So this is good government. Unless the government is equal to everyone... Just like God is equal to everyone. The king or the government must be representative of God. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, king is offered as good respect as to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. King is called nara-deva, nara-deva. That means "God in human form." King is given... Why? Because he acts as the representative of God. He cannot be jealous to any living entity, at least, born in his kingdom. That is called praja. Praja means one who has taken birth, or, in other words, national, national. So that was the duty.
Take birth (Lectures, BG)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:
So try to understand the position of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is nārāyaṇaḥ paro 'vyaktāt, transcendental, paraḥ avyaktāt. That is puruṣottama-yoga in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa has said, "Anyone who has understood Me, ajam avyayam, ajam—I never take birth in this material world, neither I am deteriorated by material contact—he knows me perfectly." That is called puruṣottama. Puruṣa uttama. Uttama. Uttama means "not of this material world." Ut. Ut means above, and tama means this darkness. So ut-tama means "above this darkness." So uttama puruṣa. Puruṣa uttama. Puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. Prakṛti means enjoyed. So actually, we are not puruṣa; we are prakṛti.
Lecture on BG 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973:
He was five years old, Kṛṣṇa conscious, from the womb of his mother. He heard instruction of Nārada. Nārada was instructing his mother. He was in the womb. Fortunately, by God's grace, he heard all the instruction of Nārada when he was in the womb of his mother. And the result was, from the beginning of his life, he is Kṛṣṇa conscious. From the beginning. As soon as he took birth, he was Kṛṣṇa conscious. So he was advising his class friends, preaching. Just see. He was five-years-old boy, but he was taking the opportunity of preaching. Because the teacher... He is born of demon family. So all those class friends, they were also sons of demons. So there is no question of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But he learned Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the womb of his mother.
Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:
Jāti-dharma means if you are born in the family of a brāhmaṇa you have got particular duties. Simply if you think yourself that "I am born in a brāhmaṇa family; my duty is all finished. Now I can do whatever nonsense..." They think like that. I have spoken. They are very much proud of taking birth in brāhmaṇa family. So when others are engaged in devotional service, they say, "Oh, you are born in lower family. You have got to do this. We are born in brāhmaṇa... We have nothing to do." You see? But they do not know that jāti-dharma kula-ghnānām, utsanna-kula-dharmānam. If you are actually brāhmaṇa, you must keep your family tradition. That is brāhmaṇa. Otherwise if you sacrifice everything of your family tradition... Just like in your country, the Lord family.
Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973:
It is pious activities from material point of view. So the benefit will be that you will have good education in your next life. Accepting that it is very nice, next life I shall be very learned scholar, but to become that learned scholar I'll have to take my birth. But he does not know that how much difficulties are there to take birth. Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu-darśanam (BG 13.9). One should see to the duḥkha, unhappiness, on account of birth and death. So suppose you will get next life in the heavenly planet, or you shall become very rich man, or you shall become very learned man, but you have to go through these distresses, janma. They do not consider this. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu-dar... Those who are actually learned, they, they should know that "Why shall I go again in the process of birth and death?"
Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973:
Those who are actually learned, they, they should know that "Why shall I go again in the process of birth and death?" We have forgotten how much difficulty it is, how much troublesome it is, how much distress it is to remain in the womb of the mother for taking birth again. That we have forgotten. Therefore this kind of conclusion is not very intelligent conclusion. The intelligent conclusion is: tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). That is intelligent. After giving up this body, no more coming to material world. That is intelligence.
So how many people do understand this intelligence? And where is the teaching? Therefore one who is not devotee, he has no good qualifications. If he's still under the distresses of this material world, that is not very intelligent question. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnām janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). Jñānavān means intelligent, wise.
Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:
Now, we are supposed to be civilized human being. This life is especially meant for how to get out of this evolutionary process, how to get out of this evolutionary process. The evolutionary process means transmigration of the soul from one body to another. We do not wish to die, but we have to accept death. This is our conditional stage of life. I do not wish to take birth; still, I am forced to go into the womb of my mother by the laws of nature. After giving up one body I enter another body. And there is no security what kind of body I shall get next. It may be human body, it may be animal, it may be trees or it may be better than human being, because there are three divisions. One division is called demigod, and one division is called the human being. The other division is called lower than the human being. Nṛ-tiryag-deva.
Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:
Madhudviṣa: He is asking when you take birth again do you take birth as the same sex or do you change your sex?
Prabhupāda: No, no. Just like you change your body, you change your shirts, it is not necessary that you will get the same type of shirt. No. That you... Just like if your present shirt, you want to change, and you go to the store and you purchase another shirt and coat, that will depend on your choice and the price you can pay. It is not necessarily that you will get the same type of shirt and coat. Therefore, when we change our body, there is no guarantee that we get the same type of body.
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:
You are my contemporary. How You say that You advised or instructed this yoga system to sun? That means crores and crores, I mean, millions and billions of years before. How is that?" This is, mean, a very sane question. Now, in that question the Lord answered, "My dear Arjuna, yourself and Myself, we took birth many times, but you have forgotten. I, I, I have not forgotten."
Now, now, here you see that because Arjuna has taken up that transcendental bliss, that he wants to keep with the company of the Lord. So if anyone wants to keep company with the Lord, he's welcome. There are five different kinds of relation with God: śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya... I think I gave you one day...
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972:
As God is ever-existing, the soul is ever-existing. It is not... There is no question of birth. And when there is no question of birth, there is no question of death. Because we experience, anything, anybody, who has taken birth, he dies. Nobody will live here. So if the soul has no birth, there is no question of death. And as Kṛṣṇa, God, God is eternal, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ Purāṇa (Bs. 5.33). Purāṇa means old. Because Kṛṣṇa is the original person, therefore He must be Purāṇa, the oldest, older than Brahmā. Because Brahmā is given birth by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has been addressed in the Bhagavad-gītā as prapitāmaha (BG 11.39). Brahmā is called pitāmaha, the grandfather, and prapitāmaha means "the father of the grandfather." So Kṛṣṇa has been addressed as prapitāmaha, "father of Brahmā." Therefore He's ādi-puruṣa. Actually, within this creation, Lord Brahmā is the original person, because he was firstborn.
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:
As we become more and more sinful and without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they will be put into difficulties, they will be dying within the womb, they will be killed, within the womb, there will be war, there will be pestilence, there will be famine, there will be earthquake. In so many ways, we have to die. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Again, take birth, this business will go on. And ultimately, when the whole universe is annihilated, then again we take shelter in the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu and live for, in that way, without any body, for many millions of years. Again, there is creation, and then again given chance. "All right, take another chance. Be Kṛṣṇa conscious."
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:
That is eternal. The spirit soul, the spiritual body, that is never vanquished. It was existing in the past, it is existing now, and it will continue to exist in the future. Because people may say, "How is that? How odd thing Kṛṣṇa is speaking, that na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ." Because actually, we died. Maybe we have taken birth again, but everyone dies. How that, that we do not die?" No. It is not the body, but Kṛṣṇa is speaking about the soul. Soul is ever-existing. It existed in the past, it is existing now, and it will exist. Maybe, different type of body, that is Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Another thing is that the Māyāvādī philosophers say that we are one. There is no "you" and "me." Everything one. So, then Kṛṣṇa is defective. If Kṛṣṇa says, "You, Me, all others," so it is not one. It is not homogeneous. We are all individuals. "You are individual, I am individual, and all the kings and soldiers, they are all individuals." So the Māyāvādī theory that after liberation everyone becomes one, one lump sum... What is called? Homogeneous spirit.
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Mexico, February 12, 1975:
There cannot be more than these three. I can say "I," I can say "you," and I can say "he." So Kṛṣṇa says in this verse that na tu eva ahaṁ jātu: "Either I, you, or he, none of us ever born." Because we are not this body, the birth takes place of the body, not of the soul. The soul is described here that he does not take birth. It is not that he was not existing in the past; now he has taken birth. It is not like that. It is not like that, that the soul did not exist in the past; now he's existing. There are some philosophers, they think like that, that the living symptom was not existing before, and by the combination of matter the living force is there. But that is not the fact. The living being is there; therefore the life symptoms are there in the body. Therefore, when a man dies, because we do not know about the living force, we cry that "My father, my son, has gone."
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Mexico, February 12, 1975:
Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. And even that little asset can help you to become free from the greatest danger. There are many examples. They are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore, in this human form of life, at least we shall try to get some spiritual asset. So, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, even such person falls down, he is given chance next life to take birth in very rich, aristocratic family or in a very pious brāhmaṇa family. So, little spiritual asset in this human form of life will at least guarantee your next life in a very nice family. But without spiritual life there is no guarantee whether you are going to become human being or cat or dog. That's all right.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:
That's a fact. Just like I can understand, I was in the past, I am in present, so I must be in the future. These are three phases of time, past, present, and future. In another place, we read in this Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. The living entity is never born; neither it dies. Na jāyate means he never takes birth. Na jāyate na mriyate, it never dies. Nityaṁ śāśvato 'yam, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). It is eternal, śāśvata, existing forever. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). By annihilation of this body, the soul does not die. Because... This is also confirmed in the Upaniṣads, Vedas: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The God is also eternal, and we are also eternal. We are part and parcels of God. Just like gold and fragments of gold; both of them are gold. Although I am fragment, a particle of gold or the spirit, still, I am spirit. So we get this information that both God and we, living entities, we are eternal. Nityo nityānām, nitya means eternal.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:
If we read life of Kṛṣṇa, we can see that He's Kṛṣṇa, God, from the very beginning of His birth. God is not manufactured by some mystic power. God is God, and dog is dog. A dog cannot become God; God cannot become dog. That is the difference.
So Kṛṣṇa was God from the very beginning. As soon as Kṛṣṇa took birth, He appeared in four-handed Viṣṇu-mūrti. But when He was prayed by His mother to become an ordinary child, He became an ordinary child with two hands. So that is God, from the very beginning. Not that, by attaining some mystic power, one can become God. You can have some power, godly... You have already power. Because we are, every one of us is a part and parcel of God. Therefore godly qualities are there. But you cannot become cent percent God. That is not possible. That is not possible.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:
That should be the question, that everyone wants to live eternally, nobody wants to die. Everyone. If I come before you with a revolver, "I shall kill you," you shall immediately cry, because you do not want to die. This is not very good business to die and take birth again. It is very troublesome. That I know imperceptibly, that "If I die, I will have to take place again in the wombs of the mother, and maybe nowadays mother (is) killing the child within the womb. Then again another mother." This process is going on. So that trouble, being killed, to live within the womb of the mother, these things are very troublesome. We have got in the sub-consciousness all this trouble. Therefore we do not want to die. Because we have to again accept another body. And the process of accepting the body is very long and very troublesome. We know all these things. Therefore we do not want.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:
We have to search out nice coat or fireplace and... These are problems. If they are not available, then we are in distress. These are problems also. But these problems are temporary. Severe cold, winter, has come and it will go. That is not permanent problem. Permanent problem has been due to my ignorance, I am taking birth, I am accepting death, I am accepting disease, I am accepting old age. This is real problem. These are real problems. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has said, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam: (BG 13.9) "Actually those who are in knowledge, they should see all these four problems, birth, death, old age and disease."
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:
Antavat, it is by this material body, that is eternal. So that consciousness, or the rays of the soul, is described here. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. "This consciousness of the soul is never born, neither it is ever dead." Nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ. The soul and the consciousness has no past, present, or future. It is eternal. Aja. Aja means who does not take birth. Ajo nitya, eternal; śāśvata, ever-existing; ayaṁ purāṇa, the oldest. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). When the body is annihilated, the soul and consciousness is not annihilated. Just like when we sleep, our consciousness works in a different body, subtle body: mind, intelligence and ego. That we have got experience every night.
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974:
Now, the question of distress and happiness. Distress and happiness—according to the body. A very rich man is situated little comfortably. The common distress and unhappiness, er, happiness, that is common. What is that common? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). To take birth either as a dog or as a king, the distress is the same. There is no difference because the dog has to keep itself within the womb of the mother in an airtight condition for so many months, and the man, either he is king or anything, he has also undergo that tribulation. There is no excuse. Because you are taking birth in a king's family, it does not mean that to remain compact within the mother's womb the distress is less, and because he is taking birth in a dog's mother's womb, therefore his is great.
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:
Prabhupāda: Yes, we'll get spiritual body. Spiritual body is already there; it is simply covered by material body. You have to cure this material body. Then you get your original, spiritual body. It is curing process. Just like one has got fever. Fever is not permanent—temporary. But cure this fever; then you healthy.
Hṛdayānanda: (translating) She's saying that you were saying how one can take birth as a dog even, so she's wondering how long does this go on. How many births does one take like this?
Prabhupāda: As long as you are unable to go back to home, back to Godhead, you have to change this body, either dog or this or that or this. And there are 8,400,000 forms of body. You have to accept one of them. Now you make your decision whether you are ready to accept all these different types of body or you get original, spiritual body.
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:
Hṛdayānanda: (translating) Why would we take birth as an animal?
Prabhupāda: Because you act like animal.
Hṛdayānanda: (translating) He says that in school in the material world, if one behaves badly, he has to stay where he is; he cannot progress. But he does not go back. So why...?
Prabhupāda: No, sometimes he is given the down class. Sometimes he is degraded: "Go to the down class." Yes. That is quite natural. (laughter) Eh? Down? So any question?
Hṛdayānanda: (translating) He says he doesn't believe that one can go back.
Lecture on BG 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973:
Who cannot make his children immortal. That is the aim of human life. How to become immortal. How... Not to become, we are immortal. Just like a person, he's diseased, attacked by fever. Fever is not his natural condition, but somehow or other, he has got fever. Similarly, we are immortal. That will be explained. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. The living entity never takes birth, never dies. Therefore immortal. Immortal means no birth, no death. That is immortal. Whenever there is birth, there is death. If there is no birth, there is no death. That is immortality.
So the whole scheme is Vedic scheme, not otherwise: how to become immortal. You find in Bhagavad-gītā, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). In many places, the śāstra only aims at. In another place, in Bhāratī-kāvya (Bhakti-kāvya) (?), when Viśvāmitra Muni came to see Mahārāja Daśaratha to ask his son, Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa, to take them, they were boys at that time, and there was a demon disturbing in the forest.
Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975:
Hṛdayānanda: (break) (translating) After taking birth again, how does one continue his spiritual progress? They have two questions. And also when one is feeling very weak, fallen, how can he get going spiritually?
Prabhupāda: First of all, the next body may not be for cultivating knowledge in spiritual life because we are already fallen, and if we do not elevate, we may accept another body, still fallen. Therefore the intelligent person in this human form of life should take to spiritual cultivation of knowledge immediately. Immediately means before another death takes place.
Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:
At the present moment we have lost our spiritual constitutional position; therefore we are in this material world. Just like a man is generally healthy, but sometimes he falls sick, so at the present moment our condition is sick. It is called bhava-roga. Bhava-roga. Bhava means to become, and roga means disease. What is that bhava-roga? We are appearing, taking birth in the material world. This is called bhava: "You become." And after sometimes you become finished, means death. This is called disease. Bhava-roga. Yes. We have to cure this disease and come to our healthy standard of life. That opportunity is here in this human form of life. If you want to cure this material disease and revive your healthy condition of eternal spiritual life, the opportunity is here. Therefore our only business in this human form of life is to cure this material disease, not to aggravate it. Disease should be cured, not to increase it. But at the present moment we are mad after increasing the disease.
Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:
Hṛdayānanda: (translating) ...therefore we can become rats. We take birth as that. So now, can we become Kṛṣṇa consciousness right now?
Prabhupāda: Yes, if you like, you can become immediately. If you like, you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious immediately.
Guest: (Spanish) (break)
Hṛdayānanda: He would like to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, only wants to know if you believe in God. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: Hm? What is that?
Lecture on BG 2.19 -- London, August 25, 1973:
So why you are complaining that we are killing?" So this is the argument, that you cannot even kill the body. That is not allowed. That is sinful. Ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate. So nobody kills anybody, neither anybody is killed by others. This is one thing. Again, in a different way, Kṛṣṇa says, na jāyate: the living entity never takes birth. The birth is of the body or the death is of the body. Living entity, the spiritual spark, then that being Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, as Kṛṣṇa does not take birth, does not die... Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. You'll find in the Fourth Chapter. Ajo 'pi. Kṛṣṇa is aja. Aja means who never takes birth. Similarly, we being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we also never take birth. The birth and death is of this body, and we are so absorbed in the bodily concept of life that when there is birth or death of the body we feel the pains and pleasures.
Lecture on BG 2.19 -- London, August 25, 1973:
So long you will continue with these things, you'll have to accept body, and when you accept body, there must be birth, there must be death, there must be disease, and there must be, what is called, old age. You'll suffer. You'll suffer. But your actual position is na jāyate. You do not take birth, but you have conditioned yourself to take birth. Actually, your position is no birth, eternal life. As Kṛṣṇa is eternal, similarly, every one of us we are eternal because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa—the same quality. As Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), He is form, transcendental form, eternal form, full of knowledge, full of bliss, similarly we are also, although particle, the same quality. Therefore it is said, na jāyate. This problem, this rascal civilization, they cannot understand that I am eternal, I am put into this condition of birth and death. No rascal understands. So-called philosophers, scientists, all of them, therefore rascals, fools.
Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:
And the soul has no birth, no death. As Kṛṣṇa is eternal, Kṛṣṇa has no birth and death... Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter. Aja. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Aja. Or viṣṇu-tattva. Aja. We are also aja. Aja means who does not take birth. So the both Kṛṣṇa, or God, and the living entities, they are eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The only difference is because we are a small particle, therefore we are prone to be covered by material energy. This is the difference. We become cyuta, fallen down. But Kṛṣṇa is Acyuta. He never falls down. That is the difference. So just like cloud. Cloud can cover a portion of sunlight. Not that cloud can cover the, all the sunlight. That is not possible. Suppose now this sky is covered with cloud, maybe hundred miles, two hundred miles or five hundred miles. But what is five hundred miles in comparison to the sun, millions and trillions of miles? So the cloud covers our eyes, not the sun.
Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:
So for this pleasure only we are making so many plans. According to our own brain, teeny brain, we are making plans. Just the, in the state also, they're making plans. Personally, individually, and commercially, everyone is making plan. The plan-making means becoming entangled. And he has to, they have to take birth again to fulfill the plan. Vāsanā. This is called vāsanā. So we have to purify the vāsanā, desire. That is required. If we don't purify, then we have to take birth, birth and death, repetition of birth and death. So that desire, how it can be purified? That desire can be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). We have to give up this designation, "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," "I am kṣatriya," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this and..." So many designations. Because I am spirit soul, but this is, this covering is my designation. so if I identify with this designation, then I'll have to repeat the birth and death. That you can purify. How it can be purified?
Lecture on BG 2.21-22 -- London, August 26, 1973:
This is continuation of material existence. But if you want to end it, if you are actually disgusted with this kind of business, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), take birth once, again die, again take. But we are so shameless and so rubbish that we are not very much disgusted with this business. We want to continue, and therefore Kṛṣṇa is also ready: "All right, you continue." That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yantrārūḍhāni māyayā.
Lecture on BG 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:
It is the beginning, that vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro 'parāṇi (BG 2.22). This vāsāṁsi, this body, can be changed. Suppose now you are very much a great enemy of Pakistan. Take, for example... I am not... Or Pakistan is thinking "Oh, India, Hindustan, is our great enemy." What is this Hindustan and Pakistan or Russia? This is this body. Next life, you can take birth in Russia, or you can take birth in... There is no certainty. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi. But according to Bhagavad-gītā, you can understand, at the, at the time of death, if you are going on thinking, "Oh, Pakistan, my, is my enemy, enemy," then you get a birth in Pakistan. (laughter) Yes. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Because I shall get my next body according to my mental condition at the time of death.
Lecture on BG 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:
That is essential. That is the duty of every Indian. Caitanya Mahāprabhu orders that. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who has taken birth, he must be very pious, must have been very pious in his last life. Therefore he has got the chance. So janma sārthaka kari'. Janma sārthaka kari' means "Make your life successful by taking advantage of so many Vedic literatures stocked by the great saintly persons, spoken by God Himself." You are not taking advantage of these facilities, natural facilities. You are misled by so-called material civilization, and you are doomed. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31).
Lecture on BG 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:
After many, many births... Because foolish rascals, they will have to transmigrate from one body to another, and there are 8,400,000's of different forms of body. And he has to go through the cycle of this birth and death. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Take birth once, and becomes, defy God: "I don't care for God." And when Yamarāja comes, "All right. Whatever you like, you do." Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). These atheist class of men, who defy the authority of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they'll meet Kṛṣṇa. When? At the time of death, when Kṛṣṇa will take him, take everything, his body, his society, his country, his family, his bank balance, his house. Everything will be taken away. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham. Mṛtyuḥ. Kṛṣṇa is appearing to the atheist class of men as sarva-haraḥ.
Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:
So our business is to serve, but because we have taken this attitude, that "I don't like to serve Kṛṣṇa" or, "I am Kṛṣṇa," then we are under the clutches of māyā. Immediately. And under the illusion of māyā... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi... (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Because we are associating with the different modes of material nature, therefore we have to take birth, sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. One is becoming hog, one is becoming dog, one is becoming human being, one is becoming demigod, one is becoming tree, one is becoming plant. So many... Eight million, four hundred thousands of species and form of life. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). Kṛṣṇa says, "All these forms, whatever they may be, I am the bīja-pradaḥ pitā. I am the father." So if Kṛṣṇa is the original father of every living entity, how one has become brāhmaṇa, one has become śūdra, one has become tree, one has become tiger, one has become hog, one has become Indra, one has become Brahmā? How is that?
Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:
Now why the kṣatriyas... It is said in the śāstra if a kṣatriya dies in the fight, then he is promoted to the heavenly kingdom to take birth because he is fighting for the right cause so he is promoted. As in this world also, if you fight for some right cause, you are rewarded. Even after your death, your memory is commemorated. Just like in your country so many brave soldiers, leaders, they have died, but you have honored them by keeping their statues because they fought and died for right cause, whatever we think, right or wrong. So the kṣatriyas, this is the Vedic injunction, who dies for the right cause, he is promoted to the heavenly planet. Now Kṛṣṇa says "Now it is a great opportunity for you. Suppose either you or your grandfather, the opposite party, die in this fight, so your promotion to heavenly planet is sure.
Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973:
This topic began, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). Deha, dehī. Dehī means one who possesses the body. Just like guṇī. Āsthate in prata.(?) The grammatical. Guṇa, in, deha, in, in prata.(?) Dehin śabda. So the nominative case of dehin śabda is dehī. Dehī nityam, eternal. In so many ways, Kṛṣṇa has explained. Nityam, eternal. Indestructible, immutable. It does not take birth, it does not die, it is always, constantly the same. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). In this way, again he says nityam, eternal. Avadhya, nobody can kill. In the body, he is there. But dehe sarvasya bhārata. This is very important. Not that simply in human body the soul is there and not in other bodies. That is rascaldom. Sarvasya. In every body. Even within the ant, even within the elephant, even within the gigantic banyan tree or within the microbe. Sarvasya. The soul is there. But some rascals, they say the animals have no soul. This is wrong. How you can say the animal has no soul?
Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973:
So Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, the first king of the dynasty in which Lord Rāmacandra took birth, very pious family. So Ikṣvāku Mahārāja... The worship of Lord Rāmacandra began from Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku used to worship the Deity of Rāmacandra, Rāma-Sītā. Therefore in their family Lord Rāmacandra appeared. That Deity is still existing in some part of South India. The Deity was being worshiped in the family since Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, and during when Lord Rāmacandra was personally present, this Deity was kept in His bedroom. So one brāhmaṇa, he used to come and see Lord Rāmacandra. Then he would take, break his fasting, breakfast.
Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:
Simply by knowing... Now, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: (BG 4.9) "Then for him the profit is that after giving up this body, he hasn't got to take birth again in this material form." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: (BG 4.9) "He comes directly to Me." Simply by knowing. Just like you are coming here. Apart from doing any practical work... If you do some practical work, oh, it is very, very nice. Even if you do not know any practical work, simply you give your reception, aural reception, submissive aural reception, and understand that what is the nature of God, what is the nature of our self, what is the relation between God and myself, what is this world, what is my relation with this world, so many things, simply if you hear and have an idea, then, even then, you'll be free from this material bondage.
Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:
Practically there is similarity in English. It is called bandha. And in English, bond. There is similarity of sound. Janma-bandha. So this janma, so long, so long your mind will be absorbed in the activities of this material world, you are sure to take birth again. So that activities, by intelligence, have to be purified in such a way that it will not affect you. It will not affect you. That is the tactics. This tactic... So we should be very serious. We should be very serious that many, many lives, many, many lives we have passed, but there was no opportunity to get out of this tribulation of birth, death, old age and diseases. Now here is a chance. Here is a chance in the human form of life. So every intelligent man should take advantage of it, and you can get assistance from these authorized books of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. And also expert advice, knowledge.
Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:
Praja means those who have taken birth, they are called praja. Ja means birth. Janma, janma. And praja, prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa ja. Anyone, praja... Just like in a state it is called praja, or citizens, who have taken the birth in that particular place. So similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "If I do not set example in My life, then there will be unwanted population." Unwanted population. And actually that has become now in the present world. By not following the principles of God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness we have got now unwanted population. Unwanted population. Here it is plainly written, saṅkarasya ca kartā syām. Saṅkarasya ca means cross-breeding, saṅkarasya.
Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:
This human life is meant for getting out of this encagement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is human form of life. It is meant for. Unfortunately there is no education that "Why? I do not want death, but why death is compulsory? I do not want old age; why old age is compulsory? I do not want to take birth; why birth is compulsory?" These are the actual questions or problems of life. And our whole Vedic literature is meant for solving this problem. That is whole purpose. Vedic literature, Vedic civilization, is not meant for working day and night like animals only for maintaining the foodstuff and sense gratification. It is not civilization. According to our Vedic civilization, this is not civilization. This is another form of animal life.
Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:
Ātma-mātā, real mother, from whom I have taken birth, ātma-mātā. Guroḥ patnī, the wife of spiritual master. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī. Brāhmaṇī, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, learned scholar. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī. Why learned scholar? He is also guru because from learned scholar you learn so many things, and guru teaches us so many things. Therefore he is father, and his wife is mother.
Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā. Rāja-patnikā means a queen. And now there is no king, queen, but formerly there was king and queen. So queen is also mother because king is father. He is giving protection to the citizens.
Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:
So our birth and death calculation is on account of this body. Otherwise, we are as good as Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa is aja, He never takes birth or never dies, there is no birth or death for Kṛṣṇa, similarly, we living entities, we have also no birth and death. We are also eternal. But why this birth and death? This birth and death due to my, this material body. So as soon as we get our original spiritual body and get out of the contamination of this material body, then we shall be as good as Kṛṣṇa. That is the whole process to understand. So we have to...
Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974:
"We all, you, Me, and all the soldiers and the kings who have assembled here, they were existing before as individual, and we are existing now as individual, and in future also we shall exist as individuals." So that is being explained again.
Bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna. As individuals, we are taking birth. That Kṛṣṇa's birth will be explained in the next verse. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. Ajaḥ. Ajaḥ means "who does not take birth." We are also aja. Na janma... What is that? Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin...na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇaḥ. That is the description of the living entities. A living entity, as we are, we also do not take birth. We are eternal, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is eternal; we are also eternal. Kṛṣṇa is individual; we are also individual. The difference is that He is īśvaraḥ paramaḥ, He's the supreme controller, and we are... We are also controller, but limited, very minute controller. That is the difference.
Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974:
We are also controller, but limited, very minute controller. That is the difference. God is great, and we are a small particle. That is the difference.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that "I also take My birth, and you also take your birth, but the difference is..." Tāny ahaṁ veda. "I know how many times I took birth, but you... You also took, many times, but you have forgotten." That is the difference. Tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa. You cannot remember. Actually, we do not remember. What I was in my last birth, I do not know. Death means forgetfulness. Death means to forget everything.
Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974:
When He comes on this planet in this universe, He comes with His associates. So the Pāṇḍavas, they are Kṛṣṇa's eternal associates. Although associate, still, Arjuna forgets about his previous birth because he's human being, whereas Kṛṣṇa remembers.
So Kṛṣṇa also takes birth, very many incarnations.
- rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan
- nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu
- kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.39)
This is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Kṛṣṇa is appearing in so many incarnations. Just try to understand what is the position of Kṛṣṇa. He is situated as Paramātmā in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61).
Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:
"Your personality is unknown to the so-called scholars. But authorities like Vyāsa, Devala, Nārada, Asita, they accept Your this form." It is very difficult... These things are there. You'll find in the Tenth Chapter.
So Kṛṣṇa is not formless, but His... What kind of form He has got, He is describing Himself. Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. How we are... We are forced to take birth by the manipulation of the external, material energy.
Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:
His body is not material. Therefore avyayātmā, it is imperishable. These things are to be understood. Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). Again He says ātma-māyayā. He's not forced to take birth by the external energy. He appears by His own energy, internal energy, or spiritual energy. Therefore He's avyayātmā. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san.
Still... We should not take Kṛṣṇa as one of us because He is bhūtānām īśvaraḥ. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Just like a crude example may be given. When there was independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi went to jail, and many, many big leaders. But there are other criminals also, pickpockets and thieves and murderers. If they would think, "Now Mahatma Gandhi has come into jail.
Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:
This is very nice. If one can understand the principles of appearance and disappearance of God, His activities, so simply by understanding these principles he will be liberated. It is said here that after quitting this body, he is no more coming to take birth again in this material world. So just like a layman does not know how the sun appears and disappears, but an astronomer, he knows very well the movements of the sun, moon, and other planets' appearance and disappearance. This is a science, astronomy. Similarly, there is a science of God by which you can understand how God appears, disappears, how He acts, how He works. Everything is there, but if you are not interested that does not mean that the science of God is false or there is no such science. There is.
Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:
What is that guarantee? Kṛṣṇa says that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ, those who cannot fulfill the whole program of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by some way or other falls down, incomplete. So Kṛṣṇa says, "Such persons are given chance to take birth in the next life in rich family and in pure brāhmaṇa's family." So that means your human life is guaranteed. A rich family does not mean animal family. Rich means human being. And brāhmaṇas means intelligent class of men. So you get your birth in a family where your parents are very intelligent, very advanced in philosophical knowledge, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You get chance.
From our practical experience we can say we got this chance. We got this chance. We got very nice parents. And I was born in a family, a very pure family. And, of course, in those days they were rich also.
Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:
Even if you can go to the highest planet, which is called Brahmaloka, still, the problems of life cannot be solved. The four problems of life—birth, death, old age and disease—cannot be solved. Therefore our attempt should be that we do not care for these problems. We have taken it, accepted that "All right, we shall take birth. We shall die. We shall become old. We shall become diseased. Doesn't matter. Still we are progressing." Just see. What is the progress? If you cannot solve these problems, then what kind of progress you are making? But we are satisfied, "Yes, we are making progress." So this is called māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). They are not making any progress, even an inch, and still, they are proud of their progressive knowledge.
Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:
I become qualified to enter into the spiritual kingdom. And as soon as I enter into the spiritual kingdom, then, as it is stated in this verse, that tyaktvā deham, after giving up this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma... (BG 4.9). Punar janma means again taking birth in this material world. Na eti, na, no more. This continued repetition of accepting different kinds of body is finished simply by understanding what is God, how He appears, how He disappears, what are His activities. Simply this understanding. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9), or so 'rjuna. He comes to Me. And in another place it is stated, the same thing, mām upetya tu kaunteya, "One who comes to Me," mām upetya tu kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), nāpnuvanti. "One who comes back to Me, goes back to home, goes back to Godhead, he never comes back again to this miserable conditional life of materialistic status."
Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:
Therefore our duty is to know Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma. Kṛṣṇa comes, Kṛṣṇa appears, Kṛṣṇa disappears. Why Kṛṣṇa comes? Why Kṛṣṇa is not seen? Janma karma. Why He acts? Why He takes birth in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra? Why He teaches Arjuna? Why He dances with the gopīs? So many things Kṛṣṇa's life. We have read Kṛṣṇa book. There are so many activities. They're all transcendental, although they're written just like ordinary story activities of a person. But they are not ordinary things. If you simply read Kṛṣṇa book, although it looks like story, then you become delivered from these clutches of repetition of birth and death.
Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:
Who can know? Yo jānāti tattvataḥ, to whom Kṛṣṇa reveals, he can know. He can know what is Kṛṣṇa, and as soon as you have done this business you have understood Kṛṣṇa, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). No more birth in this material world. To take birth in this material... Because you have got this body, therefore you have to suffer threefold miseries. We foolishly... You are trying to make adjustments to become happy here. It is not possible, because this place is recommended by Kṛṣṇa: duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), it is a place of miseries. How you can become happy here? This is illusion. You can never be happy in this material world, but you are trying to become happy in so many politician, social workers, this and that, simply wasting their time. They cannot be. You have to accept the leadership of Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be happy.
Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:
This is service. Especially it is ordered to the Indians, the inhabitants of the Bhārata-varṣa. Because in Bhārata-varṣa it is easier to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Because by nature, because they have taken birth in this land of Bhārata-varṣa, in the blood there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But unfortunately, the leaders are inducing them to forget Kṛṣṇa. This is the misfortune of present-day Bhārata-varṣa. You go to the village and if there is bhāgavata-pāṭha, hundreds and thousands of people will gather immediately. Immediately. Not only in the village. In the town, when we held Kṛṣṇa festival in Bombay, Calcutta, twenty-thousand, thirty-thousand people come. By nature. We cannot expect this big assembly in other countries. That is my experience. But India, because it is Bhārata-varṣa, it is very easy.
Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:
We are unhappy because we are in this material body. And the... What is that unhappiness? It is ending in four principles, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). To take birth and again to die, and so long we live we must suffer from some disease, and we must become old. Plain truth.
Therefore intelligent persons must be aware of the miserable condition of this material existence and try to get out of it. Is there any doubt? Eh? This is the fact. So our only business is how to get out of this material existence. That is our only business, not that how we can adjust things here and become happy. That is called karmī, fools. It is a fact that so long you'll be here in this material world, however you may try to adjust things to become happy, it will be never possible.
Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:
Everything is born and it develops, it stays, and it gives byproduct, then it dwindles and then vanishes. These are the stages, different six stages. So after vanquishing, after annihilation, where does it stay? It stay in God. Then again takes birth. The whole material cosmic manifestation, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The creation is coming into existence. It stays for some time, it develops, gives some byproduct, then dwindles, then vanishes. And after vanishing it stays in the same principle, the absolute truth. That is being explained.
Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:
Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Śūdra means without any culture. The man who has no cultural life, he is called a śūdra. And those who are cultured, they are called dvija. Dvija means twice-born. So one has to take his birth twice. He should not be satisfied simply by taking birth by the father and mother. One should be anxious to take his twice-born, to become twice-born, brāhmaṇa. But that chance is... Don't think that you cannot become a brāhmaṇa. You can become a qualified brāhmaṇa provided you abide by the qualification of a qualified brāhmaṇa. Just like to become a lawyer it is not, I mean to say, limited to a certain section or to a certain person. Anyone who takes the qualification of a lawyer, he becomes a lawyer.
Lecture on BG 4.13 -- New York, April 8, 1973:
They do not know the real problem.
The real problem is... It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), birth, death, old age and disease. This is real problem. Nobody wants to take birth. At least nobody wants to die. Birth and death. Wherever there is birth, there must be death. Anything which is born must die. So janma-mṛtyu. And old age. So long you live, you have to change your position. So one position is this old age. Just like we have become old. There are so many complaints. Jarā. And vyādhi. And when we become diseased. Everyone should become diseased. Everyone should become old. Everyone must die. This is the problem. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam.
Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:
Indian, this is the duty of the Indian, bhārata-bhūmi. One who has taken birth in the holy place of this Bhārata-varṣa, it is huge duty: make his life perfect and do welfare activities for others. This is India's business. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order.
- bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
India is meant for para-upakāra, not for exploiting others. That is not India's business. That may be for the fools and rascals in other countries. But in India is dedicated. Therefore in India Kṛṣṇa comes, in India Lord Rāmacandra comes.
Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:
Nothing is modernized. You can say, "modernized," but the principle is the same, old system. Nobody can change. And people are dying also. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). That is also the old system. Everyone is taking birth, everyone is growing, everyone is falling diseased, and everyone is dying. Can the modern system stop this? The modern system can say, "Now you do not require to eat, you do not require to sleep," or "You do not require to have sex,"or "You do not require to defend?" No. The same system. "The old wine in a new bottle."
Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:
Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipro brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ, veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipro brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. This is the process.
Janmanā, by birth, everyone is śūdra or caṇḍāla. Those who are satisfied that "I have taken birth in my brāhmaṇa family, so now my business is over." No. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. The birth by the father and mother, that is śūdra, that is not brāhmaṇa. Saṁskāra. If a man is born brāhmaṇa, then why there is necessity of sacred thread ceremony? No. That is the saṁskāra. Saṁskāra means the sacred thread is the symbol. It is offered by the ācārya. It is the certificate that "This boy has been trained up as a brāhmaṇa."
Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:
This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Anyone who has taken birth in India, he must take the Vedic culture.
The Vedic culture is described here by Kṛṣṇa, the master of the Vedas. Vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛt cāham. That supreme Vedantist. Kṛṣṇa says in the Fifteenth Chapter that vedānta-vit: "I am the knower, supreme knower of the Vedānta." Vedānta-vit and vedānta-kṛt: "I am the compiler of the Vedānta." So wherefrom you'll learn Vedānta? From Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15).
Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:
"Why I shall undergo this tribulation of repetition of birth and death?" But they do not know it. There is life without birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). After giving up this body, no more taking birth again with this material body. There is a life like that. We get this information. Why should we not fulfill this mission of life in this human form of life? Why unnecessarily desire so many sense gratification? This is called tapasya. If one life we have enjoyed the sense gratification.... Sense gratification, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. Eating, sleeping, sex life and protection from fearfulness. Now this has been done in so many lives. Why not in this life make a perfect process so that no more death, no more birth, no more disease, no more old age?
Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Sad-asat, good and inferior, janma. So one has to take his birth in a nice family or in nice nation, good education, good looking, nice opulence.... Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ (SB 1.8.26). Janma means to take birth in good family, good nation, and aiśvarya, opulence, very rich. Janmaiśvarya-śruta. Śruta means knowledge, education. And śrī, and beauty.
I repeatedly say to the American people that "You have got your this position, richest nation in the world, janma..." Practically in America there is no poor man. That I have seen. They do not know what is poor man. Because the poorest man gets five thousand rupees per month. The poorest man.
Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:
Because the poorest man gets five thousand rupees per month. The poorest man. So actually there is no poor man. There cannot be. The government arrangement is so nice that nobody is in want of money. He can get money in so many ways. So it is very good, fortunate position to take birth in America. Janma, rich family, rich nation.
And aiśvarya. Janma-aiśvarya-śruta, education. Now they are advanced education. By scientific advancement, they are trying to go to the moon planet. Not only that. Many machine up to date they have discovered, using.... There is very big company IBM. Machine, business machine, IBM. International Business Machine. You know everything.
Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:
He said that "Anyone who has taken birth in the land of India..." Because India is the land of religion. India is the land of philosophy. India has got many, good many asset of this science of Kṛṣṇa and science of spiritual knowledge. So anyone who has taken his birth in India, they can fulfill the mission of human life. They have got very good asset. But unfortunately, they have rejected all this asset. They are now enamored by the glamour of material civilization. They are looking to Europe and America and they want this skyscraper building and industry. And in that way they want to be happy now.
Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:
And according to my work, according to my desire, I am transmigrating from one kind of body to another body, another body, another body. This is going on. Actually I have no birth and death. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter you have read: na jāyate na mriyate vā. The living entity never takes birth or never dies. Similarly, God is also eternal, you are also eternal. When you establish your eternal relationship with the eternal, complete eternal—nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. He's the supreme living entity amongst the living entities. He's the supreme eternal amongst eternals.
So, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by purifying your senses, this knowledge will come and you will see God. Go on.
Lecture on BG 6.41 -- Detroit, July 17, 1971:
Not only your human form of life is guaranteed, but also in a better house, in a better family.
So these children who are born in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness Society, they are those children, those who could not finish Kṛṣṇa consciousness last life. They have been given to take birth in the family of devotee husband and wife; therefore he's playing karatāla. Otherwise it is not possible. He had practice in his last life; therefore he's quickly... He had got the chance. Again he's remembering and playing. This is the fact. So we have to study from the śāstric vision. Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. How you'll see? You'll see through the authority, scriptures. So these are the statements of authoritative scriptures. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. So this child is born of a devotee father and devotee mother. Now he'll again begin from the point where he lost last life. Suppose Kṛṣṇa consciousness he executed fifty percent.
Lecture on BG 6.40-43 -- New York, September 18, 1966:
This should be understood if we believe Bhagavad-gītā. So we should not make any more fall down. We should finish this business in this life so that, according to Bhagavad-gītā, as it is said, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya: (BG 4.9) "Then, after leaving this body, then he does not take birth again in this material world, where janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), repeated birth, and death, diseases, are there, but he comes back to Me, Kṛṣṇa." Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Murāri. Murāri means Kṛṣṇa. One who takes shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then for him, this place, which is padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58), a place wherein every step there is danger... This material world is supposed that every step there is danger. Just see.
Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:
We are also nitya, and Kṛṣṇa is also nitya. We are also living entity with knowledge. Kṛṣṇa is also living entity with knowledge. Simply He's our leader. He's the Supreme. That's all. So we do not know how our existence has been polluted. That we do not know. We are just like cats and dogs. We are taking birth and dying without any knowledge. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). But this is not our position. Our position is as good as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is all powerful. We are minute. He is vibhu, we are aṇu. That is the difference. Otherwise, qualitatively, we are all one. So why you are under this obligation of taking birth and dying again. This is our impure existence. This is our impure existence.
Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:
Because there is great propaganda to curb down by your leaders. They are naturally inclined. Anyone who takes birth in India, it is to be supposed that in this past life, he was spiritual. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). There is great opportunity for persons who are born in India for spiritual advancement. Unfortunately by force, by propaganda, we are suppressing them. That is the cause. We are suppressing them. Otherwise still we get experience. We hold these Hare Kṛṣṇa Festival in Calcutta, Bombay, and other places. Here also. Many thousands of people are coming. Because at heart there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but, by external forces, they are being suppressed. That is going on.
Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:
This is the misfortune of the present day of India. (break) ...can be done? In the educational system no Bhagavad-gītā. Just see. How much unfortunate... One Indian girl in Berkeley University, she asked me, "Swamiji, what is God?" Just see. She's Indian, where God takes birth, Rāmacandra, Kṛṣṇa, and she is now materially advanced. Now she is asking what is God. This is our position. The land where God come, from that land a advanced student is asking: "What is God?" This is our advancement. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:
"My appearance, disappearance, and activities are all transcendental. Anyone who can understand this transcendental nature of My activities, appearance, disappearance, the result is," tyaktvā deham, "after leaving this body," punar janma naiti, "he does not take birth again in this material world." That is stated in the Fourth Chapter. That means immediately liberation achieved. This is a fact. This is Bhagavad-gītā study, not that to interpret in your own way. Bhagavad-gītā says like that. Therefore we present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any nonsense interpretation. There cannot be any chance of nonsense interpretation. You have to take fact as it is; then you study. But they are not inclined to study Bhagavad-gītā as it is. They want to study Bhagavad-gītā as they are. So how you can study Bhagavad-gītā? Your mentality, your situation, is completely different.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, from Bengal. You know. So His order is... It is not that because Caitanya Mahāprabhu advented Himself in Bengal, He requested the Bengalis. No. He said, especially to the Indians: bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who has taken birth on the land of Bhāratavarṣa as human being, he should make his life perfect and distribute the knowledge to the others who are in ignorance. Because transcendental knowledge, spiritual knowledge, that is only in India. That is a fact. That is nowhere else. Even one Chinese educationist, he has admitted that "If we want to know what is religion, then we have to approach India." There is no other source.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:
There are innumerable planets and innumerable universes also. And beyond this material world, there is another nature. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ avyaktaḥ avyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). That nature is permanent.
This material nature is not permanent. It is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Everything here, in the material world, everything comes into existence, takes birth, janma, then stays for sometimes, grows the body, then produces some by-products, then dwindles, and then finished. This is the material nature. Just like your body, my body, it has taken birth at a certain date, it is growing, and it is producing some children, by-products. Then, as we are growing old, then one day the body will be finished. This is the material nature.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:
Janma, the tribulations of janma, to live within the womb of the mother, everyone, we have suffered, but we have forgotten. Similarly, we are awaiting another suffering at the time of death. That is also suffering. Janma-mṛtyu. Then, when we take birth, we get old. That is also suffering. And we suffer from diseases. But as we are spirit soul... That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The spirit soul does not die after the annihilation of this body. That is our position. We are accepting different types of bodies, but we are eternal, part and parcel of the Supreme. Not only eternal, full of knowledge and blissful. This is our position. But at the present moment, because we have got this body, it is no very pleasurable condition.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975:
That is first consideration. Śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucam ārjavaṁ titikṣā, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). That is the verdict of the śāstra. Not by birth. Birth is a facility. If you have the opportunity to take birth in a brāhmaṇa family, then you have got the best opportunity to acquire the brahminical qualification. Just like a person born as the son of a medical man, from the childhood he is learning all the medical terms and how his father is treating patient. So before entering medical college he is half medical man. That is the facility. But if we don't take the facility, we go astray... They are called brahma-bandhu.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:
So similarly, the conclusion is that when this body will be vanquished, I shall accept another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). This is simple method of understanding the transmigration of the soul. So real problem is that I am eternal, but I am put into such condition that I have to take birth and die, I have to become old and I have to disease. This is the real problem. The modern civilization, they are supposed to be very much advanced. What is the advancement? The real problem is there. You have to accept death. Nobody wants to die, but why death is there? But they are callous. They think, "We have to accept this death" or "This is finished," all vague idea, no real idea.
So if we want to be really learned, if we want to know what is our constitutional position, what is the aim of life, what is God, how we can reestablish our relationship with God, these things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very clearly.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:
A devotee is already mukta. Why? Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "Immediately as soon as you surrender to Me, immediately I give you protection." You are awaiting some fruitive result of your past karma, that is bondage. You have to take birth and you have to serve according to that karma. Then from that position you are immediately liberated. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi... Then you are mukta. So if you remain in the position to serve Kṛṣṇa then you are always mukta. Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. A great devotee, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, he said this muktiḥ mukulitāñjali, "With folded hands she is standing at my door, 'What can I do for you?' " Maidservant. So devotee is not after mukti, because they are already muktas. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).
Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971:
Here in this material world, the trouble is that we have to accept one type of body and again give it up and again another type of body, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Yāvaj jananaṁ tāvan maraṇam. This business is very troublesome. We do not understand. We forget. Under the influence of māyā, we forget what is the trouble of taking birth, what is the trouble of death, what is the trouble of old age, and what is the trouble of disease. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who can understand Me, about Me." Not "about Me," but "about Me." We can understand Kṛṣṇa by His activities, something about Him. Otherwise, He has immense potencies. It is impossible for us to understand. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). There is unlimited energies of Kṛṣṇa; therefore He is called acintya-śakti. Acintya-guṇa.
Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:
They have got an idol of Kṛṣṇa. They are worshiping. I know everything about Kṛṣṇa." Not like that. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is. He is Kṛṣṇa undoubtedly, but people want to know actually what is Kṛṣṇa. That we are open. So if one simply understands what is Kṛṣṇa, the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, there is no more taking birth. Punar janma. If you take birth, then there is death. If you stop your birth, then you can stop your death also. Because birth and death is in relationship with this body. If you don't have a material body, then there is no question of birth, death, old age and disease.
Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:
That's all. What is the difficulty to understand? Just like you have accepted now this body, American body or English body. You cannot say, "I have an Indian body" or Chinese body or Russian body. In the same way, after giving up this body you can accept spiritual body. What is the difficulty to understand? There is no difficulty. Just like if you take birth in the sun planet, you have to take a body of fire. There are different planets, and the climatic influence are different, but here the scientists, they are calculating from their own point of view. They do not know that God's creation there are different types of body, different types of atmosphere. Just like the fish. They are living in the water. But you take out the fish on the land, immediately he dies.
Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:
Means "Anyone who has taken birth in India as human being, he must make his life perfect and preach this cult all over the world." And He has also said,
- pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
- sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
- (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)
Means that "As many villages and towns are there on the surface of the globe, everywhere this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will be preached." So this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, has just begun. You will see in future, in every village, every town, they'll chant and dance. So it is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prediction that is being fulfilled. Nobody can check it. Already we have got about hundred branches all over the world, and all kinds of people taking part to this movement.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:
Similarly, a boy born in a brāhmaṇa family, he has got better chance to become a brāhmaṇa. Or a boy born in kṣatriya family or vaiśya family, he has got better chance. But that does not mean simply by taking birth in a brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family, one becomes kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa. No. He has to acquire the qualities. That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). And the qualification of brāhmaṇa is also stated there: satyaṁ śamaḥ damaḥ śaucaṁ titikṣā ārjavam āstikyam, jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. These are the characteristics of brāhmaṇa. Similarly, there are characteristics of kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra.
So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is not stated... At least... We are discussing Bhagavad-gītā.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:
This is our real miserable condition. We have to die. We have to take birth again, and again we have to become old, and there will be disease. Between birth and death... Birth is very miserable, To remain in the womb of the mother in a packed-up stage within a bag, and... That is miserable. Biting, the worms biting tender skin. We have forgotten, but these were the miseries for birth. In suffocated condition...But we have forgotten. So forgetfulness is not solution. Closing the eyes before the enemies is no solution. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). So long you are in material condition, you have to suffer all these miseries, either you become rich man or poor man. You may become American or Indian.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974:
Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa Himself says that "I am the father of all forms of life." How Kṛṣṇa can be sectarian? There is no reason to say that it is sectarian. Therefore it is said that somebody's thinking that Kṛṣṇa is Hindu god, somebody's thinking that "Kṛṣṇa was born in India; therefore He's Indian." "Kṛṣṇa took birth in the family of Yadu dynasty; therefore He's kṣatriya." "Kṛṣṇa played as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana; therefore He's a vaiśya." In so many ways they are thinking. But Kṛṣṇa says this is all rascaldom. Therefore He says, kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ: "Actually what I am, that is known to very, very few men, only to the devotees, not to the common man."
Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:
Devotee (4): If we do not finish our Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this lifetime and we have to take birth in material world, can we worship the same spiritual master as our previous birth?
Prabhupāda: Who is fallen is called yoga-bhraṣṭa. So yoga-bhraṣṭa means he has fallen from the instruction of the spiritual master. But a spiritual master sometimes is so kind that he delivers him in the next birth also. But it is not our duty to bring the spiritual master to save me again in the next life. It is not very good disciple. (laughter)
Indian man (5): At the time of death some people becomes unconscious...
Lecture on BG 7.11-13 -- Bombay, April 5, 1971:
Because in such family ordinary living entity cannot come. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). In the family of a pure brāhmaṇa, śucīnām, or in the family of rich man, yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate, the persons who have not executed the yoga system completely or somehow or other fallen down, they are given the chance of taking birth in nice brāhmaṇa family or rich man's family. So they also take care how to beget children. That is garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. This is called dharma-aviruddha-kāma. This kāma is sanctioned. Otherwise you'll beget demons, just like Kaśyapa Muni, untimely sex.
So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "When there is sexual intercourse according to the scriptural injunction, that is I am." Kṛṣṇa says, "I am that sexual intercourse." In such kind of sexual intercourse there is no sin. That is another yajña. Just like we eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam by offering yajña. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. If we take kṛṣṇa-prasādam, then we become freed from all kinds of sinful reaction.
Lecture on BG 7.11-13 -- Bombay, April 5, 1971:
As Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter, "Arjuna, both you and Me had many, many births, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten." This forgetfulness is under the influence of tamo-guṇa. So although Kṛṣṇa takes birth, many, many times He appears, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9), but such appearance and disappearance are divyam, transcendental. They are not ordinary. And if we accept Kṛṣṇa's birth or Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance like us, then we are mistaken. Then mohitam.
Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969:
Nobody will die." Let them think like that, but it is not possible.
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One who is actually learned, advanced in knowledge, he should know that these four things, the miseries of taking birth... The misery of taking birth means we have to take, we have to appear... After this body is finished, we have to take another body. How this body is constructed, developed? In the womb of the mother. The father gives the semina with the living entity within, and mother receives it and develops it, body. This is nature's law. So you have to live within the mother, compact, air-tight packed, for ten months, at least. Just imagine if you are packed in a bag and put in a air-tight compartment, locked up, would you like? You'll die within three seconds. But the arrangement is so nice, by nature's law, the intestine, that the mother (child) breathes with the mother's breathing, mother's fooding.
Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:
Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). According to one's karma he can get the body of a dog, cat, hog or demigod. There is no guarantee that... Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Antara means another. He does not say that "This body he'll get." But if one is Kṛṣṇa's devotee, then there is guarantee. What is that guarantee? Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41). He'll take birth in a very rich family or in a very nice brāhmaṇa and Vaiṣṇava's family. If he gets a Vaiṣṇava's, birth in a Vaiṣṇava's family... Just like we have got so many children among our gṛhastha devotees. How fine they are. They're getting Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the beginning of their life. That means in the past they advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Somehow or other they failed to complete. Now they have got again chance, again in the temple, dancing and chanting from the very beginning of life.
Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:
As soon as the body is finished, all your asset finished. But if you become a devotee, your body may be finished but the soul is eternal. The soul will carry your assets of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and nature will give you another chance of taking birth in a very rich family or in a Vaiṣṇava family. To get birth in a Vaiṣṇava family is greater asset than to take birth in rich family. Rich family means there is no economic problem. But on account of richness one may fall down, but if one takes birth in a Vaiṣṇava family there is no more fall down. He makes progress further and further. In this way he is allowed again go back to home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much.
Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:
So you are coming, I mean to say, the Indians who are present here, from a country where Kṛṣṇa appeared. It is a great fortune for you that you have taken your birth in India. It is not ordinary fortune. So why? To take Indian birth, to take birth in India, automatically they are advanced in spiritual knowledge. Still, so much fallen condition of India, still, you go to a village, they will very easily understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any advanced education. Because by birthright they have got the knowledge. In Vṛndāvana, when we walk on the street, the ṭhelā-walla, the cartsmen, the milkmen carrying milk, immediately they'll offer namaskāra, "Swamiji." The other day, I think you were present? We were walking. So we entered one field, just for walking. So the villagers, the cultivators, they came to congratulate us. To receive us.
Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:
Para-upakāra, just to do something good for others, for upakāra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said anyone who has taken birth in India, he should, bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41), anyone who has taken birth in India, for every one of them, it is the duty, janma sārthaka kari', first of all make your life successful, janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra, then you begin the welfare activities for all others. The idea is that India is enriched with Vedic knowledge, and those who are born in India, they should take advantage of this facility, especially those who are in the higher topmost ranks, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas. Especially the brāhmaṇas. Take this education perfectly well. Make your life perfect and distribute the knowledge all over the world. This is your duty.
Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:
Kṛṣṇa says, "I appear in this material world. I appear just like ordinary child appears. I take birth." Actually Kṛṣṇa does not take birth. If you read Bhāgavata, you will see how He appeared. Anyway, even if you take Him that He appeared as the son of Vasudeva or Mother Yaśodā... You can say that He played just like a child in the hands of Mother Yaśodā. So that's all right. But you try to understand what kind of, this child display or līlā of Kṛṣṇa in front of Mother Yaśodā. That is required. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). That is all divine, transcendental. So if we understand that "God has become a child" or "These people, accepting a child of certain woman whose name is Yaśodā as God," then you are mistaken.
Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:
We are completely dependent on the laws of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is knowledge. Nobody wants to die, but nature says, "You must die." Where is your independence? Nobody wants to take birth, enter into the mother's womb. But you must enter. Nobody wants to become old man. Nature says, "You must become old man." Nobody wants disease. The nature says, "You must have disease." So where is your independence? But the crazy fellow says, "I am independent. I think like this." What is the value of your thinking? You may think in your favor but the nature will not allow you. So everyone is crazy who is declaring independence. He's a crazy. Then? Any question? Yes, this question is very nice. Anyone who does not believe in God, does not surrender to God, he's a crazy fellow, that's all.
Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:
The ultimate suffering is mṛtyu, death. So death, again birth. That is also suffering. Although we forget, but to take birth is a great suffering. Great suffering means you have to enter the womb of the mother and you have to grow your body and there is risk of being killed also. Especially at the present moment they are killing the child in the womb. So just imagine how much suffering it is. And if he is killed, if the child is killed, then his term of imprisonment in that body is not finished. Therefore he has to enter again another body, again enter into the mother's womb. And, it may be, many hundreds of years may pass on before he can again see light. So it is great suffering.
Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:
Therefore Kṛṣṇa presents, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Intelligent person, they should always keep before, the sufferings. We are making solution of our suffering for ten years or fifty years or hundred years because we cannot live here more than hundred years. So that is temporary. I am eternal; you are eternal. Our real suffering is to take birth and remain in the womb of the mother. And even coming out of the womb of the mother, the small children, they feel always uncomfortable. Therefore they cry. The mother cannot understand what is the suffering of the... He is hungry but the mother is thinking that he wants to sleep or misunderstanding the child is uncomfortable. In this way childhood is past. Then again we become boy, again go to a school, again examination, again this. In this way the whole life is suffering. But under the spell of māyā, we are thinking we are happy. Therefore it is said mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani.
Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:
If you cultivate knowledge, spiritual knowledge for many, many births, bahūnāṁ janma. Because you will not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by saying by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead." If you don't believe it, then you have to cultivate knowledge for many, many births. You have to take birth and cultivate spiritual knowledge, again die, again come, again come, again take birth. This will go on continuously. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). And if you are fortunate enough to become wise enough, then you will understand, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: (BG 7.19) "Oh, Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa is everything."
Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:
"My dear Arjuna, anyone who simply knows how I take My birth and how I am working," janma karma me divyam, "transcendentally, that person becomes immediately liberated." How is that? Now, tyaktvā deham: "After quitting this body, he never comes again to this material world." Then where does he go? Mām eti: "In My kingdom." So simply by knowing how Kṛṣṇa, He is unborn, how He's taking birth, and the Supreme, how He's working like us—these two things, if you know, simply, about Kṛṣṇa... How do we know? Therefore the Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you must approach a person who knows Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to know Kṛṣṇa by your own imagination. People are trying to know Kṛṣṇa by his faulty imagination. In that way Kṛṣṇa cannot be known. So if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you have to know Kṛṣṇa as Arjuna knows.
Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 24, 1973:
Then human being, manuṣyāḥ catur-lakṣāṇi, only four hundred thousand forms of human life, of which the civilized form of life, especially those who are born in India... To take birth in India, Bhārata-varsa, is a great fortune. Unfortunately, we are neglecting this facility given by nature. Because in India there were so many saintly persons, so many great sages... Even Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He descended on this country, India, Bhārata-varsa. There were kings like Mahārāja Bhārata. There were kings like Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. There was king like Mahārāja Yudhisthira, Parīkṣit, so many. Unfortunately, we are neglecting our own culture. We are now imitating how to become technologist. This is the position of India. Nobody is interested to take this culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously.
Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:
Somebody is aquatic. Varieties of life.
Don't think that the animals or living entities other than the human being, they have no soul. No. That's a wrong conception. They have got souls. How you can say there is no soul. The same symptoms of life there.
Just like the symptoms of life means it takes birth at a certain date, then it grows, it stays, it gives some byproducts, then dwindles, then vanishes. Take any. Either you take tree or you take a human body, or you take an animal body or if you take an insect body, or take the demigod's body—any body you take, there is a certain date of birth, everyone, certain date of birth. And then there is a certain duration of life. Somebody lives for ten years. Somebody lives for one year. Somebody lives for six hours, five hours. There are many germs. They live for five hours, six hours, or even less than that. And there are living entities like Brahmā, whose life is millions and millions of years.
Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:
So that is not question. This is our false, I mean to say, idea, that "We shall die out of starvation if we do not make economic condition better." You do it, but you must know that food is already there.
As soon as you take your birth, the food is there. For example, when a child takes birth, a young girl gives birth, just a moment before the birth of the child, there is no milk in the breast, but as soon as the child take birth, immediately immense supply of milk. So who makes this arrangement? There is already arrangement.
This is the fact because we get it from Vedic information that nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "God is the chief living entity amongst all living entities. God is the most intelligent personality than all of us. He is supplying the necessities of life to everyone."
Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:
Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). It is not that by some process I become Brahman. I am Brahman, but on account of māyā, my knowledge is covered. I am thinking, "I am product of this material world," "I am American," "I am Indian," in terms of the soil where we have taken birth. Yasyātmā-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. The whole world is mad after this process of bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. They are... Instead of worshiping Kṛṣṇa, they are worshiping the land in which one is born. That is called under the name of, going on, so many isms. So this is described as bhauma ijya-dhīḥ.
Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:
So it is the duty of the Indians to understand Kṛṣṇa culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness cultural movement, and take part in it seriously. That is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says, bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra (CC Adi 9.41). This is the injunction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "Anyone who has taken birth in the holy land of Bhāratavarṣa..." Bhārata-bhūmite haila. Of course, if he's a man. If he's a cat or dog, that is a different thing. But bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Manuṣya-janma. If he's a human being, then he must take advantage of the Vedic knowledge. Janma sārthaka kari'. Otherwise what he'll speak? If he does not know what is what, then what is the meaning of his preaching? No. So janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra. It is the duty of every Indian, every man who has taken birth in Bhāratavarṣa, to perform para-upakāra, to do well others.
Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:
"Tax. Give more tax. Give more tax. Let us decorate." But how you'll... How long you shall live in this decorated city? Even if you live, if you are so much lover, great nationalist of the country, suppose next life you get the... Because when one has very much attraction for a certain land, then he again takes birth in that land, so if you take your birth not as human being or as a cat and dog or a cow, then you'll be sent to the slaughterhouse. Then what is the use of your becoming nationalist? Your men, for whom you have worked so hard, next life, if you take your birth as a cow, the same men will send you to the slaughterhouse. But these rascals, they do not know what is the mystery.
Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:
So anything material you study, these six kinds of changes are there. So this material world... How this rascal says that "It was existing"? "It was existing." Nothing was existing. Otherwise why the Brahma-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), that "The Absolute Truth is that from whom, or from which, everything is taking birth." This is Brahma-sūtra. So "everything is taking birth" means this material world also has taken birth from that Absolute Truth. That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the origin of all births, everything." So the material world was not existing. This is insufficient. How you can say it is existing? Anything you see, material, it has got a date of birth. Who can deny it? Can you present anything material which was, which has no beginning? Everything has got beginning. So how you can say this material world has no beginning? This is nonsense.
Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973:
This is the icchā-dveṣa, action of the mind, willing, feeling. Icchā-dveṣa. Sometimes we like something, sometimes we do not like. This is called icchā-dveṣa. Iccha dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). We take birth within this material world according to icchā and dveṣa. These two things are there. Something we like, something we do not like.
- icchā-dveṣaḥ sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ
- saṅghāṭaś cetanā dhṛtiḥ
- etat kṣetraṁ samāsena
- sa-vikāram udāhṛtam
This is the combination of all these things. That has made this body. So the composition is very subtle.
Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, September 30, 1973:
Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that anyone who has taken birth in India, he is fortunate. He can make his life perfect by reading at least this Bhagavad-gītā and distribute the knowledge all over the world. So Kṛṣṇa says, brahma-sūtra padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaṁ. You take Vedānta-sūtra; you study from the authoritative sources. Then your life becomes perfect. And take the..., carry this message all over the world.
Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 3, 1973:
So is that human life is also simply meant for this purpose? No. Human life is meant for tāpo divyaṁ yena śuddhyed sattvam (SB 5.5.1). You have to purify your existence. My existence is now impure. In the Bhagavad-gītā we learn, na jāyate na mriyate. The living entity, the soul, never takes birth, never dies, but I am subject to birth and death. So this problem does not come. They are simply making adjustment, a temporary problem. That is not human civilization. Vedic civilization means to solve the major problems of life. That is Vedic civilization. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). They don't care for these troubles.
Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973:
And then janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. We are very much busy to make solution of the problems of life. Political problems, economical problems, social problems. They are also problems. But real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, that you have to take birth, you have to die, and when you are in life, you have to suffer from diseases, jarā-vyadhi, and you have to become old. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha. These are really problems. But who knows that these are the real problems? They have taken it, accepted it.
Lecture on BG 13.13 -- Bombay, October 6, 1973:
That will be explained.
Kṛṣṇa says, jñeyaṁ yat tat pravakṣyāmi "I shall speak to you what is the object of knowledge, ultimate objective of knowledge." Yaj jñātvā 'mṛtam aśnute. If one can understand Kṛṣṇa he gets eternal life. That is our aim of life. Not to remain within this material world, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), take birth once and again die. This is done by the cats and dogs. Any animal, they do not know anything. They take birth and again die. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to accept. So if in ignorance I take birth and again die, what is this life? Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). That is no knowledge. Spoiling. This human form of life is the boon where you can make a solution simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). This is knowledge, how to become immortal, how to understand Kṛṣṇa, how to go back to home, back to Godhead.
Lecture on BG 13.19 -- Bombay, October 13, 1973:
Simply waste of time.
But if by knowledge, you come to the point of bhakti, how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then your knowledge is perfect. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that this knowledge, to surrender unto Me, how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, comes after many many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). We are taking birth one after another, one after another, one after another. So in this way, not ordinary person. Ordinary persons, if they have no knowledge, then their next birth may be cats, dogs, trees, or anything else. Those who are in knowledge, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. Knowledge means those who are situated in the quality of goodness, prakāśa, everything is clearly understood. That is knowledge.
Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:
Just like when we are diseased, we go to the physician and we try to cure the disease, similarly, we do not know what is our main disease. That is explained by Kṛṣṇa previously. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)—this is our real disease, to take birth, to die, to become old and to become victims of disease. But nobody knows how to cure this, and still, we are very much proud of becoming advanced in education and civilization. This is called illusion. This is called illusion. The real disease is how to stop janma-mṛtyu.
Lecture on BG 13.21 -- Bombay, October 15, 1973:
This trying for happiness, I have tried many lives. Fortunately I have got this human form of...
What is our trying? We try for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. So that is available by the laws of nature. Even a bird, beast, he has got arrangement. Birds, when they take birth, there are two birds, one male and female. So sex arrangement is already, ar... Because they have no marriage, I mean to say, problem. They eat from tree to tree there is fruit. They sleep also, they have their sex life, and when there is danger they try to defend. Everyone. So if you also try to improve, but that cannot be improved.
Lecture on BG 13.21 -- Bombay, October 15, 1973:
This human form of life is meant for inquiring about this Absolute Truth, the Supreme Soul. Ātma-tattva-jijñāsā. Therefore Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Everyone is born rascal and fool. Unless one is rascal and fool, one does not take birth in this material body. One who is actually in knowledge, he becomes liberated. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya(SB 1.2.12). That is the result of knowledge. If we are not liberated, if we have not stopped our repetition of birth and death, that means we are in ignorance.
Therefore śāstra says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Kovida means very intelligent person, expert. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). These are the signs, symptoms of knowledge, wiseness.
Lecture on BG 13.22 -- Bombay, October 20, 1973:
In this way the living entities, puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ, within this material world, he is wandering in different species of life, in different planets.
But the disease is birth and death. Even if you take birth in the Brahmaloka, Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you promoted to the Brahmaloka, the highest planet, there is also death. You cannot avoid. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). That is real knowledge, that "I don't want to die, but I am forced to die. I don't want to become old man, but I am forced to become old man. I don't want any disease, but disease is forced upon me." So these are the real problems.
Lecture on BG 13.23 -- Bombay, October 22, 1973:
Sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not distinguish between ātmā and Paramātmā. But here it is distinctly explained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that one puruṣa is enjoying the fruits of his activities, prakṛti-sthaḥ. Being influenced by the quality of the prakṛti, material nature, he is sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu, he is taking birth in different types and species of life. And another puruṣa is there who is upadraṣṭā. Upadraṣṭā means he is overseer. He is simply seeing how the other puruṣa is working. And according to his karma, work, he is giving the result. He is the witness.
Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:
Pradyumna: Translation: "One who understands this philosophy concerning material nature, the living entity and the interaction of the modes of nature is sure to attain liberation. He will not take birth here again, regardless of his present position."
Prabhupāda: So the aim of life is always being stressed by Kṛṣṇa, to stop this process of undergoing different changes of body. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Na bhūyo 'bhijāyate. In many place Kṛṣṇa has said this. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). This is the aim of life. But people are misled by the blind leaders. We can say, "rascal leaders," but it may be very strong language. Kṛṣṇa has said.
Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:
We have already discussed all these things. You should remember very nicely. That is real knowledge. Jñānam.
What is the process of knowledge? Amānitvam adambhitvaṁ kṣāntir ārjavam ācāryopāsanaṁ bhakti-yogam. To know the problems of life, This is knowledge. The aim of life. The aim of life is not to take birth again. So who is understanding all these things. Nobody is interested. Simply they are interested in the animalistic way of life. That's all. Just like animals. But Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says that "One should know this." Ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca guṇaiḥ... And the qualities of the prakṛti, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Guṇaiḥ saha. Simply know the earth, water, air, fire.
Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:
The same thing is confirmed here. Sarvathā vartamāno 'pi na sa bhūyo 'bhijāyate.
Unless he is liberated, how he can stop his next birth? Here it is clearly said, na bhūyaḥ abhijāyate. Abhijāyate means to take birth again, to accept another material body. That... Unless you become liberated, mukta, you have to accept a material body. Mukti means to stop accepting this material body. That is called mukti. To remain in a spiritual body. But they do not know even what is spiritual body, what is material body. Simply like cats and dogs, they are engaged in sense gratification, eating, sleeping, mating. And this Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD, preliminary knowledge of spiritual understanding. People are unaware of... And misleaders, they give misinformation, mal-interpretation.
Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Bombay, October 25, 1973:
Our mission is to enlighten him, that he is not this body, he is spirit soul, there is Supersoul. Both the soul and the Supersoul are living in this body. The Supersoul is observing and the living entity is working. According to his work, he is getting the result, a different type of body. In this way, repeatedly he is taking birth and repeatedly he is dying. So one has to stop this repetition of birth and death. That is the perfection of life. That is the perfection. But they do not know how to stop this repetition, neither they do know that death can be avoided.
In the śāstra (it) says, gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāt. In this way, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum.
Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Bombay, October 28, 1973:
Everybody is suffering for want of God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is the greatest humanitarian work, welfare activities, is to distribute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So it was the duty of the Indians. Bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who has taken birth as a human being in India, his duty is to perfect his life by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious and distribute it all over the world. That is his duty. But they are not doing. Some way or other, I have collected some these young Europeans and Americans. They are helping in this movement. So we have come to Vṛndāvana for this purpose, that those who are actually serious to render service to Kṛṣṇa, they should join this movement, heart and soul, and help broadcasting this movement all over the world. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:
We have come to this civilized form of human being. Especially we have taken birth in India. It is a good fortune. It is an opportunity given by prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. So we should take advantage of this opportunity. here in India we have got this sublime knowledge of Veda, and here there are still thousands and thousands of saintly persons. So we should take advantage of this facility. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said that "Anyone who has taken birth in the land of Bhāratavarṣa..." Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya janma haila yāra: (CC Adi 9.41) "Anyone who has taken birth in this land of Bhāratavarṣa..." Janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra:
Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Hawaii, January 31, 1975:
So therefore it is said, daivī sampad vimokṣāya. Mokṣa, mokṣa means liberation. If you develop this daivī sampat, then you become fit for becoming liberated because our... What is the position? Why we are suffering? Why we are dying? Why we are taking birth? Why we are becoming old? On account of this material body. This is knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya(SB 1.2.12). Jñāna and vairāgya, these things are required. That is daivī sampat. All the daivī sampat means, jñāna-yoga. It is immediately analyzed. Abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir jñāna-yoga-vyavasthitiḥ. This is possible when you are situated on the platform of knowledge. This is knowledge, that "I am spirit soul. I am falsely identifying myself with this body. The body is the source of my all suffering and entanglement." This is knowledge. Then, when we try to give up the ignorance of bodily concept of life, then we become gradually liberated.
Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hyderabad, December 13, 1976:
One should be fearless. Who can become fearless? One of the qualification of conditioned soul is fearfulness. Only a person who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can become fearless. And sattva-saṁśuddhi. Sattva-saṁśuddhi. Our, this sattva, existentional position is impure, diseased. Therefore we die, again take birth. Asunti(?). So sattva-saṁśuddhi. One should try to purify his existence. For that purpose there is necessity of tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Tapasya means austerity. If you want to cure your disease, then you must follow some austerities, rules and regulation. One man is suffering from diarrhea. If he is allowed to eat whatever he likes, then he will never be cured. He must observe fasting for few days; then it will be cured. So this is sattva-saṁśuddhi.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:
The whole material world is full of suffering. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). And even if you make it... Suppose at any place you are living it is not very comfortable, but if you are assured that you will not die, you will not be diseased, you will not become old, you will not take birth again—if there is no death, there is no question of birth—so even if you are assured of...it is called? Immunity from these sufferings, still, there are many other sufferings.
Suppose you are not thinking very well. Today my mind is very disturbed. That is called adhyātmika. I have got some pain in my body. That is also adhyātmika. Some friend or some animal has done some mischief to me. That is also suffering, adhibhautika. And adhidaivika. The earthquake. Nobody wants earthquake, but there is earthquake. This is adhidaivika. There is famine. There is pestilence.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:
They want to remain in the degraded stage of life. That is the difficulty.
Otherwise it doesn't matter what he is, which family he's born. It doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa says, you'll find, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yoni. To take birth low-grade family, or animal family, these are called pāpa-yoni. Kṛṣṇa says that it doesn't matter if one is born in the pāpa-yoni, low-grade family. It doesn't matter. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. In the human society, striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ, even woman and śūdra and vaiśya, they are also taken in the category of pāpa-yoni. Pāpa-yoni means their intelligence is not very sharp. That is called pāpa-yoni. And a brāhmaṇa means to become very, very highly intellectual. That is called brāhmaṇa. Because he'll understand Brahman.
Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:
This is atheism. But it is not that. That child has come. It is a living entity. It desired a certain thing, and therefore he has given chance to take birth as human being or as cat, as dog. Kāma-haitukam.
Then why one is born as a cat, one is born as a dog, one is born as a rich man's son, one who is born as..., so many varieties? Why? If kāma-haitukam, then why not one variety? Where is the question of varieties? What is the answer? Why there are so many varieties? Everyone wants to take birth in rich family, in high family. Why one is born as a street dog and there is no food and crying, barking, and somebody is capturing and eating and no protection? Why? Why kāma-haitukam, the dog is also born by the lusty desires of the male dog and the female dog, but why he is dog, and why he is such a rich man's son? Why? What is the answer?
Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:
"He has done like this. All right, let him be promoted in the heavenly planet." He goes there. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Ābrahma-loka. The highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, he can go. That is also required, superior judgement, what he has done for being promoted. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). Janma, to take birth in high class family, to become very rich—they are not accidental. There is background, daiva-netreṇa, by the superior judgement. There are so many things to be learned. Simply to become blind without any knowledge and give some verdict, asatyam, that is nonsense. That is nonsense. Kṛṣṇa is guiding us. Don't be victims of these rascals. Asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). There is God. There is supreme controller. And God says, mayādhyakṣeṇa: (BG 9.10) "Under My superintendence."
Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976:
Kṛṣṇa is more unhappy for our suffering because we are His sons. Suppose your son is suffering. You will suffer also, not that the son is suffering. Similarly, because we have come to this conditional state of life, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19)—we sometimes..., once we take birth and again we die—this is not very good proposal. But these rascals, they do not know how nature is working. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). We are leaving one body and accepting another body. This is a great botheration. But the rascal so-called scientist, politician, they do not know this. I therefore say, "rascals." They are very much proud of their learning, advancement of science, but they cannot understand the simple truth spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). There is dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Dhīras tatra na muhyati.
Lecture on BG 18.67 -- Ahmedabad, December 10, 1972:
So this is another opportunity. Just create everyone, everyone, especially... Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra: (CC Adi 9.41) "Anyone who has taken birth in this holy land of Bhāratavarṣa..." Janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra. This is the injunction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "First of all, make your life perfect. Just try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Bhagavad-gītā and make your life practical in understanding Bhagavān and the bhakti." Janma sārthaka kari'. "Then go and preach all over the world." Paropakāra. Because the whole world is in darkness. They are too much materially congested. Their brain... Big, big professors, they say, "After death, there is no life."
Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:
Yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta. Suppose a śūdra, or a vaiśya, but he has got the qualification, symptoms, of a brāhmaṇa. So he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa, not as śūdra, as vaiśya. Similarly, a person born in brāhmaṇa family, if he has got the symptoms of a śūdra, he should be accepted as śūdra. This is the injunction in the śāstras. And Śrīdhara Svāmī, he says that simply taking birth in some particular family, brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family, one does not become so. It is the qualification. That is required.
So Bhagavad-gītā also... It is Vedic literature, spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Veda apauruṣeya. Veda means the knowledge given by God, Kṛṣṇa, First the knowledge was given to Brahmā. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Brahmā received the knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vedic knowledge. Therefore it is called apauruṣeya. Veda does not mean it is written by some ordinary man, as we write some books. No. It is not like that.
| Page Title: | Take birth (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 06 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=135, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 135 |