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This is the position (Lectures, SB canto 1)

Expressions researched:
"that is the position" |"this is the position"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

"My dear Lord, people eulogize me as very big man, learned man, minister. But I know that I do not know what I am. This is my position." Grāmya-vyavahāre kaha ei paṇḍita, tāi satya māni. "The people, the ordinary people, common people, they say that 'You are so great scholar, so rich man, minister.' They say like that. But I know that I am fool number one. I do not know what I am." This is the position.

So people should know... Everyone should know what he is, what is his constitutional position, why he is under so many conditions of life, how to get liberation. These are the questions. These are called... These questions are called brahma-jijñāsā. That is the beginning of Vedānta. Vedānta. Veda means knowledge, anta means end. So long we have acquired knowledge in so many departments, but that has become useless. Because either I am a great scientist or great botanist or great politician, I am conditioned by the laws of material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14).

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:

Oh, let me check him." This is material. That is going on. The whole world, enviousness. I remember in, long ago, about sometimes in 1936, my eldest son in Bombay—he was in school—he stood first. So his class friends became envious that "Here is a boy, he is coming from Bengal, and he has stood first." They wanted to fight with him. My son came and complained to me that "This is the position." Just see. Children even, envious. You see. That means this is the nature of this world. If you prosper, then your brothers and your neighbors, your friends, will be envious.

So this bhāgavata-dharma is not for such envious persons. Therefore it is stated here, paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām (SB 1.1.2). Not for the envious persons. The envious persons—that means materialists—they will not be able to understand what is spoken in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate. So our process is, because we are envious by nature, therefore we have to cleanse our heart. Therefore we have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very rigidly, regularly.

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

Little more intelligent." (laughter) This is frog philosophy. And when they hear, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48), all the universes are coming out in the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, and that Mahā-Viṣṇu is partial representation of Kṛṣṇa, "These are all stories." Even they are informed about the capacity of God, they take it as story. This is the position.

Therefore sumanda-matayaḥ. Their philosophy, their opinion, they are all condemned. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Mostly unfortunate. Mostly. They cannot get even the primary necessities of life, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Even in your country, the British Empire, the Empress Queen, oh, so many people are lying on the street. Manda-bhāgyāḥ. Unfortunate. They can get all the facilities of life, but because unfortunate, they are lying on the street. In America, such a big nation, with everything complete, no scarcity, so many hippies. Manda-bhāgyāḥ. Unfortunate.

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

That is practically nil. But the formulas and dogmas and this and that they're full of. Sumanda-matayo. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā (SB 1.1.10). And almost everyone is unfortunate. They haven't got even means to accommodate the bare necessities of life—eating, sleeping, mating. They're also deficient. mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ. And above all these there is always disturbance. Sometimes war, sometimes famine, sometimes earthquake, sometimes this, overflood. Just like recently in New York there was overflood, you know? So in this way we are so much complicated, this is the position. Now in this condition of life how you can take up very serious type of self-realization, that is not possible. Alright, thank you very much.

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

Ninety-three million miles away from us, but it is giving us regular heat and light. And heat is so strong that ninety-three millions miles away, still, we cannot tolerate the heat. This is the position of this material world. And we cannot have any perfect knowledge. Therefore our knowledge is imperfect. But God's knowledge is not imperfect. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning, it is said, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ (SB 1.1.1). The description of God: God is the origin of everything. Just like any one of us, we can understand that "My body is generated from my father's body. My father's body is generated from my grandfather's body. My grandfather..." Go on, go on, go on, go on. There must be. It is not that because you cannot see your great-great-great-grandfather, so you cannot say there was no such man as great-great-grandfather.

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

There are millions and trillions of universes, and each and every universe, there are millions and trillions of planets, and each planet there are millions and trillions of living entities. So all of them combined together is only a portion of God's children. The other children, they're living in the Kingdom of God. Their number is far, far greater than us. So this is the position.

So this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement is preaching bhāgavata-dharma. As I have already explained yesterday, Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and bhakta or bhāgavata, our relationship with Him. So it is a very great science of understanding God. So we have decided to discuss this great science for a few days here. You take advantage of it. Try to understand this great science, how we can be related with God and be happy. Because God is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). He is full of knowledge. He is eternal and He is blissful. We are part and parcel of God. Just like the same example, the drop of Atlantic Ocean water.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- Rome, May 26, 1974:

They will close. You see. Now the result is that South India, the Communists Communists means the so-called low-class people, śūdras and caṇḍālas, they are now in majority. They have formed a government that on principle, as soon as some brāhmaṇa comes for government service, he will reject. So the brāhmaṇas are now hiding themselves, that he is brāhmaṇa, because he cannot get any job. (laughter) This is the position.

So this negligence, this is not Vedic culture. Because they neglected... These Muhammadans who came, who grown in India, they were not imported from Afghanistan or Turkey or any Muhammadan country. They were Indians. But they were not given any facility for spiritual culture. The brāhmaṇas monopolized it. Although they would not do anything. They would all, degraded form. But the state, they would keep these śūdras and the caṇḍālas downtrodden and ill-treated.

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

We can do anything." "All right, come in here. Force you. Sleep. Remain here." This is our position. Simply defying, "I don't care for God," you may not care, but māyā is there. He will give you kick and put you in the..., That... You will learn how to care. You will learn how to care.

This is the position. These rascals, they have become godless, and suffering day and night threefold miseries-adhyātmika, adhidaivika, adhibhautika. Still, they are not coming to their senses. So blunt, so dull-headed, that "We are..." This is intelligence. When one comes to this understanding, that "I don't want all this sufferings. Why they are forced upon me?" then you can become a gentleman. Just like in the jail. Nobody wants to, I mean to say, what is called, breaking?

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

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

Therefore, in this age Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us very shortcut method, not manufactured by Him. No saintly ācārya will manufacture his way. He must refer to the Vedic literature.

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

He, what he has got to ask for liberation? He's already liberated. He hasn't got to ask for liberation.

This is explained by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura: muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. If one is pure devotee, then liberation is standing before the devotee with folded hands: "My dear sir, what can I do for you?" That is the position.

muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate 'smān
dharmārtha-kāma-gatayaḥ samaya-pratīkṣāḥ

And people are very much busy for religiosity, dharma; artha, economic development; kāma, sense gratification; and, dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa, liberation. People are generally, human society, there must be religious system. And they take to religious..., generally, people take to religious system for some material gain. Generally.

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

"Father, I want this." That is very costly. So he doesn't require to get the money. The father is there. He'll get the money. "All right, take it." So that is the facility for the devotees. A devotee is under the care of the Yogeśvara. Yatra yogeśvara hariḥ. If you can catch up the hand of Yogeśvara Hari, then you can show wonderful magic, which no magician, no yogis can display. That is the position of devotee. They do not care for practicing yoga to show some magical feats. Neither they require it. Neither they want it. Because devotee's position is āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā (CC Antya 20.47). "Whatever You like, You can do." That's all. He has no desire.

Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Aśānta means where they can get peace? They have to work for it. The karmīs, they have to work for it. The jñānīs, they have to cultivate for that. The yogis, they have to practice. But bhakta has nothing to do. Therefore it is first class.

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

Simply one sweetmeat, if you put into the stomach, and immediately you will feel some energy which will be enjoyed by your eyes, by your ears, by your nose, your hands, your legs, your hair, everything. This is the process.

So we have manufactured so many types of love except God. This is our defect. As soon as there is the name of God, "Oh, you go to Calcutera.(?) Not here." This is the position. People are so much avers. And our śāstra says that when you forget God or when you are not religious... Religious means to become devotee of God. That is religion, very simple thing. Religion does not mean the ritualistic ceremonies, that "My religion, the ritualistic is this. In your religion the ritualistic is this." That may be different according to time, according to the men, according to the country, climate. That may be little different. Just like we are eating. Somebody is eating, somebody, somebody is eating something, somebody is eating. But the eating process and to derive the benefit by eating is the same everywhere. There is no difference. So you may profess any religion.

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

They do not come to Kṛṣṇa. So sometimes Kṛṣṇa shows the mercy to turn His devotee into poverty-stricken position. Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8). That... Therefore somebody is afraid of coming to Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is also very kind. When you become actually a devotee, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22), there will be no scarcity. Whatever you want, it will come. It will come. So this is the position. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching, educating, all over the world. There is no distinction. There is no distinction. Don't think that "These Europeans, Americans, they are mlecchas and yavanas. They cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is only meant for the brāhmaṇas or kṣatriyas." They are brāhmaṇa. Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭho hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ. Anyone who becomes a devotee, he is better than a brāhmaṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). It doesn't matter wherever he is born. Pāpa-yonayaḥ. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim.

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

So trāṇāya. How to get out of it. Trāṇāya it is called. Trāṇāya means to relieve from the suffering. Kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam. So how these sufferings can be mitigated? So people have become so dull-headed, they cannot understand what is the real suffering, and neither they have any inquiries how to mitigate the sufferings. This is the position. Therefore they are called śūdras. Śūdras, they are like. A brāhmaṇa is intelligent. A brāhmaṇa... Therefore we are trying to make people brāhmaṇa so that he may become intelligent. Not śūdras. Others are trying to make them śūdras. Śūdras means to remain in ignorance, and brāhmaṇa means to remain in knowledge. That is the difference between brāhmaṇa and śūdra. And these two other classes, via media, kṣatriya and vaiśya. The brāhmaṇas are supposed to be the first-class men in the society. The kṣatriyas, the second class, the vaiśyas, the third class, and the remaining, all fourth class and fifth class.

So there was no meeting of the fourth-class, fifth-class men. What they will do?

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:

Human life should be peaceful. They should get their foodstuff very easily, eat very nicely, save time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is human life, not like hogs and dogs, simply searching after... But if we create such civilization like cats and dogs and hogs, then Kṛṣṇa will give us the chance to work day and night simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is the position now. We wanted it.

In Bombay we have got now six buildings full of tenants. So they are little disturbed because now we have taken possession of the land. They are thinking that "Swamiji will drive me, drive us some way or other." I told them that "I have got no children with me; neither my former family is coming to live. If I, suppose, vacate these houses, then I will fill up with my devotees. So why don't you become devotee? I don't charge anything from you." But that they are not agreeable. This is the position.

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

Although he is a five-years-old-boy, his son, his beloved son, but since he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, he became the enemy of the asura, Hiraṇyakaśipu. This process is existing from very, very time immemorial, two classes.

Therefore to become devotee is sometimes very troublesome, because even the father become enemy. This is the position of the devotee. But still, you have to become devotee. That is your success of life. But the warning is there, that as soon as you become a devotee, you become enemies of so many, especially nowadays. You know that recently I was refused entrance in Africa. The government did not allow me to enter. What is my fault? Because I am a devotee. This is my fault. So we are meeting so many dangerous position. In Bombay our temple construction has been refused by the commissioner of police. Why? Because we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. They have openly written that "The bhajana nuisance." You see? This is our position. Bhajana... Kṛṣṇa says, Bhagavān says, that catur-vidhā bhajante mām. This bhajana word is there.

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

He has to take one cowherd boy on His shoulder. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is studying that "Who are these cowherd boys? They're playing with Kṛṣṇa. They are not ordinary cowherd..." kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ: "After many, many births accumulation of pious activities, now they have come to play with Kṛṣṇa."

So this is the position. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Who is that? The Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman. The jñānīs, they want to appreciate the Supreme Brahman. Satām. Brahma-sukha, brahma-sukha. They are after brahma-sukha. Here is the source of brahma-sukha. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. So here is the... Just like the light, illumination—there is a source of light, the sunshine, illumination. The source is the sun globe. Similarly, the brahmajyoti, what is the source? Kṛṣṇa says, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā: "I am the source. From Me it is coming." Therefore the same thing is... Itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā: "the source of brahma-sukha." Itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. And dāsyaṁ gatānām:

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

So they are better than. One who goes to the church or temple and prays to God for minimizing his distressed condition, he is better than the atheist who never goes to God, because this man will get chance to understand God some day. And that man, the duṣkṛtina, narādhama, he will never get chance. This is the position now throughout the whole world. People are becoming godless more and more.

So this is very, very precarious condition of life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential. It is not a fashion. It is essential, and everyone should take to it very seriously, because we do not know what we are getting the next life. Next life... The other day I was giving example in Berkeley. We were sitting within the room, and next to our window there was a tree standing. That is also living entity. We are also living entity. Just a yard from our room the tree is standing, but he has got so many disadvantage.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

He became a hog. So Brahmā thought that "In the absence of Indra the kingdom of heaven is not managed very nicely, so let me go an bring him again, excuse." So when he came, he asked the hog that "Come with me." "Where?" "To the heaven." "Oh, I cannot go. I have got my responsibility. I gave got my responsibility. I cannot go."

So this is the position. Everyone is very happy. This is called māyā's influence. Unless a hog feels happy, how he can live in this abominable life? This is called prakṣepātmika-śakti, covering. If one man knows or..., that "I was king in my previous life. Now I have become a poor cobbler" or something like..., then he will become mad. So therefore he forgets. Death means forget. Because the living entity does not die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). There is no death. Death means forgetting everything of my past life. That's all. Just like we forget. At night, when we dream, we accept another body, and we forget this body. And in the daytime we forget the night dream body and accept this body. We have got daily experience.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

Therefore, sun being one of the eyes of Kṛṣṇa, because the sun rises there, because sun is seeing, therefore you are seeing. You cannot see independently. You are so much proud or you eyes. What is the value of your eyes if there is no sunlight? You cannot see. Even this electricity, that is derived from sun. So actually when Kṛṣṇa sees, you can see. That is the position.

So our senses... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat. Sarvataḥ pāṇi-pāda... Everywhere Kṛṣṇa has His hands and legs. What are that? My hands, your hand, your leg—that is Kṛṣṇa's. Just like if somebody says I have got branches all over the world. So those branches are working on the management of the supreme person. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa also. Kṛṣṇa is therefore called Hṛṣīkeśa, Hṛṣīkeśa. So business is... Bhakti means when we engage our hṛṣīka, our indriyas, our senses, in the service of the proprietor of the senses. That is our perfect life. That is our perfect...

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Delhi, November 16, 1973:

So actually, this is the position. If we are actually tattva-jijñāsu, then we must be very careful, very careful. Especially in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that karmī-jñānī. Karmī is also wanting, and jñānī is also wanting, and yogi is also wanting. Karmī wants the comfortable position of life. That is also want. And jñānī, he is also wanting mokṣa, to merge into the existence. Because after becoming big, big man within this material, when he is frustrated, he wants to become God. That is another illusion. And how you can become God, sir? But the jñānīs they want, merge into the existence. Sāyujya-mukti. It is called sāyujya-mukti, to merge into the existence. That is Brahman. That is brahma-jñāna. And yogis, they want some magic power, mystic power. They can walk on the water, they can fly in the air, and so many things—aṇimā, laghimā, siddhi. There are eight kinds of siddhis. Prakāmya, īśitā, vaśitā. So a yogi can attain such perfection. But they are wants also. The jñānīs also want, and the karmīs, what to speak, they are simply in want. Therefore, kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śānta (CC Madhya 19.149).

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Delhi, November 16, 1973:

You will never find that... Arjuna was a devotee. He was working for Kṛṣṇa so much, he was sacrificing everything. He was prepared to kill his family members and everything. Still, he never wanted anything, "Kṛṣṇa, give me this." Never. You will never find in the Bhagavad-gītā.

This is the position of bhakta. And that is the teaching of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "My dear Lord Jagadīśa, I don't want these things." Why? Na dhanam: "I don't want riches." Na dhanaṁ na janam. "Not many followers." Because materially everyone wants this. He wants money, he wants to become leader, he will..., many thousands of people will follow him, janam. And sundarīṁ kavitām, very beautiful wife. These are the material wants. So Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāpra bhu, He said, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye: "I don't want all these things." This is called niṣkāma. Kāma means those who are wanting all these things.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Delhi, November 16, 1973:

You have seen the history of Prahlāda Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja, many, many devotees, Pāṇḍavas. How much tribulation they had to suffer in their lives! So yasmin sthite, because they were devotee of Kṛṣṇa, they were never disturbed. Never. This is the position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They will never want anything, and they are not disturbed by any material tribulations. This is the sign of a kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śānta (CC Madhya 19.149).

So it is possible to arrive that state by little endeavor, and that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And it is so simple, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And the practical examples you can see, that these European, American boys, they had so many wants, but they, all these demands could not satisfy them, but now they are fully satisfied simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Just like this boy, our Gurudāsa, explained that he could swim over liquor business.

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

Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Just like the impersonal sky. You can go in the sky with your seedy airplane, but if you don't get a shelter in any planet, you will have to come again. Just like this moon planet-goers, going and coming. Why don't they stay there? So it doubtful whether they are going.

So anyway, this is the position of the nirviśeṣa-vāda. Because they do not enter in one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets... Because they are not bhaktas, they are not admitted. Without being bhakta, nobody is allowed to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Just like here in the sky there are millions and millions of planets, similarly, in the brahmajyoti there are also millions and millions of planets. They are called Vaikuṇṭhaloka. But in those Vaikuṇṭhalokas only bhaktas are admitted, not the nondevotees. They can go to the Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka is combination of the spirit souls. But spirit soul means part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, who is ānandamaya. So they do not get that ānanda. They simply are elevated to the position of eternity. But eternity without ānanda.

Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:

Or act..., practically at the present moment, even in India, these ceremonies are not accepted or they do not care for it. And what to speak of other countries. Therefore the conclusion of the śāstra is kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In this age of Kali, there are only śūdras. Practically there is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya, no vaiśyas. Maybe some vaiśyas. But this is the position.

But here it is said, varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Unless one, unless the society comes to the institution for accepting these four varṇas and āśrama, it is not human society. And in the human society there is understanding of God, not in the animal society. Therefore as the institution of varṇāśrama is now abolished, people are becoming godless. Because varṇāśrama means the institution or a set-up of society where gradually one can understand Viṣṇu and worship Viṣṇu. Viṣṇur ārādhyate. That is the system. Not that so-called brāhmaṇa and so-called kṣatriya, they have no information of Viṣṇu, and they are declaring, "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya."

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

Some way or other, it is lost, oh, you cry, "Oh, I am gone." So either for earning or we hanker, that is also a kind of distress, and when we suffer loss there is distress. But if you are situated in brahma-bhūtaḥ avasthāna, you'll be neither, neither distressed, nor hankering. You'll be in equilibrium. Yasmin sthite guruṇāpi duhkhena na vicālyate (Bg. 6.20-23). Even if you are situated in the midst of fiery tribulation, you'll not be disturbed. That is the position.

evaṁ prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ
bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ
mukta-saṅgasya jāyate
(SB 1.2.20)

Bhagavat-tattva-vijñāna... Bhagavat-tattva-vijñāna means the science of God. The science of God becomes perceivable by such person who is situated in the brahma-bhūta, I mean to say, status.

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

That is not possible. But we have to adopt the tactics of yoga so that even by doing ordinary work in which by destiny or by circumstances I am put into, there is no harm. You'll find in Bhagavad-gītā that even if you find in your own occupation there is... Suppose I am occupied in some business in which I have to speak lie. Without speaking lie, my business cannot go on. Now, suppose if that is the position. Now, speaking lie is not very good thing, and if you think that your business is not very, based on very moral principle, "So I should give up," then Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that "Don't give up." Even if you are put into such circumstances that your livelihood cannot go on without that unfair means, still, you should not give it up, but you should try to make it purified. You should try to make it purified. How it is purified? Now, you should not take the fruitive result of your work. That is meant for God.

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

This māyā is very strong. The same example yesterday we were giving. The sun, little deviation, the whole world, universe, becomes frozen, and little deviation, the whole universe becomes ablaze. This is the position, very... Therefore our position is marginal. We are called marginal energy. We may be dark side or in the light side. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to keep always in the light side. If we always think of Kṛṣṇa, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then we shall keep ourself on the light side. And as soon as we think of sense gratification, immediately we are on the dark side. So our... We should be very cautious that we may not fall down on the dark side. We can keep ourself in the light side by nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Simply studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, try to understand, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Twenty-four hours be engaged in this way. You'll be on the light side.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Los Angeles, August 25, 1972:

We cannot understand. But if we take up all this devotional service in right earnestness to serve the Lord, then everything will be gradually revealed. That is required. But if we become slack in following the rules and regulations, then we remain the third class. We cannot raise ourself to the second class, first class position. Therefore all doubts remain. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972:

And the vaiśyas, they were meant for trading, agriculture and cow protection. As the kṣatriyas were interested, entrusted for protecting the citizens, similarly the vaiśyas were entrusted for protecting the cows. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). So now vaiśyas, they have got big, big factories, they can maintain big, big factories, but they cannot maintain a cow. That is the position. Similarly, Kṣatriyas, they have taken different occupational duties. Brāhmaṇas also, they have left their occupation. Only everyone has come to the platform of śūdras. Therefore it is very difficult to convince them about spiritual life. Mostly people are śūdras. Śūdras, less intelligent. They cannot understand. Mūḍha. Less intelligent means mūḍha. The symbol of less intelligence is ass, mūḍha. The ass... Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has described the karmīs as mūḍha because they work very hard. Although the necessity of life is very little, still they work very hard, day and night.

Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Los Angeles, August 28, 1972:

That is their business. Miscreants. Actually, they want money, but to take the money he has to bluff. Without bluffing, how he can take money? Then they will present themselves: "I am great scientist, I am great philosopher, so give me money, millions of dollars. I'll go to the moon planet, I'll go to the Mars," and taking money and wasting. And because we are rascals, we are also: "Oh, they are making so much advancement, yes." Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). We are following blind leaders. Because we are blind, we do not know. This is the position. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. So we have to open our eyes. How these eyes are opened?

Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

This is sophistry. Why shall I surrender to You?" That is our position. Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender. I take charge of you." Mā śucaḥ, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. "I shall give you relief from all difficulties." "No, why shall I?" Just see how much rascals we are. And they are going on as civilized men. All fools, rascals and rogues and thieves. That's all. This is the position. All fools and rascals and rogues. Ajānantaḥ. Ajānantaḥ means rascals, one who does not know. Ajānantaḥ.

Therefore Vyāsadeva made this śāstra, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ajānantaḥ, for these rascals, one who does not know the aim of life. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. We are meeting with so many problems of life. These are called anarthas, unnecessary. I am spirit soul; you are spirit soul. We are as good as God. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Our real position is ānanda. Sac-cid-ānanda. Why we are meeting so many problems? This is due to this body. This is due to this body. Therefore the real culture is, real education is, how to stop this repetition of body.

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

This is also very important. The sky is one. Just like we can experience the sky, and suppose the sky on San Francisco is overcast with cloud. We say that then we are covered in cloud. Practically this San Francisco sky is only a fragmental portion of the whole sky. Similarly, the real sky is that spiritual sky, paravyoma. When that paravyoma partially is clouded with mahat-tattva, that is called material world. This is the position of material world. Material world is also existing in the spiritual world, but it is covered and in a fragmental segment. Yes.

Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:

They undertook severe penances to teach us. So what was the purpose of such severe penance? For sense controlling. The modern civilization is to give freedom to sense satisfaction, because they cannot control. Just like you are riding on a horse, but the horse is not under your control, then you say, "Let it go to hell, never mind." This is the position. Because they cannot control the senses, they have taken this philosophy that liberating sense gratification is the ultimate goal of life. And the result is that they are going to hell.

Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). The problem is they cannot control the senses. Therefore their philosophical idea is that sense gratification is the ultimate goal of life. They are thinking, which will never be successful, that by advancement of material comforts they will be happy. Therefore the śāstra says impossible or very difficult or by a kind of hope which will never to be fulfilled.

Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:

So what they will vote, cats and dogs? They will vote another big cat, big dog, that's all. So what the big dog, big cat can do? That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). A leader means voted by some hogs, by some dogs, by some camels, and by some asses. This is the position of the society. Suppose there are many dogs in this Los Angeles city... Of course, camels you haven't got, but there are many asses also. At least in Indian cities we find there are many hogs, many dogs, many camels, many asses. So if they are called for votes, "Now we are taking vote for this, for this," what is the value of that election? Is there any value?

So actually we are collecting votes from dogs, hogs, camels and asses. How? The dog means very obedient servant of his master. That is a good qualification, but after all he is a dog. But to execute the service of his master, he is offending so many people.

Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:

No, although I have got my wife, I am implicated with others' wives; I have got husband, I am implicated with others' husbands. No tapasya. They are not prepared for any kind of tapasya. They want cats' and dogs' lives. Therefore their next life is waiting, cats and dogs.

So this is the position. Nara-nārāyaṇa, They underwent severe penances just like Dhruva Mahārāja. But in this age it is not possible. But at least observe these short penances, little penances, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and make your life successful. What is the difficulty? But we are not still prepared. And still we do not take it very seriously, because our past life is so sinful that even coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness we are being disturbed. Our sinful activities are so strong that even coming to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness we are falling down, again falling down. So be careful, be cautious, and execute your duty as Kṛṣṇa conscious people. You will be happy.

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

So we have created a civilization that... We have created a facility for transport by motorcar or by aeroplane, but side by side, we have created another difficulty, that a man has to go to his work three hundred miles away. Side by side. Formerly, a man used to work on his field, a few steps from his house. Now we have created facility of transport; therefore we have to go to work three hundred miles away from home. This is the position. But they have no brain. They're thinking they're advancing. (chuckles) Advancing in this way, that "For my livelihood I have to go three hundred miles, three hours at least, not less than three hours. Or six hours I have to spoil. Then I can go to my office. Then I work there whole day, and again come, again six hours. Then I come at night to sleep along with my family for three hours." Yes. This is our facility. Yes.

One... There is a story. Not story, it is a fact. One day, one grown-up child was asking his mother, "Who is this gentleman?" The father was there. So the mother said, "He is your father, my dear child."

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

There are still. They start at six o'clock from home to catch the first train. We have seen in Calcutta. First train is seven o'clock, and they come in Calcutta after two hours, nine o'clock. Then attends office, and again he catches another train, five o'clock. He goes, late at night. In Bombay also, big, big cities. This is the position.

So we are advancing in science, but at the same time, the so-called science, at the same time we are creating many disadvantages. Many disadvantages. From practical experience I say that when I came to your country... In India it is very difficult to get a telephone. You have to wait in the waiting list at least for two years or you have to bribe the authorities, say, five thousand, two thousand, like that. So when I got this facility of telephone... Because as soon as I deposited forty dollars... Forty dollars? The next day the telephone was in my room. So I was very glad. But after getting my telephone, I was disturbed always. (laughter)

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

So I asked him, it is the time to inquire? I am very sorry. Not only one, I become so much disturbed. Then I asked them, get out this telephone. Yes.

So try to understand. The so-called facility of the modern science means creating so many difficulties also. That is the position. Just like formerly, a preacher could not come to your country, say, fifty years or a hundred years ago. So he was preaching within his limit. But we have got now facilities, so we are preaching everywhere. So from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we can utilize all facilities in the proper channel. But not materially. Now, we are utilizing this facility of aeroplane; that means we are getting good chance for serving Kṛṣṇa. But others, materialists, they are getting this facility so that his child cannot recognize him. So we can take all facilities... So therefore we are actually utilizing the scientific improvements for the benefit of the people; the karmīs, they cannot. They are in difficulties, in the actually...

Lecture on SB 1.3.19 -- Los Angeles, September 24, 1972:

So everything is there. God is there. His name is there. His address is there. His law is there. Everything is there. But the rascals will not accept it. That is the position. Therefore we have to follow the mahājana. So Bali Mahārāja is one of the mahājana. How he became mahājana? Because he's surrendering fully unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Vāmanadeva, incarnation of... Keśava dhṛta-vāmana-rūpa. So the incident is that Bali Mahārāja was very powerful, and he conquered the whole universe, even the demigods all. So Viṣṇu is always in favor of the demigods because demigods, they are also devotees. The difference between sura and asura... Asura means envious of the demigods. That is called asura. Sura-dviṣa. The another name of the asura, "those who are envious of devotees." That is the only business. There, two classes of men are always there. Sometimes one class in more in number, and other class is more in number. But two classes. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke (BG 16.6). "There are two classes of men, living entities." Daiva āsura eva ca. "One is called daiva, demigods, and the other is called āsura." So who is daiva? Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva. "Those who are devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, they are called demigods, or Vaiṣṇava." All Vaiṣṇavas are demigods.

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

In another man, animal, it is not so strong. But this consciousness is there. But this God consciousness is not there except in human being.

So the human society is becoming so degraded that they are trying to forget God. That is their advancement of civilization. The more you deny existence of God and become a so-called rascal scientist, then you are advanced. This is the position. So this position will degrade so much after, say, 400,000's of years, gradually degrading, that at time, Kṛṣṇa will come in His incarnation as Kalki. At that time the Kalki's business will be simply to kill. That's all. No more. No more preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply kill them. That is Kalki avatāra. That Kalki avatāra is given the father's name. This is called śāstra. This is called scripture. Four hundred thousand's after, 400,000's of years after, Kalki will come. Now, His father's name is given there. Just like Lord Buddha's mother's name is there. So you cannot imitate that "I am Kalki avatāra." You have to give evidence, what is your father's name. Just see. This is called śāstra.

Lecture on SB 1.3.26 -- Los Angeles, October 1, 1972:

Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Real guru will never claim, although He is given the honor of God, but He does not claim, never claims that He is God. He always claims that "I am the most fallen servant of God." This is the position.

So as there are incessantly waves of the ocean... You have seen when you go to the beach, always wave; twenty-four hours, there are wave. Similarly, incarnations are also coming. Why not? There are innumerable universes, not one universe. We have studied in the Brahma-saṁhitā, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. Jagad-aṇḍa means universe. So in each and every universe there are the nātha, the controller. Nātha means controller. The Brahmā, Lord Brahmā. So just imagine, through the inhaling and exhaling of Mahā-Viṣṇu in the Causal Ocean, so many universes are coming out.

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

These four principles of our interest, means dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa, projjhita, they are thrown away from this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And the great commenter, commentator, I mean to say, Śrīdhara Svāmī, he says that dharmaḥ projjhita-dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa atra mokṣa-visandhir(?) api parityaktaḥ. One should not aspire even for liberation. That is the position of a devotee.

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). These are dharma-artha. Anyone wants... Everyone wants money, everyone wants good wife, good family, good comfortable life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies, that "I don't want all these things." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Then that is... (break)

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you should study very scrutinizingly, critically. And there is explanation of great, I mean, stalwart devotees. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are eight kinds of commentary. In Bhagavad-gītā... They are authorized.

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

'Panditji,' a learned man, and I am also such a fool that I accept that I am very much learned." "Why you disagree that you are not learned? You are learned." Now, he said that tāi satya māni, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "I am so learned that I do not know what is my destination, what is good for me."

This is the position of conditional life. Everyone is thinking that "I am very learned," "I am very rich," "I am very opulent," but if you ask him that "Why you are suffering? Wherefrom you have come? Where you are going next life? What is God? What is your relationship with...," he is silent. He's silent. You ask anybody, any learned professor in the, in the university, these questions, and let him... He will simply answer, "Perhaps," "Maybe," "Like this," "Like that...," no definite answer, because he does not know. This is our conditional life. This is our conditional life, that we do not know our position.

Therefore the same principle, as Nārada is asking Vyāsadeva, that "You try to meditate upon the activities of the Supreme Lord."

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

So it is very good thing. (laughter) But the wonderful thing I see, now, in spite of all these inconveniences, they have increased their love for You." So Nārada, he is astonished, "What kind of hypnotism you do, I do not know. (laughter) In spite of being placed in so much inconveniences, their love for You has increased." That is the position of Pāṇḍavas. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). The devotee, pure devotee, if they are put into difficulty they take it, "Oh, it is Kṛṣṇa's grace. It is Kṛṣṇa's grace." Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam. They take it in this way, "Kṛṣṇa, I was to suffer hundred times more than this due to my bad activities in my past life, but You are giving me a little out of it. So it is Your grace." So devotee never takes any...

Therefore nārāyaṇa-paraḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati: (SB 6.17.28) "One who has become nārāyaṇa-paraḥ, Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's never afraid of any condition of life."

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

They'll devote the whole day for reading this newspaper or some fiction or some novels, for this and that. Some political talks and... But they have no time to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Apaśyatām ātma... Because they have no, no interest in self-realization. There is no interest. People have lost all interest. This is the position. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential at the present moment.

Now, these European and Americans, they have enough heard about all these nonsense. Therefore they are anxious to hear about self-realization.

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

To serve others. A brāhmaṇa will not serve anyone else. A kṣatriya will not serve anyone else. A vaiśya will not serve anyone else. Only the śūdras. So at the present moment we are giving śūdra education. Everyone is taking one application: "Give me some service." "No vacancy, sir." Therefore it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga everyone is śūdra. And how you can have good government by the śūdras? Kṣatriya required. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. He was touring. As soon as he saw one man is killing cow, "Who are you, rascal, killing cow in my kingdom?" Kṣatriya. Give protection. Even to the cows. Prajā means one who has taken birth in that land. Why he should not be given protection? But because they are śūdras, they do not know what is the kṣatriya's duty, what is the government's duty. This is the position. Am I right or wrong?

Lecture on SB 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was neither yogi, nor he could display any yogic perfection. But he was protected by Kṛṣṇa, by the Sudarśana-cakra. This is Vaiṣṇava's... Vaiṣṇavas do not require to practice any yogic power to become materially powerful. He doesn't require. Simply his surrender to Kṛṣṇa makes him all-powerful. This is the position of Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇavas, they do not care for all these yogic powers. They depend on Kṛṣṇa. And who can be... Kṛṣṇa is the yogeśvara, all, master of... Yatra kṛṣṇo... yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (BG 18.78). So if one takes shelter of the Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic power, why he should bother about this yogic power? A poor man may try to earn money by hard labor, but one who is a very, very rich man's son, why should he labor? The father's money is sufficient. Similarly, a devotee, a sincere devotee, he is under the protection of Kṛṣṇa. And under the protection of Kṛṣṇa means under the protection of all six kinds of opulences: riches, then strength, then reputation, wisdom, renunciation, beauty—the six kinds of opulence. Kṛṣṇa, under... Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. This is stated here.

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

Or you cannot perform even Deity worship very nicely. There are so many flaws. Everything is very difficult. And charity... And there are so many. Śamena damena dānena tyāgena. So where is the money I shall...? There is no money even to feed me. I am eating... This morning I do not know what shall I eat in the evening. This is the position at the present moment. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ, kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. The life is also very short duration, and so many disturbances. Not only disturbance of the Kali-yuga, but the disturbance by the government also, by the demigods. There is scorching heat, there is severe cold. And ati-vṛṣṭi, sometimes more than we want, there is rainfall. Sometimes there is no rainfall. And in this way there is scarcity of foodstuff. Anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa, and taxation. These are the disturbances. So many. One side, taxation by the government, another side, by nature there is scarcity of food and there is scarcity of rain.

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

"Yes, come one. Now come under my jurisdiction. Not there, here." This is the position.

Therefore we living entities, we are described, taṭastha. Taṭastha means marginal. Actually, we are spirit soul, our position in the spiritual world, but we are sometimes fallen down in this material world on account of our desire to enjoy. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy, not His manufactured philosophy... This is the actual position. He, when He instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī put before Him the question that "I was a minister and I am a brāhmaṇa, I'm very learned. They say, of course, that I am paṇḍitajī. But actually I do not know what is my position. Actually I am fool number one. I do not know what is my position.

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

These innocent people, they call me I am paṇḍitajī, I am minister, I am this, I am that, and I accept that I am that. But actually I do not know what I am." That is the position everywhere. You ask any prime minister that "You are prime minister, but actually what you are? Will you remain prime minister forever?" He or she cannot answer this question. Or they evade this question. But this is really the question, athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should try to understand "What I am?" but they do not rea... They do not inquire, neither they are interested. So foolish persons, they may be prime minister in this life, next life a dog. They don't care. But this is not life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should inquire and purify himself.

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

They... Sometimes they say, "God is great," but what is that God, how great He is, how He is good, nobody knows. So where is the question of hari-toṣaṇam? If I do not know... Somebody says that "You go and satisfy Mr. such and such, Mr. John." So I do not know who is Mr. John, where does he live, what does he do, then how can I satisfy him? This is the position.

So hari-toṣaṇam or bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam can be possible when we actually know what is God. Otherwise there is no question. So, so far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees, we know who is God. Therefore this business is possible by us, not by others. We know what is God. We have no vague idea. We know who is God, where does He live, what does He do, His name, address, His father's name—everything we know. Therefore we can satisfy. We are competent to satisfy because we know exactly who is God. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). How do you know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

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

Similarly, ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Anyone who is following ācārya, whatever he says it is correct. Because he does not manufacture. He says what he has heard from the ācāryas exactly like the child, what he has heard from his father, from the superior, he speaks.

So that is the position of guru. Guru is respected as good as God. Why? Only for this qualification, that he does not speak anything nonsense. He speaks only what he has heard from the ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Ācāryopāsanam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said ācāryopāsanam. So Vyāsadeva is our ācārya, therefore we offer vyāsa-pūjā. On the birthday of guru we offer vyāsa-pūjā. Actually, it is not directly Vyāsa, but because the bona fide guru represents Vyāsadeva, his pūjā is also vyāsa-pūjā. Mad-bhakta-pūjā abhyadhikā. To worship Vyāsadeva, worship the bona fide spiritual master and worship the Lord, they are the same. Rather, Kṛṣṇa says that if you worship His bona fide representative, that worship is better than directly worshiping.

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

So this question does not strike us, that "If I am immortal—I have no birth, I have no death..." na jāyate mriyate vā kadācit "...at any time. Not that sometimes I was dying. No, never." Nityaḥ śāśvato yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This is the position. "Then why I am accepting this birth and death and old age, disease? This is my problem." So we do not think that, neither we are educated how to stop it. But there is process. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Not Kṛṣṇa ordinarily-factually, kṛṣṇa-tattvataḥ. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, actually, in fact, in truth. Then what is the result? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: "His, the cycle of birth and death, old age, and dis..., stopped."

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

They think that... Many students in Europe and America, Indian students I mean to say, they put forward that question to me, "Swamiji, how this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will help us? At the present moment we require technology." They challenge me. Of course, I reply. This is the position of India. They have given up Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are working very hard for getting some money for bread. It is said in the śāstra that in the Kali-yuga people will have to work so hard, like an ass, to get their morsel of food. We have seen in Calcutta, somebody with sacred thread, he was pulling ṭhelā and perspiring. And somebody known to him, he said, Panditji, palale(?), means "I offer my respect to you," and the ṭhelā-wālā says, jitalau(?). This is the position. A brāhmaṇa is pulling ṭhelā; it is working like an ass. Pulling ṭhelā is not the business of human being, but although he thinks himself to be a brāhmaṇa, he is engaged in pulling ṭhelā. This is Kali's position, manda.

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

Nobody is interested. This is Kali-yuga. We are trying to train people "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." Still, there are some failures. And if we teach in our institution, "Please do not speak lies," people will laugh: "What is this nonsense? Nowadays is it possible to remain in this society without speaking lies?" This is the position. This is called Kali-yuga. Nobody is interested to be trained up as a brāhmaṇa. Nobody is interested to be trained up as a kṣatriya, neither as a vaiśya. They are all śūdras. Therefore it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. There is no training. It is very very difficult to train them to become purified by training. These statuses of life were different status of training so that ultimately one can become brāhmaṇa, and when he's fully trained up as a brāhmaṇa then he transcends the brāhmaṇa's position, and he becomes a Vaiṣṇava.

So to become Vaiṣṇava is not so easy thing. One has to become brāhmaṇa, then when he surpasses the stages of becoming brāhmaṇa then he becomes a Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

You cannot understand with these blunt senses. Then how? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When you engage your senses, purified senses. Sevonmukhe. Purified senses means when the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord—everything—then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is not your servant: "Kṛṣṇa, I want to see You." No. That you cannot see. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When He's pleased, when He sees that "Here is a pure devotee," then He reveals.

So the Pāṇḍavas were pure devotees; therefore Kṛṣṇa took his side and they became victorious in the fight. And Kṛṣṇa is always ready to give protection to His devotees. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). His sudarśana-cakra always protects His devotees. That is the position of devotee.

Lecture on SB 1.7.23 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1976:

No. Or a man dresses like a woman, does it mean that he has become woman? Simply by outward dress? No. Puruṣa, the only puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. That is very nicely explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Only Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. He's the enjoyer. All others, they are servants. This is the position. Never try to become the puruṣa or the master. That is very dangerous. Always remain prakṛti. Prakṛti means to be controlled or controlled, and puruṣa means the controller. So here is the supreme controller: tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣāt. Not that "You were made by some means." Sākṣāt, directly. Sākṣāt. And īśvara. Sākṣād īśvaraḥ. Not artificial īśvara. Sākṣād īśvaraḥ.

So where is the difficulty to understand God, īśvara, or the puruṣa? There is no difficulty. Kṛṣṇa personally says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). So many things.

Lecture on SB 1.7.27 -- Vrndavana, September 24, 1976:

"Why you did not this? Why you do not this? Why...?" As soon as the feeling of devotional service will be lost, this temple will be a burden. This is the way. It will be such a big temple. To manage, it will be a great burden. So they are feeling burden. Therefore they don't mind if somewhere is broken sometimes. "All right, let us, whatever money we have got, let us eat first of all." This is the position. Vigraha and galagraha. You should understand. If we forget that "Here is Kṛṣṇa personally present. We have to receive Him very nicely. We have to give Him nice food, nice dress, nice..." Then it is service. And as soon as the feeling comes that "Here is a stone idol..." They say sometimes "idol worship." "And we have been instructed to dress Him, to give Him..., all botheration." Then finished. Finished. That has come everywhere. I have seen in Nasik in many, many big temples there is no pūjārī, and the dogs are passing stool. Not only they're breaking. In Western countries also the churches are being closed-big, big churches.

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

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

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

Therefore Kṛṣṇa is very, very satisfied with the Vaiṣṇava. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). So you have taken to the vow of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Try to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. And we have got little success. One politician in U.S.A., he has remarked that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is increasing like an epidemic." He has said that. "And if we do not check it, one day it may take our government." He has opined like that. So any intelligent man can know what is the ultimate result. Everyone... Because mass of people, if they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then government is yours. That is a fact. And if the Kṛṣṇa consciousness government is there, no meat-eating, no smoking, no illicit sex, so many no's, the demons will die. (laughter) That is the position. Thank you very much.

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

So this is the position of God, that He is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. He is within this universe; He is within the atom also. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayā...

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ
yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ
aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.35)

This is Brahma-saṁhitā. The Lord, by expansion of one of His plenary portions, He is existing within this universe. Not only within the universe, but within the atom also. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. This is God's qualification, that He can become greater than the greatest. Just like we have got conception the greatest—this universe. We cannot even imagine how long, how far it is extended. But such universes are coming out from the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Yaḥ kāraṇārnava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidrām ananta-jagad-aṇḍa-saroma-kūpaḥ (Bs. 5.47).

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

Otherwise what is the use knowing, "Oh, President Nixon is very great"? There are so many... What I am deriving from that great? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they simply remain silent, "Oh, God is very great," and they cannot imagine how great He is. But a devotee can understand how great He is. He can see that innumerable universes are within the mouth of God. This is the position of devotee. This is not sufficient knowledge: "God is great." God must be great. That's all right. But unless you come in dealing with that great, you cannot relish actually what is God and how great He is.

So here Kuntī says, alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (SB 1.8.18). Sarva-bhūtānām, "All living entities..." alakṣyam, "You are invisible, invisible, although," antar bahir avasthitam, "You are within and without." God is within yourself. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is situated in everyone's heart. The yoga system means to see, find out that God, Paramātmā, or meditate upon Him.

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

He happens to be nephew, but she is offering his obeisances. Because (s)he knows, "He is playing the part of my nephew, but He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Therefore although she is superior in position because aunt, she is offering namasye, "I offer my respectful obeisances unto You." This is the position.

So God is invisible, who? For the persons who have no eyes to see Him. Alakṣyam. Although He is everywhere: aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35), idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān. This viśvam, this universe, is the transformation of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore... The energy is not different from the energetic. Therefore the whole world is Kṛṣṇa, whole world is Kṛṣṇa. So we have to make our eyes. That eyes can be purified, as it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38).

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

"Where is your God?" So God is everywhere, but He is not visible to the nondevotee. But one who is devotee, he can see Him. Every... Not only once. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). Sadaiva means always. He is seeing always Kṛṣṇa. That is the position of saintly person. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu (Bs. 5.38). Hṛdayeṣu, in the heart, vilokayanti, they see.

So if you can see God, you can talk with God, if you can go back to home, back to God, why should you lose this opportunity? This opportunity is in the human being. You can see God, you can talk with God, you can go back home, back to God. Everything is possible. And that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

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

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

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :

This is the mistake of the modern world. Not only modern, this is the mistake of the material world. They do not know that everything belongs to God. That's a fact. We fight, "This is my land, this is your land," but fighting, we die, and the land is there. The land does not go with the fighters. They fight amongst themselves, "This is my land," "This is my land," but the land remains, and the persons fighting, they go away. This is the position. But still we do not understand that the land does not belong to either you or to me. It belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So anyway, just to establish, to remind us, Kṛṣṇa comes, so that "Any land does not belong to you." Bhoktāram, "I am the enjoyer," sarva-loka-maheśvaram, "I am the proprietor of all the planets." That's a fact.

So Kuntī knew it, that "We are..., we fought the battle of Kurukṣetra, but actually Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor." Therefore he is..., she is offering her prayer, namasye puruṣaṁ tvā, "You are puruṣam." Puruṣam means the enjoyer.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Chicago, July 5, 1974 :

Although he is in your front, the father or the brother whom you see every day, this man, being, has dressed himself in such a way, he is playing the part of a king or something else, you can not understand. Somebody says, "Did you see your father is playing?" "Where is my father? Where is my father?" This is the position. Because Kṛṣṇa is playing His part in a different way. He has ot so much business because He is directing the whole universal affair. You can understand, if one man becomes busy in so many things, his brain becomes puzzled. But Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart—not only the human being; the animals, the trees, plants, everyone. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ. And what He is doing? He is giving direction. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am sitting in everyone's heart," sarvasya ca aham hṛdi sann... Again hṛdi, in the soul, in the heart. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca, "I am giving particular direction to everyone." He is forgetting something, he is reminding..., he is reminded something.

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

That is the danger. That is being done. Nobody is interested. Such, such things...

Now, who is, who can understand Kṛṣṇa? There are so many impediments. One side, there is curtain of māyā; another side, everyone is a rascal and fool; and another side, Kṛṣṇa is beyond your sense perception. This is the position. How much one must be alert. Then one can understand. Just like the Gosvāmīs. Is Kṛṣṇa is so easy thing to be understood? But there is process. So if we do not adopt the process, then how we can understand Kṛṣṇa? These are the so many difficult things. One side, one thing is the māyā is checking. Māyā is trying to put stumbling block for your advancement of spiritual life. Māyā-javanikācchannam. And the other side, we are all fools and rascals. And the, again, Kṛṣṇa is adhokṣaja, beyond the range of sense perception. This is the position.

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

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

Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Los Angeles, April 15, 1973:

So this is the position of devotees, that Devakī who happens to be the mother of Kṛṣṇa... She's not ordinary woman. Who can become the mother of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? The most advanced devotee, so that Kṛṣṇa has agreed to become her son. In his previous life, the husband and wife, they underwent severe austerities, and when Kṛṣṇa appeared before them and wanted to give them benediction, they wanted a son like God. So where can be another person who is equal to God? That is not possible. God means there is no equal, there is no greater. Asamordhva. That is God. God, there cannot be any competition, that "You are God, I am God, he is God, he is God." No. These are dogs. They are not God. God means without competition: one. God is one. Nobody is great... asamordhva. Nobody is greater than Him. Nobody is equal to Him. Everyone is lower. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). The only master is Kṛṣṇa, God; and everyone, servant. Never mind. Even if he's Brahmā, Viṣṇu or Śiva, big, big demigods. And what to speak of others?

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

So she was crying and praying to Kṛṣṇa, "Save my honor." But she was trying also herself to save. When she thought that "It is impossible to save myself, my honor, in this way," then he (she) left the hands. She simply got up her arms and prayed, "Kṛṣṇa, if You like, You can save."

So this is the position. So long we try to save ourself, then that is not very good. If you simply depend on Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, if You save me, that is all right. Otherwise kill me, as You like." You see? Mārobi rākhobi—jo icchā tohārā. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, "I surrender unto You." Mānasa, deho, geho, jo kichu mor, "My dear Lord, whatever I have got, my possession... And what I have got? I have got this body. I have got my mind. I have got a little home and my wife, my children. This is my possession." So mānasa, deho, geho, jo kichu mor. "So whatever I have got—this body, this mind, this wife, these children, this home, everything I surrender unto You." Mānasa, deho, geho, jo kichu mor, arpiluṅ tuwā pade, nanda-kiśor. Kṛṣṇa is known as Nanda-kiśora.

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

"Please come and save me in this danger." So Lord Śiva did not come. And Pārvatī, Lord Śiva's wife, asked that "Why is that? Your devotee, such a great devotee, he has served you so much, and now he is in danger. He is asking your help. You are not going?" And Lord Śiva replied, "My dear Pārvatī, what shall I do? I cannot give him protection. It is not possible. Why shall I go?" So this is the position, that if God wants to kill you, nobody can give you protection. And if God wants to give you protection, nobody can kill you. This is the position. Rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke, māre kṛṣṇa rākhe ke.

So Kuntīdevī is remembering one after another how Kṛṣṇa saved them. That is thinking of Kṛṣṇa, smaraṇam, that "Kṛṣṇa, You are so kind upon us. You saved us in so many big, big dangerous position. It is for You. Otherwise there was no hope." And the last is drauṇy-astra. Drauṇy-astra. This Aśvatthāmā, he executed very abominable task. He came... Of course, there was fight. Both the parties belonged to the same family.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Los Angeles, April 17, 1973:

Those who are in devotional service, they are: ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa assures that: "I give you protection from the reaction of sinful life." So when there is very, very grievous criminal activities behind his, sometimes it is like that. Instead of hanging him, there may be little cut by the knife on the finger. This is the position. So why should we be afraid of danger? We should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because if we live Kṛṣṇa conscious, in any circumstances, then my benefit is that I am not coming again in this material world. Apunar bhava-darśanam (SB 1.8.25). The repeatedly, as you think of Kṛṣṇa, as you see Kṛṣṇa, as you read of Kṛṣṇa, as you work for Kṛṣṇa, some way or other, if you remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is your benefit. And that benefit will save you from taking birth again in the material world. That is real benefit. And if I am become little comfortable by so-called other engagement, and if I forget Kṛṣṇa, and I have to take birth again, then what is my benefit? We should be very much careful about this.

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

And if you increase your intoxication... The modern civilization is that we are already intoxicated and increase the intoxication. We have to become out of the intoxication situation, but the modern civilization is increasing, that "You become more intoxicated, more intoxicated, and go to hell." This is the position of the modern civilization.

So Kuntī says that this intoxication position, madaḥ, edhamāna-madaḥ (SB 1.8.26), increasing, pumān, such person, naivārhati, they cannot feelingly address: "Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava." They cannot feelingly. That is not possible. Their feeling, spiritual feeling, is lost. They cannot feelingly address because they do not know. "Oh, this God is for poor man. They cannot have sufficient food. Let them go to the church and ask: 'Oh, God, give us our daily bread.' We have got enough bread. Why shall I go to church?" This is their opinion.

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

Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna, edhamāna-madaḥ (SB 1.8.26). The more we possess these things, then we become intoxicated. It is already illusion. Gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ (SB 5.5.8). So that illusion becomes more and more stronger. And that is called madaḥ.

So they are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the position at the present moment. Everyone is trying that "I must have a good position in the society." People will say, "Oh, his house is very nice." Or everyone is trying to be educated to acquire money. In the Western countries, these are very prominent, janmaiśvarya-śruta. They are not very much interested about the janma, but aiśvarya, śruta, they are interested, and śrī. So everywhere, more or less, that is the... So these are disqualification for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the material world they are very good qualification, advancement of material civilization. But here Kuntī says, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān, naivārhati: "He does not desire." Na eva, naiva, arhati.

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

So everything I have lost. Therefore I am forced to come to You, surrender. So don't kick me, kick me out. Please give me shelter because I have no other shelter." Tomā bine ke āche āmāra: "I... There is nobody else to take my care except Your Lordship." This is called niṣkiñcana.

So actually that is the position. So long we shall think that "For my protection, this arrangement is there for my protection. This arrangement is there...," that is not niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcana means when I'll think, I'll be actually under the understanding that "I have no other protection except Kṛṣṇa," and then I fully surrender, that is the best qualification for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is said, naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai tvām: "Unto You." Who are You? Akiñcana-gocaram: "You can be understood only by a person who has lost everything, who has lost everything." Then the Kuntī's purpose was that "When we lost everything, You were with us. And now we have got kingdom. We have got prestige. We have got so many things. Now You are going away to Dvārakā?"

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

The senses, being engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, it is no more controller of the sense proprietor. This is the system. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī said that durdānta: "The senses are like the snakes; it is very difficult to control. But it can be controlled because the poison teeth is taken away." This is the position of devotee. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūrākāśa-puṣpāyate durdānta indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate.

And what is the other? Now, vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. I was going to come to this point. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. Vidhi means Brahmā, and mahendra means the king of heaven, Indradeva. Such, such, big, big men, what to speak of these Churchill or Subhash Bose or... These big, big, they're kīṭāyate. Kīṭāyate means a devotee thinks this Brahmā and Indra exactly like these insect. That is the conception. So that is actually the fact. Everyone... It is the relative world. Relatively, it looks very gorgeous, but the actually... Just like proportionate.

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

Because they are impersonalists, they are—"God, or the Brahman, has no leg." So how they will take shelter of the leg or lotus feet? Impersonal. Therefore the very word is used, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Aṅghrayaḥ means this leg, or lotus feet. So because they have no information, or they, even they have got information, they are not inclined to render service, therefore they fall down. This is the position.

So our business is not to realize simply that "I... ahaṁ brahmāsmi." That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). When you understand that you are not this body but you are spirit soul, then, actually, if you realize, then, if I understand... Na jāyate na mriyate vā. The soul does not die. Then here the karmīs are working very hard because he's upset that "If I do not work hard, if I do not get money, then I shall die out of starvation." But if you are actually Brahman realized, if you understand that "I'll not die," then where is your activities? You'll not die.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972:

One who was crow is now swimming like swan. That we can do. That is the benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when the swans become crows, that is material world. That is Kṛṣṇa says: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). The living entity is encaged in this material body and he's trying to gratify the senses, one body after another, one body after another, one body, after another. This is the position. And dharma means to gradually turn the crows into swans. That is dharma.

Just like one man may be, may remain, may be very illiterate, uncultured, but he can be converted into educated, cultured man. By education, by training. So that possibility is there in the human form of life. I cannot train a dog to become a devotee. That is difficult. It can be done also. But I may not be so powerful. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu did. When He was passing through the jungle, Jharikhaṇḍa, the tigers, the snakes, the deers, all the animals, they became devotee. They became devotee. So what was possible for me, uh, Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Because He's God Himself.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

So there are four Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas. So we have to approach the authoritative representative of Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa. Then we can get the real knowledge.

Therefore this earth personified approached Brahmā. Bhuvārthitaḥ jātaḥ. So Brahmā prayed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead that: "This is the position of the world. So it is now overburdened with demons." So Kṛṣṇa comes:

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati (bhārata)
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
(BG 4.7)

He appears. This is the process. So somebody says Kṛṣṇa appeared on the request of Brahmā when he prayed for His appearance on account of overburden, weight of the world.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

This is rascaldom. Nārāyaṇa is asamordhva. Nobody can be equal or greater than Him. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is no more superior thing above Me." Neither equal to Him, asamordhva. Asama, asama means no equal, and na ūrdhva. Everyone is down. That is the position. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8).

So these are all foolish theories that with Nārāyaṇa everyone can be equal. The lack of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge. That is not... Therefore śāstra has forbidden: "Don't do this. Don't equalize anyone, even Brahmā and Rudra." Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Lord Śiva, they are actually sitting on the same platform. Still Viṣṇu is the Supreme. Nobody should equalize Brahmā, Rudra even. What to speak of others? So if one does so... Yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ samatvenaiva vīkṣeta (CC Madhya 18.116), equalize, sa pāṣaṇḍī. This is the meaning of pāṣaṇḍī.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Mayapura, October 16, 1974:

Kliśyanti means suffering, suffering the hard work. Everyone. Kliśyanti. Everyone is working very hard for maintenance, struggle for existence. Tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. Karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. Here, in this material world, you have to work very, very hard. Just even for maintenance, and what to speak of sense gratification? This is the position. Bhave 'smin kliśyanti. Bhave 'smin kliśyamānānām avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ. If you work hard, at least there is some expectation... Just like ordinarily a man, a boy, takes education, works very hard so that he may be very successful in examination. And then he passes. Then he works hard to get a good job. Then, in the job, in the service, he works very hard so that he get, he may get promotion. So the hard working is going on. You cannot stop it. Kliśyanti. But unfortunately they do not know the aim of life, "Why we are working so hard." That is the difficulty. But generally they want—"We are working hard for sense gratification. That's all, enjoy the senses." That is the whole civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Mayapura, October 16, 1974:

Then again, next meeting they held that "What is this? Why we are becoming weak?" Then they decided that "The stomach must be given, sir. We have to work."

This is our position. Kṛṣṇa is bhoktā, and we are parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. That means we have to work for Kṛṣṇa. This is a fact. If you don't work for Kṛṣṇa, then you'll starve. That is the position. But these rascals, they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Exactly in the same way as these rascals, different parts of the body, limbs, they did not know that "Without satisfying the stomach, we shall die," similarly these rascals, these karmīs, these, those who have come to this material world, they do not know that without conscious, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without satisfying Kṛṣṇa, they'll simply starve. Struggle for existence. Kliśyanti. Simply their labor will be frustrated. That is the philosophy.

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

So these facilities you can get in higher planetary systems, if you prepare yourself. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). Similarly, you can go to the Pitṛlokas. You can meet there your forefathers if they are, of course, eligible. And bhūtejyā... If you want, you can remain here. And mad-yājino 'pi mām: "And if you become a devotee of Me, then you can come to Me." This is the position. If you like, you can go to hell, you can go to the heaven, you can go to, back to home, back to Godhead. This is your position. Therefore intelligent person should think over that "If I am, I have to prepare for my life, why not prepare for going back to home, back to Godhead? This is intelligence. If I have to work to go to the higher planetary systems or lower planetary system... Because this body will be finished; next body I'll have to accept."

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

So Yaśodā said, "Yes, I'll do that. I'll take away all these ornaments. Yes." Then they say, "No, no, it is useless. Oh, this boy has got some effulgence of Himself. Without ornaments He can, He can also find out."

So this is the position. The transcendental body is effulgent. On account of effulgence of the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa, the whole light is there. Whatever light you are seeing, it is all borrowing light from Kṛṣṇa's effulgence. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). In the light, bodily effulgence light of Kṛṣṇa, generating millions of universes. Yasya prabhā... (Bs. 5.40). Just like this sunshine. Everything is there. You have to study. The sunshine is producing these planets, other planets. That is scientifically true. And due to sunshine, the planets becoming warm.

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Los Angeles, May 7, 1973:

Arjuna said senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta: (BG 1.21) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are Acyuta." Acyuta means who never falls, falls back. So "You have accepted my charioteer post..." So charioteer post means He has to carry the order of the king who is on the chariot. Chariot driver is a driver, and the master is the man who is sitting on the chariot. That is the position. So Arjuna knew that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Out of friendship, He has become my charioteer, order-carrier." So when he requested Him, rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta... "Just place my chariot between the two soldiers," senayor ubhayor madhye, so he was little hesitating that "I am ordering Kṛṣṇa." Therefore he reminded: "Acyuta." Acyuta means who never falls back. Therefore, he reminded that "Kṛṣṇa, although You are my master, but because You have voluntarily accepted to become my charioteer, therefore I am asking You. It is not disrespect. So you have to carry it as a charioteer." Kṛṣṇa also said, "Yes, I am willing. Yes." This is the position.

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Mayapura, October 25, 1974:

The impersonalists, they take pleasure to merge into brahma-sukha, but here the Personality, Kṛṣṇa, who is taking His friend on His shoulder, He is the source of brahma-sukha." In other words, the impersonalists enjoy brahma-sukha, and the devotee enjoys that Supreme Brahman by rising up on His shoulder. That is the position of the devotee.

Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena: "And He's the Supreme Person for the devotees." Dāsyaṁ gatānām, those who have accepted to become the servant, eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So for them, here is the Supreme Person. And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa: "Those who are under the influence of māyā, they are seeing Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human child, māyāśrita." And who are playing? Now, sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). They have come to this position so much so that they are rising on the shoulder of Kṛṣṇa. How? Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Puṇya-puñjāḥ, heaps of pious activities, many, many lives'.

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

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

Lecture on SB 1.8.51 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1973:

"Have you got bread?" "No, sir." "You ask us." They ask, "O my Communist friend, give me the bread." "Take bread, as many as you like."

So common men, they think that bread is coming from these rascals. But actually, bread is coming from God. So because God could not supply the bread in the church, they become Communists. This is the position. They take God as some solace, what is called, opium? Opiate. Yes. When there is no other source... And the whole over the world, they do not know, actually, what is God, what is our relationship with, what is God's function. That you will find only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That we can say very proudly. What is God, what is the philosophy, what He is doing, what is His name, what is His address, what is His father's name—we know everything. (laughter) That is our position.

Lecture on SB 1.8.51 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1973:

Just like one man knocked some of our student, and he died, and then he was fined twenty thousand dollars, like that. So everyone knows that "If I knock somebody or kill somebody, there is motor accident, there will be so much trouble." And when there is trouble, actually, they go and give some fine. But the accident is going on. Nobody is careful. So that is the position. Unless one is careful to his sense that "Why should I drive so fiercely or without any care that others may be injured, my car will be injured? Why shall I created this trouble? Let me drive the car very conscientiously..." So that is required. Simply atonement, or giving fine for some misdeed, that is not sufficient. One should be awakened to his knowledge about his responsibility.

So this gṛhamedhī... There are two words: gṛhamedhī and gṛhastha. I have explained many times. Gṛhamedhī has no philosophy. He is like cats and dog. Every animal has also family, wife, children.

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

You can analyze chemically—immediately impure. That surā, liquor, has become our daily affair. We are so impure. And bhūta-hatyā, and killing of animals. The modern civilization means large-scale arrangement for killing animals and large-scale arrangement for distilling liquor, especially in the Western countries. And India is also now following. So this is the position of the world. What is being condemned by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, that, those items at the present moment are being encouraged by the government. This is the difference between this government and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's government. You can just imagine.

So the example is very nice. Yathā paṅkena paṅkāmbhaḥ. Muddy water, if you bring muddy water, if you want to cleanse it, precipitate, then you cannot add another lump of mud in it. No. You have to add something chemical. Just like alum. In muddy water if you put little alum chemical... Am I right, chemist?

Lecture on SB 1.9.1 -- Los Angeles, May 15, 1973:

So when the prajās were killed, the king became enemy. He is thinking, "Otherwise, how I could induce them to be killed?" He was thinking like that. Prajā-drohāt. As you, if you rebel against the king, it is also a great fault, similarly, if you rebel, revolt against the prajās, that is also great fault. Therefore he is afraid. Bhītaḥ prajā-drohāt. "Now what to do?" Sarva-dharma-vivitsayā. This is the position to approach a guru, when you are bewildered. When things are not in order, brain is puzzled... Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru when he could not ascertain whether he shall fight or not, bewilderment, so similarly, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja also became bewildered, that "I have killed so many prajās. What is my position? I have become so much sinful. How can I rule over the empire?"

So when all these questions puzzled him, he decided to go to Bhīṣmadeva, who was lying on the arrows' bed before his death. As I told you that Bhīṣmadeva could not be dead without..., so long he does not wish.

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

"Oh, such an important movement is going on? Our first attention should be how this movement can go on." So nice character, so nice behavior, so nice knowledge, so nice consciousness of God, so pure, and the government has no attention. They are thinking it is something sentimental. And all the politicians, going to the brothel and drinking and dancing naked, they are all first-class men. This is the position of the society. No care for the living entities who are very important. Just like in this verse, vipra. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is always accompanied by brāhmaṇas. Without brahminical culture, what is the value of the society? There is no value. It is animal society.

Therefore Bhagavad-gītā recommends, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Here you cannot find all one class of men. That is not possible. There is those rascals who are trying to have a classless society, no class, all one. That is rascaldom. That is not possible. There must be classes. That is scientific.

Lecture on SB 1.9.3 -- Los Angeles, May 17, 1973:

So it is stated that without money, you cannot get justice even. In the court of justice, everyone is expected to get proper behavior, but in the Kali-yuga it is stated (that) even in the court of justice, you cannot get justice without money. That's a fact. If you have no money, then you cannot appoint a good lawyer. And sometimes you have to bribe the judge also. This is the position now. Now in your country so many big, big men have been arrested or something like that for their dishonesty. So Kali-yuga is so polluted that the minister is dishonest, the judge is dishonest, and what to speak of ordinary men. So only thing is that you get money some way or other. Then you can pass on as a nice gentleman, polished. You keep yourself always polished, and within you may be full with all dirty things, but if you have got your pockets filled up with coins and notes, then you are nice. Formerly it was not like that. One must be qualified. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:

Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). You cannot understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. Generally, all people, they do not know what is God. And what to speak of understanding whether God is pleased or not pleased. They do not know what is God. This is the position of the world. They do not know what is God, neither there is any education to understand, although the human life is meant for understanding God. That is human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The animal life, their inquiries are... In the morning... Just like birds, they chirp, "Where we have to go now to find out our food? Where we shall eat today? Where we shall go?" That is their questions and answers. Similarly, we also, human beings, we go to the share market, "What is the value? What is the price of this commodity? What is the price of that commodity? " For eating purpose. Not these questions. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The human life should be engaged in inquiring about Brahman. "What is the Absolute Truth?

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

And if they are fortunate, by good education, they become vijñāna-vidhūta-vibhramaḥ. Vijñāna-vidhūta-vibhramaḥ. By instruction of high personalities, mahājana... Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Bhīṣma is also one of the mahājanas, a great authority.

So this is the position of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, that completely being confident, completely being freed from all ignorance, then he sat on the throne. Just imagine what is the position of this monarch and these rascal so-called presidents. Sanātana Gosvāmī presented himself... Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, he presented, both of them presented themself by Caitanya Mahāprabhu as nīca-jāti. Nīca. Nīca means lowest, lowest grade; jāti, born. But actually they were born of very high-grade brāhmaṇa family of Karnatak. But why they presented themselves as nīca-jāti? Because that is explained in Bhakti-ratnākara, that because their behavior on account of mixing with the Muhammadan kings degraded, therefore they considered themself as nīca.

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

So this man married one European wife, and his expenditures was very, very heavy. So high-court judge, he was getting only four thousand rupees, and his expenditure was ten thousand rupees, and therefore he was taking bribe. He admitted. So when he was detected by the chief justice, he was dismissed from the post. But this is the position. You should not expend more than your income.

So kāmam, yes, what is that? Annād, annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Bhūtāni means embodied, those who have taken, accepted, the living entities. They live by eating anna, either animal or human being. You require anna. Produce foodgrains. Foodgrains or grass or anything, as the animals eat and man eat, you must produce. And that production is there on the ground, not you factory. Not in the Birmingham factories. There are many factories in Birmingham? You cannot produce foodgrains there. Therefore it is said, annād bhavanti bhūtāni.

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

If Kṛṣṇa does not sanction, in spite of very rich parents, the child is suffering. Why? Because there is no sanction. Similarly, if one is diseased, you can engage first-class physician and you can use first-class medicine; still he dies. Why he dies? You have got so advanced medicine, advanced physician. Why the man dies? Because Kṛṣṇa wanted. That's it. Similarly, we have created so many countereffects for all our miserable condition. That is called struggle for existence. But if there is no sanction from Kṛṣṇa, these counteractions will not be useful. You'll have to starve. You'll have to die. All these methods cannot help you. Mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10). Therefore Kṛṣṇa says mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. So everything, without Kṛṣṇa's sanction... They say, "Not a blade of grass moves without the sanction of God." This is the position. Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:

And if you waste your time in such foolish activity, then there will be anxiety, there will be disease, there will be enemies, there will be disturbance—everything, one after another, one after another. Natural disturbance, disturbance by other living creatures, disturbance by your body. So this world will become hell. This is the position.

So just compare the present governmental situation and the time... A king is supposed to be responsible for the citizen's peaceful life, no anxiety, no disease. Ādhayo vyādhayaḥ. That is king. Just like one brāhmaṇa approached Lord Rāmacandra that "In the presence of father the son has died. You are responsible. There must be something wrong in Your kingdom." His son died. That is natural, that son lives, father dies. This is natural death. "And what is this? The father is living and son is dying?" So king was so much responsible, even the death must be systematic. There should be no anxiety.

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

Even he protests externally, internally he understands that he has committed a mistake by associating. Kīrtyamānam. Kīrtyamānaṁ yaśo yasya sakṛd ākarṇya rocanam. The saṅkīrtana, chanting of this holy name, is so pleasing that one cannot avoid it if once he has associated with devotees. This is the position.

Therefore for the Pāṇḍavas... Of course, the holy name of the Lord and the Lord, they're identical. There is no difference. But still we are chanting the holy name of the Lord, and if the Lord comes personally, how much we shall be engladdened. So we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name, but the Pāṇḍavas, they were practically associating with Kṛṣṇa. So if a person associating with devotees, becomes interested in chanting the holy name of the Lord, how much it is impossible, how much it is impossible for the Pāṇḍavas to give up His association. Because they are so fortunate that darśana-sparśa-saṁlāpa-śayanāsana-bhojanaiḥ.

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

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very serious and important. Here are the sign, how they love Kṛṣṇa. One side, they are..., they cannot check the tears coming out, "Kṛṣṇa is going away." Another side, "Oh, if I shed tears, then there may be inauspicity." How much perplexity, this two sides. Dilemma. Between the horns of Scylla and Charybdis. That is the position. The lover, intense love creates such situation, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited.

yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa
cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam
śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ
govinda-viraheṇa me

"Without seeing Govinda, the whole world is vacant." This is love. "Let me try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. If it is done, all right. If it is not done, I shall remain in my position. What is the loss?" Not like that. One must be so eager that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one should become mad. One should become mad. That is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching, separation, not direct contact.

Lecture on SB 1.13.10 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

They do not know it. As soon as there is talk of this goodness and sinful activity, immediately they go away. Immediately. Yesterday that gentleman came, and just when I began to talk about pious activities and impious activities, he immediately left, "I have got another meeting."

So this is the position. Upadeśo hi mūrkhāṇāṁ prakopāya na śāntaye. If one is a foolish person, if you give him good instruction, he will be angry. He will not take it. Upadeśo hi mūrkhāṇāṁ prakopāya na śāntaye payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam. A snake, if you kindly give him foodstuff, there is no... Snake is very fond of drinking milk. They are very much fond. So sometimes a snake charmer, they mix milk with banana and give them to eat for their satisfaction. But the result? What is the result? Result is as soon as he becomes strong by eating, the poison teeth becomes filled with poison. Just like with our healthy body, our different nerves and parts of the body become healthy, similarly, the snake's most important part of the body...

Lecture on SB 1.15.1 -- New York, November 29, 1973:

This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa and the living entity, they are very intimately connected. Like father and son, or friend and friend, or master and servant, like that. We are very much intimately connected. But because we have forgotten our intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and trying to become happy in this material world, therefore we have to undergo so much tribulations. This is the position. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare.

We living entities, we are trying to become happy within this material world, "Why you are in the material world, why not in the spiritual world?" The spiritual world, nobody can become the enjoyer, bhokta. That is only Supreme, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva... (BG 5.29). There is no mistake. There are also living entities, but they know perfectly well that real enjoyer, proprietor, is Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual kingdom. Similarly, even in this material world, if we understand perfectly well that we are not enjoyer, Kṛṣṇa is enjoyer, then that is spiritual world.

Lecture on SB 1.15.1 -- New York, November 29, 1973:

Āsuri bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because they have taken the position (that) there is no God. These big, big scientists, they are trying to prove there is no God, "This creation is due from matter from chemical, the water has come from chemical combination, hydrogen, oxygen. These are the..." All foolish theories, and they are getting Nobel prize. They are getting Nobel prize. This is the position.

Therefore, from this verse, you should know evaṁ kṛṣṇa-sakhaḥ kṛṣṇo bhrātrā rājñā vikalpitaḥ, nānā-śaṅkā... These rascals, our Say our elder brother, advance, they're suggesting, "This the cause of," "this is the cause of," "this is the cause of," "this is the cause of." But the only cause is Kṛṣṇa, forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, that they do not know. The only cause.

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

That will make your life perfect." But we shall not do that. We shall not do that. We shall think of so many other things, but we will never accept thinking of Kṛṣṇa. We shall become devotees of so many rascals, even of a dog also, but we shall never become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is the position. We are devotee or master to our wife, to our children, to our country, to our society, but as soon as you say that "You become devotee of Kṛṣṇa," oh, he is enraged immediately: "What nonsense you are speaking? I have got so many work to do. Why shall I become devotee of Kṛṣṇa?" This is the disease. This is the disease. Therefore Kṛṣṇa ultimately says that "You give up all this nonsense, and if you surrender unto Me, then I shall give you protection."

Naturally... Just like we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not devotee to the people in general. Then why we are preaching? We are devotee. We are actually devotee, without any motive. Any so-called political leader, he has got some motive.

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

At the present moment, this godless civilization, as soon as there is declaration of war, the America is prepared to drop atom bomb, Russia is... The first nation who will drop the atom bomb, he will be victorious. Nobody will be victorious, because both of them are ready to drop. The America will be finished and Russia will be finished. That is the position. So you may make advancement of civilization, scientific improvement, economic development, but if it is godless, at any moment it will be finished. At any moment.

Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, they were demons, godless demons. Rāvaṇa was very learned scholar in Vedic knowledge and very powerful materially. He converted his capital with gold, all the buildings and everything. It is supposed that Rāvaṇa's brother was a king of..., on the other side of the globe. So it is my suggestion... I do not say it is very scientific proof. So other side of the globe... Rāvaṇa was in Ceylon, and the other side of the globe, if you go by subway, it comes to Brazil.

Lecture on SB 1.15.24 -- Los Angeles, December 3, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa reminds, "Now this person killed you," or "This child killed you last life. Now you can kill in the womb. Now you kill." Viceṣṭitam. He reminds. Because Kṛṣṇa is described: anumantā. Anumantā upadraṣṭā. He is witness. Now this man has killed this man. Now he gets the opportunity to kill him again. And Kṛṣṇa reminds you, "Kill him. Here is opportunity." This is the position. Don't think when it is said that īśvarasya viceṣṭitam, it is by the will, that will, because He is equal to everyone, so everyone should get chance to retaliate. That is going on.

So God is not partial, He is impartial. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Nobody in the material world... Just like jail superintendent or the government. The government is not partial. Government is equal to everyone, but everyone is enjoying or suffering according to his own work. So that is reminded. That is reminded and sanction given that "This body, this being, killed you in your last life. Now I give you sanction, you can kill him." This is called nighnanti. Mitho nighnanti.

Lecture on SB 1.15.24 -- Los Angeles, December 3, 1973:

Just see. The Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill," and they are simply engaged in killing business, and still they want to be happy. Just see the fun. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, you be killed by occasional world war. You must be killed. You have created this situation. You must be killed. You may be American or Englishman or German or this or that. You may be very proud of your nationality. But you must be killed." This is the position. Īśvarasya viceṣṭitam. "You have killed so many animals. Now wholesale killing, one bomb. One atom bomb. Be killed."

So these rascals they do not know how things are going on. Īśvarasya viceṣṭitam. "Tit for tat." There must be. If in ordinary laws, in the state laws, that if you have killed somebody you must be hanged, so do you think you can simply bluff the Supreme Authority, Kṛṣṇa, that you are going, killing, killing, killing, and you will be saved? No. You will be killed in pestilence, in famine. Even within your mother's womb, you will be killed, where it is supposed to be good protection, there also you will be killed.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- Los Angeles, December 5, 1973:

Actually, he is suffering. But having a nice coat or nice place, he is thinking that he is enjoying. That is foolishness. That is called māyā. There is no enjoyment in this material world. Simply we are trying to counteract the suffering. This counteraction of suffering, we are accepting as enjoyment. So this material world means you must suffer. That is the position of the material world. Otherwise why you have come to material world? Just like in the prison life, how you can expect enjoyment there? But a man... Suppose a big politician is put into the jail and he is given a very nice, comfortable bungalow and everything, but he is in the jail. But he is thinking that "I am enjoying." He forgets that he is in the jail. He is in the jail. That is called ignorance, māyā. He is suffering and he is accepting. Just like the pig. He is eating stool, but he is thinking he is enjoying. This is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:

The mahātmā's definition is there in the Bhagavad-gītā: mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ (BG 9.13). That is mahātmā, not to take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā. Of course, there are... So we do not want to criticize anyone, but sometimes it so happens. Big, big scholars, big, big politicians, they misguide people. That is the position of India. So many big, big leaders and politician and so-called swamis and yogis, they have exploited people by bluffing, and now India's position is: it is neither spiritual nor material. (laughter) That's all. Dhuno ke pap.(?)

Just like it is, the example is, if there are two boats and if you place your leg this boat and that boat, the position is very precarious. (laughter) Neither in this boat, neither that boat. Fully. So our position is that. We are learning technology, and the western countries, they are advanced in technology always hundred years more. Some years ago there was a big exhibition in Delhi.

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

Just like the child is sitting on the lap of the father. So the child is confident that "I'm secure." So it has no more any second desire. In the material world, because we have not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa we are always wandering helpless. Everyone here feeling helpless. Even though one is millionaire, even though one is president, but he's feeling helpless. This is the position, material conditional life.

bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ
praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ
kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ
praharṣayiṣyāmi sanātha-jīvitam

This is a prayer by Yāmunācārya. He's aspiring, bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ: "I shall always live in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Bhavantam. He's addressing the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, bhavantam. Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ.

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

That Dr. (indistinct) said that imitation barking is very much appreciated. People go to see imitation bark. If you give a sign board that "Here is an expert imitator who can imitate the sounds of all animals," you will purchase tickets ten dollars and go and see how this man is imitating. But you don't care for the real dog who is barking. This is the position. The scientific advance means the imitation barking. That's all. The dog is already there. Everyone can see. The barking is there. But if a scientist can imitate how dog barks, then he's advanced. The already life is being produced millions and millions of lives. Now they are going to check life production. Or we see if a rascal scientist says that "Now I produced one life in laboratory." "Oh, wonderful!" The... Real life they are going to check, and some imitation life he has produced, he gets Nobel Prize. This is going on. This is going on. Simply wasting public money. That's all. The so-called sci...

And now they have failed to go to the moon planet.

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

Yes. Therefore you have to understand Bhagavad-gītā is left for you. Kṛṣṇa has left before going away from this planet. He gave the instruction: "This is the position. You are like this. Your position is like this. You are now in trouble. You are in material existence. Why you are struggling for existence simply making your mind as the guide?" Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "These living entities, they are My part and parcel. They're as good as I am, but..." Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣa... "They have made the mind, given the power of attorney to the mind, and therefore they are forced to the struggle for existence." This is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā.

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

You like this. Somebody wants to come here and somebody does not want to come. That independence is there. That independence is; otherwise there are millions of people here in Los Angeles. Who is coming here? Nobody. Because they are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So this is the position. You create a situation of your own. Just like when the surgical operation, you have got a boil, then you... You have created by contamination, and the surgeon is simply operating. He has not created that situation. Similarly your transference to another body is not God's creation, it is your creation. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, you have seen. Why one is born in low-grade family, one is born high-grade family, one is born animal, one is born human being, one is born as demigod? Why? What is the cause? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Kāraṇam. The cause is as he has infected the modes of material nature.

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

I am very poor." That is our position. We are praying. But Kṛṣṇa's position is that lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam. The goddess of fortune is praying Kṛṣṇa. Just like the gopīs, they are all goddess of fortune. "Kṛṣṇa, kindly take little service..." This is the position.

So why Kṛṣṇa will come to you, take your foodstuff? Because Kṛṣṇa wants that you surrender. That is required. That is required. Therefore we should serve Kṛṣṇa, because without bhakti, many times Kṛṣṇa has said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: (BG 18.55) "simply through bhakti." You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by your so-called scholarship, scientific knowledge and speculation. These are all useless, nonsense things. You cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa clearly said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Bhaktyā. Simply by devotional service one can understand. Bhakti means serving, service. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234).

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

They cannot actually enjoy. Vayasi gate kim yuvati nārī:(?) "When one is old man, what is the use of mixing with young girls?" Yes. But they like it. They like it. They pay for it. But they do not enjoy, Because if they have enjoyed, they would have been satisfied, but they are not satisfied. Frustrated.

So this is the position. This is the position. Just like the heat and light. If... You are feeling the heat in the sunshine, but that does not mean the sun is there. You cannot say that. Sun is there and not there. This is called simultaneously inconceivable presence of God everywhere. He is present everywhere. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

Because at the present moment for sometimes we are under the material nature, now, if we try, then we can get out of this covering of material nature and come to the spiritual nature. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means don't remain in the marginal position. Come in the land so there will be no disturbance by the water. This is the position. If you remain on the marginal position, then sometimes you will be covered by the water and sometimes it will be dry. But if you little come forward this side, land side, the ocean has no power to touch you.

But Kṛṣṇa is not like that, and that is described here. Although Kṛṣṇa left this world, that does not mean that He left this world as we leave. Our leaving this world means we are leaving this material world and accepting another body. Therefore, at the present moment we are not in our own body. Our body is changing. Now this American body, and next birth may be Russian body. This is going on. You are fighting against the Russians, Americans, but he may get the Russian body next life.

Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:

One wife has captured his one hand, another wife has captured another hand. One wife has captured one leg, another one leg. In this way, some, hair... So in this way he is incapable. Everyone is asking, "You come to my room." But how he can go? He is captured. So this is the position. A materialistic person is captivated by so many objects of sense gratification. That is his prison house. The state laws, if you are criminal, they put him into the jail. But nature's law is such that you don't require... Your senses will keep you intact in jail. You don't require to be handcuffed. The senses are so strong that it will keep you in this material world, incapable. You cannot move. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Guṇamayī. Guṇa means qualities. Everyone is compact, bound up by different qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And guṇamayī means... Guṇa means rope also. In this way he was bound up by the ropes.

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

Delhika lāḍu is so made that one who has tasted it, he laments, and who has not tasted, he laments. Both of them. So this potassium cyanide is like that, a chemical. The chemists, because they do not know what is the taste, so they say that "We do not know. Analysis is imperfect." And those who have tasted, they cannot say. They are finished. (laughter) So this is the position.

So this delhika lāḍu is referred to, Delhi prostitute. Delhika lāḍu. So we do not wish to discuss these things, but so many things. Not only prostitute, even sex life, it is like that. Anyone who has tasted, he also laments, and who has not tasted, he also laments. This is the position. This is the position. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Maithunādi. Maithunādi means sexual intercourse. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham. It is a pleasure just like itching sensation. It is all described. Yan maithunādi... A gṛhamedhi... Gṛhamedhi means a so-called householder. There are two words: gṛhamedhi and gṛhastha.

Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:

And in one of the universes... This is one of the universe. And in each universe there are millions of planets. And this planet, earthly planets, is only a small planet in that universe. And on this earthly planet, there are so many cities. And in each city, there are so many newspapers. And each newspaper has got so many editions. This is the position of the material world. Now, think over the spiritual world. It is... The spiritual world is three fourths, three times bigger than this material... And there are so many planets, so many universes, and so many activities. So we can produce not one newspaper daily, but every minute a newspaper. We can produce. Unfortunately, there is no customer. You see? This is the difficulty. For material news, there are so many customers, but when we put something, spiritual news, no customer. This is the difficulty. Otherwise... You are thinking of one newspaper daily. We could issue every second a newspaper about spiritual news." So this sixty books is not sufficient.

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

Śūdra, actually he was a śūdra, but he dressed like a king. Just like if a woman dresses like a man, that is artificial. Or a man dresses like woman, that is also artificial. So everyone has his original dress and position. There, because a śūdra took the dress of a king, therefore it is called nṛpa-liṅga-dharam. Artificially, he was dressed like a king. That is the position of Kali-yuga. Now the government men, they are elected by votes. People do not consider whether he's a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra. As he likes... People are śūdras. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga everyone is a śūdra. Therefore naturally he will elect one śūdra. The śūdra is not fit for government management. As such we find so many difficulties in the government because the head or the head man, they are all śūdras. They have dressed like administrator, but they are śūdras. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. There is no brāhmaṇa, there is no kṣatriya, there is no vaiśyas. Maybe a few vaiśyas, and all śūdras. A brāhmaṇa means the good quality, first-class quality. That is very, very rare to be found.

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

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

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

Exact good government law means that anyone who kills an animal without sanction... Of course, they now give sanction, that "Yes, you can kill as many animals in the slaughterhouse as you like." Because the government is śūdra. Government is not kṣatriya. So therefore is no protection. Why animal? Even a human being, if he's being killed on the street, on the Broadway, nobody cares for him. So this is the position. But Parīkṣit Mahārāja was not such a king or such a head of the executive... He immediately punished. Therefore it is mentioned specially: ojasā vīraḥ kalim. Kali is to be punished.

The Kali begins with this animal killing. That is Kali-yuga. Meat-eating. Therefore, to avoid the influence of Kali we have to give up this habit. The four things are Kali's disciple, friends. We have already discussed this. So one friend is this meat-eating problem, the butchers, Kali's friends. And the liquor distiller, he's also Kali's friend. And the gamblers or the gambling house maintainer. And prostitute house maintainer.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

Because your living condition is so horrible that every day, morning, you have to kill so many animals and see bloodshed and this. It is a horrible life. Your occupation is very, very horrible. Therefore you should not live. But at the same time, if you die, then you are going to suffer all this suffering yourself. Then you don't die also." So this is the position. And sādhu, those who are saintly person, devotees, he is advised, jīva vā māra vā: "Either you live or either you die, your business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. You are serving Kṛṣṇa now, and after death, you will serve Kṛṣṇa. So there is no question of your death, neither there is no question of your birth." So these are some moral instructions.

So here it is said that kim anyair asad-ālāpair yad. What is this? Avyayaḥ, asad-vyayaḥ. What is the meaning of vyayaḥ? Asat, "unnecessary waste of life." So unnecessary waste of life, we should be very careful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the criterion of Kṛṣṇa conscious life. We should not waste our time.

Lecture on SB 1.16.7 -- Los Angeles, January 4, 1974:

So he marked it that the man was looking towards the young girl, not to the emperor. So he said, "Yes, I have got your answer."

So these desires... This is the root cause of our coming to this material world, to enjoy. Enjoyment is there in the spiritual world, but there, in the spiritual world, the enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone is enjoyed. That is the position. Just like in the Western countries, the women declare that "Why we should not have equal rights with the man?" But by nature it is different. The man is the enjoyer, and the woman is the enjoyed. That is the position. Bhoktā and bhogya. There are many social problems in your country—I do not wish to discuss—but it is very grave problems. But they do not know how to systematize the human form of life because they do not know what is the aim of life. That they do not know. So aim of life is to stop this repetition of birth and death. That is the aim of life. The so-called scientists, they do not know it, and neither they work for it. They do not know it.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

Therefore, Parīkṣit Mahārāja's situation, vartamānasya, tasyaivaṁ vartamānasya, how he was being situated, in what position he was. Just like not to go so far as to go to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Even those who are neophytes, trying to be beyond the range of Kali-yuga, our members of the Kṛṣṇa society, because they have given up these four sinful activities, they can see how one is influenced by Kali. So this is the position. Therefore he could see. Now because the so-called leaders, so-called presidents, they are themself agent of Kali, how they can stop this illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling, and intoxication? They cannot do. So you have to take shelter of the śāstra, and then you will be able to avoid it. Otherwise, it is not possible.

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

He's loving the cow and the calf. He's personally teaching from His childhood, from His boyhood. So we should follow. If we want to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, we must give... The calf is also seeing to the face of Kṛṣṇa for protection, and Kṛṣṇa is giving protection, "Yes, I'll give you protection."

So this is the position. And here is also dharma. Religious life must begin very clean. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
(BG 7.28)

Sinful life will not... (break) ...that is practical, everyone knows. And we see so many varieties of people, men, in the society, and what is the difference of variety? One has got good brain, another has got dull brain.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1974:

So be careful that this material world is itself dangerous. Especially in this age of Kali, it is dangerous. It is stated in the śāstra, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58), every step there is danger. This is the position. Māyā is so strong that you should always expect simply danger. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you can overcome these dangers... Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām. It is not... This dangerous position is not for them. Who? Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam, one who has taken shelter of the lotus feet. It is a great ocean, just like the Pacific Ocean. It is just like a great ocean, big ocean of ignorance. As in the ocean, if you go, even on a boat, it is always dangerous, similarly, we are in the ocean of material civilization. There is always danger. But if you take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ padam, then you overcome the danger and you go back to home, back to Godhead.

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

You stand up; you'll see a long shadow on your back side. So that is māyā. The māyā is the back side. That means if you stand before the sun, in the front, you can see in the sunlight very nicely. But if somebody stands on your back side, he cannot see you. This is the position. Apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam.

What is this māyā? Why this māyā? That is also explained. What is that? Yayā sammohito jīva: "These conditioned souls, they're bewildered by māyā, illusion." That is māyā. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam: (SB 1.7.5) "Being bewildered by this māyā, this soul, who is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God, he's thinking that 'I am a material product. I am made of these material things.' " Just like the so-called rascal scientists, they'll never accept that within this body there is the soul because they're always thinking there is no such thing as soul. Only the material, that's all. This is illusion.

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

Therefore we say, "No illicit sex, no intoxication." You are already intoxicated. Why you are increasing intoxication? This māyā means intoxication. Piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna... Just like a person, when he's ghostly haunted, he calls his father by ill names, but he cannot recognize even his father. So all of us, we are already under the clutches of māyā. That is the position of intoxication. And again intoxication? So what will be our condition? Therefore it is prohibited. First of all, whatever intoxication you have already got, just try to cure it. Don't increase it. So everything... The physical necessities means we have already got it, but it is meant for decreasing, not increasing. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. We have got general tendency, loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā. Everything is there in the śāstra. Nityā hi jantoḥ. Jantu means living entities. So, it is eternally existing, loke vyavāya, sex intercourse, āmiṣa, eating non-fruital things. Āmiṣa means "which is not fruits and vegetables." Meat, fish, eggs, they are called āmiṣa. And they are called nirāmiṣa.

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

The aim is the same, but you cannot say that one who has already covered one hundred steps, he is as good as one who has covered two steps. There is that difference. Here is a person who has covered only two steps; here is another person who has covered fifty steps; here is another person who has covered hundred steps. Suppose you have to fulfill five hundred steps. So proportionately, that is the position. But the steps are already there. So any religious system—it doesn't matter Hindu religion or Christian religion or Muhammadan religion—it is the question of how the followers are covering the steps. They are going on the same staircase, but it is the question of...

So ultimate success is... That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje: (SB 1.2.6) "The highest perfection is that when you understand God and you are in love with God." That is success. You are in love in God.

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

Why? Because unless there is one head, or on the head of the government, who can actually control... Control means whether citizens are following, executing the rules and regulation, the law of the state. Therefore a certain man, qualified man, who is, who enjoys the confidence of the people, he is accepted as the king. This is the position. So such president, king, or the executive head, must be a saintly person. Therefore here it is said, parīkṣin nāma rājarṣiḥ. Rājarṣi means those who are on the top of the government, he must be ṛṣi, saintly person. Just like this, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the head of the institution must be a saintly person. Otherwise how he can become a controller? Controller there must be. That what is the qualification of the controller? He must be a saintly person. He must know what is the principle of life, what is the value of life, why one should be controlled by somebody else. These things are required to become qualified.

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

Just like in religious system, in any religious system, the killing of animal there is. In every religious system, there is. But why there is this killing of a living entity? It is not good. But why in the religious system there is permission for killing animal? So that is explained. The explanation is, that a person who is a staunch meat-eater, he cannot give up meat-eating, so... At the same time he wants to be religious. This is the position. For such person it is enjoined, just like in Vedic system, "All right, if you want to eat meat, at the same time you want to become religious, then you worship Goddess Kālī. You cannot worship Viṣṇu." Because he's a meat-eater he cannot approach pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. The Supreme Personality is the supreme pure. So this meat-eater is impure. He cannot approach the pure. That is not possible. Therefore he is advised to approach some agent of the pure, some śakti, or just like Goddess Kālī. Goddess Kālī is the śakti or the agent, potency. She has got also business: to cut the heads of the demons. You have seen the Goddess Kālī's picture, muṇḍa-mālā.

Page Title:This is the position (Lectures, SB canto 1)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:13 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=134, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:134