Vedic mantras (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"Vedic Mantras" |"Vedic mantra"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

The kṣatriyas, when they are fighting in the battlefield, the killing is not a sin for them. Similarly, a brāhmaṇa, when he's offering sacrifice, sometimes animals are sacrificed; so that does not mean that he is committing sin. This animal sacrifice was made not for eating the animals. It was for testing the Vedic mantra. Whether the brāhmaṇas who were engaged in offering sacrifice, whether they were chanting the Vedic mantra in right way, that was tested by offering one animal and again giving the animal a new youth life. That was animal sacrifice. Sometimes horses, sometimes cows were offered. But in this age, Kali-yuga, they are forbidden because there is no such yājñika-brāhmaṇa. All kinds of sacrifices are forbidden in this age.

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

And sometimes India, they perform so-called yajñas. They collect some money. That's all. It cannot be successful because there is no yajnic brāhmaṇa. The yajnic brāhmaṇa is not in existence at the present moment. The yajnic brāhmaṇa used to test how correctly they are pronouncing Vedic mantra. The test was that one animal should be put into the fire and he would again come with fresh, young body. Then it is tested that the yajña is being performed nicely. The brāhmaṇas, the yajnic brāhmaṇa, they are pronouncing the Veda mantra correctly. This is the test. But where is that brāhmaṇa in this age? Therefore no yajña is recommended. Kalau pañca vivarjayet aśvamedham, avalambhaṁ sannyāsaṁ bāla-paitṛkam, devareṇa suta-pitṛ kalau pañca vivarjayet (CC Adi 17.164). So there is no yajña in this age. There is no yajnic brāhmaṇa. This is the only yajña: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and dance in ecstasy.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

As the father maintains you and mother gives you milk. And do you think it is good to kill them?" So Kazi, he was also learned, "Oh, Your Vedic scripture also, there is cow sacrifice." Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, "No, that is not killing. That was giving a new body to show the strength of the Vedic mantras." A cow was sacrificed in the fire and by mantra, by chanting of the mantra, the cow will come out with a new body, young body. That was not killing. So similarly, here also, Kṛṣṇa is giving the same argument, that "You are lamenting on your grandfather. He has got old body, but if he is killed in this battle, he'll have a new, fresh new body. So you should be joyful. Why are you lamenting?" So this argument was forwarded by Kṛṣṇa, that... Now, just like this child. This child can hope many things. He has got immense duration of life now beginning, and what hope I have got? I am now this old body, say five years or ten years more.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Oh, yes. That I've explained just a few minutes before. The animals were put into the sacrificial fire. By Vedic mantra, he was given new life. But at the present moment such expert priests and brāhmaṇas are not available. Therefore it is stopped. Animal sacrifice is stopped. Because it is Kali-yuga. Nobody is reading, cultivating Vedic mantras. So in this age, this mantra is called mahā-mantra, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. All Vedic mantras are now gone to hell. You see? Nobody can properly chant Vedic mantras and take the benefit out of it. But this mantra, any way you chant, neglectfully or properly, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and the result is there. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative, kalau, in this age. So the Vedic mantra is now gone. This is also Vedic mantra, but this is Vedic mahā-mantra, the greatest of all mantras. Yes. So sacrifice everything and chant this mantra and go to Kṛṣṇa, back to Godhead. That's all.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- London, August 20, 1973:

Sometimes in the Vedas killing is recommended, just like in the fight or in the sacrifice, but that is not sinful. Sometimes a brāhmaṇa is sacrificing, offering, performing great sacrifice, and the animal is put into the fire just to give him renovated, new life, not for killing, just to test how Vedic mantras are being properly pronounced. That will be test. When sacrifice is done, the fire is there, and old animal is put into the sacrifice, and he comes out with a new body. That means the Vedic mantras are being pronounced very properly, and it is being carried out. This is the experiment, not for killing. Although in the Vedas there are recommendation that paśu-vadha system... Just like in the modern age also, when some experiment is made, it is made on the life of the animal. But they are killed. But when there is recommendation of putting an animal in the fire, that is not for killing; that is to see that this animal has got a new body.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

And as soon as you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become joyful. There is no reason of lamenting. There is no reason of hankering. Everything is complete. Kṛṣṇa is complete. So he becomes free. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ state. So this can be awakened by hearing. Therefore the Vedic mantra is called śruti. One has to receive this awakening through the ear. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Always one has to hear and chant about Viṣṇu. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), everything will be cleansed, and he'll come to understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

Brāhmaṇa means who knows that "I am not this body; I am the... I am the... I am in spirit, conscious. I am soul, spirit, consciousness," one who knows perfectly well this understanding and the science also, that "I am qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Vedic mantra says, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That means "I am Brahman. I am not this matter. I am Brahman." So one who knows this science, he is called brāhmaṇa. And that doesn't matter who is he and where he is born. That doesn't matter. Simply knowing this science... Now, the opposite word is kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means miser. Whom you call miser? The miser is a man who has got enough money but does not spend it. He is called miser. Miser means who has got enough assets, but he does not spend. He simply sees his money and satisfied. He does not spend it, properly utilize it. He is called kṛpaṇa. Is it right, the miser explanation?

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

This material world is dark, is always dark. Therefore here we require the sun and the moon and the electric light. Otherwise, it is dark. As soon as the electricity will fail, then whole city will be in darkness. So the nature of this... And the Vedic mantra also says that "Don't remain in this darkness." Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya: "Just try to transfer yourself in that illuminated world." Jyotir gamaya. Jyoti means illumination. So this world, this material world, is full of darkness. Darkness, one meaning of darkness is ignorance. And another darkness, you know, without, absence of light. So this nature of this material world is darkness. So if we understand the Kṛṣṇa science, and the activities of Kṛṣṇa, how He comes, how He works, what is the mission of His activity...

Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974:

So the brāhmaṇa's business you can understand—the mouth. You have got the tongue. Brāhmaṇa's business is to eat and to chant Vedic mantras. Therefore to give eatables to the Supreme Lord, according to our Vedic principle, the brāhmaṇas are called and they are given foodstuff, that "You eat. By your eating, Kṛṣṇa will eat." But that has been misused now, but actually that is the meaning. In the Vedic literature they do not say that "For some pious activities you call some poor men." No. Brāhmaṇas. Brāhmaṇa-bhajana. Because the brāhmaṇa is supposed to be the mouth of God. Similarly, kṣatriya is supposed to be the arms of God, the vaiśyas, the waist of God, and the śūdras, the legs of God.

Lecture on BG 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:

So You are also killing cow." Just I am going to explain the sacrifice. Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained there that that was not killing. When there was some animal sacrifice, an old animal would be sacrificed in the altar, but it would be given a new life. It was practically testing of the Vedic mantra by the qualified brāhmaṇas. So He said, "Because at the present moment there are no qualified brāhmaṇas, therefore such kind of sacrifice is stopped. Stopped." That was His explanation.

So these sacrifices means unless they are performed very nicely, according to the rules and regulations as they are mentioned in scripture, they will not produce the desired result. That is the way of sacrifice. Now, here it is said, brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma haviḥ. Now, where is the butter, where is the grain, and where is the qualified brāhmaṇa who can chant the mantras, hymns, very nicely, so that we can get the result? So any kind of sacrifice at the present age is impossible. It is not possible. The only sacrifice—that kīrtana, saṅkīrtana-yajña. That is possible, which you have just now tried. This was introduced, and this is recommended in Bhāgavata.

Lecture on BG 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:

He wanted to preach completely, to stop completely animal killing. But because in the Vedic... Of course, I have already explained that sacrifice of animals, as stated in the Vedas, they are not for killing. They are meant for giving a new life to the animal. By Vedic mantra... The Vedic mantra are so powerful that that was a test how a dead animal can get, regain new body. An old animal is sacrificed and it gets a new youthful life. That was the test. It was not meant for killing. Don't misunderstand that sacrifice. But that is mentioned in the Vedas. So people misused that sacrifice means... That sacrifice... They wanted to give evidence from Vedas, "So here is... Animal sacrifice is mentioned in the Vedas. Why we shall stop?" So Lord Buddha started his movement, completely stopping this animal sacrifice.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

Therefore we have to take the knowledge from the Vedas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). These are Vedic mantras. We have to understand the transcendental science through Vedic knowledge. By our imperfect knowledge, if we try to understand the Absolute Truth, naturally we shall find Him.

We can imagine. Just like gagana-sadṛśa. So God is great, but we have no knowledge how He is great. We can simply think of gagana, the sky. That is the greatest. That is our... But we do not know that millions of skies are within the belly of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

So guru must be a brāhmaṇa, mean a qualified brāhmaṇa, not born-brāhmaṇa, so-called brāhmaṇa. Qualified brāhmaṇa. So still, brāhmaṇa's qualification, ṣaṭ-karma, paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. So śāstra says that ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ. If one vipra is quite expert in executing the six kinds of business, and mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, and very well known in the Vedic mantras and hymns and everything complete, but if he is avaiṣṇava, if he is not Vaiṣṇava, he does not know viṣṇu-tattva, or kṛṣṇa-tattva, then he cannot become spiritual master. Avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ. But if a Vaiṣṇava, one who knows viṣṇu-tattva, kṛṣṇa-tattva, even if he's born in the family of śva-paca, the dog-eaters, caṇḍāla, he can be accepted as guru. So the real test is whether the guru is a Vaiṣṇava, whether he know the science of Kṛṣṇa. That is also confirmed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- London, March 9, 1975:

This is Vedic mantra. So yoga means to think of Kṛṣṇa. That is yoga. So it is also confirmed in the Sixth Chapter. We are reading Seventh Chapter. Kṛṣṇa says... Kṛṣṇa taught Arjuna how to practice yoga. Then He concluded His teaching on the yoga that,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

Who is the first-class yogi? There are many different types of yogi. But who is the topmost yogi? Yoginām api sarveṣām. Who is that? Mad-gatena antar-ātmanā: "One who is thinking of Me always." That is perfect yoga. So that statement, that "One who is thinking of Me always, he is perfect yogi," so that is now being explained. It is the conclusion of the Sixth Chapter, and in Seventh Chapter Kṛṣṇa explains how you can think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. This is being explained.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

So therefore our duty is to follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa as it is given. So Kṛṣṇa says, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. The oṁkāra, praṇava... oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. The Vedic mantras, oṁ bhagavate vāsudevāya namaḥ. This oṁkāra, this praṇava, is Kṛṣṇa. So anyone who is chanting the Vedic hymns, and as soon as he vibrates this sound, transcendental sound, om, here is Kṛṣṇa. So how we can avoid Kṛṣṇa? Simply we have to know. You have to purify your eyes. You have to purify your ears. You have to purify your hands. You have to purify your legs. In this way, when your senses are purified in every step, in every moment, you will see Kṛṣṇa, nothing but Kṛṣṇa. The purificatory process—just to purify the eyes. Kṛṣṇa is present before you in arcā-mūrti, arcāvatāra, nicely dressed by the devotees.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

Yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Just like anyone who understands that the taste of the water is Kṛṣṇa's energy, the sunshine is Kṛṣṇa's energy, the moonshine is Kṛṣṇa's energy, the Vedic mantras, that is also to please Kṛṣṇa... And the sound vibrated in the sky, or anywhere, the sound element is Kṛṣṇa. And the energy or the name, fame, opulence of big men of this world, that is also Kṛṣṇa. In this way, if we study Kṛṣṇa, then we know Him gradually. And as soon as we understand Him, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: "One who understands in truth," tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9), "immediately he becomes liberated, so much so that after quitting this body he comes to Me."

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "O son of Kuntī, Arjuna, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras. I am the sound in ether and ability in man."

Prabhupāda:

raso 'ham apsu kaunteya

prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ

praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu

śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu

(BG 7.8)

This is all-pervasive nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We should mark the important word in this verse: aham. Aham means the person. Kṛṣṇa never says that "I am imperson." Imperson is the feature of Kṛṣṇa. Just like in the Ninth Chapter, Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4). Mayā, "I am all-pervasive by My energy."

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

The another method, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. As soon as, early in the morning, you find the sunshine, you remember "Here is Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa." Or at night, when there is no sun, there is moonlight, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Then praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. If you are a student, serious student of Vedic mantras... Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūra... If you chant the Vedic mantras... Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyam. The oṁkāra, that is Kṛṣṇa. Many people are very much fond of chanting oṁkāra. That is also nice. That is Kṛṣṇa. But if we simply remember that "This oṁkāra is Kṛṣṇa," then we become perfect. Because the process is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

We are advising everyone, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Kīrtan... This Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra should be chanted twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. But (if) it becomes difficult or hackneyed, then you can remember Kṛṣṇa otherwise. While drinking water, while seeing the sunshine, while seeing the moonshine, while chanting Vedic mantras, or even hearing some sound in the khe. Sound is produced by the ether. So many sounds we are hearing. If you simply remember this śloka of Bhāgavata, that śabda, any sound... Hare Kṛṣṇa sound is transcendental. That's all right. But if you don't like Hare Kṛṣṇa sound, you take any sound, any sound is also... That is coming from the original sound. Simply it is covered by māyā. What is the difference between spiritual and material? Everything is spiritual. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. But when it is covered by māyā, it is material. That's all. And what is māyā? Forgetful of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.8-14 -- New York, October 2, 1966:

Because in the spiritual sky everything is illuminated, so there is no need. So we can remember God, or Kṛṣṇa, when you see some illuminating property.

Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. When we chant Vedic mantra, oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ... Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya dhīmahi. Now, this oṁkāra, om, that is the beginning. This oṁkāra is addressing. Just like we are addressing, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," this is also addressing, "O Harā, O Kṛṣṇa." This oṁkāra is also addressing. So this oṁkāra is Kṛṣṇa, is God. Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu. And śabda means sound. Whenever you hear some sound, you should know, "This is vibration of the transcendental sound."

Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

So actually we are all sleeping because we do not know what is the aim of life. At night we sleep. We forget that "what is my duty, what is my business, what I have to do." Everything we forget.

Similarly, so long we are in ignorance, that is our sleeping stage. Therefore the Vedic mantra is uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata. "Now you have got this human form of life. Do not sleep like animals, cats and dogs. Get up!" That is Vedic injunction. Tamaso mā jyotir gama: "Don't remain in this darkness. Just come forward to the jyoti." Jyoti means... That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Why do they say that "We have not seen God"? You are seeing always God. You are seeing the sunlight. You are seeing the moonlight. You are smelling the good flavor of flower. You are reading, if you are scholar, you are reading Vedas. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ... He says, "This om," praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu, "in the Vedic mantra, the oṁkāra is I am." Then, pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu. Any wonderful work, if somebody has done, that is Kṛṣṇa. So you have to see Kṛṣṇa in this way, as Kṛṣṇa advises. Then very soon you will see Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of not seeing Him. You will see in every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38), twenty-four hours. Those who are actually Kṛṣṇa devotees, they are seeing Kṛṣṇa. They are seeing nothing but Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of not seeing Him, but you have to adopt the method how to see Him. And that is given there. You adopt it, and you will see Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty?

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

"Previously, all the great sages rendered service unto the transcendental Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān, due to His existence above the three modes of material nature. They worshiped Him to become free from material conditions. Whoever follows such sages is also eligible for liberation from the material world."

So, in the beginning, there was no impersonalists or voidists. These are later additions. In the Vedas it is stated oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. It is a Vedic mantra. Sūrayaḥ, those who are great sages, they're always looking forward to see the lotus feet of Viṣṇu, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. So, in another Vedic mantra there is:

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

These are the six occupation of a brāhmaṇa. So śāstra says, ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ, "A brāhmaṇa, well conversed with these duties of brahminical duties," and mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, "and expert in studying the mantras, Vedic mantras, and tantra, other Vedic literature," avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt, "but if he is avaiṣṇava," means he does not worship Lord Viṣṇu but other demigods, "then he cannot become guru." That is not allowed. You cannot become guru. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra...

So this Śukrācārya, he was against Viṣṇu. So Bali Mahārāja immediately rejected him. Therefore he became a mahājana, exemplary. Because you cannot give up your spiritual master. That is a great sin. Once accepted, the spiritual master takes responsibility for the disciple.

Lecture on SB 1.3.21 -- Los Angeles, September 26, 1972:

He expanded the Vedic knowledge. Formerly there was only one Veda, Atharva-veda. And this Atharva-veda was learned by tradition, by hearing from the spiritual master. There was no book. Therefore Veda is known as śruti. Śruti means hearing. The spiritual master will recite Vedic mantra, and the disciples will hear. Just like we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra or any other Vedic mantra. You hear. But there was no need of book. His memory was so sharp that once heard from the lips of the spiritual master, the students become completely well versed. There was no need of book.

But Vyāsadeva saw that next age, this Kali-yuga, people will be less intelligent. Here it is stated, dṛṣṭvā puṁsaḥ alpa-medhasaḥ. Alpa. Alpa means the brain substance not in much quantity.

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

Now, we should know it that the animal sacrifice, according to the Vedic scripture, that is not killing. That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said that "In the previous time, this cow sacrifice was actually being done. That's all right. But that was not for killing. That—to give the cow, the old cow or bull, a new life. By the power of mantra, just to give evidence of the Vedic mantras, the brāhmaṇas would sacrifice a cow, old cow or old bull, in the fire and give, give him, again, new life. That was... Now, in this age, there is no such powerful brāhmaṇa who can chant the mantras rightly and give again rejuvenation, another new life. It is not possible. Therefore in the śāstras, these sort of sacrifices are forbidden."

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

So when this animal sacrifice was going on simply for eating, simply for eating... Just like in a particular mission they say that "We are devotees of goddess Kālī." Their real mission is to eat meat. Therefore they have become devotees of goddess Kālī. But actually, these sacrifices were not meant, as explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for killing the animals. That was to test the power, the strength, of the Vedic mantras. So Lord Buddha's movement was therefore started... When people began to eat meat like anything on the plea of Vedic sacrifice, so Lord Buddha, at that time—Lord Buddha means he's also incarnation of Kṛṣṇa—he appeared to stop this animal killing. That is the prayer of Lord Buddha we sing:

Lecture on SB 1.7.44 -- Vrndavana, October 4, 1976:

Pradyumna: "Dhanur-veda or military science, was taught by Droṇācārya with all its confidential secrets of throwing and controlling by Vedic hymns. Gross military science is dependent on material weapons, but finer than that is the art of throwing arrows saturated with Vedic hymns, which act more effectively than gross material weapons like machine guns or atomic bombs. The control is by Vedic mantras, or the transcendental science of sound. It is said in the Rāmāyaṇa that Mahārāja Daśaratha, the father of Lord Śrī Rāma, used to control arrows by sound only. He could pierce his target with his arrow by hearing the sound only, without seeing the object. So this is a finer military science than that of the gross material military weapons..."

Prabhupāda: It is called śabda-vedī. He who... Just like I cannot see where is the bird. He's chirping. But śabda-vedī, I can throw wherever the bird is, it will go and kill. That is called śabda-vedī. Mahārāja Daśaratha used it. Therefore he was cursed that he would die being aggrieved when Rāmacandra will be banished.

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

It can go anywhere. But it is not polluted. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). One who is tejī... Don't try to imitate tejī. You must become tejī. Then... Just like for Bhagavān everything is perfect. Apāpa-viddham. Bhagavān is never affected by any so-called sin. For Him there is no sinful activities. Apāpa-viddham. You'll find in the Īśopaniṣad. There is the mantra, Vedic mantra. And if you think, consider, that "Kṛṣṇa is doing so many things, this is sinful." No. Therefore God is always good. God is good. There is a common word. Even if you see that He is doing something wrong, that is not wrong. That is right. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). He's so powerful, for Him there is no wrong. He's never wrongdoer.

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

So easy. Anyone can become kṛṣṇa-bhakta if he follows the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. There is no difficulty. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. This is the simple process. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). This is for ordinary class of men. But if you think that you are very advanced in learning, in Vedic literature, and Vedic mantras, yes, then Kṛṣṇa says, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. That praṇava-oṁkāra, oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. That praṇava is Kṛṣṇa. Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu.

So either you become a highly learned scholar in Vedic literature or you are simply an ordinary person, you can think of Kṛṣṇa and you become successful in your life. There is no difficulty. Raso 'ham. If you are ordinary person... Any, every, every person drinks water or drinks something. Let him immediately think of, as soon as he tastes, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Mayapura, October 23, 1974:

After death everything will be finished.' I am simply thinking of them." Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān: (SB 7.9.43) "And they are vimūḍhān. They do not consider it that they are eternal," nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is the Vedic mantra. The Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is nityo nityānām, and we living entities, we are also nitya. We are plural number; Kṛṣṇa is one, singular number. Cetanaś cetanānām. Eternal and living, not dead. We are not dead. Kṛṣṇa is also not dead. We do not die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So why you have accepted this death? This is inquiry. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Unless this inquiry comes into the mind of a human being, he's an ass. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).

Lecture on SB 1.8.49 -- Mayapura, October 29, 1974:

Just like this bali-dāna. Bali-dāna, before the goddess Kālī, if it is done properly, then the goat which is sacrificed before the goddess Kālī, it gets immediately a human body which would have taken so many years, millions of years to come to the, but because it is being sacrificed, that is the Vedic mantra. Therefore, but this man who is killing, he has to become goat to be sacrificed by this goat having taken birth as human being. Therefore it is called karma-bandha. Yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. So there are rules and regulations. So his only aim is to eat some meat. So he can take this risk. You eat meat, but give the, what is called, facility (to) the animals to become human being immediately after death. That facility is given to (indistinct), so that he can also take advantage of... Māṁsa. Sa māṁ khadati iti māṁsaḥ. So these things are there. Na me syān nirayān mokṣaḥ.

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

This is a long subject matter. But the sacrifice in yajña, recommended, that is not for killing the animal, but it is a testing, how the Vedic mantras are being properly chanted. Because an old animal put into the fire, by Vedic mantras he would come out again with young life. That is sacrifice of animals in the yajña. Therefore in this age there is no such expert brāhmaṇa who can chant the mantras properly or he can behave because the life is very abominable. Therefore, because there is no expert brāhmaṇa, so these sacrifices are forbidden in this age. Kalau pañca vivarjayet aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ devareṇa sutotpattiṁ sannyāsam (CC Adi 17.164). These things are forbidden in this age, because there is no proper men to conduct.

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

"Then I eat if there is bhakti, love." "Kṛṣṇa, what can I do for You? I am so teeny, You are so great. Still, I have tried to do something. If You kindly eat." This is mantra. Real mantra is that not so many formalities of mantra. Kṛṣṇa does not say, "One who offers Me with the Vedic mantras..." Never says. Kṛṣṇa says bhaktyā, "with devotion."

So others may criticize you, that "These American Vaiṣṇavas, they do not know how to do this, how to do that." Let them criticize. But Kṛṣṇa says bhaktyā. "You remain perfect devotee." Then your life is perfect. Kṛṣṇa does not say that the Indian devotee who discriminates between touchable and untouchable and big, big paṇḍitas or deva-gosvāmī, not dāsa-gosvāmī... Kṛṣṇa does not discriminate like that. Kṛṣṇa says bhaktyā, yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Kṛṣṇa wants to see how much sincere devotee you have become. That is His business. Kṛṣṇa does not see, "Oh, whether you are coming from brāhmaṇa family or śūdra family, this family or...?" No. Therefore in the śāstras it is forbidden: vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ.

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

Ah, yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ. Yajña, karma. Karma means, according to the varṇāśrama, brāhmaṇa should work according to his own position. They will chant Vedic mantra. That is also one karma, activity. They must understand what is Vedas; they must explain. That is brāhmaṇa's business. And kṣatriya's business, karma... This is called kṣātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. Vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam. By nature, one has got a particular type of work. So yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ, what is that?

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

So even though one is expert, paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha, avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, he is expert in reciting all the mantras, Vedic mantras, he knows everything—but he is not a Vaiṣṇava. You find nowadays, impersonalists, voidists, so many brāhmaṇas, they have no idea what is God, who is God. That is called avaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava knows what is Viṣṇu, what is God. But avaiṣṇava, non-Vaiṣṇava, they do not know. So this is the formula, that even one brāhmaṇa is expert in all knowledge, but he does not know who is God, gurur na sa syāt, he cannot become guru. This is the stricture. Sad-vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ. That is śva-paca. Śva-paca means dog-eaters. They are considered to be lowest of the mankind, dog-eaters.

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

Here it is explained how from that original reservoir of all energy, things are coming. That is the lesson in Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "Everything is coming from one source." Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. These are Vedic mantras. That is Brahman. Brahman means inexhaustible, avyaya. There is no exhaustion. Pūrṇam. As we learn, pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation), everything complete. Complete, we have no idea of complete. We think complete also limited. Complete satisfaction. Suppose you have got a bank balance, a million dollars. You think, "It is now complete. I am fully satisfied." But he hasn't got the complete idea. The bank balance may be one million dollar today, but if I spend it, it will be gradually reduced, and one day it will be zero. So that is not complete.

Lecture on SB 1.16.2 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1973:

This sarpa-yajña... Because his father, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, died of a snakebite, so he performed a yajña, that "All the snakes within this universe must die now." That was his determination. So he was performing such yajña that all the snakes, they were coming and falling on the fire. On the fire. So there was such powerful mantras that one could do that. These things are now forgotten. Nobody knows. Nobody can believe. But it was possible by the brāhmaṇas, by chanting the Vedic mantra, they could do anything they like. That was the yajña performance. Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

It requires huge amount of money. Here it is said that bhūri-dakṣiṇān. Bhūri means an unlimited amount. Bhūri means very great. So there is no money. Neither there is expert brāhmaṇa also who can conduct such sacrifices, because they must chant the Vedic mantra so perfectly that even a horse or a cow is put into the fire, he will come out with a new life. That is the test. This Chand Kazi, Muslim magistrate, he also challenged Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "What is your this religion? You are eating your father and mother?" Directly. Not that He was talking with a magistrate, He should be a little respectful. No. In spiritual matter, everything spoken frankly, no compromise. Just like we say, "You are not a Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Then you are a rascal. That's all." You may be the president. That doesn't matter.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1970:

So this om means addressing the Lord. In the all the Vedic mantras they are addressing. Our this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, mahā-mantra, that is also addressing. Hare, Hare, addressing the energy of the Lord, Harā. The energy is Harā, Rādhā, Sītā. So when a female is addressed, it is like that: Hare, Late, Sīte, Rādhe. So Hare means addressing first, first of all the energy. The impersonalists, they do not know this, this addressing first of all Kṛṣṇa's energy. We Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, we don't worship Kṛṣṇa alone, ekala-vāsudeva. No. We must worship Kṛṣṇa along with His energy. Just like Kṛṣṇārjuna, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Arjuna is also energy, living entity, and Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, His internal energy, and marginal energy. So Kṛṣṇa means with His energy. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. This bhagavate means full of energies. I have several times explained bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means one who possesses. Bhagavān. That is the meaning of word bhagavān. So when this bhagavān word is addressed, it is addressed as bhagavate.

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

So asura and deva, there are two kinds of men. Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva āsuras tad... It is Vedic injunction. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ... Ṛg-veda mantra. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is the Vedic mantra. Sūrayaḥ, those who are learned, advanced people, they look forward for the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu. So this viṣṇu-bhakta... Here it is said, tasya tvaṁ tamasaḥ and andhasya duṣpārasyādya pāragam. If you want to get relief from this duṣpārasya andhasya... We have already tried to understand that this material world is andha, andhakāra. It is simply darkness. Just see, now it is dark. Because the sun is not visible, it is just on the opposite side of the sun, therefore we are in darkness. Actually, the position of this material world is darkness. Just like here is now electric light. If the, some way or other, the current is off, it will be dark. Everyone knows it. We require artificial light because it is darkness.

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

This is the definition of guru, that one brāhmaṇa, born in brāhmaṇa family and very educated, mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, very expert in reciting Vedic mantras... That is the duty of brāhmaṇa, veda-mantra. So mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. But avaiṣṇava, if he's not Vaiṣṇava, or if he's not follower of the instruction of Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, avaiṣṇavo gurur na syāt, he cannot become guru. And vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-pacaḥ. Śva-pacaḥ means the dog-eater. That is considered the lowest of the mankind, dog-eaters, means caṇḍāla, bhaṅgis. He becomes gu..., he can become guru. How? If he's Vaiṣṇava, he is devotee of Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu... That is His mission.

Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:

That animal killing does not mean killing the animal and eat. No. It was a test. An old animal was put into the sacrificial fire and the animal would come in new body, young. That is animal... But to give, to test the Vedic mantra, whether it is properly chanted. Then the result will be that if you put one old body it will come new body. So such kind of brāhmaṇa is not available in this age, Kali-yuga, yājñika-brāhmaṇa. They, by mantras, they could, they would ignite fire. Fire was not required matches. By mantra. Simply by mantra, the old body of an animal will turn to be young.

But because the yājñika-brāhmaṇas cannot do that... There is no yajña. Not possible. Therefore this kind of yajñas are prohibited in this Kali-yuga. In the Kali-yuga the only one yajña is this saṅkīrtanam.

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

You simply understand yourself, that you are Brahman, and no more activities, stop all activities, Brahman realization..." Their example is given that if you take an empty pitcher and you put into the water, so long it is not filled up, there will be some sound: "bud-bud-bud-bud-bud-bud." And as soon as the pitcher is fully filled up, there is no, no more sound. So all these Vedic mantras and other..., they're only means. So when one is completely Brahman realized, then there is no more chanting, hearing or Vedic hymns. Everything stop. The same theory. Buddhist theory and Māyāvāda theory is almost practically the same. They are saying, "Make it zero," and they are saying, "It is mithyā, false. Stop it." Brahma satyam, brahma satyaṁ jagan... Brahma satya means Brahman realization, "I am Brahman. I am the same Supreme... So 'ham." But that will not help you. That is simply theoretical. Practical is bhaktyā bhagavaty akhilātmani.

Lecture on SB 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974:

That does not mean the same materialistic idea that "If Kṛṣṇa has entered so many millions of heart, then where is existence of Kṛṣṇa?" This is called Māyāvāda, nirviśeṣa, "Now Kṛṣṇa is finished." No. Kṛṣṇa is not finished. Kṛṣṇa still remains. That is the Vedic injunction. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). We read this Vedic mantra; still, we think Kṛṣṇa is finished. "Because He has entered so many hearts of living entity, therefore Kṛṣṇa is finished. There is no more." That is nirākāravāda.

But that is not the Vedic version. Vedic version is that not only Kṛṣṇa's incarnation, but even if Kṛṣṇa, the full, cent percent God, if He is distributed or if He distributes Himself in many millions of form, still, He is there in the same strength. Just like if you take some blood, my energy, out of my body, then after taking some quantity, my body becomes weak. Because so much energy is taken away.

Lecture on SB 3.26.20 -- Bombay, December 29, 1974:

"I am Christian," there is greatest danger. So somebody required. A man is sleeping, and another man is coming to kill him. A third person is required to awaken: "Mr. such and such, get up, get up, get up! The man is coming to kill you." So the ear is open, although the man is sleeping, all other parts of the body, limbs of the body are inactive. So the ear is open. So therefore the Vedic mantras are called śruti. We have to hear the mantra, Vedic mantra. Just like if a man is bitten by snake, he is caused to hear the snake charmer's mantra—still there are—so that he can become awakened. And it is said in the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita śloka, mantrauṣadhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ. Mantra is powerful still—by mantra, a snake-bitten person can be brought into life. There are still some snake charmers in the villages. In our Māyāpur there is a Muhammadan, he can cure the snake-bitten case by mantra still.

So this mantra is required, the Vedic mantra, to hear mantra. This chanting of these verses is also hearing the Vedic mantra. So we should take chance, and the most important mantra is mahā-mantra. Mahā-mantra.

Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:

So we have to find out such guru, Vaiṣṇava. Śāstra says, ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. Not only expert in six kinds of occupational..., paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha, but mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ: "Vedic mantra or tantra—everything he knows perfectly well." Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra..., avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt: "But if he has got one disqualification—he is faithless; he does not believe in the Supreme Personality of Godhead or Viṣṇu; he is believer in other demigods and other process, even Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, the best of all the demigods—then he becomes avaiṣṇava." Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was very learned scholar, son of a brāhmaṇa, very good scholar, and economically developed, but only fault was avaiṣṇava: he did not care for Rāma. So he is designated as rākṣasa.

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

This is a mantra, Vedic mantra: "The Supreme Lord is worshiped by all the demigods." Yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra-rudra-marutaḥ stunvanti divyaiḥ stavaiḥ. Varuṇa, Indra, and other demigods, even Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā... Śiva-viriñci-nutam: (SB 11.5.33) "He is worshiped by Śiva and Viriñci." Viriñci means Lord Brahmā. So the only Lord, master, is Kṛṣṇa. I have explained, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa (CC Adi 5.142). Īśvara, the supreme īśvara, controller, is Kṛṣṇa. And He is worshiped by... Yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra-rudra-marutaḥ stunvanti divyaiḥ stavaiḥ. He is the objective of worshiping.

So dhyānāvasthita-manasā..., dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā yaṁ paśyanti yoginaḥ. Yogis, they are desirous of mystic power, eight kinds of mystic power. They also meditate on the Supreme Lord. And the feature of the Supreme Lord on which the yogis meditate by concentrating their mind is called Aniruddha. Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha..., Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. So this is described.

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has described this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, "not of this material sky." Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. Hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, this is not a material sound. And in the Vedānta it is stated, śabdād anāvṛtti. By chanting the spiritual sound... The impersonalists, they chant oṁkāra. Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. All Vedic mantras are preceded by the spiritual oṁkāra. That oṁkāra... Kṛṣṇa says, akṣarāṇām akāro 'smi. Vedeṣu, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu, A, U, M, These are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. So either you vibrate oṁkāra or Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they belong to the spiritual world. This sound does not belong to this material. Material sound, if you chant once, twice, thrice, you will feel disgusted. But spiritual sound, if you chant twenty-four hours, you will never feel disgusted, but you will feel more and more spiritual bliss. That is the difference.

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

The jīva is never destroyed after the destruction or annihilation of this body. He is eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So this is our business, that "I am eternal. As Kṛṣṇa, God, is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), and I am part and parcel of sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, so as Kṛṣṇa is eternal, so I am also eternal." The Vedic mantra says that nityo nityānām. Kṛṣṇa is nitya, eternal, and we are plural number, nityānām. Cetanaś cetanānām. Sat cit... So as Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, so we are also sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. The difference is: Kṛṣṇa is the maintainer, Viṣṇu is the maintainer, and we are maintained. We are not maintainer.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa says praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu, "I am the oṁkāra in all Vedic mantras." Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti. Oṁkāra is as good. That is also Kṛṣṇa. So either you chant oṁkāra or "Kṛṣṇa," there is no difference. But in the śāstras it is recommended that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, not oṁkāra. So you have to accept śāstra. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu practically demonstrated. He was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam, kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we have to follow the śāstra and the great saintly person. Otherwise there is no difference between oṁkāra and Kṛṣṇa. But because śāstra recommends harer nāma harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21), we have to accept it.

Lecture on SB 5.5.29 -- Vrndavana, November 16, 1976:

He'll distribute prasādam. He'll not keep money for future. No. Dāna pratigraha. So even one is perfect brāhmaṇa like that, yajana yājana paṭhana pāṭhana dāna pratigraha, and mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ... So if he is actually learned scholar, he must be very expert in quoting, chanting the Vedic mantra, Vedic hymns. That is the sign that he has read something. He has studied Vedas. So mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. So avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt. One disqualification: if he is not a Vaiṣṇava, then he cannot become guru. Forgive him, immediately. Ṣaḍ vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ. Śvapaca means dog-eaters. If one is coming from the family of dog-eaters In India the dog-eaters are considered the lowest of the society, caṇḍāla. But if he is a Vaiṣṇava, then he can become guru. It doesn't matter. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also supports this.

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

I thank you," the father becomes very much pleased. Father does not want that thanks, but it is natural. Father does not care for such thanks. His duty he is supplying. But if the son feels thankful for the father's benefit, the father is especially satisfied.

Similarly God is the father. He is supplying us. In the Vedic mantra it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme living entity amongst all living entities. He is singular number, nitya. And nityānām, plural number—we are all plural number. We are also as living entity, as good living entity as Kṛṣṇa or God. God is also living entity, we are also living entity. Just like father and son. The father is also living entity and the son is also living entity. There is no difference so far living conditions are there. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's sons, or God or God's sons. Now, in the Bible, Lord Jesus Christ is described as the son of God.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Nellore, January 8, 1976:

It is said that "A brāhmaṇa who is very well expert in the brahminical activities and mantra-tantra-viśārada, knows all the Vedic mantras, but if he is not a Vaiṣṇava, he cannot become guru. But a person born in a family of dog-eaters, śva-paca, he can become guru if he has become Vaiṣṇava." Sanātana Gosvāmī, one of the big ācāryas of Gauḍīya sampradāya, he has also said that avaiṣṇava gurur na sa syāt. Sa. He says that... I forget that verse That "A person..." Pūta-hari-kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. He says that "You do not try to hear from a person who is avaiṣṇava hari-kathāmṛtam." The hari-kathā, the message of Kṛṣṇa like Bhagavad-gītā and other, Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you should not hear from a person who is not a Vaiṣṇava. In the Bhāgavata also it is said, satāṁ prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ-kathāḥ. When we hear from sad-vekti(?), or Vaiṣṇava, then we get real effect. So if one argues that "Hari-kathā is pure.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41 -- Los Angeles, June 7, 1976:

So Kṛṣṇa explains in the Bhagavad-gītā: ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). So Nārāyaṇa... In the Vedic mantra also, the same thing: eko nārāyaṇa āsīt. In the beginning, Nārāyaṇa was there. So Nārāyaṇa is not alone. When you say the king is coming, it does not mean that king is coming alone. King is coming with his ministers, with his secretaries, with his military forces, bodyguards, many thousands. Similarly, when we speak eko nārāyaṇa āsīt, nārāyaṇa paraḥ avyaktāt, it does not mean that Nārāyaṇa is alone. Nārāyaṇa is always... If a king can be surrounded by so many officers and ministers, and Nārāyaṇa is the supreme king, so how He is surrounded by paraphernalia we can just think over.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41 -- Los Angeles, June 7, 1976:

So Kṛṣṇa, guṇa nāma-rūpair vibhāyvante yathā-tatham. He has innumerable means and innumerable forms, according to the necessity. Unlimited forms: Nārāyaṇa, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, thousands and thousands of names. But He's situated in His own place, and He's governing the whole creation. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). That is the Vedic mantra. Everything is being controlled by Him. How He is controlling, how He is witness, that will be explained in the next verse.

sūryo 'gniḥ khaṁ marud devaḥ

somaḥ sandhyā ahanī diśaḥ

kaṁ kuḥ svayaṁ dharma iti

hy ete daihyasya sākṣiṇaḥ

This will be explained, next verse, how He is controlling, how things are managed. We can see practically that universal affairs, how things are being managed. Exactly in the right time, the sun is rising, the moon is rising, and they're working exactly to the time. In this season, the sun will stay during daytime so many hours. Exactly we find. Not that this year he's staying from six to six, and next year he's not appearing. No. There is no question of accidents.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- Paris, August 11, 1975:

"And very well behaved, properly situated in his position," dhṛta-vrata, "and avowedly following the regulative principles." So he was learned, he was well-behaved, and he was avowedly, strictly following the regulative principles. Mṛduḥ. Mṛdu means very gentle. Dāntaḥ: he had control over his senses. Satya-vāṅ: he was very truthful. Mantra vit śuciḥ: and he knew all the Vedic mantras and he was very clean. Then gurv-agny-atithi-vṛddhānām. Guru, spiritual master; agni, sacrificial fire; vṛddhā, aged person; and atithi... Atithi means guest without invitation. This is the Vedic culture, that these men should be well received. Guru means spiritual master; agni, fire; atithi... Atithi. Atithi means without any fixed-up invitation if somebody comes at your place. And old men, they should be respectful. Not very long ago, when we were young men, say thirty years old, that time we have seen that a young man would not smoke before an old man. This was the etiquette. Now they have all forgotten this cultural civilization. They have no respect for old men. And the time is coming when old men will be killed as mercy?

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

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Their attention is diverted in so many demigods. The greatest disservice to the society, that "Here is another god, here..." Not only manufacturing a man-god, but they are advising that "Any god you can worship." No: Viṣṇu. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is Vedic mantra. Those who are sūrayaḥ, means advanced... Sūrayaḥ means... Sūrayaḥ and asūrayaḥ. Asūrayaḥ means demons. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved suraḥ: "Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, they are sura." Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ: "And those who are not Viṣṇu bhaktas, they are asuras." Just like Rāvaṇa was very great devotee of Lord Śiva; still, he was a asura. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was a great devotee of Lord Brahmā, but he was considered asura. So anyone who is not devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, he is asura. That is the verdict. Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. And this piṇḍa-dāna is offered oblations to the Viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Trayyaṁ jaḍi-kṛta-matir madhu-puṣpitāyām. Trayyam. Trayyam means Vedas. Veda is called trayi because there are three kinds of different processes: karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, and upāsana-kāṇḍa. So jaḍi-kṛta. Just like in India there is a section called Ārya-samājīs. They are very much attached to performance of these sacrifices. They say that "We do not want anything. We shall simply chant the Vedic mantra." Of course, they cannot do it properly. That is also gone. Simply as a formality, they ignite some fire and hither and thither, some mantra—finished. (laughter) Especially in this age, these sacrifices are not possible. Our... There is a sannyāsī leader, many sannyāsī leaders, they attract people by this performance of yajña, although in this age yajña is not possible because there is no yajñic brāhmaṇa. The mantra... Perhaps you have seen in the Kumbha-melā some government officers were... They are also born in a brāhmaṇa family, and they are performing yajña.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Animal sacrifice was not meant for killing one animal and eating. No. That the animal, an old animal, should be put into the yajña fire and he'll come out a young, with a young body, that was the test how Vedic mantras were being chanted powerfully. That was the... Not that animal was to be killed there. No. Superficially it appears that animal is put and he is killed, but when the animal comes out of the yajña, that is the test of yajñic brāhmaṇa chanting the Vedic hymns correctly. That was the system. And because there is no such powerful yajñic brāhmaṇa at the present moment, therefore all kinds of yajñas are forbidden at the present moment. Kalau tad hari-kīrtanāt. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ (SB 12.3.52). This is the injunction of the śāstra, that in the Satya-yuga, meditation on Viṣṇu... Now they have manufactured meditation in so many ways, but actually meditation means dhyāyato viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:

So śāstra says, ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. He is not only... A brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa, is expert in these six kinds of businesses, but he should be very much expert in chanting the Vedic mantras, hymns, mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, very expert. And even he is expert in such way, if he is avaiṣṇava, if he has no tendency for rendering devotional service to the Lord, avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt, he cannot be a guru. Even without... Even with all the qualifications, if he is avaiṣṇava... You will find, there are many brāhmaṇas, they are smārtas. They are called smārta, means they are under conclusion that "If we do nice Vedic..., perform nice Vedic rituals, then our duty is finished. These devotees, they are chanting. They are less intelligent class of men. They do not, cannot do anything.

Lecture on SB 6.3.20-23 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

Oṁkāra is Kṛṣṇa also. Kṛṣṇa is everything. Why not oṁkāra? So tat tvam asi means "You are the same." Tat tvam asi. That means you are spirit soul. So what is the objection? And for every Vedic mantra, the oṁkāra is there. Praṇāma. Every Vedic mantra. Just like we also chant oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramam. Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyam. So every Vedic mantra is preceded by the oṁkāra.

So who is going to mop these two rooms? The ladies (indistinct). It is the ladies' business. Ladies' business. First after this, cleansing (indistinct). Then get some flowers, change dress. This is the procedure. And then offer breakfast. In this way. (end)

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

So try to love Viṣṇu, then your life will be successful. You'll feel satisfaction. Yayātmā suprasīdati. You'll feel, "Oh, I have got something now. Now I have got this loving object." In another place Prahlāda Mahārāja said na te viduḥ svārtha gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. They do not know what is their actual loving object. That is Viṣṇu. And in the Vedic mantra, Ṛg mantra, it is said, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are demigods, they are always sūrayaḥ. Sūrayaḥ means Just like Aryans and non-Aryans. Then there's suri and asuri, or sura or asura. Asura, asura means demons, and sura, just the opposite. Or Aryans and non-Aryans. So the Aryans Aryans, the real meaning, the Sanskrit word, "Aryans," means progressive. We have historically made a class of men. No. Aryan civilization means who is progressive, advancing. They are intelligent. They are fair-complexioned. Therefore Aryan means progressive. So they know.

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

We have historically made a class of men. No. Aryan civilization means who is progressive, advancing. They are intelligent. They are fair-complexioned. Therefore Aryan means progressive. So they know.

Vedic mantra says that tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Paramaṁ padam, the highest perfection of life, is to understand Viṣṇu or God. Tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. In order to reach that goal, they are always looking after that. Just like in darkness you are walking on the road. The cynosure of the neighboring eyes. You see the stars. Just like in the ocean, the navigators, they look to the Pole Star, that which side they are going. Similarly, our aim should be always to Viṣṇu. Always to Viṣṇu. But unfortunately we are not educated in that way. We are educated in different way. Therefore there is disaster. The same example we can give.

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

Simply try to understand what is Viṣṇu, then you become as good as that Viṣṇu. First of all you understand Viṣṇu, that He is all-pervading. So Viṣṇu, because He has got spiritual body, similarly, when you get your spiritual body How you can get? By understanding Viṣṇu.

Therefore in the Vedic mantra, Rg mantra, it is, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sada paśyanti sūrayaḥ. The sūraya, those who are demigods or Aryans, they are, their destination is Viṣṇu. But ordinary men, they do not know that. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that their ultimate goal of life is to understand Viṣṇu. Why? Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are trying to become perfect with this material condition. That is not possible. You have to know Viṣṇu. Then you become perfect. Otherwise, you have to change this body one after another. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976:

Himself is explaining bhāgavata-dharma. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru mām evaiṣyasi (BG 18.65). The real aim of life is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. They do not know it. Na te viduḥ. Generally, people do not know what is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuḥ. All the Vedic mantra says. The Ṛg Veda mantra says, om tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. That is the... Everyone must meditate upon Lord Viṣṇu. Meditation means to think of Lord Viṣṇu within the heart. I think we have seen many pictures that īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61), the Supreme Lord is sitting in everyone's heart, and that Lord's mūrti form is Viṣṇu-mūrti. So dhyāna, yoga, all this means to concentrate the mind in Viṣṇu-mūrti. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1).

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

Prabhupāda: So oṁkāra... In every Vedic mantra the oṁkāra is there. But when Kṛṣṇa is there, oṁkāra is automatically there. Because it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, akṣarāṇām oṁkāro 'smi: "Amongst the alphabets, I am oṁkāra." So when you speak of Kṛṣṇa, the oṁkāra is automatically there. When there is fire, the heat is automatically there.

Guest (1): Okay, one more thing. Transcendental meditation by the Maharishi is not a concentrating process. It's a process of using the mantra to get into the meditation. And once reaching the point of deep meditation, thoughts will just occur. And there's no concentrating procedure at all. And this is why I had a question in the first place, in that you said meditation'w impossible because it's a concentrating process. Well, Maharishi's meditation is not the concentrating...

Lecture on SB 7.9.33 -- Mayapur, March 11, 1976:

These verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are Vedic mantras. They're not ordinary wording, set of wording. It is not. Veda-mantra, saṁhitā. So every one of you must try to chant. This is required. Each verse of Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are Vedic mantras, veda-mantra. So simply by chanting them we become purified. So every one of you... There is diacritic marks, literation, transliteration, so everyone should try to chant the mantra. That is very beneficial. That is kīrtana. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya (SB 12.3.51). Everything is being chanted in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, with reference to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:

So Brahmā is jagad-aṇḍa-nātha. He's the chief person within this material world, in this universe. So he is in charge; therefore he was given the Vedic knowledge. And he got the Vedic knowledge, but at the same time, two demons known as Madhu-Kaiṭabha, they wanted to snatch away, take away the Vedic mantras from Brahmā. This is the attempt from the very beginning. The devotees following the disciplic succession of Brahmā... Just like we are. We belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. Several times I have explained. So our original guru is Brahmā, Svayambhū. Therefore he is one of the great personality, svayambhūr nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ kapilaḥ kaumāro manuḥ (SB 6.3.20). These are twelve mahājanas, men of authority. So Brahmā is man of authority, the demigod, the supreme demigod, the best of the demigods. So these Madhu-Kaiṭabha, Madhu-kaiṭabha, they took away.

Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

So ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra). Viramanti śabdāt. There are so many prescribed mantras for liberation. Oṁkāra-sarva-vedeṣu. Every Vedic mantra begins with oṁkāra, and He is Kṛṣṇa. Vedic mantra, we chant Vedic mantra. There are many, many Vedic mantras in Upaniṣad and tantras, saṁhitā. So the (indistinct) begins with the combination of alphabets a, u, ma-Om. Oṁ tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Everything. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Every Vedic mantra begins with the oṁkāra. Some of them are very much fond of chanting omkara instead of Hare Kṛṣṇa. So there is no objection. Kṛṣṇa says, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Praṇava means oṁkāra.

Lecture on SB 7.12.3 -- Bombay, April 14, 1976:

Pradyumna: "Being called by the spiritual master, one should study the Vedic mantras regularly, and every day, before beginning his study and at the end of the study, the disciple should offer respectfully his obeisances unto the spiritual master."

Prabhupāda:

chandāṁsy adhīyīta guror

āhūtaś cet suyantritaḥ

upakrame 'vasāne ca

caraṇau śirasā namet

(SB 7.12.3)

This is the training. The brahmacārī should rise early in the morning and worship guru, agni, fire, sūrya, and in the morning there should be class, and on the order of the guru, they should assemble and begin reading Vedic literature, chandāṁsi.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 28, 1973:

So ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro. Such strict brāhmaṇa, very expert in his business, paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ... And very well expert in his studies, mantra, Vedic mantra, tantra. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, avaiṣṇava guru na sa syād. If he is avaiṣṇava, then he cannot be guru. Cannot be guru. Sad-vaiṣṇava śva-paca guru. But a śvapacaḥ, a dog-eaters family, caṇḍāla... Just the brāhmaṇa is considered to be the highest in the society, similarly caṇḍāla is considered to be the lowest, dog-eaters. So the śāstra says the highest, the topmost man in the society, brāhmaṇa, if he's avaiṣṇava, he cannot be guru, but the, a person coming out from the lowest grade of human society, śvapacaḥ, caṇḍāla, if he's a Vaiṣṇava, he can become guru.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.1 -- Mayapur, March 25, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa is one. Similarly, guru, there may be many gurus, it doesn't matter, but their philosophy must be one: to teach everyone that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So there may be thousands of gurus, but the guru's business is to teach the disciple that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the test of guru. If guru is teaching something else, nonsense, then he is not guru. Gurur na sa syāt. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. A brāhmaṇa, he is very expert in his business, in Vedic culture, Vedic mantras, tantras. That is the test of the brāhmaṇa, that he is very learned. So ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. Viśārada, very expert. Avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt. But if he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa or if he's not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot become guru. Ṣaḍ-vaiṣṇavaḥ śvapaco guruḥ. But one person who is coming from the family of dog-eaters... The dog-eaters, they are considered to be the lowest of the human beings. So, śva-paca, śva means dog, and paca means eater or cooker.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Puruṣam. Puruṣam means person, but the Vedic mantra begins, apāṇi-pāda: "Person, but has no leg and no hand." There are two kinds of statements: that He is person, puruṣa, mahānta, the greatest person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is a person; but apāṇi-pāda, but He has no legs and no hands. So how is that? A person has no legs and no hands, and still, He accepts whatever we offer? Just like Kṛṣṇa says, tad aham aśnāmi, bhaktyā upahṛtam aśnāmi: "Anyone who offers Me anything," patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), "with devotion," bhaktyā... The very word is bhaktyā. That means Kṛṣṇa is transcendental person, and the Vedic mantra confirms. When the Vedic mantra says, apāṇi-pāda, "no hands, no legs," that is not imperson. "Person, but His hands and legs are not like us," that is apāṇi-pāda. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that. Apāṇi-pāda śruti varje prākṛta pāṇi-caraṇa: "When the Vedic mantra says that 'The Absolute Truth has no legs and no hands,' that means that the Personality of Godhead's hands and legs are not material." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's explanation.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

"And although the Vedic mantra says that 'The Absolute Truth has no legs, no hands,' still, it confirms that 'He can accept whatever you offer, and He can walk more speedily than anyone.' Then He walks; at the same time, He has no legs. And He accepts your offering; He has no hands." What does it mean? Apparently it is contradictory. If He has no leg, then how He can walk more speedily than anyone? These are Vedic mantras. "Nobody can capture Him, He is walking so speedily." But if He has no leg, how He is walking? But that, Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that varje prākṛta pāṇi-caraṇa: "This means that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no material body."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our manipulation of the senses is not possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

The Vedic mantra also it is said, nayam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ: "You cannot realize the ātmā, you cannot be self-realized, simply by talking. You may be very big speaker, nice speaker, but that is not the process—simply by speaking very nicely you can understand the Absolute Truth." Nayam ātmā pravacanena labhya na medhayā: "Neither you can understand the Absolute Truth because you have got a very nice brain, a great scientist." Then Sir Isaac Newton would have discovered what is God, or Professor Einstein or Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, they could have understand. No, they cannot. Because they have very nice, finer tissues of the brain, it does not mean. It is a different process. It is a... To understand God or Kṛṣṇa, it is not material process. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Only through devotional service He can be known. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Kṛṣṇa is covered by the curtain drawn by yogamāyā; therefore Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood by everyone, neither His teaching, Bhagavad-gītā, can be understood without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1970:

And if you say, "Oh, why you are animal-killing?" they will immediately say, "Oh, it is in the Vedas: paśavo vadhāya sṛṣṭa." The animal killing is there in the Vedas, but what the purpose? That is to test the Vedic mantra. An animal will be put into the fire, and by Vedic mantra he'll be rejuvenated. That is sacrifice, animal sacrifice. Not that for eating purpose. Therefore in this age of Kali, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has forbidden any kind of yajña because there is no, I mean to say, expert brāhmaṇa who can chant the mantras and make experiment of the Vedic mantras that "Here is coming out." That is... Before performing yajña, how the mantra is potent, that was tested by sacrificing animal and again giving new life. Then it is to be understood that the priests who were chanting that mantra, that is right. That was a test. Not for animal-killing.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 5 -- Los Angeles, May 7, 1970:

"Where is your God? Do you think...?" The Prahlāda was looking to the column. "Oh, do you think your God is here? All right." He immediately broke. "Ahh!" Kṛṣṇa came. That is Kṛṣṇa.

So this is explained here. This is Vedic mantra. This is the proof, Veda mantra. Why we are attached to Veda mantra? Veda mantra is the proof of everything. Whatever is said in the Vedas, that is fact. Unless you take some axiomatic truth in that way, you cannot make progress. Just like in geometry there are so many axiomatic truths, we have to accept it. "A point has no length, no breadth." "Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another." These are axiomatic truths. Similarly the Vedas, they are truth. We have to accept. Just like I've given example in my book: The conchshell is the bone of an animal.

Festival Lectures

Sri Gaura-Purnima Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.38 -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

Now, if you think, "Eh, I am so learned Vedantist. Why shall I study the sunshine-moonshine and what? I shall chant oṁ." (laughter) "Rascal, this oṁ I am. (laughter) You are so big Vedantist. You chant oṁ, but that I am." Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Every Vedic mantra is chanted after the vibration of omkara. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūr... This is the Vedic mantra always, every Veda. So either you become Vedantist or ordinary human being—does not know anything—you can realize Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty.

So Kṛṣṇa taught everything for becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, but still, we are so rascal we could not understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa came again: "These rascals failed to understand Me, and now I shall teach how to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa by My personal behavior." That is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by His personal... Don't think that because He's playing the part... Just like somebody is giving massage to my body. So he's not giving properly. So immediately I take his hand and I began to give massage, "Do like this. Do like this."

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

These are nine processes of devotional service, of which śravanam, hearing, is most important. Without hearing, nobody can understand the science of God. Therefore the Vedic mantras are called śruti. Śruti means it is to be heard. It is not to be experimented in the laboratory. It is simply to be heard. Therefore it is called śruti. So śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam. Vandanam, offering prayer. We also offer prayer. The other religious sect, just like the Christians, they offer prayer; the Muhammadans, they offer prayer. So prayer, offering prayer is also one of the items of bhakti. Chanting, hearing, meditating, offering prayers, arcanam, worshiping the Deity in the temple, all of them are together devotional service.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hyderabad, August 19, 1976:

This is the Vedic mantra. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta

jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam

śabde pāre ca niṣṇātaṁ

brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

(SB 11.3.21)

Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). So these are the injunction. The guru must come through the paramparā system. Then he is bona fide. Otherwise he is a rascal. Must come through the paramparā system, and in order to understand tad-vijñānam, transcendental science, you have to approach guru. You cannot say that "I can understand at home." No. That is not possible. That is the injunction of the all śāstra. Tasmād guruṁ prapad... Who requires a guru?

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

You drink the milk, and you kill the cow. Therefore you are killing your mother." So the Kazi replied that "In your Vedic literature also, I have seen. There is cow sacrifice." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "That is not cow sacrifice. That is rejuvenation of cow. Old cows were sacrificed in the fire, and again a new life was given by the Vedic mantra. But because there is lack of such expert brāhmaṇas to chant that mantra, therefore cow sacrifice in this age is forbidden."

So when the things are not practical, that becomes a forbidden. If you actually get the result by some spiritual or religious rituals, performance, then it is very good. Otherwise it is superstition. Lord Caitanya's opinion is that because all these Vedic injunctions, sacrifices, they are not possible to be performed in this age... They are very difficult. There is no expert leader to perform all these ceremonies and rituals.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975:

So deva means the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is praised by the Vedic mantra. Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and all the demigods, they are offering their prayers. The Sāma Veda is singing in glorification of the Supreme Lord. The yogis, they are always seeing the Supreme Lord within the heart, core of heart. So that is deva. Devāya tasmai namaḥ. So yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). Anyone who has got unflinching faith in God... God means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). So anyone who has got unflinching faith in God and similar faith in guru, then the Vedic purpose becomes revealed to him. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau, tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ. The Vedic mantras and their artha becomes revealed. This is the process.

Initiation Lectures

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

Now the purport of this mantra I have several times explained, again explaining. Namaḥ. Namaḥ means surrender. Namaḥ om namaḥ, this is the way of chanting Vedic mantra. Oṁ means addressing the Absolute, and namaḥ means "I am surrendering." Every Vedic mantra is begun om namaḥ. Oṁ means addressing. So this mantra is chanted with surrender, namaḥ. Nothing can be done without surrender because our, this conditional life is rebellious life. We have rebelled against the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. That is conditioned life. There are so many theses to support this rebellious condition. Somebody is thinking that "I am one with God"; somebody is thinking, "God is dead"; somebody is thinking, "There is no God"; somebody is thinking, "Why you are searching God? There are so many Gods loitering in the street." So in this way many theses are there. All of them are different symptoms of rebellious condition. The sum and substance... Just like atheists, they are boldly saying, "There is no God." Now..., but the impersonalists saying, "There may be God, but He has no head, He has no tail. That's all."

Initiation of Mrga-netri Dasi -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1970:

Go on. Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. (devotees chant japa) Formerly, the brāhmaṇas used to ignite fire by mantra. Yes. They did not use another fire. The mantra will ignite fire. In the Vedic age this was being done. Aruṇi. The sacrifice means to sacrifice one animal in the fire end give it again a new life. That was a test for the Vedic mantra, how one has chanted. It is not sacrifice, means killing. The animal sacrifice mentioned in the Vedas were not for killing. It was experiment of the Vedic mantra. They would sacrifice an animal and again it will be given new life, rejuvenation. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu said to Chand Kazi that "Because in this age the brāhmaṇas are not so powerful, therefore sacrifice is prohibited. Only this sacrifice: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21), this is..." (break) (japa) That's all right. Don't put any more. Yes. Put little ghee. Little ghee. That's all right. (japa) Let it burn.

Wedding Ceremonies

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

Formerly there was a system: if the husband is unable, then a son can be begotten by the husband's younger brother, devareṇa. But in this age, Kali-yuga, that is forbidden. Similarly, aśvamedha yajña, gomedha yajña is also forbidden, because there is no yajñic brāhmaṇas. Formerly when an animal was put into the fire, sacrificed, and by Vedic mantra it was given a new, fresh life. That was the test of Vedic mantra pronouncing. But that is not possible nowadays. In the Kali-yuga, the only yajña is the sañkīrtana yajña.

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

(SB 11.5.32)

Those who are highly intellectual, su-medhasaḥ, they perform the saṅkīrtana yajña, and by that saṅkīrtana yajña, the Lord, whose complexion is not black and who is always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and is accompanied by His associates, sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ.

General Lectures

Lecture on Maha-mantra -- New York, September 8, 1966:

"This is not, this is not, this is not, yes, this is not..." I say something; you say something. No, no, no. You cannot realize spiritual objects simply by this speculation, argument. Our argument or logical, I mean to say, strength has no access in the spiritual world. The Vedic mantra says, nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena: "Atma, the supreme self, cannot be realized pravacanena." Suppose I am very expert speaker, I can present things very nicely—but without any substance. Oh, that won't help you. Simply by jugglery of words, if I can captivate you, oh, that won't help you. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena. This is pravacana.

Of course, we are delivering speeches from authoritative book, Bhagavad-gītā. I am not speaking before you of my own imagination.

Lecture at Auckland University -- Auckland, April 17, 1972:

This is the dirtiest thing within our heart. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then gradually, by this bhakti-yoga process, we shall understand that "I am not this body, but I am a spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. There is a Vedic mantra which is called aham: "I, I am Brahman, or the spirit soul." And if we come to that position to understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," then other things will follow, which is stated in this Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). When one becomes Brahman-realized, that "I am spirit soul," then the first benefit will be that such persons will be free from all kinds of lamentation and hankering. In this material world two things are going on: lamentation and hankering. Things which we do not possess, we hanker after it, and things we do possess and, somehow or other, we lose, then it is lamenting. So actually the whole situation is lamenting because we are losing. Take, for example, this body which we have gained from our father and mother on a certain date.

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

Because the Māyāvādī philosophers, they interpret Vedic mantras by grammatical jugglery, therefore Śaṅkarācārya has warned that "Your grammatical jugglery, this dukṛn-pratyaya, karaṇe, will not save you." Mūḍha-mate: "You foolish person, you kindly take shelter of Govinda." Bhaja govinda. So this is the verdict of all ācāryas. So our point is that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nothing like manufactured religious principle. No. It is authorized. There is great background, all these, supported by all the ācāryas and summarized by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And we have got immense literature to support this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But anyone who is reasonable, they will accept this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness as very simple. And it is actually very simple, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. And if you cannot surrender immediately, then... These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: Therefore the process, to test the power of the mantra, that animal is put into the fire and the animal again comes out with a new life. That is the test. Just like you test how the microphone is working. So how the Vedic mantras are being chanted rightly, that is tested by putting... Just like in laboratory a small animal is killed. But that is killed. They cannot give life. But here, in sacrifice, aśvamedha-yajña, gomedha-yajña, there is... Gavalambham, aśvamedhaṁ gavālambham (CC Adi 17.164). The animal sacrificed, but it comes again with ill life. That is the test, how the Vedic mantra is chanted. So because there is no such qualified brāhmaṇa, therefore in this age all kinds of sacrifices stopped. So Veda is no authority. The mantra has no life. So that is accepted by everyone. At least, civilized class of men. Actually, unless there is this varṇāśrama-dharma, the classification of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, that is not civilized form of life. So according to Vedic conception, the modern civilization, European, American, that not civilized form of... And actually it is happening. The result is producing.