador to India -- October 14, 1972, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Yes. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so far Indians are concerned, everyone accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Mrs. Keating: May I ask the significance of the markings?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is a sign that we are Vaiṣṇava, devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Ambassador: You all have that.

Mrs. Keating: And the bag, is that, is that...

Prabhupāda: That is our chanting.

Mrs. Keating: Oh.

Prabhupāda: We are chanting always the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. These have got special significance because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. There is no difference between Him and His name. Here, just like this milk substance and the milk name is different. If I want to take milk, simply if I go on chanting "milk" and "milk," that will not satisfy. I must have the substance milk. But in the spiritual world the Absolute has no differentiation between His name, ...between His name, between His quality, form, entourage. They are the same. So this chanting of holy name means that directly associating with Kṛṣṇa. Directly associating with Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Devotee (2): So it is of no significance to us then?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Śyāmasundara: This... Words and films.

Indian man: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) New York, San Francisco, Los Angles, Chicago, Boston, Buffalo, Montreal. Sixty-six all over the world.

Indian man: (Hindi with Prabhupāda)

Prabhupāda: Oh. Give immediately, on the (indistinct).

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 20, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. The only special significance of human being is that he has got special intelligence to understand what is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So therefore his first duty is to know the Absolute Truth. Not waste time for eating, sleeping, mating. The modern material civilization is wasting time, so-called advancement of material comforts. Simply wasting time. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). They are wasting time at night either by sleeping or by sexual intercourse. Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā. And during daytime, simply: "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" And as soon as they get money, they spend it for kuṭumba-bharaṇa, for maintaining the family. This is their business.

Room Conversation with French Journalist and UNESCO Worker -- August 10, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: But there is. There are so many philosophers, scientists... Why do they not try to think of it? What is this purpose?

Dr. Inger: Well, some have tried to talk about the purpose of existence that we are little entities of no significance. Some... Because...

Prabhupāda: No. My question is why you have become a little entity, another has become big entity?

Dr. Inger: Some people would say that it is due to our past. Past connections or reincarnations.

Devotee: Karma.

Dr. Inger: karma.

Prabhupāda: So. Yes, karma.

Morning Walk -- December 15, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is said, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If you please guru, then Kṛṣṇa is pleased because he is saying the same thing. Just like we are... What we are doing? Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We are saying that "You just surrender to Kṛṣṇa." We are inventing nothing. Therefore I am guru. Because I am saying Kṛṣṇa's words, not my words, therefore I am guru. As soon as I say my words, then I am not guru. This is the significance.

Rūpānuga: You are the only one, Śrīla Prabhupāda, who claims to be servant. The rest of them take Kṛṣṇa's position.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because they are not guru. They are not guru. That is the difficulty, that one who is not guru, he is taking the place of guru. Therefore people are misguided.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now here is one important thing: śaśi-sūrya-netram. The śaśi, the moon, and the sun are the two eyes of God. Now in Brahma-saṁhitā it is also confirmed yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. So in the Upaniṣads it is said, "When God sees, then you can see." So this... When the sunrise is there, that means when God sees, you can see. In the darkness you cannot see. And still, you are proud of your eyes. Yes. Without God seeing, you cannot see. And still, these rascals are proud of their eyes. "I can... Can you show me?" How you can see? First of all you have to see through the Supreme. And another significance is that you cannot hide yourself from the seeing of the Supreme. You cannot make anything hiding. Because even in the womb there is sunshine, sunlight. So He is seeing there. Apart from being the Paramātmā, from materially also, His eyes are always there. So you cannot do anything hiding. That is not possible.

Morning Walk -- April 11, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But why they take the position of a teacher? They should not take the position of a teacher. They should remain foolish, that "I have still to learn."

Indian Man (1): Ah, that is the significance. They should not say that "I am already perfect." That is the sig... They should not claim like that.

Prabhupāda: That is our protest, that "You are foolish. Why you are taking the position of a teacher? You are foolish. You are rascal. You don't take the position of a teacher. Then you are a cheater. First of all make your life..." Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, janma sārthaka kari kara paropakāra: "First of all make your life successful. Then you become a teacher." Paropakāra. You are a fool number one and you are going to make paropakāra? Daridra-nārāyaṇa. (laughter) (break) ...when they take the position of teacher, they not only do harm to themselves but to others. So our protest is that "You are a fool, rascal. You go to hell. Why you induce others to go to hell?"

Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva:

Yogeśvara: He says he hopes we excuse if he has some basic questions that he wanted to ask. And his first question was regarding tilaka. What is the symbolism, significance?

Prabhupāda: It is just like your cross, amongst Christian. It is temple of Viṣṇu. Not only here, we have got twelve place: here, here, here, here, here. Twelve place. The idea is being protected by Viṣṇu from all sides.

Swiss Man (2): (French)

Yogeśvara: The shaved head, he's asking.

Prabhupāda: This is cleanliness. Instead of keeping unnecessary hair, we keep very clean.

Room Conversation -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: In connection with that, I have discussed the animal killing. So all these meat-eaters, they are responsible for killing the innocent cows.

Bhagavān: Many people today are discussing this topic of reincarnation, but they don't understand the significance of the effects...

Prabhupāda: How they'll understand, all dull-headed fools, rascals? Dressed like gentlemen, that's all. Tāvat ca śobhate mūrkho yāvat kiñcin na bhāṣate. A rascal fool is decorated so long, as long he does not speak. As long he'll speak, his nature will be revealed, what is he. This gentleman therefore did not stay long to expose himself. (laughter)

Bhagavān: That's intelligent.

Jyotirmayī: When this man left, he told me that there is a very, very, big actress. She's known all over the world. She's called Brigitte Bardot. And she's making propaganda now everywhere against slaughterhouses. So he said she's living around here, and we should meet her, and ask her to come and see you. So if she's here, we can try.

Prabhupāda: This mayor, mayor...? This mayor?

Room Conversation with Mr. Deshimaru -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: That you say they have got; he does not say. You say.

Karandhara: No, but I mean philosophically considering, they have an aim, but it's very obscure. The substance and the significance of that aim is without form or conception.

Prabhupāda: So without aim, what is the use of practice? (French)

Pṛthu Putra: He says he likes the practice without goal, and he doesn't give any value to the practice because there is goal.

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. Without goal, practicing something, it is foolishness.

Room Conversation with Mr. Tran-van-Kha, and President & Members of the Society of Buddhists in France -- June 15, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: So Arjuna is presenting his inability, and what we are?

Guest (3): (French)

Yogeśvara: He says, in history there was the mystery of the sphinxes of Egypt, do these sphinxes carry any significance?

Prabhupāda: Hum?

Yogeśvara: Is the pyramid and the sphinx in Egypt civilization are any mystic significance?

Pṛthu Putra: It's a great relevance for the Egyptian civilization.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is just like samādhi. Samādhi, when you become samādhi, then if you're, I mean to say, put within the earth, you do not die.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Coversation with Psychiatrist and Indian Boy -- May 12, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: There is ghost. And sometimes ghost attacks a man. Because he has no material body, he wants to act through other's body. So the man who is attacked, he forgets himself, and he speaks and walks according to the dictation of the ghost. That is called ghostly haunted man.

Śrutakīrti: What is the significance of... What is this?

Prabhupāda: He talks nonsense. Suppose his father comes before him, he calls him by ill names, like that. He talks nonsense. So anyone who is too much materially affected, he also talks nonsense. Anartha upāsamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. The treatment is bhakti-yoga. That we are teaching. Without any exception, we accept everyone a patient for psychiatric treatment. He has this book?

Paramahaṁsa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then all other books we can show him.

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Their position is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā. These rascals, avajānanti, I mean to say, cares a fig for Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is also a very big man, that's all." Just the Arya Samaji says in India, that "We don't accept Him as God, but He is a very big man, a very big politician, like that." So that is described in the Bhagavad..., avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam, paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto (BG 9.11). The paraṁ bhāvam, what is the actual significance, that is, they do not know. What is the actual significance of the soul and soul platform, spiritual..., that they do not know. They are studying from the mental platform. So they have to go beyond mental platform, avāṅ mānasa-gocara, beyond bodily mental platform. Then they will understand.

Press Conference -- July 16, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Well, an education... A highly educated man does not require athletics. He requires good brain. Just like high-court judge, he requires a good brain, not a big gigantic body.

Bhaktadāsa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what is the significance of the chant which everyone who has been around the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement has heard? What is the significance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Chanting means the holy name of the Lord. The Lord is absolute. His name is not different from Him. So if you chant properly or improperly even, then immediately you be in touch with God. And as you become in touch with God, you become purified. So as you become purified, you know, actually you can see perfectly what is the aim of your life, how the human form of life should be utilized. These thing will be revealed. This is the process of chanting. Try to understand.

Press Conference -- July 16, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: So if the western world has forgotten God and He comes to remind him, where is the wrong?

Reporter (3): Is that the significance, then, of the festival, to remind people of God?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. This is the significance. Jagannātha. Jagannātha. Jagat means the whole universe, and natha means the lord or the proprietor.

Reporter (3): What is the purpose of the large carts and other things you use?

Prabhupāda: Large car mean God is very great, He requires very great car. (laughter) Why should He go in a small car?

Press Conference -- October 2, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: The idea is: the common men, they expect something, especially Indians, that India has got some spiritual culture. So every human being is seeking after spiritual culture, but unfortunately, at the present moment they are doing something which is not very desirable, the so-called swamis and yogis. I do not wish to describe them.

Guest (2): Does your haircut have any particular significance?

Brahmānanda: The shaving of the head is a sign of surrender to the spiritual master, and we leave the śikhā...

Prabhupāda: And keep the head light instead of unnecessarily burdened. In the Kali-yuga there is a symptom. It is stated in the... Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam: "In the Kali-yuga people will think by keeping long hairs he has become beautiful." This is the mentality of this age. Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. You can write this. Lāvaṇyam means luster, and keśa-dhāraṇam means keeping hair.

Morning Walk -- October 12, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: Candi-pat means you, if you properly read, you get some material profit. That's all. No spiritual profit.

Indian man (1): There is no special significance in it?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You get material profit. (break) Bhagavad-gītā it is said, (sic:) alpavat tu phalaṁ teṣām: "The result of material profit is for a short duration of time," tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām, "and these things are desired by less intelligent class of men." His real need is how to gain his spiritual life. That is his real need. But he does not want that. He wants some material profit for the time being. This is less intelligent. Suppose if somebody gives you some money and he says, "Tomorrow I shall take it away," will you... (laughs) So tad bhavaty alpa-medhasā. (break) ...kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajanty anya-devatāḥ: (BG 7.20) "They worship demigods, bewildered by lusty desires." And so long we have got lusty desires, we have to change our body, and that we do not know, what kind of body we are going to get next birth. Therefore, without knowing this, if we become mad after material profit, then less intelligent.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: There is no question of government or.... The government is people's men. So if you are, we are ourselves fools and rascals, the government will also be a set of fools and rascals. And if you are intelligent, the government will be intelligent, because now it is democracy. You select some man. So don't blame government. You are government. If you are fools the government are fools. If you are intelligent the government is intelligent. It is up to you to change; then everything will be all right.

Reporter (1): Swamiji, excuse me, is there any special significance of keeping this bead hidden from the public?

Prabhupāda: Yes, just to follow Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā says, man-manā bhava mad bhaktaḥ: "Always think of Me." So we are thinking, "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Morning Walk -- April 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What is that six-pointed star significance?

Prabhupāda: Cakra.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oh.

Hari-śauri: What is the symbol on the right-hand side, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: I think śaṅkha. That is the conchshell.

Akṣayānanda: (break) ...thread from the Deity, the old sacred thread, and they tie it on their wrist. They tie it here.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Yes. But there are many beggars. They do not get money. We get money. We are not beggars. We are giving books, knowledge. Do you think we are beggars?

Carol Jarvis: If I could use the example, perhaps, of your temple, which has a lot of very rich material things in it. I wonder what significance that plays in your spiritual life.

Prabhupāda: So what do you mean by spiritual and material? Do you know the distinction? Then I'll show you spiritual. And do you know?

Carol Jarvis: Well, the material...

Prabhupāda: I say that in the temple there is nothing material, all spiritual, but you have no eyes to see to it.

Morning Walk -- June 6, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Four.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Like mermaids.

Bharadvāja: What is the special significance of constructing Kāliya-Kṛṣṇa temple in Fiji?

Prabhupāda: They say that "Kāliya lived here."

Bharadvāja: Is that true?

Prabhupāda: Well, might.... (break) But it is Kṛṣṇa's līlā, so...

Bharadvāja: Kāliya then became a devotee after Kṛṣṇa subdued him.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bharadvāja: They are both worshipable.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: I invited him to Hawaii, but by that time he left.

Prof. O'Connell: His plans were...

Guest (1): Swami, do you attach any significance to the fact that this temple is in a form of a Christian church?

Prabhupāda: There are many Christian church we have converted temple. They sell for want of customer. And we purchase, we increase customers. But customer of the same place. That is the beauty. These customers, they are not brought from India. But formerly they were not coming here, now they are coming in crowd. In Los Angeles we purchased.... You have been in Los Angeles? Now we have got a regular colony. About one dozen big, big houses. So that was a church. Nobody was coming, they sold it to us. Now it is always crowded. This church, they were not going to sell us.

Morning Walk -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Today?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Is there some special celebration or significance?

Prabhupāda: Guru-pūjā, that you are doing daily. (reads sign) "Model sailboat."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, the children come here, not only children but adults, and they have some model, toy models which they sail around.

Prabhupāda: So it is not very deep.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. It's a very colorful display. Hundreds of people come, especially on Sundays, sailing their boats.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Śrīla Prabhupāda? In this biomedical science, this ethics, there's a problem arising. The person, the family of the person who is suffering, says that "Please don't apply these machines. Let the person die." But the medical doctors say "No, we'll keep him alive as long as we can go on." So this is a problem. So who's right? Is the family right, or...

Prabhupāda: Family right. Family is intelligent, that "You are rascal, why you are trying? Let him die peacefully."

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Bhakti is not achieved by studying. Bhakti stage is achieved by practice. That is the special significance of our institution, that we are engaging our men in practicing. Therefore they are getting knowledge—not by reading.

Bhūgarbha: He was saying there are certain social and economic conditions that need to be present before bhakti can come about.

Prabhupāda: Bhakti can solve everything, social, economical, cultural, religious, everything. So Dr. Joseph saw all my books?

Bhūgarbha: Every one he saw. We showed him some... He was very happy to see the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I offered him the post of editing.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, spiritual... Sādhu-saṅga, (Hindi).

Guest (2): Sādhu-saṅga, of course, is very important. Getting to take a dip in Ganges at that, during this period, has that got any particular significance apart from sādhu-saṅga?

Prabhupāda: Yes. There is. At least your faith is increased. With faith you take a dip. Faith cure. And Ganges herself is purifying.

Guest (2): No. Is there special significance during this period? That is all the time.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is... The significance is sādhu-saṅga, purification. Our Vedic principle is: whatever is enjoined in the Vedas, we should accept it without any argument. That is Vedic injunction. This example we give generally: just like śaṅkha. Śaṅkha is the bone of an animal. So according to Vedic system, if you touch the bone of an animal, dead body animal, then you have to take bath immediately. But the śaṅkha is pure. Now, you cannot argue that "It is the bone of an animal. You say one place that 'Bone of animal is impure. You have to take bath; you have touched it,' and this śaṅkha is in their Deity worship? It is contradictory." But because it is stated in the Vedas, you have to accept. This is Vedic injunction. You cannot argue. There is no question of arguing. Just like cow dung is the stool of an animal.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. And I also started telling him little bit about what the significance of this conference will be. (describes own preaching activities and plans for scientific conference for some time) And I requested him to participate in this program and... It will be very meaningful as a normal...

Prabhupāda: So you are listing all the men who will participate?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. I'm going to have all the... I'm leaving tomorrow in the morning, and I'm leaving for Bombay. From there I'm leaving to the States on Friday morning.

Prabhupāda: I want to give you the best place in Bombay.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Rupanuga -- Montreal 3 July, 1968:

Without money it is not possible to exist in the material world. Although Krishna is always on the background, still Krishna advised Arjuna that you have to fight, at the same time, remember Me. The same principles we have to follow. We have to work, just like others, and at the same time think of Krishna constantly. Outsiders should be educated to know that we are the most humble service of the human society.

The word klin is significance of the mantras being the root of devotional activities. Krishnyaya, unto Krishna; Govindaya, unto Govinda; Gopijanavallabhaya, unto the Pleasure Reservoir of the damsels of Vraja, and Svaha, offering oblations unto Him. You will get in time the translations of all the mantras. Yes, we have got all the qualities of the Supersoul. Therefore, unless the Supersoul has got consciousness, how we can have consciousness?

Letter to Pope Paul VI -- Montreal 3 August, 1968:

The human form of life is specially meant for this purpose, namely, to invoke the dormant Love of God, because better development of consciousness is found in the human body. Animal propensities for sense gratification equally found both in man and animals. But the special significance of human life is to achieve Love of God as the prime perfection of life. Unfortunately, at the present moment people are more concerned about the principle of sense gratification, or the animal part of human life, and they are gradually declining in God consciousness. This tendency is very much deteriorating, and because Your Holiness is the Head of a great religious sect, I think we should meet together and chalk out a program for cooperation.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Mandali Bhadra -- Los Angeles 28 July, 1969:

Similarly, amongst the disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati there may be some controversy, but the central point is how to preach the mission of His Divine Grace. If the central point is fixed up then there is no harm in such controversy. Every individual being must have his opinion; that is the significance of individuality, but all such differences of opinions must coincide in Krishna. In the battlefield of Kuruksetra were Arjuna and Bhisma who were fighting with one another, and because Krishna was on the side of Arjuna, sometimes Bhisma pierced the body of Krishna also with arrows. But still they remained the greatest devotees of the Lord, and Krishna accepted the friendship of Arjuna just as He accepted the inimical arrows of Bhisma in the same loving spirit. So you do not be disturbed by such controversial points. Better you engage your mind very seriously in the matter of the service entrusted upon you. That will make you progressive in Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Jayapataka -- London 26 September, 1969:

So far as your having already ordered instruments from India, that is all right. Regarding your question about the verse in the prayers to the Spiritual Master, the Spiritual Master is one of the associates of Krishna. The prayers offered by Visvanatha Cakravarti to his Spiritual Master have a special significance. His Spiritual Master was one of the assistant gopis, so the prayer was offered like that. On the whole, the Spiritual Master is an agent of Krishna. But either He is assistant to the gopis or assistant to the cowherds boys, He is on the level of Krishna. That is the verdict of all scriptures. Krishna is worshipable God and the Spiritual Master is worshipper God. The exact words are sebya (worshipable) and sebak (worshipper).

Your explanation of Annamoya is all right. Pranamoya means there are different types of airs, and the spirit soul is floating on the air, just like all the planets are floating in the air.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- London 25 August, 1971:

So these are required for offering to the sacrifice: Five items of five kinds. So because we cannot collect all these things conveniently, we simply are satisfied with five kinds of powders. In the vedic system also when eatables are offered to somebody, five varieties of dishes are offered. Another significance of the vedic system is that arbitration is also made of five men. So this "five" is mentioned in many places. Just like in devotional service. Narada has written also five kinds of literatures; They are called Narada pancaratra. So it is traditional vedic system. What for they were made in routine in terms of "five" that is very difficult to find out but traditionally it is followed by vedic disciples as far as possible.

The criss-cross pattern is simply decoration. After mopping the floor nicely, this kind of painting with colored rice powder is still prevailing in Hindu families of S. India.