Symptoms of... (Lectures, SB and Other)

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Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

Here in this material world there are three types of status: goodness, passion, and ignorance. So ignorance and passion, they're simply material. The symptom of ignorance and passion is greediness and lust. Above this greediness and lust there is another platform, which is Vedānta platform—to understand everything clearly. That is called goodness.

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

So we can, at least we have to transcend the rajas-tamo guṇa. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). Rajas-tamo, the quality of passion and ignorance, mean the symptoms of these qualities is kāma and lobha, lust and greediness. So long there is lust and greediness... Lust for sex, lust for opposite sex, this is called lust. And greediness—to eat more, more than you can digest. When these two things are there, lust and greediness, that means you are now being conducted by the ignorance and passion. I am.... When there is prominence of goodness then we can understand what is what, what is God, what I am, what is this world. That is knowledge. And above this, transcendental, not only knowledge but practical application of knowledge in life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.1 -- New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972:

So simply by vibration the atmosphere will be cleansed and purified. Just like when there is thundering sound in the sky, it does not require to understand by any particular language. That very vibration And the origin of creation is sound. The grosser elements are visible, but the creation takes place from finer elements. The sound is the symptom of the sky. By sound we can understand that there is sky, ether. Then, by sound vibration, there is circulation of air. And you have got practical experience. When there is very loud sound vibration, sometimes there is very strong wind also. So by sound vibration, the wind is started, and by strong wind electricity is produced. From electricity, water is produced, perspiration. And from water, earth is produced.

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

So therefore, in the symptoms of Kali-yuga it has been stated, dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharanam. Kuṭumba means family. If one can maintain his family, he is to be considered as very successful. No, he hasn't got to make dākṣa-yajña, or naradeva-yajña, or so many yajña. No. That he has no means. This is the position. Mandaḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10). And if anyone wants to accept something for spiritual, that is sumanda-matayo, something bogus. He will accept something bogus which has no spiritual, I mean to say, reference. He will accept, "I have... I have got this religion." Mandaḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā. Because they're all unfortunate, and upadrutāḥ, and always disturbed and anxious by so many external affairs.

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

So we cannot imagine even that how a person can marry sixteen thousand wives. This is inconceivable potency, to give an example of His inconceivable potency. And Rāma presented Himself as an ideal king. He did not manifest Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but from symptoms of authentic literature we understand that He is God. But Kṛṣṇa personally said that "I am the Supreme Personality of God." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no superior truth beyond Me." The Rāmacandra never said that, that... He never said that "I am God." But those who are intelligent, they understood that He is God.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

One who is engaged in devotional service of the Lord in love and devotion. What is the symptom of love? The symptom, the prime symptom, most important symptom of love is that the devotee wants to see that his Lord's name, fame, etc. become widespread. He wants to see that "My Lord's name be known everywhere." This is love. If I love somebody, I want to see that his glories are spread all over the world. And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmāt manuṣyeṣu kaścit me priya-kṛttamaḥ, anyone who preaches His glory, nobody is dearer to Him than that person.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, how you can love, what are the symptoms of love, how you can please God, how He can talk with you, everything is there. But you have to take advantage. We read Bhagavad-gītā, but by reading Bhagavad-gītā I become a politician. So what kind of reading Bhagavad-gītā? Politician is there, of course, but the real purpose of reading Bhagavad-gītā is to know Kṛṣṇa. If one is Kṛṣṇa, if one knows Kṛṣṇa, he knows everything.

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

Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Daivīṁ prakṛtim. Mahātmā, one who is broad-minded, or greater souls, they are under the control of daivī-prakṛti. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the symptom? Bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ, they have no other motive than to render service to the Lord. That's all. This is the symptom of mahātmā. No motive. No gain, no exchange. Simply to serve the Lord. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Any kind of desire, even liberation. No. But if one is pure devotee, liberation will be at his door. He, what he has got to ask for liberation? He's already liberated. He hasn't got to ask for liberation.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Mauritius, October 5, 1975:

If you want actually peace, then you must be engaged in the service of the Lord. And before being engaged in the service of the Lord you should be qualified, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Brahma-bhūtaḥ. As soon as you become brahma-bhūtaḥ, you are jolly. What is the symptom of jolliness? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Na śocati means "does not lament." We are always lamenting for the things which we have lost, and we are always hankering for things which we haven't got. This is our business. So long we do not get, we hanker.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

Mahātmā and kṣudrātmā, or durātmā. Those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge they are called mahātmā. And the symptom of mahātmā is: mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ (BG 9.13). Mahātmā is not changing a dress or having a big beard. (break) Mahātmā is described, who is mahātmā. Mahātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Mahātmā is not under the control of this material energy. He is under the shelter of spiritual energy, daivī-prakṛti. And the symptom is bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ: he has no other business than to serve the Supreme Personality. Bhajanti. Bhaja sevāyām.

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

He's sādhu. Not a sādhu having big beard or mustaches and having red cloth without any sense of Kṛṣṇa. He's not sādhu. Sādhu means one who is fully engaged in the service of the Lord. He's sādhu. Api cet su-durācāraḥ. Even if he's not very well-behaved, su-durācāra, still he's sādhu. Why? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. He has no other business than to love Kṛṣṇa. This is the symptom of sādhu.

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:

These are the qualifications, symptoms of guru. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. He has got full knowledge in the transcendental science, and without book, how he has got knowledge? Or without hearing from another authority?

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

We are consciousness. Not exactly consciousness. Consciousness is the symptom of my real identity. I am pure soul. I am merged within this material body... And the modern material science, they have no stress of it. Therefore they are sometimes misled about this understanding of the spirit soul. But the spirit soul is a fact. And everyone can understand by the presence of consciousness. Any child can understand. The consciousness is the symptom of the spirit soul. So the whole process now we are trying from the Bhagavad-gītā is to bring one to get him on the platform of consciousness. And if we act from the platform of consciousness, then we may not be pushed again into the platform of this bodily conception.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:

So what are the symptoms of goodness? Kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. Lusty. Lust and greediness. The whole world is moving by lust and greediness. This is the stage of ignorance and passion. Those who are embarrassed with the lower qualities of material nature, they are embarrassed with two things: lust, not satisfied; and greedy, and lobha. "Give me more, give me more, give me more." "Give me..." Anything, he's not satisfied.

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

These are the symptoms of sattva-guṇa. Without coming to the platform of sattva-guṇa, or brahminical qualification, one cannot make any advance in spiritual life. Therefore in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we first of all bring anyone to the platform of brāhmaṇa. Therefore, at the time of second initiation, we offer the sacred thread, to recognize him that "He is now brāhmaṇa."

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

Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). What are the symptoms of rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ? Now, kāma and lobha. Those who are infected with this rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, they are very lusty, greedy, lobhī. They are not satisfied. The modern civilization is based on rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Nobody is satisfied. Everyone is greedy. And lusty. Kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. Kāma. So long you are lusty, so long you are greedy, there is no question of devotional service. There is no question of advancement to spiritual life. So therefore you have (to) come to the platform of sattva-guṇa, where simply knowledge... There is no other thing, ignorance or greediness, only knowledge.

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

Sleeping is very dangerous. It is to be understood that I am under the clutches of māyā, the more we sleep, because the symptom of tamo-guṇa is laziness and sleep. This is the symptom of tamo-guṇa, laziness and sleeping. And symptoms of rajo-guṇa—very active, but just like monkey. Monkeys are very active, but all injurious. Wherever they will sit, they "Gata-gata-gat-gat-gat." Not a single moment they are inactive, but all foolishness. That is passion. And goodness means knowledge. So in the previous verse it is described how to come to the platform of goodness.

Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:

Why I say rascal? Because here it is said, rāma-kṛṣṇāv iti bhuvo bhagavān aharad bharam. There must be symptoms of Rāma-Kṛṣṇa. Anyone will say, "I am Rāma-Kṛṣṇa," and he becomes Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? How? What is the test? The test is bhagavān aharad bharam. When Kṛṣṇa and Rāma appeared, Balarāma, He killed so many demons to make the world peaceful. The beginning of killing was their maternal uncle Kaṁsa. Not only that beginning. From the beginning of Kṛṣṇa's birth, Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, the Keśī, and so many asuras... Every day, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma used to go in the forest and some asura would come to disturb Them, to kill Them, and Kṛṣṇa will finish them. And the friends will come at home and narrate the story to their mothers, "Mother, Kṛṣṇa is so wonderful. Such a big demon came and He killed immediately in this way and that way." That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that because one has got some so-called meditation, He becomes Kṛṣṇa without any test. But what is the proof that he is Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? But they do not take the proof. They simply pose a bogus man as Rāma-Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972:

The symptom of Kali-yuga is disagreement, fight, quarrel. Kali means this quarreling, fighting, unnecessarily fighting. Just like recently in India we have seen. Formerly there was Hindu-Muslim riot, sporadic riot in some village. Say, some fifty men this side, some fifty men that side, they fought, say, for two hours, and it is finished. Again they are friendly. Now, since India has become independent, the Muslims have become Pakistan and the other part... They are not all Hindus. Suppose Hindus, they have become Hindustan. They organizedly fight.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

This is the symptom of this age. Things will be reduced. Therefore Lord Caitanya is the most magnanimous. He knows that "People will not be very much alert in accepting spiritual knowledge after undergoing so much austerities and penances. Let them chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take everything.(?)" That is the special gift of Lord Caitanya. And Rūpa Gosvāmī therefore prayed Him, namo mahā-vadānyāya: "You are the greatest munificent incarnation." Kṛṣṇa prema-pradāya te: (CC Madhya 19.53) "You are the greatest munificent incarnation." Kṛṣṇa prema-pradāya te: "You are distributing love of Kṛṣṇa." So unfortunately, we are not ready to accept His benediction. Any other question?

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

The duration of this Kali-yuga is estimated four hundred thousand..., four hundred and twenty-seven thousands of years. Out of that, we have passed only five thousand years. So the symptom of the human being in this age is that prāyeṇālpāyuṣa: people will become very short duration of life. It is said that time, at the end of Kali-yuga, the, if somebody lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as very old man.

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

In this age, people will be of short duration of life; manda, very slow; sumanda-matayaḥ, accepting some rubbish theology. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10), almost all of them are unfortunate. Manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ: over and above that, they will be disturbed, especially by lack of rain, lack of..., scarcity of food grains, and overtaxed by the government, so much so that people will give up their hearth and home and go to the forest and hills in disappointment and confusion. So these are the symptoms of Kali-yuga, gradually degrading.

Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

So yesterday we have been discussing the symptoms of guru and the symptoms of disciple—who is actual disciple and who is actual guru. It is stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura,

sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair

uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ

kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

So guru's position is very exalted. Exal... Why exalted? Because he is the confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. One... Suppose you want to do some business and..., with some firm, and a representative comes to transact business, naturally, one tries to satisfy that representative so that the business can be done very fairly. This is natural psychology. Similarly, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Guru is very dear to Kṛṣṇa because his business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. His business is to execute the will of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

So how we'll understand Vedas and Purāṇas? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). You have to go to the guru. Why? Jijñāsuḥ śreya... If you want to know the real life, then you have to go to guru. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Then what is the sign, what is the symptom of such guru where I shall get real information? That is also stated. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. One who is fully aware of the transcendental science or words, śabda, śabda-brahma. Śabda-brahma means Vedic literature. One is completely in awareness of Vedic knowledge. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. Niṣṇātam means one has taken a dip in the ocean of this Vedic literature.

Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976:

That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9). Now kara-pīḍita, taxation. This is śāstra. Five thousand years ago this Bhāgavata was written, and he has given, Vyāsadeva has given the symptoms of Kali-yuga. One of the symptoms is this, that in the Kali-yuga people will be so much embarrassed by three things. One thing there will be no rain, scarcity of rain. And naturally there will be scarcity of... Durbhikṣa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976:

So in this way there are so many things in the material world we take it for acceptance that these things will save me. He's a pramatta. Pramatta means crazy, half-mad. And full mad is unmatta, full mad. He becomes naked. That is one of the symptoms of unmatta-he'll remain naked. So these men, mattaṁ pramattam unmattam... Just see how the rules and regulations are there.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

Śamo damas titikṣā śuci, he is clean; jñānam, he knows things what it is; vijñānam, he can apply the knowledge in practical life, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. Āstikyam means to have firm faith in God. He knows that God is there. God is there and he knows that God is within, God is without. These are the symptoms of a person who is in goodness.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

This is the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Manda-bhāgyāḥ, all unfortunate. All unfortunate. Everyone must suffer. This is the position. But if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, perform the yajña... Because this is the instruction by the Supreme Person. Puruṣaṁ tvā ādyam. Ādyaṁ puruṣam, the original person. The origin of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Supreme Person from whom everything has come down. That is the order. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us that harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21),... We are certainly in difficult position, but the only remedy is that we must chant the holy name of the Lord repeatedly. And that will solve all the problems. You preach this cult all over the world.

Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- New York, April 12, 1973:

So Kuntīdevī, she is submissively... This is the symptom of Vaiṣṇava. The Lord, Kṛṣṇa, has come to Kuntīdevī to take the dust of her feet. Because Kṛṣṇa considers Kuntīdevī as her aunt, Kṛṣṇa used to touch the feet of Kuntīdevī. But Kuntīdevī, although she is in such exalted position, practically on the level of Yaśodāmāyi, such a great devotee... So she is so submissive that "Kṛṣṇa, You are meant for the paramahaṁsas, and what we can see You? We are women."

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Los Angeles, April 24, 1973:

While I was in India, in the beginning, so taking bath is very ordinary thing because even the poorest man will take early morning bath. But actually when I came to your country I saw that taking bath is also difficult thing. Taking bath, that is also not in practice. Perhaps once in a week. We are accustomed to see in India thrice in a day. And I have seen in New York that friends are coming to another friend's house because one has no facility for taking shower bath. So coming to a friend's house. Is it not? I have seen it. So the symptoms of Kali-yuga described that it will be very difficult also to take even bath. Snānam eva hi prasādhanam.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Los Angeles, April 24, 1973:

So it is not our business to criticize, but the symptoms of Kali-yuga is very, very severe, and it will grow more and more. We have simply passed 5,000 years only of the Kali-yuga, but the duration of Kali-yuga is 400,000, 432,000 of years, out of only we have passed 5,000 years. And after passing 5,000 years, we find so many difficulties, and the more we grow in this Kali-yuga, the days will be more and more difficult. So best thing is that you finish your Kṛṣṇa consciousness business and go back to home, back to Godhead. That will save you. Otherwise, if we come back again, the difficulties, the difficult days are ahead. We have to suffer more and more.

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

There is a verse from Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. What is that? Avyartha-kālatvam. Avyartha-kālatvam. A devotee should be so much careful that he should see, "Whether my time is unnecessarily being spent? Whether I am now engaged in māyā's service or Kṛṣṇa's service?" That one should be very much alert. Avyartha-kālatvam nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ, prītis tat vasatis tale(?). These are the symptoms of advanced devotees. What is that? Nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ. He's, he's never tired of chanting, or singing or dancing. No tiresome feeling. Nāma-gāne sadā. Sadā means always; ruci, taste. "Oh, very nice. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma..."

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

So these things, these are the symptoms of really Kṛṣṇa conscious person, that one should think always in danger without Kṛṣṇa. This is the first step. And by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, one should always feel safe. Now I am under the protection. Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). It is a fact. If you become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of danger. Praṇaśyati. Kṛṣṇa gives protection to everyone. Without His protection, nobody can live even for a single moment. That's a fact. So if you think that "Kṛṣṇa is giving protection to everyone; then what is the use of becoming a special devotee?" No, there is use.

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

That we should understand, spiritual and material. Material means they have no living symptoms, and spiritual means have all the living symptoms. So here, although a tree is also a living entity, and there also the tree is living entity, but here the living symptoms are absent. Or why the tree? Even a human being. A human being is also a living entity, and they're also devotees, they're also living entities. But here, the real symptoms of life—means Kṛṣṇa consciousness—is absent. And there, the real symptoms of living condition—Kṛṣṇa consciousness—is very, very much. There is no other consciousness except Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is spiritual.

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:

This morning I was reading the statement of a fisherman who caught Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His trance, and by touching Caitanya Mahāprabhu he became spiritually ecstatic, but he thought that he has become ghostly haunted: "Here is a ghost." And he was thinking, "I am ghostly haunted, so if I become mad, who will take care of my wife and children?" This is the position. The fisherman was actually, spiritually, by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, simply by touching Him, he was so much spiritually advanced that he was chanting, dancing, crying—means all the symptoms of spiritual ecstatic transformation was visible in his body—but he thought that he had gone mad on account of touching the body, ghost. He was thinking like that. And the man thinking was that "If I become mad like this, then who will take care of my wife and children?"

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

You may take birth in high brāhmaṇa family, but by association and culture, if you become degraded, then you have to be designated as such degraded person. Not that you become degraded, at the same time, you keep yourself as brāhmaṇa. That is not possible. Yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ syāt varṇābhivyañjakam. In the śāstra it is said that there are symptoms of varṇa. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā you will find the symptoms, who is a brāhmaṇa.

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

So if you don't find these symptoms, then how one can become brāhmaṇa? That is not possible. Therefore in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are trying to develop the symptoms of brāhmaṇa. Not by birth; to educate them, how to become śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam. So therefore you all, you should know that... You are not born in the brāhmaṇa family. It may not be very hard word, but actually it is mleccha-yavanas. Mleccha-yavanas means the cow flesh eaters, meat-eaters. They are called mleccha-yavanas. Especially mleccha means cow-eaters. So you are coming from the mleccha-yavanas' family, but you are being accepted as brāhmaṇa. Why? For the symptoms. You are being trained up to acquire the symptoms, śamo damas titikṣā.

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

Actually, they were born in brāhmaṇa family, but they knew that "We have lost our culture, due to association with the Muhammadans always." Therefore he presented himself, nīca-jāti. Nīca-jāti, nīca-karma, nīca-saṅgī. So if we deteriorate in our symptoms of brāhmaṇa, then that is not brāhmaṇa, that is not qualified brāhmaṇa. Therefore... It is a vijñāna. Vijñ\ ana-vidhūta-vibhramaḥ. Everyone is uneducated. Everyone is born rascal and fool.

Lecture on SB 1.10.14 -- Mayapura, June 27, 1973:

So these are all symptoms of love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life, to shed tears for Kṛṣṇa. Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us this method of worship in separation, vipralambha-sevā. Not that "Oh, I have seen yesterday. Last night, I have seen Kṛṣṇa. He was snatching my cloth." These are sahajiyās. Actually, our worship should be in separation. The Gosvāmīs also taught us like that.

Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973:

This is human civilization. We must train people in such a way that we must see there what is his quality. According to quality. Just like a physician gives medicine according to the symptom of the disease, then it is cured. Not that any medicine. In the drug house, there are so many medicines. You cannot say "Any medicine will do." No. It is the physician who will pick up the real medicine and he'll administer to the patient. Then he'll be cured.

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

Nixon is in such exalted post, he's also full of anxiety, when he'll be kicked out. You see. So find out any man who is not in anxiety. Not only human being but also animals, birds, beasts—everyone. That is the symptom of material existence, anxieties.

Lecture on SB 1.15.30 -- Los Angeles, December 8, 1973:

This is the business of time, kāla. And karma, our karma, because we are always engaged in sinful activities, karma. Kāla, karma, and tamas, ignorance. Ignorance. Tamas means darkness, and the symptom of tamo-guṇa is laziness and sleep. Those who are lazy and sleeping, you must know he's under the influence of tamo-guṇa. And rajo-guṇa, always acting foolishly. Just like these people are running. They're rajo-guṇa. But actually in this world there are two guṇas-rajas and tamas, ignorance and foolishly active. Foolish active is very dangerous.

Lecture on SB 1.15.30 -- Los Angeles, December 8, 1973:

So at the present moment they're very active, but they're all foolish. Therefore the world is in danger. Active foolishness. Foolish, if he stops, he does not work, it is better. But as soon as he becomes active he becomes more dangerous. So this rajas-tamo-bhāva is prominent. There is no sattva-guṇa, goodness. It is very rare. The symptom of goodness is that he can see everything right. That is goodness. Prakāśa. Just like in sunshine you can see everything clearly. Similarly, one who sees clearly things as they are, they are in the goodness, mode of goodness. There are three modes of the material nature.

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

God consciousness person, God conscious person, what is the symptom of God conscious person? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that?

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

(BG 5.18)

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

This is sign of a perfect God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). One who has understood God, he is paṇḍita, learned. Without being learned, a fool, rascal, cannot understand what is God. One who understands God means he is paṇḍita, he is learned because he has got the knowledge. Veda, Veda means knowledge. What is the purpose of knowledge? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is Veda, that is knowledge.

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

So without this knowledge, nobody is perfect, and without being perfect, if we hear from somebody who is not perfect, it is simply waste of time. And that is the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Therefore it is said, kalinā adharma-mitreṇa. And the adharma-mitra, this is the composition of ignorance. Now, the friends... Which friend helps me to keep me in this perpetual ignorance? These are illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling, these four friends. You associate with these four friends, you will be very easily advancing under the influence of Kali-yuga.

Lecture on SB 1.15.46 -- Los Angeles, December 24, 1973:

Yesterday we were discussing about this Kali-yuga. The most fallen age. People are most degraded. So there is, by calculation, that seventy-five percent irreligion and twenty-five percent religion in comparison to other ages. But this twenty-five percent religious life also will reduce. Before explaining this verse, I shall give you reference to some of the symptoms of this age. This is also explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twelfth Canto, Third Chapter. (aside:) Where is that? Give me that book. We have not yet published, so I am reading reference.

Lecture on SB 1.15.46 -- Los Angeles, December 24, 1973:

So about the Kali-yuga, discussing, the Śukadeva Gosvāmī is describing the chief symptoms of this age. The first symptom he says, tataś ca anu-dinam. With the process of this age, Kali-yuga, dharma, religious principles; satyam, truthfulness; śaucam, cleanliness; kṣamā, forgiveness; dayā, mercifulness; āyuḥ, duration of life; balam, bodily strength; smṛtiḥ, memory... Just count how many. Dharmaḥ, satyam, śaucam, kṣamā, dayā, āyuḥ, balam, smṛti-eight. These things will gradually reduce to nil, almost nil. Now as I told you, the Kali-yuga... In other yugas... Just like Satya-yuga, the duration of Satya-yuga was eighteen hundred thousands of years.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

As such we find so many difficulties in the government because the head or the head man, they are all śūdras. They have dressed like administrator, but they are śūdras. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. There is no brāhmaṇa, there is no kṣatriya, there is no vaiśyas. Maybe a few vaiśyas, and all śūdras. A brāhmaṇa means the good quality, first-class quality. That is very, very rare to be found.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

"Oh, that's all right. You are a brāhmaṇa, because you are truthful. You do not hide yourself, that 'I am a prostitute's son.' You say this is the position. 'I am plainly speaking that my mother does not know who is my father. I do not know!' " So because he was truthful... That is the symptom of brāhmaṇa. He accepted, "Yes, I'll accept you as my disciple."

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

This is mahātmā. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. First of all Kṛṣṇa says, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: "To get a mahātmā, broadly-minded great personality, it is very difficult to find out." But still, one may try to find out what are the symptoms of mahātmā. That is discussed in Bhagavad-gītā. When one understands, "Kṛṣṇa is the origin or original source of everything," janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), as it is indicated in the Vedānta-sūtra that "The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates." That is Absolute Truth.

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

Engaged in service. Not that "I have understood Kṛṣṇa. Let me sit down and sleep now." He is not mahātmā. But vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa ma... (BG 7.19). Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Daivī. Daivī means spiritual, spiritual energy. He is in the spiritual energy, not this material energy. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. Spiritual energy. And what is the symptom of being in the spiritual energy? Bhajanti: always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So they are mahātmā.

Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

As soon as you're purified, automatically Kṛṣṇa will appear, immediately. Kṛṣṇa will ap... Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti: (Bs. 5.38) "Those who are purified, santaḥ, saintly persons, they can see Kṛṣṇa in every second, every moment." Because they have been purified. After purification, there will be prema, love. The symptoms of purification is that when you do not love anything except Kṛṣṇa, that is purification. We have got our love. So instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, we are loving dog, cats and this and that—my country, community, family, nation, so many ways distributed.

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

You are not so luxuriantly grown up, bodily growth. There are so many reasons, but this is the symptom of age of Kali. And they're described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, foretold, five thousand years ago, what will happen in this Kali-yuga. That is all explained in the Twelfth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, third, fourth chapter.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

These are the symptoms of this Kali-yuga. The first thing is that "I have lost my three legs, now standing on one leg only." At the present moment in the Kali-yuga practically there is no religion. So the bull is the representative of religious ceremony, so he is saying that "Now I have lost my three legs. I am standing, only one leg."

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. We have got our practical experience. When I first came in New York, one boy, Nelson, he told me that "Here, even in your front, somebody is being killed. Nobody will take care." I was surprised, how is that? Is that a fact? You say yes?

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

So here it is said, the enquiry, that kiṁ kṣatra-bandhūn kalinā upasṛṣṭān rāṣṭrāṇi vā tair avaropitāni: "Are you very much anxious that, on account of this Kali-yuga, that kṣatra-bandhūn, the rulers, they have occupied the rāṣṭra position, the government position?" So what is the symptom of such a rascal government? That is also stated. Itas tato vāśana-pāna-vāsaḥ-snāna-vyavāyonmukha-jīva-lokam. There will be no fixed position of these things. Just see.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

We are in the darkness, ignorance, and so many other things, corollaries to these things. Rāṣṭrāṇi vā tair avaropitāni itas tataḥ. Just see. Five thousand years ago this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written, the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Now you see that, itas tato vāśana-pāna-vāsaḥ-snāna. Now everywhere, all over the world, the young boys and girls, they have no fixture where they'll live, where they'll take their bath, where they'll eat or how, or how they'll have sex. No. These are preliminary necessities of life.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

So we have discussed the symptoms of Kali-yuga, this age called Kali-yuga. As there are seasonal changes, similarly, in the duration of this material existence, there are seasonal changes. That everyone has got experience. There is summer, there is winter, there is fall, there is spring. So generally the seasonal changes are accepted as Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and Kali-yuga. Just like in each year we have got different seasons, changes, similarly, each millennium there are so many changes of Kali-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, Satya-yuga.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:

Just like in Calcutta there is Ganges, but people come to Hardwar to take bathing in the Ganges. Now, what is the difference between the Hardwar Ganges and Calcutta Ganges? But he thinks, "If I go three thousand miles and take bathing there, that is real Ganges." So dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrtham. These are the symptoms of the Kali-yuga. Yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicit. Many thousands of people come to Vṛndāvana, but they think by taking bathing in the Yamunā, his tīrtha is finished. Or going to Prayāga, taking... Christian also, they go. They take bathing in the...? Water of...? Jordan?

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Vrndavana, March 17, 1974:

These were the symptoms of gosvāmī. You study this. I want at least twenty-five men to live here, to become ideal follower of these Gosvāmīs. They'll see how you'll be adored, how you'll be respected, how you'll be ideal. That I want.

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

Consciousness is a constant companion of the soul. The consciousness means there is soul. Just like this body. I am speaking, I am talking or I am feeling, this consciousness. I am conscious. Why? Because I, the soul, is present. So consciousness is the symptom of the presence of the soul. Therefore when the soul transmigrates the consciousness is also there in another body. But this consciousness, if I take God consciousness, then I go to God. And if I take dog consciousness, I go to dog. That's all. The consciousness is there.

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

According to Śrīdhara Svāmī, Mahārāja Parīkṣit used to imitate the worship of the family Deity by elderly members. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī also confirms the viewpoint of Jīva Gosvāmī. So accepting either of them, Mahārāja Parīkṣit was naturally inclined to Lord Kṛṣṇa from his very childhood, and he might have imitated either of the above-mentioned procedures, and all of them established his great devotion from his very childhood, a symptom of a mahā-bhāgavata.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:

Death is a symptom of the material infection of the eternal living being, and due to material infection only, the eternal living being is subjected to the law of birth, death, old age, and disease. The materialistic way of pious activities like charity, etc., is recommended in the smṛti-śāstras as quoted by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. Money given in charity to a suitable person is guaranteed bank balance in the next life.

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

So when one grows his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, immediately his artificial life becomes finished. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the symptom of development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that he's not anymore interested for material, unnecessary things. This is the test. If one is increasing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at the same time he has got full attachment for material things, that means he's not developing. Material things means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca.

Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

These are natural consequences and are the preliminary symptoms of the bhāva stage, which occurs before one reaches the perfectional stage of prema, love of Godhead.

If the reaction does not take place, even after continuous hearing and chanting of the holy name of the Lord, it may be considered to be due to offenses only.

Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has very critically discussed all these bhāva displays in connection with some unscrupulous neophyte's imitating the above symptoms for cheap appreciation. Not only Viśvanātha Cakravartī but also Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī treated them very critically. Sometimes all the above eight symptoms of ecstasy are imitated by the mundane devotees (prākṛta-sahajiyās), but the pseudo symptoms are at once detected when one sees the pseudodevotee addicted to so many forbidden things.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

So these are coming and going. So if there is some feeling of pain and pleasure, simply just tolerate it, but don't be absorbed in that thought. That's all. Therefore titikṣava. The first symptoms of a saintly person is titikṣava, tolerant. Tolerant. So go on reading, go on understanding. Everything will be clear. So next? There is kīrtana, or finished?

Lecture on SB 2.9.4-8 -- Tokyo, April 23, 1972:

One is suffering from some disease; nobody is taking care. This is the sign of Kali-yuga. "Oh, let him die. Let me live." These are the signs of Kali-yuga: no memory, no sympathy, no long duration of life, no bodily strength, no education. This is the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Therefore the only means is harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). They cannot in the ordinary way it is impossible to make advancement.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11 -- Tokyo, April 27, 1972:

This is śāstra: "In the Kali-yuga people will think very, think themselves of very beautiful feature by keeping long hairs." That is stated. This is called śāstra. Five thousand years ago Bhāgavata was written, and there the symptoms of Kali-yuga are mentioned, and this is one of the symptoms, lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam.

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

There must be symptoms of God, sarva-śaktimān, with all potency, aiśvaryasya, all riches, aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya, with all strength. If He has all strength, is it very difficult for Him to raise a hill on the finger if He has got all strength? That is the definition of God, all-powerful. So why should I deny that "Ah, this is all story"? It is not story. It is fact. If He is all-powerful, what is the difficulty for Him to lift a mountain? If He is all-strong, then where is the difficulty to maintain sixteen thousand wives? Why sixteen thousand? If He maintains sixteen millions of wives, still, it is insufficient.

Lecture on SB 3.25.18 -- Bombay, November 18, 1974:

After many, many births, if one is actually jñānī, seeking after knowledge, then he comes to this conclusion. What is this? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). This is mahātmā, not anyone who is defying Kṛṣṇa and he's trying to become Kṛṣṇa. He's not mahātmā; he's durātmā. Mahātmā means, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). And knowing this, māṁ prapadyate. That is mahātmā. Don't mistake mahātmā, who is mahātmā. What is the symptom of mahātmā?

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ

bhajanty ananya-manaso

jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam

(BG 9.13)

He's mahātmā. You cannot manufacture mahātmā. This is the qualification of mahātmā: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), who knows that Kṛṣṇa is everything. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). He is mahātmā. And his business is mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīm... (BG 9.13). He is under the daivī-prakṛti. There are two kinds of prakṛtis: parā-prakṛti and aparā-prakṛti.

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:

These are the symptoms of pious life. And just the opposite, ugly-looking, born in very low-grade family, almost animal, then no education, no character, these are impious life. So... But the sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83), even by, one is born in low-grade family, pāpa-yoni, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya, if one takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa says, "If one takes shelter of Me..." Kṛṣṇa never denies anyone. Socially, we may deny a caṇḍāla to enter into my house, but Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee does not deny. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They never, they'll never deny. "Yes, you are welcome. You take also education in the spiritual life. You also become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." Sometimes we are criticized.

Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974:

Nitāi: ("The symptoms of a sādhu) are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime."

Prabhupāda:

titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ

suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām

ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ

sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ

(SB 3.25.21)

In the previous verse Kapiladeva has recommended that sa eva sādhuṣu kṛtaḥ. What is that?

Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974:

Just like here people come. Here there is no other thing because here all the boys and girls and devotees, they are concerned with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That's all. The whole business, whole day's business, whole night's business, is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. From early morning at three o'clock to night, ten o'clock, they have only business of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Therefore they are sādhu. Therefore they are sādhu. This is the symptom of sādhu. And so many people are criticizing. So many enemies we have got. We are not getting the sanction because there are so many enemies. We are creating "nuisance." We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—that is nuisance. This complaint is going to the police.

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

He has described the symptoms of sādhu. By the last three, four ślokas, he has described what is the symptom. Everything should be accepted by the symptom, characteristic. Not that anyone will come: "I am a sādhu." No. We must know by the characteristic of sādhu. That has been described. Similarly, incarnation of God, not that anyone will come and say, "I am incarnation of God." That will not be accepted. We have to see the characteristics of God as they are stated in the śāstra, then we can accept somebody as God by uncommon quality.

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

Ajāta-śatravaḥ: A Vaiṣṇava is not enemy of anyone, ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ, always peaceful. Sādhavaḥ sādhu. This is the first, preliminary symptoms of a sādhu. The next? Mayy ananyena bhāvena: "simply attached to Kṛṣṇa," ananyena bhāvena. These are the external, and these are internal. Ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām. Simply as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), so a devotee, a pure devotee, is simply attached to Kṛṣṇa. They are not dis... A devotee is not disrespectful to other demigods.

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

So these are the symptoms of sādhu, and Kapiladeva is summarizing, "Mother," ta ete sādhavaḥ sādhvi sarva-saṅga-vivarjitāḥ, "these symptoms are visible when one has no more any material attachment." Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). This is sādhu, no more designation, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am American"—these devotees, they have got no such conception. They are... Every one of them is thinking, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. These are upādhi.

Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:

Now we are māyā-bhūta, identifying with ourself with this māyā, this prakṛti-guṇa, the modes of material nature: "I am this," "I am that," "I am this," "I am that." But when he becomes brahma-bhūta—"I don't belong to these prakṛti-guṇān, these nature's..., these modes of material nature. I belong to the spirit soul, Supreme. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi"—this brahma-jñāna will immediately make him happy. That is the symptom of a person who has attained brahma-jñāna.

Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974:

This is universal movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because it is concerned with the soul, consciousness. Therefore you have named the word consciousness. Consciousness belongs to the soul, that is the symptom of presence of soul. At the present moment because the soul is in the body, if I pinch your body then you will feel, consciousness, feel pains or pleasure. But as soon as the soul is gone out of the body, if I chop off your body with a dagger, you will not protest.

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

Two things we find, generally, conscious and unconscious. Just like this table is unconscious, but a small ant, it is conscious. That ant is coming this side, you try to stop it, it will struggle, it will resist. Because it is conscious. But the table, you take it and throw it away, it will not protest, because it is unconscious. So, this consciousness is the symptom of life, and that develops one after another.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

So therefore, first of all he must be learned, paṭhana, and then pāṭhana, then he can teach others. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana. He must worship the Supreme Lord, and he must teach others how to worship the Supreme. That... What is this, Viśvanātha Cakravartī's verse? Niyuñjato 'pi. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā **. One of the symptoms of guru is described by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, śrī-vigraha ārādhana: "He knows how to worship the Deity." Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau **. Dressing the Deity and tan-mandira-mārjanādau, and cleansing the temple, keeping everything fit in the temple. So the guru knows it, how to do it, and he teaches his disciple.

Lecture on SB 3.26.16 -- Bombay, December 25, 1974:

Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja was put to so many trials or tribulation by his father, but he was never afraid of. This is the sign of spiritual advancement, because so long I identify myself with this matter, there will be bhayam, and when I am out of this conception of material existence, when I understand that "I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, then there is no more bhayam, no fearfulness. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). This is the symptom of abhayam. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet are described, abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. Bhajahuṅ re mana śrī-nanda-nandana-abhaya-caraṇāravinda re.

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

Therefore these are the symptoms of Kṛṣṇa consciousness: svacchatvam, avikāritvam, śāntatvam. Śānta I have already explained last night several times also, that śāntatvam, śānti... Just like I told you that many people coming: "Oh, I do not get any peace of mind." How you will get peace of mind? Here in the material world you cannot be endowed with the peace of mind. It is not possible. Why? Because here everything is māyā. Bharam udvahato vimūḍhān. Asad-grahāt, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Asat. Asat means that which will not stand.

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

What are the symptoms of yoga? Kapiladeva, Kapiladeva is son of Devahūti. Devahūti is the mother of Kapiladeva. The mother is taking instruction from son. So it doesn't matter. One should not think, "Oh, he is my son. What instruction I shall take from him? I know better than him." No. Son or anyone, anyone, if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa he becomes guru. This is the Vedic system. It doesn't matter. Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born in a very respectable brāhmaṇa family. He was very advanced learned scholar, and after all He took sannyāsa. So when He was discussing with Rāmānanda Rāya Rāmānanda Rāya was a gṛhastha, householder and governor of Madras, means politician.

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

So..., and Kapiladeva knew how to flatter woman. (chuckles) So he addressed her (His) mother, nṛpātmaje, "My dear daughter of king." She felt very much proud, "Yes, I am daughter of king." So "I will speak to you about the symptoms of yoga system." Yogasya lakṣaṇaṁ vakṣye sabījasya. With authorized statement. He is Bhagavān, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever He speaks, that is authorized. You cannot argue, because for the..., for us, we are conditioned soul. We have got four defects—means we commit mistake, we become illusioned or bewildered, our senses are imperfect, and, because everything is imperfect, still we want to become teacher, that is cheating. I am imperfect. How can I teach? That is going on.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:

They will be so much harassed by these three principles—no rainfall, scarcity of grains, and taxed heavily by the government... They will be so much harassed that ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā giri-kānanam, they will be forced to leave home, that "Now it is hopeless. I cannot manage. Let me go to the forest." And there will be... Now we are getting rice or wheat or sugar. But these things will be completely stopped. Now we are getting milk powder, but there will be no milk. It is not my imagination. They are described in the symptoms of Kali-yuga, that the end of Kali-yuga these things will happen. That means more and more suffering. More and more become godless, more and more suffering will be inflicted by the laws of nature.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

We should request you, we have opened this branch of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement just to give chance to everyone to come here and associate with the saintly devotees, and make your life very successful. I shall finish this lecture by reading one line only. The symptoms of saintly person is given, mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye. Who is saintly personality? That is given here, mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ. Sama-cittāḥ means they are equipoised, means they're not agitated by the worldly activities.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Bombay, March 25, 1977:

So this is the symptom of coughing. Similarly, why I am dying? This should be the question. Ke āmi kena more jāpaṭiyā traya. I hear from Bhagavad-gītā that I am eternal: na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Na jāyate na mriyate vā. Then why I am dying? This is intelligence. Why I am dying? This "why." Kena Upaniṣad. But this is not being educated. We are carried away by the temporary problems and missing the chance of human life. This is not very good, and Ṛṣabhadeva especially instructs that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- London, September 17, 1969:

We have discussed some of the symptoms of great soul. The great soul is sama-citta, equal to everyone. Great soul is never angry; they are friend to everyone. And sādhava. Sādhava means sadācāra, clean habits. A mahātmā cannot be implicated with those four principles of sinful life. That is the first test. No illicit sex life, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication. This is called sadācāra, clean habit. Anything beyond this: unclean habit. Here it is stated, sādhava. Sādhava means sadācāra, clean habit. Then it is said, ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthāḥ. Now this mahātmā is specifically indicated for a sannyāsa, a perfect sannyāsī, renounced order.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

After realizing Brahman identification, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is called brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20). And the symptom of that brahma-bhūta stage is na śocati na kāṅkṣati. There is no more lamentation. So long we are in the bodily platform, there are two things prominent, lamentation and aspiration, hankering, two things. We hanker after things which we do not possess, and what we possess, if we lose, then we cry. This is our position. So if actually he's Brahman realized, then he has no more hankering or lamentation. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati.

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

In the next verses it is said, mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ. Then what is the symptoms of mahātmā? He says, Ṛṣabhādeva says, sama-cittāḥ. Equilibrium, not disturbed by material conditions. Sama-cittāḥ, sama sarveṣu bhūteṣu. The same thing. Sama-cittāḥ praśāntā. Peaceful. Praśāntā. Pra means prakṛsta rūpena, fully blissful. And when one can become fully praśāntā, fully peaceful? When he has no more desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no more desire. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Everything is described.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

So we have to approach such person. As it is described here, mahat-sevām. I have to give my service to the great soul. And these are the symptoms of great soul. So as we are finding out so many things for our satisfaction, so our real business is how to get out of this material disease, and to get out of this material disease, the prescription is given here, mahat-sevām: "Just try to serve a great soul." And who is a great soul? That is described here. Mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

So ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu na prīti-yuktāḥ. The symptom of a mahātmā, great soul, is described here. What is that? That dehambhara-vārtikeṣu. Those who are simply planning how to keep this body comfortable, that is the material world. Everyone is busy how to keep this body very comfortable, although it is not possible. There are so many disturbances, so many miserable condition, that there is no possibility of keeping this body in comfortable position. That is not. That is a fact. But still, we are trying.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:

It is not the question of Hindu. I say the description of great souls. Either he may be Hindu or Christian. It doesn't matter. Great soul, the description or the symptom of great souls... (break) ...one has to become Muhammadan, one has to become Christian. Just like if I say that "You speak truth. Don't speak lie." It is not that it is applicable to the Hindus or to the Christians. It is applicable to everyone.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:

So if you want to find out a mahātmā within the society, not as a renounced sannyāsī, then these are the symptoms. There are other symptoms. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4), that we shall describe later on. These are the general symptoms of a mahātmā gṛhastha. He is not interested in this bodily concept of life, or maintaining very opulently his family members, or talking very seriously with persons who are simply materially interested, dehambhara, just to maintain this body. Of course we require to maintain this body.

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

These are the symptoms of sādhu. Very tolerant and kind, titikṣava-kāruṇikā. And suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām: and he's friend of all living entities, not that daridra-nārāyaṇa sevā and cow-nārāyaṇa killing. If you have got such vision that Nārāyaṇa is everywhere, why should you distinguish daridra-nārāyaṇa, dhani-nārāyaṇa, cow-nārāyaṇa, goat-nārāyaṇa? It is not that for the humankind Just like it is going on, nationality. What is this nonsense "nationality"? "Nationality" means one who is born in that country.

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

So it is recommended that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevā, we have described the symptoms of mahātmā. The sum and substance of mahātmā is mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). That is mahātmā. Otherwise durātmā. Simply putting on a saffron dress and having a big beard, he's not mahātmā. Mahātmā is he who is cent percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim (BG 9.13).

Lecture on SB 5.5.6 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1976:

They are learning how to drink, how to eat meat, how to have illicit sex. These are the symptoms of tamo-guṇa, lowest type of tamo-guṇa. There are different degrees of guṇa. The degrees are so mixed up. Therefore three guṇas is manifested into 8,400,000 different forms of life, mixture. You can calculate. We have several times calculated. Three multiplied by three equals nine. Nine multiplied by nine, eighty-one. So therefore there are so many varieties. So human civilization should be so arranged that never mind, it is so mixed up, you have to gradually draw him again to the sattva-guṇa. That is human civilization.

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

That is the symptom of guru. Guru does not deviate from the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not manufacture something new, novel. No, the same thing. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter, although He is the speaker, millions of years ago He instructed the science to the Sun god, and again when He was instructed to Arjuna, He said that, "I am instructing the same thing." Sa evāyaṁ purātanaḥ. Not that on account of change of time, the instruction has been changed, no. (aside:) What is that exact verse? Sa evāyaṁ purātanaḥ?

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

There is no difference in Their constitution, and consequently Lord Ṛṣabhadeva awakened the loving symptoms of crying, laughing and shivering. He was always absorbed in transcendental love. Due to this, all mystic powers automatically approached Him, such as the ability to travel in outer space at the speed of mind, to appear and disappear, to enter the bodies of others, and to see things far, far away. Although He could do all this, He did not exercise these powers."

Lecture on SB 5.6.5 -- Vrndavana, November 27, 1976:

So long we are interested in bodily concept of life, these things are manifested. And when we are spiritually identified, so there is no more kāma-lobha-bhaya-śoka-bhayādayaḥ. Śoka-moha-bhaya apahaḥ. Spiritual means, advanced means śoka moha bhaya, these things are not existing. These are the symptoms of karma-bandha. But if we devote ourselves in the bhakti-yoga, in the service of the Lord, then the face of these things will change. The face of these things will change.

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

One who is suffering from malarial disease, tuberculosis disease, asthmatic tendency, these disease are considered very severe type of disease. Coughing or having some little fever, they are not very severe. But there are many severe diseases. So as you pay to the specialist doctor or you pay for the medicine according to the severity of disease, similarly—yasmād evaṁ tasmād pāpasya niṣkṛtau prayaścitte yateta—you have to make treatment. And according to the symptoms of the disease, you have to undergo treatment. That is called prāyaścitta.

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

So better let him do whatever he likes. I get my fees. That's all." This is going on. That statement of my Guru Mahārāja, "the society of the cheaters and the cheated," is a fact everywhere. In a law court also, you bribe; you get justice. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Arghyeṇa nyāya-rahitam: "If you have got no money, then you cannot get justice in this age. You cannot get justice." It is clearly stated here. That is the symptom of this age. In the law court you have to bribe. In the judges...

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, June 8, 1975:

So this question was raised by Parīkṣit Mahārāja that "You have already described." He did not disbelieve. He believed. Because he is Vaiṣṇava, he knows. And he is disciple of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, so he has thorough knowledge. Now he is anxious. This is the symptom of Vaiṣṇava, that he cannot see others are suffering. Therefore he takes. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, Vaiṣṇava. For others' suffering he agreed to be crucified. But the followers are so unfaithful, they have settled up that "Let Christ suffer for us, and let us go on committing sin."

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Nellore, January 5, 1976:

This is the symptom of a Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava cannot tolerate the sufferings of the humanity. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He said before Nṛsiṁhadeva, naitad udvije paro duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ: "My dear Lord, I have no problem how to get delivered from this material world," because a devotee is already on the transcendental platform.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, May 7, 1976:

Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). And bhaga means reputation, fame. So these are the symptoms of bhaga. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, although nobody can be equal to Kṛṣṇa... Bhagavān means asamaurdha. Nobody is equal to Him; nobody is greater than Him. That is Bhagavān. I am fortunate, you are fortunate, but we have got many equals and many greater than. But when you reach somebody where you find nobody is equal to Him and nobody is greater than Him, that is real Bhagavān. This is a logical conclusion, who is Bhagavān. Nowadays so many rascals they write, "Bhagavān."

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

But the śāstra can say. Śāstra means the authoritative scriptures. Just the other day we described about the symptoms of this Kali-yuga. So many things are foretold five thousand years before, and they are coming true in this age. For example, one small example: lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. In this age people will think that by keeping long hairs they have become beautiful. This is stated in the Bhāgavata. A very small example. So many other things.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

One has to do his duty. So Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna that tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. "My dear Arjuna, even there is some pain due to the miserable condition of this material world, so we have to tolerate that." Just like a patient, he is suffering in so many symptoms of the disease. Doctor is giving him medicine. He is also being treated nicely, but his suffering is there. And then? What the patient will think? He has to tolerate, tolerate, because he knows that "I am going to be cured very soon. The treatment is there. So let me suffer little.'

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

Ārjavam āstikyam. Faith in Vedas, that is called āstikyam. Just like Bhagavad-gītā, part of Vedas. Here Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Supreme Lord." So you have to accept Him by faith. This is called āstikyam. Āstikyam, jñānam. Not foolishly, but with knowledge, full knowledge. And vijñānam, practical application in life. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. This is the natural symptoms of a brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 and Room Conversation -- Bombay, November 15, 1970:

So we have to select a brāhmaṇa by the symptoms of his life, not that because he is born of a brāhmaṇa family he remains a brāhmaṇa. No. He must continue the brahminical qualification; otherwise he is not a... Naṣṭa-sadācāra. He is lost. Sadācāra must be continued. This is the conclusion of the Bhāgavata. Unfortunately, not only brāhmaṇas—kṣatriyas or śūdras, they are practically... They have lost all sadācāra. Still, they are claiming that "I am born in higher family." Naṣṭa-sadācāra dāsyāḥ sam... And why he was lost of his good behavior? Dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-duṣitaḥ: because he was contaminated by that illicit sex life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Chicago, July 6, 1975:

The education means... What is the education? What is the symptom of education? That is described by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. The first educational symptom is that except one's own wife, any woman is mother. This is the first symptom of education. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. And other's property and money is just like garbage in the... Not very many years, say, about hundred years ago... You have heard the name, the Kashmir state. The Kashmir state was so strict, if somebody had stolen others' property and it is proved, the thief's hands will be cut off. Still, I think, in Arabia there is.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

So I asked him, "What kind of God you are, that you are so much painful, suffering from toothache?" And actually, one should challenge these... And they are, practically, another kind of lunatic, who claim that "I am God." Similarly, this challenge is given by the Viṣṇudūtas to the Yamadūtas, that "You are representative of Dharmarāja. Now explain what is dharma and what is adharma." brūta dharmasya nas tattvaṁ yac ca adharmasya lakṣaṇam. Tattva, lakṣaṇam: the symptoms of adharma, and the truth of dharma.

Lecture on SB 6.1.38 -- Los Angeles, June 4, 1976:

Pradyumna: Translation: "The blessed messengers of Lord Viṣṇu, the Viṣṇudūtas, said: If you are actually servants of Yamarāja, you must explain to us the meaning of religious principles and the symptoms of irreligion."

Prabhupāda:

śrī viṣṇudūtā ūcuḥ

yūyaṁ vai dharma-rājasya

yadi nirdeśa-kāriṇaḥ

brūta dharmasya nas tattvaṁ

yac cādharmasya lakṣaṇam

(SB 6.1.38)

They challenged, the Yamadūtas challenged: "Who are you, interfering in our business? We have come to arrest him." So, before talking, the, the counterchallenge was that "You spoke that 'We are servants of Dharmarāja. So it is his jurisdiction... This person is impious. So this is the jurisdiction of Dharmarāja. He has to try the case and give him punishment, criminal department, law and order.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:

So real knowledge means which has surpassed this province of darkness, uttamam. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: "Anyone who has become very much inquisitive to learn about the transcendental subject matter, he has to accept a guru." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Guru means you have to find out some personality who is well versed in the Vedic knowledge. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. These are the symptoms of guru: that he is well versed, well cognizant in the conclusion of the Vedas. Not only that he is well-versed, but he has actually in his life taken to that path, upaśamāśrayam, without being deviated by any other ways. Upaśama, upaśama. He has finished all material hankerings.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

By symptoms... Just like a physician diagnoses the disease by the symptoms of the disease, similarly, we have to accept one as brāhmaṇa by the symptoms of his behavior, not by birth. It is not said in the Bhagavad-gītā or any śāstra. That is going on in India at the present moment. By birthright one is claiming "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya." That is the cause of falldown of India's civilization. Without any qualities they are claiming, and it is passing on. Here, in every śāstra, the Nārada-pañcarātra, Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā, everywhere... It is said, yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktam. Yasya: the varṇasya, of the varṇa, of the class, there are symptoms.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

Similarly, the kṣatriya's duty is to collect... Government's duty is to collect tax, heavily tax. But the money should be distributed to all the citizens by different way. That is the way, dāna-bhāva-jam, not that I collect tax and I engage it in my sense gratification; I employ three hundred prostitutes for dancing before me. These are... This is the cause of falling down of monarchy system. Therefore people are in democracy. And the democracy is also failure. Every democratic member has become another debauchee. So therefore it is coming down to Communism, dictatorship. You see? So in this way things are changing. But actually, if they follow the symptoms of a kṣatriya, then it is good for the kṣatriya king and the citizens.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

But they are not following. Therefore śāstra says that the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra... If one is... Kṛṣi-vāṇijyam, go-rakṣya. That is the symptom of the vaiśya. As the kṣatriyas are entrusted to protect the human beings, the vaiśya is expected to protect the cows. Unfortunately, they are not doing that. There is no kṣatriya; there is no brāhmaṇa; there is no vaiśya. Therefore the śāstra says, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ: "In the Kali-yuga there is only śūdras." There is no more brāhmaṇa. Of course, there is, not "no more," but very minor quantity, very... Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). Brāhmaṇa means one who is aware of the Supreme Absolute Truth.

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:

They are so much covered with ignorance that a tree is standing, you cut it: there is no protest because it is so dull. Similarly, you take the animal, slaughterhouse, it cannot protest. These are the symptoms of ignorance. And as soon as there is awakening of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or advanced consciousness, then if I pinch you, immediately you protest, "Why you have pinched me?" That is the difference between the lower-grade life and higher-grade life. So if in the higher-grade life we do not understand Kṛṣṇa, then we are making suicide, cutting our own throat. That is sinful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Laguna Beach, July 26, 1975:

Everyone has to work. In the spiritual body also you have to work. In the material body also you have to work. Because the working principle is the soul—soul is living force—so he is busy. Living body means there is movement. There is work. He cannot sit idly. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, "Not even for a moment one can be idle." That is the symptom of living being. So this working is going on according to the particular body. The dog is also running, and a man is also running. But a man thinks he is very much civilized because he is running on motorcar. Both of them are running, but a man has got a particular type of body by which he can prepare a vehicle or cycle, and he can run on.

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Detroit, June 13, 1976:

By the symptoms of birth, one can understand, of course, through abhijñā, those who are abhijñā. And the word is used guṇabhijñā, jñāpakaḥ. Guṇābhijñā, guṇābhijñāpako yathā. By the guṇas, one can—guṇa means quality—one can understand the past and future. Still in India there is an astrological system, it is called Bhṛgu-saṁhitā. According to that Bhṛgu-saṁhitā, the astrologer can say what the man was in the past and what he's going to be in future. And present also.

Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:

It it said by Nārada Muni to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, yasya hi yad lakṣaṇaṁ proktam. There are symptoms that he has... Here are the symptoms of a brāhmaṇa: satva śama dama titikṣa ārjavaṁ, jñāna-vijñāna āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So then Nārada Muni said that yasya hi yad lakṣaṇaṁ proktam: "In the śāstra, as the symptoms are described, if such symptom," yadi anyatra vidṛśyeta, "if such symptoms are visible in other place," tat tenaiva vinirdiśet (SB 7.11.35), "if the symptoms of a brāhmaṇa is found in a place, other place than, either in the śūdra family or vaiśya family or kṣatriya family, then he should be accepted as a brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:

Because this material world is full of dangers, these symptoms of dangerous position, patitaṁ skhalito bhagnaḥ... Especially in the modern age, in the Western countries, accident, motor accident and die, is very common thing nowadays. Here also it is becoming. On the whole, even there is no motor accident, there are so many accidents. In every step there is danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). This material world means every step there is danger.

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

So pious man is he who is surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, bhagavat-prapannāḥ. They are sādhavaḥ. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. Ajāta-śatravaḥ... Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām, titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ (SB 3.25.21). These are the symptoms of sādhavaḥ, sādhus. The first symptom is titikṣavaḥ, very tolerant. In any condition they'll go on thinking of Kṛṣṇa, never mind what is happening externally. There may be so many dangerous things coming and going, but they cannot give up thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Titikṣavaḥ. And kāruṇikāḥ. Kāruṇikāḥ means very compassionate.

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

So sādhavaḥ, they are... Apparently, it appears that they are living in a very, in a poor condition. But they are very rich. Sādhavaḥ. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. These are the symptoms of sādhu.

titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ

suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām

ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ

sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ

(SB 3.25.21)

The first thing is they are very tolerant, titikṣavaḥ; kāruṇikāḥ, compassionate; and suhṛdaḥ, friend of all living entities. They are not like that... Just like politicians, they are friends only to the countrymen or to the party. But still, they are so much eulogized: "Oh, he is our leader." But this sort of leader cannot be compared with a sādhu because a sādhu is leader for all living entities.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

We do not understand what is the science of God, but still, people know that there is something like God. So we are just trying. This is the symptom of this Kali-yuga. They will manufacture objects of worship, but not worship God. They will present so many false god, but they will not worship the real God. One has to worship something. Because it is my nature. I worship. Somebody worships God and somebody worships dog. Because I cannot remain without worshiping. Worshiping means loving. Without love there is no worship, there is no question.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

So we have discussed some of the symptoms of this age. There is a long list of other symptoms. We have summarily discussed some of the symptoms over the last few days, and again we are going to the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement of the boy Prahlāda, who was teaching or agitating his class fellows to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

So, so far the symptoms of this age are concerned, it will gradually deteriorate, gradually. We have got experience also, practical. Things are moving very rapidly toward worst, not towards best. Things are moving very rapidly. This is the symptom of this age. So our program is that they are trying to adjust things. Things cannot be adjusted unless we stand on the spiritual platform, because the actual necessity is spiritual demand. The best example is your country. Materially, you are so much advanced. No other country can be compared.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

You are thinking in a different way; I am thinking in different way. Similarly, consciousness is there. That is a symptom of life, symptom of spirit soul. But the difference is due to material contamination. Just like superficially your blood and my blood, the same, red. But if we analyze, oh, there may be so many chemicals present in your blood, and so many chemicals may be present which is not exactly equal. Similarly, as soon as there is life and there is spirit soul, the focus of the spirit soul, consciousness, must be there.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

Everyone third class, fourth class, fifth class. Satya-śama-dama-titkṣa ārjava jñānaṁ-vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is first-class man. Truthful, very peaceful, full of knowledge, very simple, tolerant, and believer in the śāstra. These are the symptoms of first-class men. So where is that first-class man throughout the whole world? So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to create at least one section first-class men so that people may see, "Oh, here are ideal men." Therefore my request to persons who have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they should very carefully keep them as first-class men.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1976:

One may think, "Yes, that's all right, but I'll live at least one hundred years. So let me enjoy now sense, and later on we shall see the business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." No. Prahlāda Mahārāja is warning: Yes, you have maximum. But nobody now is living hundred years. Everyone knows. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga, that:

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ (sabhya)

kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ

mandāḥ sumanda-matayo

manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ

(SB 1.1.10)

It is the symptom of this age, Kali-yuga, is that we are not living the full term of our life, hundred years. We are not living... (aside:) You can go to the wall side. So, anyway, supposing we shall live one hundred years: puṁso varṣa-śataṁ hy āyus tad-ardhaṁ cājitātmanaḥ (SB 7.6.6). Ajitātmanaḥ, ajita means not conquered. One who has not been able to conquer over the sense activities, for them, it is not, even if he lives for one hundred, fifty years immediately minus in sleeping.

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975:

So we have to go to the opposite. Attachment... "Then I shall finish all my attachment?" No, you cannot give up your attachment, because that is the symptom of life. You cannot be free from attachment. But the attachment has to be turned to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises in the Bhagavad-gītā,

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

(BG 7.1)

In the Sixth..., the Seventh Chapter, Kṛṣṇa is giving lesson how to become unattached to this material world. Mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha. If you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa—if you become perfectly Kṛṣṇa consciousness—then it is possible to be detached. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). Your attachment gets better engagement.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

He, therefore, says that kiṁ toṣṭum arhati sa me harir ugra-jāteḥ. Ugra-jāteḥ, "I am born of ugra, strong, strong qualities." Not strong quality, what do you call? Pungent. These rāja-guṇa and tama-guṇa is called pungent. Just like you take chili. Chili is tama-guṇa, that is the symptom of tama-guṇa. As soon as you chew, it becomes hot everything. You see? So ugra, ugra. And sattva-guṇa is sweetness. (indistinct) Therefore, ordinarily in India it is stated that a brāhmaṇa is known who can eat more sweets. (laughter) Yes.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977:

Everything is clear, full knowledge. And rajo-guṇa is not clear. The example is given: just like the wood. There is fire, but the first symptom of fire, wood, you'll find smoke. When you set fire in the wood, first of all smoke comes. So smoke... First of all wood, then smoke, then fire. And from fire, when you engage the fire for fire sacrifice, that is the ultimate. Everything coming from the same source, from earth... The wood is coming from wood, the smoke is coming from smoke, the fire is coming... And fire, when engaged in fire sacrifice—svāhā—then it is proper use of fire. If one stays in the wood platform, that is completely forgetfulness. When one stays in the smoke platform, there is little light.

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

All the symptoms of life are present there, so he is not dead. He is alive." Similarly, if you have got that talent to test how God is alive, that is very simple. The whole cosmic manifestation, the whole gigantic body of God is working so nicely. The sun is rising in time, the moon is rising in time, the seasonal changes are taking place in time, the planets are moving. Everything is in order. How you can say that God is dead? What is your reason? No. God is not dead. God is alive, and you can meet also God because He is a person and you are a person.

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

Just like a patient is suffering in very bad type of disease. The physician cannot kill, then..., cannot cure him, then he thinks, "Let me die. Let me commit suicide." So this voidism or impersonalism is a symptom of frustration, not being able to cure the disease. But actually, the living entity is eternal. Just like a rascal or foolish man thinks that "I am suffering so much. Let me commit suicide, and it will be a great relief." It is foolishness. He will be put into further torture after this life. He will become a ghost. So because they do not know that living creature is eternal, therefore they want to make the ultimate solution as void, zero.

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

Everyone is trying something, do something, endeavoring something for higher position or higher distinction. So many things. The endeavor is there. That is the symptom of life. A living entity means he is always active. Resistance and activity. These are the symptoms of life. So īhā, this activity, endeavor... Rūpa Gosvāmī says īhā yasya harer dāsye. Anyone who has engaged in endeavors simply for Kṛṣṇa, Hari, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, karmaṇā manasā vaca... The same thing as Prahlāda Mahārāja says. Prāṇa, mana, vaca. Because these things required for endeavoring. We require our mind, attention.

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

That is a symptom of... Mind is the active principle. Without mind, how can you act? The mind is there. But at the present moment, becoming covered by the material energy, everything is contaminated. Mind is contaminated, the intelligence is contaminated, the ego is contaminated, I, or self, I am contaminated. Everything is contaminated. When you have got fever, there is pain all over the body. There is temperature all over the body.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:

The principal point is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is knowledge. Then all knowledge will come automatically. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcana. If you take to this knowledge, that Kṛṣṇa or the Supreme Lord, Absolute Truth, He is eternal master and we are all eternal servitors, this very knowledge will elevate you to other platforms of knowledge. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcana sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Then all the symptoms of knowledge will automatically manifest in his person. Therefore this is the best process of becoming a man of knowledge or wise man.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

Today we shall discuss about the prominent symptoms of this age. This book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, was written... Not written, pratically it was recorded. All Vedic literatures, they are recorded from hearing or tradition of... (break)... five thousand years before, the statements of authorities, people could keep in mind without any book record. At that time the memory was so sharp that one could keep in his memory simply by once hearing from the spiritual master.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

Another man, if he has all the bad qualities but he has got money, he's respected. He'll be respected. This is the symptom of this age. And dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyāṁ kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi. Dharma. Dharma means suppose you have acted something irreligious. In every religion, in every scripture, there are many things, you do it, and do not do it. So that is called following the religious principle. In every religion, either Hindu or Christian or Muhammadan, there are some rules and regulations.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

Formerly, according to Vedic civilization, there was no liking of the boy or the girl. The parents of the boy and the girl, they would see, "Whether this combination will be happy." They will bring horoscope and calculate astronomically, "What is the symptoms of this boy? What is the symptoms of this girl? Whether they will be peaceful in married life?" They calculated, and the parents would see in what kind of family the girl is born, and what kind of boy, the family he's born. So many things. If they do not agree, the parents of the girl and the boy, then there is no marriage. Still, in India... At least, I was also married, and some of my children, they were also married.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

So in order to pose oneself as born of high family, one can simply purchase two-cent-worth thread and put on the breast and he can introduce himself, "Oh, I am brāhmaṇa." And nobody is going to inquire whether he is actually a brāhmaṇa. As soon as one sees that sacred thread: "Oh, he's a brāhmaṇa." That's all. So this is the, another symptom of Kali-yuga, that simply by two-cent-worth sacred thread one becomes a brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

One of the symptoms of married girl is some red powder between the two divisions of the hair. So one can understand that "This girl is not..." So similarly, there are different dresses according to qualification, according to the situation. But in the Kali-yuga, that, anyone can take any dress without any regulation, without any formality. Simply by dress. Suppose... Just like sannyāsī. Because a sannyāsī has to dress himself in these saffron-color garments, so sannyāsī has the privilege, if he goes to a householder's house, he is very respectfully received, and if he wants something, the householder gives him.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

Now Kṛṣṇa says that there are two kinds of men, two classes of men. One class, daiva, or demigods, the other class, asura. So "I've spoken many things about the daivas. Now I shall speak about the symptoms of the asuras."

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973:

These, these are the symptoms of sattva-guṇa. But rajo-guṇa-tejo īśvara bhāvaś ca yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. Just like kṣatriyas: They're very powerful. They want to control. They are not afraid of fighting. These are kṣatriya qualifications. Rajo-guṇa. Creative power. They want to expand their kingdom, ruling over the people, taxing the people. These are the qualification of the rajo-guṇa. And tamo-guṇa means śūdra, ignorance and lazy. That is tamo-guṇa. These are the symptoms. They have no activity.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973:

That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. In the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, one is joyful, prasannātmā. That is the symptoms of brahma-bhūtaḥ. Prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Because he has nothing to do with material world, therefore sometimes it is said, "It is mithyā," because I have nothing to do. It may be very important thing, but unless you realize Kṛṣṇa, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54), by devotional service, even by lifting yourself to that stage, transcendental stage of Brahman realization, there is chance of falling down.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 5, 1973:

Controlling the senses, controlling the mind, forbearance and simplicity, full knowledge, application of knowledge, belief in the Vedas—these are the symptoms of brāhmaṇa. Satya śama dama titikṣa ārjavam āstikyaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these brahminical qualifications automatically come. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is the test. A devotee shall be qualified with all the godly qualities.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

There Nārada addresses King Yudhiṣṭhira while the King is appreciating the glories of the character of Prahlāda Mahārāja. A devotee always appreciates the activities of other devotees. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was appreciating the qualities of Prahlāda, and that is one symptom of a pure devotee. A pure devotee never thinks himself as great; he always thinks that other devotees are greater than himself.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

These are the symptoms of the topmost devotee. He has got full knowledge in scripture. He can argue on the basis of scripture. He can convince the other party. These are the symptoms of uttama-adhikārī.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.15 -- Dallas, March 4, 1975:

So those who are too much materially affected, their progress is very slow. Especially in this age. In this age the symptoms of the human beings is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 3.87-88 -- New York, December 27, 1966:

Those who have decided atheistic conclusion, they will never come to any argument. Otherwise to understand the science of God is not very difficult. If one is simple, he can understand. Everything is there. What are there? Tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭhaiḥ. When God comes in incarnation or He sends His representative to reclaim, they perform wonderful acts. They are not ordinary, common men. Either God or God's representative, they act in such a way that it is not possible for any common man. That is the particular symptom of God and God's representative.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.80-95 -- San Francisco, February 10, 1966:

Shaking of the body. Romāñca: the hairs stands on the holes, romāñca. Gadgada: he fails to speak. He cannot express his words exactly. Vaivarṇya: there is sometimes paleness of the body. Unmāda: just like a madman. Viṣāda: he becomes morose, very sorry, viṣāda. Dhairya: and calm and quiet. Then garva: he becomes pride, sometimes just like a chivalrous man, pride, proud. Harṣa: ecstasy. And dainya: and humble, humbleness. So these are the symptoms of perfection. So sometimes they imitate. So imitation is no good. It will come. When you are in perfectional stage, these symptoms will automatically come.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.80-95 -- San Francisco, February 10, 1966:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, or His spiritual master says, that kṛṣṇa-nāma upadeśi' tāra' sarva-jana: "First of all You have perfected Yourself by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have come to the perfectional stage. Now You have got the symptoms of emotion. Now You can preach Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare." Yes.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976:

That is the symptoms of guru. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, because we are discussing Caitanya-caritāmṛta, He said that you become, all of you, become guru. He said. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101 -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

So we can discuss about the greatness of God, but next stage is that "God is so great, why not let me render some service unto the Supreme, the great?" That is one step forward. Simply to know "God is great and I am engaged in my own occupational duty," there is no symptom of love. Symptom of love means when one is eager to render some service to the beloved. That is love. Simply I love you and you love me, formality, but there is no service, that is not real love. Real love begins as it is stated in the śāstra, dadāti pratigṛhṇāti: to give something to the lover, to the beloved, and to take something. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate: to accept some eatables from your beloved, and offer him something for eating. Bhuṅkte bhojayate. Guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati. And you disclose your mind; there is no secrecy between the lover and the beloved.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly says that jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108), two words. Svarūpa. Svarūpa means original, constitutional position. That is svarūpa. Mukti means just like one is diseased, and there are many symptoms of disease. So when one becomes free from the disease, the symptoms disappear. Similarly, mukti means that we have lost our original constitutional position. Because here Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that the real position of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So our position is servant, subordinate position.

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

He says that "If a poor man gets some money, not only he becomes happy, but the symptoms of his poverty is also immediately vanquished." Just like a poor man gets, say, ten lakhs of rupees. Immediately he'll have a nice bungalow, he'll have two, three cars, and so many other opulences. So simultaneously, the distress out of his poverty-stricken life is also vanquished, and there are symptoms of sukha, symptoms of happiness. We suppose like that. If a man has got a car, we think he's very happy. But this is a symptom of happiness. A poor man cannot get a car, but a rich man cannot get... If one has got a car, it is understood that he is rich man.

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

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that automatically the symptoms of happiness come unto him, and his distress of material condition simultaneously becomes vanquished if one is elevated to the position of devotional service. That is the test. That is the test of how one is advanced in devotional service. This is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca (SB 11.2.42). He is no more interested in material happiness. He is fully satisfied with Kṛṣṇa. Taiche bhakti-phale kṛṣṇe prema upajaya. Kṛṣṇa bhakti-phale.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.318-329 -- New York, December 22, 1966:

So each yuga is divided into four. Satya-yuga is about eighteen lakhs. Eighteen lakhs means 1,800,000's of years. That is Satya-yuga, 1,800,000's. And the next yuga, Tretā, is 1,200,000's of years; and the next yuga, Dvāpara, 800,000's of years; and this Kali-yuga is 400,000's of years, 432,000's of years. Out of that, five thousands of years we have already passed. Now, there is balance: 427,000 years, there is balance of this Kali-yuga. And the symptoms of Kali-yuga we have already seen, how it is.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.330-335 -- New York, December 23, 1966:

So He is in the classification of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Or if you don't take that meaning, then kṛṣṇa-varṇam means He is always chanting "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati. Varṇayati means chanting. So kṛṣṇa-varṇam, always engaged in Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So this is the first feature. The symptoms of the yugāvatāra of this age is given like this, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Either you can say that He is varṇayati... Varṇayati means describing only Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya preached... His preaching mission was ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanaya, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the only worshipable object. And He was always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. This is the first symptom of Lord Caitanya.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.334-341 -- New York, December 24, 1966:

The ignorance, the symptom of ignorance we have already described in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā. Ignorance means laziness. Laziness. That is ignorance. And passion means active. And goodness means sober. So we cannot find all men in this world of the same quality. Some of them are in goodness; some of them are in passion; some of them are in ignorance. But in this age seventy-five percent or more than that, they are in ignorance. And maybe ten or fifteen percent in passion, and hardly five percent, they are in goodness.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.337-353 -- New York, December 25, 1966:

Five thousand years before Bhāgavata was written, and there is indication that in such and such age, in such and such province, in such and such family, Lord Buddha will appear. That is written there. And five thousand years before, ago, the, the symptoms of Kali-yuga is already written there. And we are experiencing. In the Bhāgavata you'll find, svīkāra eva hy udhvāhe: "In the Kali-yuga, marriage will be performed simply by agreement." Just see. Another... Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam: "People will think by keeping long hairs they will be very beautiful." It is stated in Bhāgavata. They'll look very beautiful.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.354-358 -- New York, December 28, 1966:

We cannot do that. That is the..., symptom of God. Ākṛti, prakṛti. Prakṛti is His nature, supreme nature. As soon as He likes anything to do, He'll do it. There is no impediment. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyat... And He does in such nice way that we cannot conceive how it is being done, nature's way. Ākṛti prakṛti, these are taṭastha lakṣaṇa, uh, svarūpa lakṣaṇa, personal symptoms of God. And kārya-dvārā jñāna—ei taṭastha-lakṣaṇa. And the activities... Just like Kṛṣṇa, when comes as incarnation, His activities and activities of Rāma, or activities of Nṛsiṁha, activities of Vāmana, these activities may differ according to time, according to place, according to the mission. The activities may be different.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.358-359 -- New York, December 29, 1966:

The Vaiṣṇava philosophy is perfect. As the temperature (indistinct), it is sometimes manifested. And this is called taṭasthā. This characteristic, this symptom of the Supreme Lord, is called taṭasthā. Sometimes manifested, sometimes not manifested. But, so far the superior energy is concerned, that is always manifested. That is explained in the next line. Dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Now that is paraṁ satyam, the Supreme Truth, where there is no such temporary manifestation.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is just like sun; how can you imagine that Kṛṣṇa and māyā can exist together? No. That is not possible. If there is māyā, there is no Kṛṣṇa. And if there is Kṛṣṇa, there is no māyā. This is the test. If we are still in māyā, that means I'm out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if I am actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no existence of māyā. And what is the symptom of māyā? Mamāham: "My country, my society, my father, my mother, my wife, my children, my property, my position, my, my, my." There is no end of "my," although nothing belongs to him. This is called māyā.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.29 -- San Francisco, January 21, 1967:

So these things are going on. These things are nothing. They are symptoms of falling down, nothing more. They are symptoms of falling down. They cannot do a bit of benefit to the humanity. The laws of nature is so strict that if you have to suffer, nobody can check you. That is realized of Prahlāda Mahārāja. There are so many evidences. Bālasya neha pitarau śaraṇam. So there are children. There are children. Of course, here a different..., but there are many children, they have got their parents, but they are suffering. Actually, children who have got their parents, they take care.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.29 -- San Francisco, January 21, 1967:

So God means the greatest. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains on that line. Brahman means the greatest, the Supreme. And how we can estimate one's greatness? These are the symptoms of greatness. So how He can be impersonal? If the Brahman is the richest, if the Brahman is the most beautiful, if Brahman is the most learned, then where is the question of impersonality? Can any impersonal thing become learned? Can any impersonal thing can become richest? That is... Who can challenge this explanation? If you say "God is great," then how we estimate God is great? These are the symptoms. He must be great in richness. He must be great in strength. He must be great in beauty. He must be great in knowledge. He must be great in renunciation. These are the symptoms of greatness.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad Invocation Lecture -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1970:

The pa, pha, and va. Va means this bondage. So first pa, second pha, the bondage third, then va, bha. Bha means beating, fearfulness. And then ma. Ma means mrtyu, or death. So this Kṛṣṇa conscious process is apavarga, apa. A means none. Pavarga, these are the symptoms of this material world. And when you add this word a, apavarga, that means it is nullified. So... (aside:) You can sit down. This apavarga-vartmani. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the path of apavarga, nullifying these pavargas.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra -- San Francisco, July 5, 1970:

This human form of life should feel frustration. If he does not feel frustration, then it is animal life. The symptom of human life is that he should be very much pessimistic, not optimistic, of this material world. Then there is path of liberation. And if we think that we are very much happy here, that is called illusion, māyā. Nobody is actually happy here. But if anyone wrongly thinks that he is happy, that is called māyā, illusion.

Ratha-yatra -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1971:

That answer is given in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). All ideas, everything is coming from Him, from Kṛṣṇa. Unless there is in Kṛṣṇa, there cannot be anything in this material world. Janmādy asya yataḥ. Just like janma, your, somebody's birth from father or mother. So the symptoms of the father and mother, the facial expressions, even a spot in the face, everything becomes manifested in the child. So you can study what is God by studying yourself. That is Māyāvāda philosophy. They take it in a different way that "I am God, reflection." God, they say, God reflection. No. We are reflection. God is not our reflection; we are God's reflection.

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

So this first class of men will not want to take to spiritual knowledge, but the person who is inquisitive and is not satisfied with this material life, he can hear this knowledge submissively and derive great benefit from it. The symptom of the human being is that he is not satisfied. He's disgusted, he's searching. The symptom of animal life is that he is satisfied taking everything, "That's very nice. Everything is fine." Like a hog, hog eating stool. He's thinking, "Oh, it's very nice." But the human being will not accept such awful things. The human being has the chance to get out of this shackle of continued, repeated births and deaths.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

He places everything as it is, and he has understood thoroughly the science. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Guru, what is the symptom of guru? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Those who are inquisitive to understand higher scientific knowledge, uttamam. Uttama means higher. Uttama, madhyama, adhama. There are three words. First-class, second-class, third-class. So spiritual knowledge is uttamam. Anyone who is inquisitive to understand first-class knowledge, he requires to go to a guru.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

This is a verse from the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, where the Lord is describing the symptoms of the demons. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca. Pravṛtti means inclination, inclined. And nivṛtti means disinclined. So there are two things within this material world. Our inclination is to enjoy the senses. This is general. Everyone within this material world, even the animals, birds, beasts, human being or more elevated than human beings, the demigods, kinnaras, or the, many other higher types of living entities... There are different grades of living entities-8,400,000 different bodies. So what is their pravṛtti, inclination? The inclination is attraction of man and woman. This is the central point of attraction.

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

So you can understand whether a man is in sattva-guṇa or a man is in rajo-guṇa or a man is in tamo-guṇa by the symptoms of his behavior. So as we associate with different types of guṇas we develop a certain type of mentality that continues, and if it continues up to the point of death, then certainly we'll have to accept a body influenced by these guṇas. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Yasmāt, these guṇaiḥ. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ. According to the association of guṇa, or quality, prakṛti gives you a certain type of body.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Mexico, February 11, 1975, (With Spanish Translator):

The principle is to purify ourself. Just like when a man becomes sick, he has to purify himself by regulative principle, by diet, by medicine, similarly, we have got this material disease, covered by the material body, and the symptom of miseries are birth, death, old age and disease. So one who is serious about getting out of this material bondage and free from birth, death, old age and disease, so he must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very simple and easy. If you do not know, if you are not educated, if you have no asset, you can simply chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and if you are educated, logician, philosopher, you can read our books, which are already in fifty in number.

Initiation Lectures

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

Now there is classification who is a brāhmaṇa, who is a kṣatriya, who is a vaiśya, the qualities. Because according to quality, the divisions shall be there. Now in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find the brāhmaṇa's quality, the vaiśya's quality, the śūdra's quality. So Bhāgavata also confirms that yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ syāt. The symptoms of a person qualifying himself to become a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra, that is the main principle. If that symptom is found elsewhere, he should be accepted in that classification. Suppose a man is born in a śūdra family or less than a śūdra family, but if his qualities are just like brāhmaṇa, then he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa.

Lecture & Initiation -- Seattle, October 20, 1968:

We are utilizing this life just like animal, simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. In this age, if anyone can eat sumptuously, he thinks, "Oh, my day's duty is finished." If anyone can provide a wife and two or three children, he is to be considered as a very big man. You see. He is providing a family. Because mostly they are without family, without any responsibility. This is the symptoms of this age.

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

We have rebelled against the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. That is conditioned life. There are so many theses to support this rebellious condition. Somebody is thinking that "I am one with God"; somebody is thinking, "God is dead"; somebody is thinking, "There is no God"; somebody is thinking, "Why you are searching God? There are so many Gods loitering in the street." So in this way many theses are there. All of them are different symptoms of rebellious condition. The sum and substance... Just like atheists, they are boldly saying, "There is no God." Now..., but the impersonalists saying, "There may be God, but He has no head, He has no tail. That's all." So in this way our condition is rebellious condition. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā instructs that "You surrender." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So without surrender, there is no question of making any spiritual progress.

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

Train it chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and let it taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Then what will be? The all other senses... There are five senses for acquiring knowledge, five senses for acting. Everything will be controlled. And devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). By contacting relationship with Kṛṣṇa, the senses become purified. And what is the symptom of purification? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam, to become uncontaminated by the designative material identification. There are so many things.

Brahmana Initiation Lecture -- New Vrindaban, May 25, 1969:

Just like this boy can ask us. Oh, he was very kind: "Oh, yes. Very nice boy. What is your father's name?" "Oh, I do not know." "Oh, just ask your mother. Go." Mother says, "I do not know whose son you are." He came back. "What your mother says?" "Oh, Mother says she does not know who is my father." "Oh, you are brāhmaṇa. Oh, you are brāhmaṇa. Come on. I shall initiate you." He was so truthful. That is real symptom of brāhmaṇa, satya, śama. He does not disclose that "I do not know." Everyone will try to hide if he does not know his father's name. But here is a boy, "Oh," he said, "Oh, you are brāhmaṇa. Come on. I shall initiate you." This is lakṣaṇa, symptom. "Such a truthful boy. Never mind what he is born, how he is born." This system is not new. Therefore we shall have to accept by the symptom.

Initiation Lecture and Bhagavan dasa's Marriage Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, June 4, 1969:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to transfer oneself to that Kṛṣṇa planet, and the process is given very easy in this age. In this age of quarrel and dissension and disagreement, there are so many symptoms of this fallen age. So there is no other alternative. You cannot execute the process of meditation or sacrifice or temple worship. They cannot be executed very nicely because the circumstances are different.

Lecture at Initiation Fire Sacrifice -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

This is the sign, symptoms of contamination, that suffering, threefold miseries-ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. But as the animals, they suffer, but they do not understand, this is animal life. The animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse, but still he's happy. This is animal life. So when one cannot understand his sufferings of this material contamination, his life is animal life. He knows that he's suffering, but he's trying to cover the suffering by some nonsense means: by forgetfulness, by drinking, by intoxication, by this, by that. He's aware of his suffering, but he wants to cover his suffering in a nonsense way. Just like the rabbit.

Sannyasa Initiation -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

So that process is applicable at all times. And Nārada Muni, he also gave description to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja while they were talking about the varṇāśrama. So Nārada Muni gave different symptoms of different varṇa: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Then, at the conclusion, he said,

yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ

(puṁso) varṇābhivyañjakam

yady anyatrāpi dṛśyeta

tat tenaiva vinirdiśet

(SB 7.11.35)

He said that "I have already explained the different symptoms of different varṇas-'Brāhmaṇa will be like that. Kṣatriya will be like that. Vaiśyas will be like that. Śūdras will be like that.' So," he says, "if these symptoms are found," anyatra... Suppose one is not born in the brāhmaṇa family, he might have taken birth in a lower family, but he has acquired... If he has acquired the qualities of a brāhmaṇa, he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa. This is the process.

Initiation Talk Excerpt -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

The symptoms of Kali-yuga is mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). They are very slow or all bad, mandāḥ. And even if one is little anxious, he is victimized by some false way. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. And manda-bhāgyā. Therefore preaching is required to awaken them to spiritual consciousness. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to awaken the victimized soul to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa personally comes to awaken this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's servants, they also try to do the same business on behalf of Kṛṣṇa; therefore Kṛṣṇa recognizes such preachers as very, very dear to Him. Na ca tasmād manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ.

Wedding Ceremonies

Wedding Lecture -- November 17, 1971, New Delhi:

There are symptoms of brahminical qualification, there are symptoms of kṣatriya qualification. So if these symptoms are observed in a different place, namely if the brahminical qualification is observed in the person of a śūdra, then that śūdra should not be called a śūdra, he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa. Similarly, if the śūdra qualification is observed in the family of a brāhmaṇa, then that person should be accepted as śūdra.

General Lectures

Lecture at Engagement -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

This consciousness is the symptom of the soul. That is... Just like in a light, in a fire, there is distribution of heat and light. Similarly, the spirit soul being present in your body, the consciousness is spread all over your body. This is the fact. Now this consciousness is being carried. Just like from your childhood this consciousness is being carried. From childhood body to boyhood body to youthhood body, the consciousness is continuing. Similarly, this consciousness will also carry you in another body, and that transformation or transmigration from one body to another, it is called death. Death means when this body cannot be carried any more, the consciousness has to be transferred to another new body. Just like when your garment is too old, it has to be changed; similarly, when this material body is too old to carry on, then this consciousness is transferred to another body and you begin another life. This is the process of nature.

Lecture at a School -- Montreal, June 11, 1968:

So as soon as the soul is within this body, there is perception of pains and pleasure, heat and cold, and so many things. That is consciousness. And as soon as the soul is out of this body, there is no more pain, pleasure, or heat and cold. A dead body, if you cut it into pieces, it will not protest. Therefore the soul, or consciousness, the symptom of soul, consciousness, is my self. My consciousness is the symptom of my real self. Similarly, there is another consciousness.

Speech to Indian Audience -- Montreal, July 28, 1968:

Similarly, the Supreme Soul is also not dead because by the symptom of His gigantic body, universal body, we see that everything is nicely going on. So God is not dead. This is a statement of the crazy fellow. God is not dead; neither we are dead. Now, we, being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, our function is just to serve the Supreme. This example of body I have said many times in this class, that as the part and parcel of your body, namely the hands, the legs, the eyes, the ears, they are meant for serving the whole body, similarly we, being part and parcel of the Supreme Whole, we are also meant for serving the Supreme Whole.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

What is your question? So meditation, the engagement of mind, should be in that way. Then it will be perfect. Otherwise, the mind is so flickering and changing that if you don't fix up at a certain point... Fix up means... The mind is want to do something because the symptom of mind is thinking, feeling and willing. So you have to train your mind in such a way that you will think of Kṛṣṇa, you'll feel for Kṛṣṇa, you'll work for Kṛṣṇa. Then it is samādhi. That is perfect meditation.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:

What is the symptom of life? You will find the symptom of life is there in human being, in ant also. How you can say that small creatures, lower animals have no life? That is lack of your knowledge. Even trees, plants, they have got life. So perfect knowledge required. So love of Godhead on the basis of perfect knowledge is real love of God. Otherwise it is fanaticism. So the fanatics, they may fight. That is not love of Godhead. (pause) Of course, it is very difficult to come to that stage, but one should try. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Press Release -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1968:

The consciousness is always there because it is the symptom of the living spirit soul. But at the present moment the consciousness is materially contaminated. Just like pouring water, water pouring, down from the cloud is pure, distilled water, but as soon as the water comes in touch with the earth it becomes muddy immediately. Again, by filtering the same water, the original clearness can be regained. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the process of clearing the consciousness, and as soon as the consciousness clear and pure it is transferred to the spiritual world for eternal life of knowledge and bliss, which we are hankering for in this material world, and being frustrated in every step on account of material contamination.

Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, February 10, 1969:

They do not know except Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Not very much philosophy. Whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not, whether the symptoms of God are there or not, the Vṛndāvana-vāsī, inhabitants, they do not care for it. Kṛṣṇa may be God or a man, but they love Him. That's all. That is wanted. We have to increase our love for Kṛṣṇa; therefore this worship, temple worship. If you always be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, naturally you develop love for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Premā pumartho mahān. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that prema, love for Kṛṣṇa, love for God, that is the highest achievement in human life. Premā pumartho mahān.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

Real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when one achieves, he becomes prasannātmā, joyful. That is the first symptom of becoming full, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Prasannātmā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). He has no hankering. He has no lamentation. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. This is the highest stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Samaḥ means equality; sarveṣu, "all"; bhūteṣu, "entities."

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

So at that time the first śiṣya, śāsana, ruling: He chastised Arjuna by these words, "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like a very learned man, but no learned man talks like this." That means "You are a fool." He very politely said that "You are talking with Me as if you are very learned man, but your subject matter is so third-class that no learned man takes this subject matter very seriously." What is that? Bodily conception of life. "You are talking just like a very learned man, but your center of activity is the body. So this is not a learn..., symptom of a learned man."

Lecture Excerpt -- New York, April 12, 1969:

Bhagavān. Bhagavān means... Bhaga means fortune. So Bhagavān. Vān means possessing fortune. So these are the symptoms of becoming fortunate: wealthy, strong, wise, beautiful, reputed, and at the same time, renouncer, without any attachment. These things are to be tested. So don't accept cheap God, or don't try to imitate God, "I am God." This is a great, what is called, standard of ignorance. Anyone falsely claiming that "I am God," that is the last snare of māyā, that one is falsely claiming God.

Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969:

The result will be practical that you will immediately feel joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). And what is the symptom of joyous life? No more hankering, no more lamenting. So long we are in the material stage, we have got two kinds of business: we are hankering after something which we do not possess, and we are lamenting after something we had which we have lost. So as soon as you come to the spiritual platform, then you will understand that "I do not belong to this material world. So what is my gain and what is my loss? I do not belong to this platform at all." Suppose we are sitting in this room. Because I do not belong to this room, if there is some loss in this room or gain in this room, we are not interested. We are not interested. Similarly, this is self-realization.

Northeastern University Lecture -- Boston, April 30, 1969:

That is transcendentalist, that "I am not this body, I am not this mind, I am not this intelligence, but I am spirit soul." That platform. Then what is the symptoms of a person who has reached that platform? Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). When you reach to the platform of Brahman realization... Brahman realization means transcending. We are talking on the transcendental meditation. So transcending the bodily concept of life, transcending the mental concept of life, transcending the intellectual concept of life, when you come to the real spiritual platform, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage.

Lecture at Engagement -- Columbus, may 19, 1969:

My dear boys and girls. I thank you very much for your participating in this great saṅkīrtana movement. This saṅkīrtana movement is recommended for self-realization in this age. This age is called, according to Vedic understanding, it is called Kali-yuga, the age of quarrel and disagreement, this age. So, besides that, there are many other symptoms of this age. They are described in the Vedic literatures, and they are coming exactly true. That is scripture.

Lecture at Engagement -- Columbus, may 19, 1969:

So, I do not know how long I shall live—I am now seventy-three—maybe a few years more; but actually the duration of life gradually decreases. This is the symptom of this age, practically. And it is said that at the end of this millennium, that if somebody lives from twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as very old man. So, memory is decreasing also. People's sentiment for doing good to others, or to become merciful, that is also decreasing. Strength is decreasing, stature is decreasing. So this is one side. Another side, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā (SB 1.1.10).

Lecture -- London, September 14, 1969:

Last meeting we have been describing the symptoms of mahātmā, great soul. So the first symptom is that he is equal to everyone, sama-cittāḥ. And the next qualification is praśāntā. Praśāntā means pacified. He's not disturbed by any material anxiety. And why a great soul should be disturbed by material anxieties? Because he has no material desire. Anyone who has got material desire, he is full of material anxiety. But one who has no material desire, one who lives only for serving Kṛṣṇa, naturally he has no anxieties. Praśāntā.

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

So by discovering very palatable dishes to eat, or fashionable dresses for sex life, or atom bomb for defending... Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, these four principles, if you advance in these four principles only, that does not mean that you are better than animals. You are as good as animals. (break) ...under the control of this material nature. They are under the control of the spiritual nature. Daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the symptom of such persons, that he is under the control of spiritual nature?

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

So this is the one of the symptoms of God, that nobody is greater than Him. So you have to prove that nobody's greater than you. If you simply think falsely that "Nobody's greater than me. Nobody's...I am moving this sun. I am moving this moon. I am...," so you have to prove it. Otherwise, it is nonsense. But if you remain in your actual position, that "I am not God, but I am part and parcel of God, and God is nondifferent..." Just like the part and parcel of your body, this finger, and the whole body... If you make analytical study: "Oh, there is blood, there is vein, there is muscle, there is skin, there is bone, everything complete," as much as there is blood, vein, muscle, bones, everything in the whole body, so, as part and parcel, the, all the qualities, or all the ingredients of God are there. But he is a small quantity; therefore part and parcel.

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

Everything is stated in the Vedic literature, that a brahma-bhūtaḥ person, a self-realized person, the symptom of the self-realized person is that he is joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Without any anxieties. This materialistic life means full of anxiety always. And spiritual life means without this anxiety. Just the opposite. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. And what is the symptom of being joyful? That is also stated: na śocati na kāṅkṣati. There is no lamentation for loss, and there is no hankering for gain. Everyone in this material world is hankering after some gain. And if you have got some gain, if it is lost, then he's lamenting, "Oh, I have lost so much."

Lecture to International Student Society -- Boston, December 28, 1969:

As you do not require to see the sun with another lamp, similarly, you do not (chuckling) require to study Bhagavad-gītā with another commentation of a common man who has no knowledge. Bhagavad-gītā as it is, you should study. Then you will get all this knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) you become wise and you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Then you surrender. Then you become mahātmā. And what is the function of mahātmā? Mahātmā is under the protection of spiritual energy. And what is the symptom of that protection of spiritual energy?

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

So the symptom of a devotee is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart. As soon as He sees that "This particular living entity is very much interested in Me," teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam (BG 10.10). Immediately dictate from within that "You do like this, you do like that." What is that dictation? Yena mām upayānti te. That dictation is favorable for advancing towards Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

These are the conception, bhāgavata community, equal right to everyone, even to the animals. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ, learned. One who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is fully learned, paṇḍita. So what is the symptom of a paṇḍita, learned man? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

(BG 5.18)

One person is very learned. In our country a brāhmaṇa is supposed to be very learned; therefore he is addressed as paṇḍita. Paṇḍita means very learned. Nowadays he may be a fool number one, but he is called paṇḍita. That is not actually the fact.

Lecture -- London, August 11, 1971:

The Vedānta-sūtra says every living entity is ānanda-maya. Nature, living entity's nature is to be blissful, happy, always pleasing, but in our material condition of life we are just the opposite. There is neither pleasure, nor knowledge, nor eternity. But these three things are the symptoms of spiritual existence: eternity, blissfulness, and knowledge. (break) Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, these names are so sweet that how I can relish the transcendental sweet... (break) ...Rādhārāṇī, but in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, everything—the land, the water, the trees, the flowers, the cows, the cowherds boy, everything—they are expansion of Kṛṣṇa's internal potency, ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is Kṛṣṇa's expansion of His own person.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

There are many other symptoms of the living entity. They are described in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely, positively and negatively. In some of the verses, the definition is being given in negation: "It is not this." Because with our blunt material eyes, we cannot find out where is the soul in this body; therefore Kṛṣṇa is describing the characteristic of the soul in a negative way in several verses. And you know that sometimes it is required, according to logic, that definition by negation: "It is not this."

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

So in different Purāṇas, the symptoms of Kali-yuga is described. Śāstra. Śāstra means tri-kāla-jña. Śāstra is not ordinary book. Therefore our Vedic literatures are known as apauruṣeya, "not written by ordinary human being." Ordinary human being, who is called, according to śāstra, conditioned souls, they are conditioned by so many, nature's law. So the imperfectness of the conditioned soul are described as that a conditioned soul is sure to commit mistake; however great he may be, he'll commit mistake.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

So because he was a qualified brāhmaṇa... So everywhere qualified brāhmaṇa was respected by the qualified kṣatriyas, vaiśyas. But now, there is practically no qualified brāhmaṇa, neither a qualified brāhmaṇa is respected. Vittam eva. But if one has got money, then he'll be respected. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. Vittam eva kalau nṛṇāṁ janmācāra-guṇodayaḥ. If one has got money, Sethji, he may be not educated, without any good qualification, but somehow or other he has got money, he'll be respectful, not a qualified brāhmaṇa. Then dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyāṁ kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi. Now justice, nyāya... Nyāya means justice, dharma and religious principle. Dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyām, to establish justice, anyone who is powerful, he will get justice. You bribe.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

Government will be simply taxing. And people, being harassed in famine and taxation, they'll give up their hearth and home, will go to the forest and hills. And gradually, time will come when the ages will be reduced so much that a person twenty to thirty years old will be considered as great, grand old man. These are the symptoms of Kali-yuga.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

So these are the... As the description here is there about the symptoms of Kali-yuga, the remedy is also suggested. What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. If you begin chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then you become aloof from all these faulty situation of this Kali-yuga. And if you keep yourself aloof, then mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. Then you'll, next life, you'll be promoted to the kingdom of God.

Lecture -- London, August 26, 1973:

He acquires... First qualification: he understands that he is not this material body, but he's spirit soul. That is first understanding. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. And the symptoms of that condition of life, that "I am not this material body. I am spirit soul," na śocati na kāṅkṣati. At... In that position, for material gain and loss he's not interested. It is not that a brahma-bhūtaḥ, a spiritually realized person, if he all of a sudden... That we have got all of a sudden this nice house. It is 220,000-pound-worth.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

They dance from the spiritual platform. Vaditra-mādyan manaso rasena. Romāñca-kampāśru-taraṅga-bhājo. And there are sometimes transformation of the body with spiritual symptoms—sometimes crying, sometimes there is, I mean to..., swelling on the end of the hairs. There are so many symptoms. These are later. These are not to be imitated. But when one is spiritually advanced, these symptoms are visible. This is the second symptom of guru.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

Ours is not dry philosophy, simply we talk and go home. No. We distribute prasādam, very sumptuous prasādam. In every temple, anyone who comes, we can offer prasādam. In each and every temple, we have got already from fifty to two hundred devotees. And outsiders also, they come and take prasādam. This is an... This introduction is also another symptom of guru, prasāda distribution. Catur-vidha. Not ordinary. Catur-vidha means four kinds of eatables: carvya, cūṣya, lehya, peya. Something is chewed, something is swallowed up, something is licked up. In this way, there are different kinds of palatable dishes. Catur-vidha-śrī... Catur-vidha means four kinds of different types of varieties of prasādam.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

I do not know whether it is said. (break) ...expert in calling Bible, but where it is said, he does not know. He is so expert in Bible (laughter) How do you know? Now, apart from Bible or any scripture, how do you find that the animal has no soul? How do you consider it? What is the symptom of having soul? That is very easy, but you do not know. When the soul is gone from the body, it does not move. And when the soul is there, it moves. This is the understanding of soul. So do you think the animal does not move? The animal has no blood? The animal has no bone? How do you say that animal has no soul? This is foolishness.

Lecture Engagement at Birla House -- Bombay, December 17, 1975:

That is the real purpose of human life, especially in this age. It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to Parīkṣit Mahārāja by Śukadeva Goswami, he described the symptoms of Kali-yuga: it is very, very faulty. But he concluded that kalau doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. In this age of Kali it is very fallen age, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). The population in this age, they are, almost all of them they are manda-manda means bad or very slow—so they do not understand what is the aim of life, or very slow to understand; therefore they are called manda.

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

That is one of the qualification of a military man. Yuddhe cāpalāyanam. The śaurya, vīrya, tejaḥ, yuddhe cāpalāyanam, these are the symptoms of kṣatriya. He would never go away from fighting. When there is challenge, fighting, a kṣatriya will never deny. Yuddhe cāpalāyanam. So when kṣatriya, is especially a kṣatriya like Arjuna... He is the best military man of that age, and he was denying to fight. So he could understand his weakness. He said, kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ: (BG 2.7) "Naturally I should fight, but on account of my crippled decision or miserly decision, I am perplexed." So Kṛṣṇa... He knew Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Morning Lecture -- Allahabad, January 15, 1977:

So we shall be very careful. This Melā, there are so many so-called mahātmās. But the symptom of mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhajanty ananya-manaso. That is the qualification. And to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is not at all difficulty. There is no difficulty. Anyone can become. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Even lowborn, they can also take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, and what to speak of... Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33).

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Śyāmasundara: Leibnitz says that there are two classes of truth.

Prabhupāda: What are the symptoms of truth? That he has not explained.

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: So real truth is that God has got a plan, and one who knows it, that is real truth. One who hasn't got to be taught by another man but by nature, he knows it; that by nature he knows it, that is a symptom of his life, true life. And one who does not know it, that is not. That is explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, nitya siddha kṛṣṇa bhakta. That truth is there already, but he has forgotten it. Therefore by this propaganda of devotional service, chanting and hearing, he simply revives the truth. The truth is there, that I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the conclusion should be anyone who is cognizant of this truth that I am eternal servant, that is symptom of this truth. There is no other symptom. That is the symptom of truth, that is the symptom of goodness, all good qualities, everything good. He is good by nature. The living entity, he is part and parcel of the supreme good. But by his material association he has become bad. So again he has to draw it to goodness by this propaganda, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our business.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Śyāmasundara: He does. The modern philosophers, his foIlowers like Sartre and Camus and people like that, they have only followed his lower development stages. They have not thought of this aspect of a religious stage. He said that the ethical stage is typified by a regard for duty, but this advances to the religious stage when there is obedience and commitment to God. And the chief symptoms of this stage...

Prabhupāda: So it is not that he is supporting our movement?

Śyāmasundara: No, no. He does. He says that the chief symptoms of the religious..., when one is advanced to the religious stage, are suffering and faith.

Prabhupāda: Not always suffering. (indistinct) We are, we in religious. Suppose we are in the topmost. Does it means that we are suffering?

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: A guru is he who has taken full training in the ocean of spiritual knowledge or Vedic knowledge, śābde pare. Śābde means the Vedic words, or vibration of sound, but that is not ordinary sound, material sound, but spiritual sound. Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, this spiritual sound. So one who has taken full bathing in the ocean of spiritual sound, and how he has realized the symptom of his life is that such guru is no more interested in materialistic way of life. Such guru does not manufacture gold or jugglery words to attract some foolish men and make money. That is not guru. Guru means who has no more interest in material things. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam.

Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger:

Śyāmasundara: He calls this concern is the symptoms of..., characteristics of existence, and he says that this existence has priority...

Prabhupāda: Yes. That we also say. Because I want to exist, therefore my concern means the struggle for existence. I am struggling, how to exist.

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Prabhupāda: Sound is a symptom of the sky. When there is sound, there is sky.

Śyāmasundara: So that would be the next logical understanding, intuitive understanding.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Śyāmasundara: Just like you have said that the sound was a symptom of the sky, that...

Prabhupāda: That..., that..., that symptom the sky we understand from the scientist, not that personally I have understood that sound is a symptom of the sky. It is the scientists, those who are dealing with physics, they say that the sky, the symptom of sky is sound.

Śyāmasundara: Well, it seems like I could...

Prabhupāda: That is (Sanskrit). That is not sense perception. That is a perception received from other authorities.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Consciousness, as soon as they (indistinct), then consciousness is there. That is the symptom of living condition.

Philosophy Discussion on Bertrand Russell:

Prabhupāda: That is the proof. He gives there. Guru—the next line says who is guru: śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭam. He has heard the truth from the paramparā system, and the result of his hearing-he's firmly convinced and fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when one can finally see that one is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and he answers all questions on the authority of śāstra, he's guru. This is the proof of it(?). Just like we, whenever we say something, we immediately support it by quoting from Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata, Vedas. This is called knowledge. And the result of knowledge-fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, firm. Nobody can deviate. That is guru. Two sides: one side is that he knows everything from authoritative source. And he, as the result, is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. These two things are the symptoms of guru.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Śyāmasundara: No. But he says that when the answer is given correctly by the child, then he is rewarded by him.

Prabhupāda: The answers and questions are already there. That is (indistinct). Just like we say that tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). There is question and answer. Therefore in order to understand the transcendental science, we must go to guru, gurum eva abhigacchet. And then what is the symptom of guru? Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. Guru means who has learned knowledge by the paramparā system. Śrotriyaṁ brahma. The result is that he is perfectly a devotee.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Hayagrīva: Marx felt that religion is a symptom of a degraded man. He wrote, "Religion is the sigh of a distressed creature, the soul of a heartless world, as it is also the spirit of a spiritless condition. It is the opium of the people. The more a man puts into God, the less he retains in himself."

Prabhupāda: But practically we see that the Communist are also equally failure, even without God. Now these Chinese and Russians, they are not in agreement. So same thing—that those who believed in God and those who did not believe in God the difference existed. And now amongst the Communist there are coming out so many section. So the difference of opinion is still there even denying God, without God. So that is not improvement. The real purpose is to understand what is really God is. That is required both by the Communist or the capitalist. Denying God and acting independently, that has not brought any peaceful condition of the human society.

Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:

Hayagrīva: And through meditation—they call..., he called it arete (?)—a person attains knowledge. Through knowledge a person becomes virtuous. When one is virtuous, he acts in the right way. When one acts properly, he becomes happy. Therefore the enlightened man is a man who is meditative, knowledgeable, virtuous and, because of his proper action, he is happy.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). This is the symptom of self-realized person. If one is self-realized, he is immediately happy, prasannātmā, jolly, because immediately he is on the right. Just like one is going on under some mistaken ideas, and when he comes to the real idea, he becomes very happy: "Oh, so long I was going on such a mistaken idea." So immediately the result will be happiness: "How foolish I was. I was doing like this, doing like that." So right..., as soon as one comes to the right position, he, the symptom is he is prasannātmā.

Philosophy Discussion on Rene Descartes:

Prabhupāda: So the matter is coming out on the positive existence of the soul. This is to be learned. Without soul being present within the womb of the woman there is no pregnancy, there is no development of the matter. We can see the same thing, that the child is developing or changing the body because the soul is there. This is reasoning. Where is the difficulty? So the philosophy, first of all find out what is that external thing which is the living force. By analyzing this material body we don't find any symptom of life either from breathing or from blood or from (indistinct). Therefore something extra. Now you find out what is that extra.

Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:

Prabhupāda: Philosophy means, real philosophy means to understand the truth. That is philosophy. So without understanding about the truth, if he encourages untruth... Just like some philosophers are philosophizing on sex life. So the people are becoming degraded. So what is philosophy in sex life, that is an (indistinct). It is there in animal and man also. So sex life is not actual life; it is a symptom of life only. So if we stress on this point only, that is not philosophy. Philosophy means, as it is stated, tattva jñānārthaṁ darśanam. To find out the Absolute Truth, tattva, that is philosophy. And tattva means the spirit soul or the spiritual atmosphere.

Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:

Prabhupāda: Just see. What is the symptom of life? First of all settle up, how do you know? We can distinguish that this table has no life, that a small ant on the table there is life. How you distinguish, that here is life, there is no life? Then what is the symptom of life? If the symptom of life is there in animal, there is life. Why they will say there is no life? What is the philosophy? There is life. He is eating; you are eating. He is sleeping; you are sleeping. He is having sex; you are having sex. He is also afraid of enemy; you are also afraid. Then why do you say that you have life, he has no life? What is the symptom of life? This is the primary symptom of life. So if he has got these primary symptoms of life, how do you say he has no life? That means you have no intelligence even.

Hayagrīva: He associates religion with...

Purports to Songs

Purport to Prayers by King Kulasekhara -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1968:

The body's supposed to be conducted by three elements, kapha pitta vāyu, cold, and bile, and air. So when these three elements work simultaneously, there is no disease in the body, but, as soon as there is overlapping disruption of these three elements, the body becomes diseased. And when it is not possible to bring them again in their regulative principle, a man dies. That is the verdict of Āyurveda śāstra. So death takes place when these three elements become overlapped with one another. And the symptom is that there is a sound on the throat which is called: garhh, garhh. That means the patient cannot speak. The throat is choked up and he becomes suffocated and dies. So this is the last stage, symptom of his body.

Purport to Gauranga Bolite Habe -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1968:

So we have to approach Gaurāṅga, or Lord Caitanya, through the mercy of Lord Nityānanda. So what is the symptom of a person who has achieved the causeless mercy of Lord Nityānanda? Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that one who has actually received the causeless mercy of Nityānanda, he has no more any material desire. That is the symptom. Āra kabe nitāicand koruṇā karibe saṁsāra-vāsanā mora kabe tuccha. Saṁsāra-vāsanā means desire for material enjoyment, when it will become very insignificant. Of course, so long we have got this body we have to accept so many things, material. But not in the spirit of enjoyment, but to keep up the body and soul together. So...

Purport to Sri-Sri-Gurv-astakam -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1969:

This song is offering obeisances particularly to the spiritual master, and the symptoms of the spiritual master are described in this prayer. The spiritual master has two kind of symptoms in his activities. One kind is called constant, and other kind is called temporary. So the first verse says that the constant symptom of the spiritual master is that he can deliver his disciples from the blazing fire of this material existence. That is the eternal qualification of spiritual master. Trāṇāya means for deliverance, and kāruṇya means compassionate, very merciful. The spiritual master comes to the deliverance of the fallen souls out of his causeless mercy.