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Venus

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.18.13, Purport:

When there are some similar points, it is possible to compare one thing to another. One cannot compare the association of a pure devotee to anything material. Men who are addicted to material happiness aspire to reach the heavenly planets like the moon, Venus and Indraloka, and those who are advanced in material philosophical speculations aspire after liberation from all material bondage. When one becomes frustrated with all kinds of material advancement, one desires the opposite type of liberation, which is called apunar-bhava, or no rebirth. But the pure devotees of the Lord do not aspire after the happiness obtained in the heavenly kingdom, nor do they aspire after liberation from material bondage. In other words, for the pure devotees of the Lord the material pleasures obtainable in the heavenly planets are like phantasmagoria, and because they are already liberated from all material conceptions of pleasure and distress, they are factually liberated even in the material world.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.2.2, Purport:

The conditioned soul is always engaged in laying out plans for happiness within the material world, even up to the end of the universal limit. He is not even satisfied with available amenities on this planet earth, where he has exploited the resources of nature to the best of his ability. He wants to go to the moon or the planet Venus to exploit resources there. But the Lord has warned us in the Bhagavad-gītā (8.16) about the worthlessness of all the innumerable planets of this universe, as well as those planets within other systems. There are innumerable universes and also innumerable planets in each of them. But none of them is immune to the chief miseries of material existence, namely the pangs of birth, the pangs of death, the pangs of old age and the pangs of disease.

SB 2.8.14, Purport:

Even on the very planet where we are now living, there are restrictions upon the entrance of foreigners into a country where the citizens are more prosperous. For example, the American government has many restrictions for the entrance of foreigners from less prosperous countries. The reason is that the Americans do not wish to share their prosperity with any foreigner who has not qualified himself as a citizen of America. Similarly, the same mentality is prevailing in every other planet where there are more intelligent living beings residing. The higher planetary living conditions are all in the mode of goodness, and anyone desiring to enter the higher planets like the moon, sun and Venus must qualify thoroughly by activity in complete goodness.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.7.33, Purport:

The time durations of day and night as well as months and years are different in the different planets, stars and luminaries. The higher planets like the moon and Venus have time measurements different from those of the earth. It is said that six months of this planet earth equal one day of the higher planets. In Bhagavad-gītā the duration of one day in Brahmaloka is measured to be 1,000 times the four yugas, or 4,30,000 years multiplied by 1,000. And the month and year in Brahmaloka are calculated in that measure.

SB 3.17.14, Translation:

Ominous planets such as Mars and Saturn shone brighter and surpassed the auspicious ones such as Mercury, Jupiter and Venus as well as a number of lunar mansions. Taking seemingly retrograde courses, the planets came in conflict with one another.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.23.26, Purport:

Although they were the wives of the denizens of the higher planetary system and Pṛthu Mahārāja was an inhabitant of an inferior planetary system (the earth), the King, along with his wife, passed beyond the realms of the demigods and went upward to Vaikuṇṭhaloka. The word ūrdhvam ("upward") is significant here, for the ladies speaking were from the higher planetary systems, which include the moon, sun and Venus, up to Brahmaloka, or the highest planet. Beyond Brahmaloka is the spiritual sky, and in that spiritual sky there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭhalokas. Thus the word ūrdhvam indicates that the Vaikuṇṭha planets are beyond or above these material planets, and it was to these Vaikuṇṭha planets that Pṛthu Mahārāja and his wife were going. This also indicates that when Pṛthu Mahārāja and his wife, Arci, abandoned their material bodies in the material fire, they immediately developed their spiritual bodies and entered into spiritual airplanes, which could penetrate the material elements and reach the spiritual sky. Since they were carried by two separate airplanes, it may be concluded that even after being burned in the funeral pyre they remained separate, individual persons. In other words, they never lost their identity or became void, as imagined by the impersonalists.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.22 Summary:

The moon is situated 100,000 yojanas above the rays of the sunshine. Day and night on the heavenly planets and Pitṛloka are calculated according to its waning and waxing. Above the moon by a distance of 200,000 yojanas are some stars, and above these stars is Śukra-graha (Venus), whose influence is always auspicious for the inhabitants of the entire universe. Above Śukra-graha by 200,000 yojanas is Budha-graha (Mercury), whose influence is sometimes auspicious and sometimes inauspicious. Next, above Budha-graha by 200,000 yojanas, is Aṅgāraka (Mars), which almost always has an unfavorable influence. Above Aṅgāraka by another 200,000 yojanas is the planet called Bṛhaspati-graha (Jupiter), which is always very favorable for qualified brāhmaṇas. Above Bṛhaspati-graha is the planet Śanaiścara (Saturn), which is very inauspicious, and above Saturn is a group of seven stars occupied by great saintly persons who are always thinking of the welfare of the entire universe. These seven stars circumambulate Dhruvaloka, which is the residence of Lord Viṣṇu within this universe.

SB 5.22.12, Translation:

Some 1,600,000 miles above this group of stars is the planet Venus, which moves at almost exactly the same pace as the sun according to swift, slow and moderate movements. Sometimes Venus moves behind the sun, sometimes in front of the sun and sometimes along with it. Venus nullifies the influence of planets that are obstacles to rainfall. Consequently its presence causes rainfall, and it is therefore considered very favorable for all living beings within this universe. This has been accepted by learned scholars.

SB 5.22.13, Translation:

Mercury is described to be similar to Venus, in that it moves sometimes behind the sun, sometimes in front of the sun and sometimes along with it. It is 1,600,000 miles above Venus, or 7,200,000 miles above earth. Mercury, which is the son of the moon, is almost always very auspicious for the inhabitants of the universe, but when it does not move along with the sun, it forbodes cyclones, dust, irregular rainfall, and waterless clouds. In this way it creates fearful conditions due to inadequate or excessive rainfall.

SB 5.23.3, Purport:

According to the description of this verse, the hundreds and thousands of stars and the great planets such as the sun, the moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars and Jupiter are not clustered together because of the law of gravity or any similar idea of the modern scientists. These planets and stars are all servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda or Kṛṣṇa, and according to His order they sit in their chariots and travel in their respective orbits. The orbits in which they move are compared to machines given by material nature to the operating deities of the stars and planets, who carry out the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by revolving around Dhruvaloka, which is occupied by the great devotee Mahārāja Dhruva.

SB 5.23.3, Purport:

It is also significant that the predominating deities of even the greatest planets have been offered their exalted posts because of the very valuable pious activities they performed in previous births. This is indicated herein by the words karma-nirmita-gatayaḥ. For example, as we have previously discussed, the moon is called jīva, which means that he is a living entity like us, but because of his pious activities he has been appointed to his post as the moon-god. Similarly, all the demigods are living entities who have been appointed to their various posts as the masters of the moon, the earth, Venus and so on because of their great service and pious acts. Only the predominating deity of the sun, Sūrya Nārāyaṇa, is an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mahārāja Dhruva, the predominating deity of Dhruvaloka, is also a living entity. Thus there are two kinds of entities—the supreme entity, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the ordinary living entity, the jīva (nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13)). All the demigods are engaged in the service of the Lord, and only by such an arrangement are the affairs of the universe going on.

SB 5.23.7, Translation:

On the upper chin of the śiśumāra is Agasti; on its lower chin, Yamarāja; on its mouth, Mars; on its genitals, Saturn; on the back of its neck, Jupiter; on its chest, the sun; and within the core of its heart, Nārāyaṇa. Within its mind is the moon; on its navel, Venus; and on its breasts, the Aśvinī-kumāras. Within its life air, which is known as prāṇāpāna, is Mercury, on its neck is Rāhu, all over its body are comets, and in its pores are the numerous stars.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 13.89, Purport:

The explanation of the horoscope given by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is that at the time of the birth of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu the planets were situated as follows: Śukra (Venus) was in Meṣa-rāśi (Aries) and the nakṣatra (lunar mansion) of Aśvinī; Ketu (the ninth planet) was in Siṁha-rāśi (Leo) and Uttaraphalgunī; Candra (the moon) was in Pūrvaphalgunī (the eleventh lunar mansion); Śani (Saturn) was in Vṛścika-rāśi (Scorpio) and Jyeṣthā; Bṛhaspati (Jupiter) was in Dhanu-rāśi (Sagittarius) and Pūrvāṣāḍhā; Maṅgala (Mars) was in Makara-rāśi (Capricorn) and Śravaṇā; Ravi (the sun) was in Kumbha-rāśi (Aquarius) and Pūrvabhādrapāda; Rāhu was in Pūrvabhādrapāda; and Budha (Mercury) was in Mīna-rāśi (Pisces) and Uttarabhādrapāda. The lagna was Siṁha.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 6.230, Purport:

The goal of human perfection is stated here in brief. One has to surpass all the planetary systems of the material universe, pierce through the covering of the universe and reach the spiritual world, known as Vaikuṇṭhaloka. The Vaikuṇṭhalokas are variegated spiritual planets situated in the Lord's impersonal bodily effulgence, known as the brahma-jyotir. One may aspire to elevate himself to a heavenly planet within the material world, such as the moon, the sun or Venus, but if one is spiritually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he does not wish to remain within the material universe, even in a higher planetary system. Rather, he prefers to penetrate the covering of the universe and attain the spiritual world. He can then be situated in one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets there. However, the devotees under the guidance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu aspire to reach the topmost spiritual planet, known as Goloka Vṛndāvana, the residence of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His eternal associates.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 87:

His austerities and penances are exemplary practices for the human being. The incarnation of God Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi was sitting among many devotees in the village known as Kalāpa-grāma. Of course, these were not ordinary sages sitting with Him, and the great sage Nārada also appeared there. After offering his respects to Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, Nārada asked Him exactly the same question King Parīkṣit asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Then the Ṛṣi answered by following in the footsteps of His predecessors. He narrated a story of how the same question had been discussed on the planet known as Janaloka, which is above the Svargaloka planets, such as the moon and Venus. On this planet, great sages and saintly persons live, and they once discussed the same point regarding the understanding of Brahman and His real identity.

Sri Isopanisad

Sri Isopanisad 14, Purport:

All the material planets—upper, lower and intermediate, including the sun, moon and Venus—are scattered throughout the universe. These planets exist only during the lifetime of Brahmā. Some lower planets, however, are vanquished after the end of one day of Brahmā and are again created during the next day of Brahmā. On the upper planets, time is calculated differently. One of our years is equal to only twenty-four hours, or one day and night, on many of the upper planets. The four ages of earth (Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali) last only twelve thousand years according to the time scale of the upper planets. Such a length of time multiplied by one thousand constitutes one day of Brahmā, and one night of Brahmā is the same. Such days and nights accumulate into months and years, and Brahmā lives for one hundred such years. At the end of Brahmā's life, the complete universal manifestation is vanquished.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

Man (2): Yeah, but they say that's in this universe....

Prabhupāda: Just try to understand. Because there are innumerable universes and in each and every universe there is a sun, there is a moon, there is Venus, everything. So under the circumstances, as we accept innumerable universes, automatically we accept innumerable suns. So where is the difference between the astrologer and our...

Man (2): The astronomers also accept that there are innumerable universes and they say that in each one they have millions and millions of self-luminous stars, and in this one also, but you say that in this one there is only the sun.

Prabhupāda: But do you think that I have to accept the astronomers blindly?

Man (2): Well, they say...

Prabhupāda: No. Why? Why? If there are innumerable suns, why they are not present at night? Why you are suffering from want of one sun?

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966:

Similarly, our body is also made in that way: earth, water, fire, air and ether. Air... Air is passing, the breathing. You know. The air is always there. This, this outer skin is earth, and there is heat in the stomach. Without heat, you cannot digest anything. You see? As soon as the heat is diminished, your digesting power becomes bad. So many things. This is arrangement. Now, in this planet we have got this body which is where earth is very prominent. Similarly, in other planets, other planets, somewhere water is very prominent, somewhere fire is very prominent. In the sun planet, the bodies there... There are also living entities, but their body is so made that it is fiery. They can exist in the fire. They can exist in the fire. Similarly, Varuṇaloka, in the Venus, all these planets, they have got different types of body. Just like here you can experience that in the water the aquatics, they have got a different type of body. For years and years together there are aquatic animals, they are within the water. They are very comfortable. But the moment you'll drag it to the land, it dies. Similarly, you are very comfortable on the land, but the moment you are put into the water, you die. Because your body, bodily construction is different, his body, the bodily construction different, the bird's bodily... The bird, heavy bird, it can fly, but it is God's made flying instrument. But your man-made instrument, it crashes, crashes. You see? Because artificial.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā, those who are situated in brahminical qualification, goodness, modes of goodness, they are promoted to the higher planetary system. You are, at the modern times, they are trying to go to the higher planetary system by the machine. It is not possible. But if you place yourself in the modes of goodness, you can go to any higher planetary system up to Brahmaloka. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā (BG 14.18). There are three planetary systems, triloki: the higher planetary system, the middle planetary system, and the lower planetary system. So we are at the present moment Bhūrloka, Bhūrloka, middle planetary system. Above this there is Bhuvarloka. Above that there is Svarloka, there is Janaloka, there is Tapoloka, there is Maharloka, there is Satyaloka, there is Siddhaloka, there is Brahmaloka. What do they know, the modern astronomers? They do not know anything. They do not know what is there in the moon planet, they do not know what is there in the sun planet, in the Venus—nothing. Still they are going on very much proud.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Bombay, March 31, 1974:

The same example. You may go very high. Just like nowadays, the attempt is being made. They are going to the moon planet or Venus planet. We do not know whether they are going or not, but we hear from the advertisement. So because they do not get any shelter, they come back. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because they do not get any shelter, the shelter of lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, from this impersonal conception of philosophy, they again come to this material world.

Therefore you'll find there are so many big, big swamis. First of all they give up this world. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "This world is mithyā. Let us take to Brahman. Let us become Brahman." But after keeping in, some days in so-called Brahman, they again come back to open hospital, school. Because there they could not get anything. Therefore something must be done, profession. So open hospital and raise fund. That's all.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

On account of that effulgence from the Goloka Vṛndāvana, there are innumerable spiritual and material planets. The spiritual planets are called Vaikuṇṭhalokas, and in the material sphere there are so many planets—Sun, Moon, Venus, Earth, so many, millions and millions... They are all resting on that effulgence, Brahman effulgence. Yasya prabhā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ govindam. The brahma-jyotir is the rays of, the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa. So everything is resting... We have got experience that these material planetary systems, they are resting on the sunshine. The scientist knows it. On account of the heat of the sunshine, all the planetary systems or the globes, they are moving, going around. It is not stopped. There is a small apparatus—I have seen in America—that as soon as you give heat, within that, I mean to say, glass, the one is glow, it is rotating... (end)

Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966:

Somewhere the air is prominent. Somewhere water is prominent. Somewhere earth is prominent. So in this planet, or in some other earthly planet, earth is predominant. Similarly, there are other planets also. So don't think that other planets are vacant. No. So far Vedic literatures are concerned... Just like modern scientists. They are calculating that the moon is full of dust, but according to Vedic literature moon is not full of dust. There are also higher living entities. And from..., from your practical reason also, you can just understand that a lump of dust cannot be so brilliant so that it is illuminating the whole earth. It is not possible. Anyway, let the scientists go on with their own research work. So far we have got information from Vedic literature, all the planets—sun planet, moon planet, Venus—they are all full of living entities, and they have got different types of body.

Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966:

So Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, you are trying to enter into the moon planet, or any other planet. That's all right. But you must remember..." What is that? Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. This, this universe of... They... The universe is divided into fourteen divisions of planetary system, fourteen divisions. We are just in the middle planetary system. There are fourteen. Caturdaśa-bhuvana. There are seven down and seven up. We are in the middle. So Kṛṣṇa says that ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ: "Oh, what to speak of moon planet or sun planet or Venus, if you even enter into the highest planet, which is called Brahmaloka, still, there is birth and death, punar āvartinaḥ, repetition of birth and death, repetition of birth and death." Punar āvartinaḥ means just like I have got this body. Now, say, I'll live eighty years. Now I am seventy-one. So after nine years I'll have to change this body. Sure. There is nobody can, by scientific process, can stay here. No. That is not allowed. You have to change your body. This is called punar āvartinaḥ, changing... Just like you change your old dress, similarly, you have to change your old body, again enter into another new body. So this is called punar āvartinaḥ. So Kṛṣṇa says that "If you enter in this material world, if you enter even to the highest planet..." What to speak of this moon planet... Moon planet is just our neighbor. Your modern scientists have calculated that if we want to go to the highest planet, it will take—this same speed of sputnik, twenty thousand miles per hour—still, it will take forty thousands of years to reach the highest planet. That is the scientific view.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

And now they have failed to go to the moon planet. Now they are trying to go to the Venus planet. People are not asking that "You have spent so much money, forty million dollars for one coat(?), going to the moon planet, so what you have done? Ha?" Now suppose when Columbus discovered this American... Not discovered... Anyway, the people are interested to come here to colonize. Similarly, if you've actually discovered moon planet—not discovered; it is already there—if you have gone there, now go and live there, colonize there, then it is successful. "No, we have gone there. We have seen there is a big crack and we are studying that." That is our advancement. In this way foolish people are exploiting innocent public. Yes.

This is our charge against this so-called advancement of life. And they are forgetting real thing. They do not understand what is soul. They do not understand. They do not understand that the soul is transmigrating from one body to another. Soul is immortal. Soul is eternal. These things are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. In the beginning, this is the beginning lesson: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāram (BG 2.13).

Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:

Therefore here it is said, dhyāyan na āvarteta yato gataḥ. We are trying to go to the moon planet. But is it sure that you will not die there? "No, no, before going there I shall die. That is happy. Still we shall go." This is their proposal. Either you go to the moon planet or sun planet or any Venus planet, this planet, anywhere within this material world... Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. There are so many planets. The topmost planet is Brahmaloka, Brahma planet, where Lord Brahmā lives. And you know the duration of life of Brahmā. You cannot calculate his one twelve-hours day. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). This is the Brahmā's twelve hours. That is Brahmaloka. You cannot calculate what is the duration of life there. But even if you go there, the problem, death will be there. The problem death will go. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). The problem which is here... Just like the birth-death problem is within the ant society, birth-death problem is there within the animal society, birth-death problem is there in the human society, similarly, birth-death problem is in the moon society or sun society or Brahmaloka society, anywhere in this material world. That is real problem.

Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:

So these kinds of plans... Just like Rāvaṇa. He said, "What is the use of becoming devotee? Oh, if you want to go to the heavenly planet, I shall make a solid staircase, reinforced concrete, and you can go there. There is no need of endeavoring for austerities, penances, no." So these people are trying like Rāvaṇa, that "We shall take you to the moon planet, Venus planet, this planet, and give us money. Now we spend. You go on spending... In future, in future." So these karmīs are just like phantasmagoria, will o' the wisp. And jñānī, they are also merging into the effulgence of Brahman. That is also another foolishness, because actually nobody can remain in that. Just like we are feeling happy here because we have got so many friends here, ladies and gentleman, and you are talking. Now, if it was vacant, nobody is here. Sometimes in our temple, That's not very good. Nobody likes to sit. Is it a fact? Every day, because we are so many, it is very pleasing to sit down.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Paris, June 9, 1974:

So there are so many examples. We have talked. This knowledge is not... The exact word used in Sanskrit... There are two ways: āroha-panthā, avaroha-panthā. Āroha-panthā means to know something by your dint of knowledge, ascending process, ascending process. Just like these people are trying to know the moon planet, the Venus planet, or other planets. They're going, ascending by airplane. And to know it. But they're doing it for the last twenty years. They do not know what is the actual position of the moon planet. That is not known. They're coming, going. Or whether they have gone, that they know. But from the situation it is understood they're not going. Maybe some other planet they are going. That is my opinion. Because the description of the moon planet does not tally. We have got in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... The, this moon planet is one of the heavenly planets. There, high class of demigods, they live. Or one who is elevated to the moon planet, he is living there for ten thousands of years.

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

From śāstra we understand that the moon planet is situated 1,600,000 miles away from the sun, and the sun is situated in the middle of the universe. And the total diameter from one circumference to the other of the universe it is four billions of miles. So the sun is situated at the point of two billions of miles from the circumference of the universe, and above the sun planet, 1,600,000, there is the moon. And above that there is Venus, there is Jupiter, there is Mars—all difference of 1,600,000 of miles. So it is not possible to go to the moon planet. Because first of all the sun is a little... According to the modern scientists calculation it is 93,000,0000. Taking it, accepted as 93,000,000's from this earthly planet, then again add 1,600,000, that means 94,600,000 miles away from the earth there is the moon planet. It is not possible. Therefore they are now silent. They cannot go there; neither ever they went there. This is the conclusion. So that is a controversial point, controversial, but we have to see the result.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture:

So in the Fifth Chapter, at the end of the Fifth Chapter, Śukadeva Gosvāmī has described the different sufferings, body in the hellish condition. We are, according to change of body, we are not only going through the evolutionary process of different types of body, as we have got experience here: the aquatics, the trees, the plants, the insect, the birds, the beast, then a human being. Similarly, after human being, if we do not work properly with our advanced consciousness, then we go down again in the hellish planet that are down this universe. And if we act piously, then you go to the upper planetary system. This moon planet is also one of the upper planetary system. But you cannot go by sputnik. That is not possible. It is all foolishness. The moon planet is situated above the sun planet. They are not going to the moon planet; therefore they have stopped their propaganda. So above that moon planet, there is Venus, there is Jupiter, there is Mars, and so many others. So in the śāstra it is said, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you act very piously, in the mode of goodness, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system. And if you do not work in the modes of goodness—in the modes of passion—then you remain in this planet and become changed into so many bodies. And if you still work... Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. If you are so abominable that you do not work as a human being and just like animal, then you go to the hellish condition. This is nature's law.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:

So these are the explanation in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And it is situated above the sun planet, and above, the distance is also given there: 1,600,000's of miles. And above that, similarly, 1,600,000 miles, there is Mars, there is Jupiter, there is Venus, like that. So universe is not so small that you can ride on your 747 and go. (laughter) It is not so easy. It is not so easy. So therefore, from the circumstances, we can conclude that they could not approach the moon planet. And now they are saying that "It is useless. There is no need of going there. The grapes are sour." (laughter) The jackal jumping, jumping, jumping. When he could not get the grapes, then he is rejecting, "Oh, this is sour. It is no use." So after jumping so many years and spending so much money, they are now rejecting: "The moon planet is not habitable." But we get there. This is one of the heavenly planets, and it is habitable by the most advanced pious men. So these are the difference. Now it is your business to believe the so-called scientist or the śāstra, as you like. But we cannot believe. Because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, we have to believe what is stated in the śāstra.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Our philosophy is go back to home, back to Godhead. Not in the spiritual sky. Paravyoma. Spiritual sky, there is chance of falling down. Why chance? It is sure. Those who are merging into the Brahman effulgence, the śāstra says that they again fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. They, jñānīs, they undergo severe austerities, penances to merge into the existence of impersonal Brahman. But they fall down again. They fall down again because they have no shelter. Anādhṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. As, as in this sky, there are many planets. You can go with high speed to the Moon planet or Venus planet. But if you have no shelter to stay there, you come back again on this earthly planet, that is practically experienced, similarly you may merge into the Brahman effulgence. Just like our plane goes very high and, at a certain point, we see it is invisible, merged. Actually, it is not merged. Our eyes cannot see any more. They take it as merge.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.31-38 -- San Francisco, January 22, 1967:

So one who does not know this simple fact, then he may go on indulging, wasting his time by meditation, by cultivation of knowledge, by exercise, by pressing nose, or so many things. He is not in the, actually in the factual position. So such persons, in spite of their austerity, in spite of their severe penances... Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). Although they realize that "Here is the Absolute Truth," or "Here is the light," or "Here is the essence," but because they do not engage in the devotional service of the Lord, or because they have no shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord, they fall down. Surely they fall down. The same example: you may go very high on a sputnik, ten thousand miles off from this earth, but if you have no shelter there, then naturally, you have to come back again here. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ (SB 10.2.32). You may go high, very high. That's all right. But if you don't approach the moon planet or the Venus planet, or any other planet for which you started But these people, they are so foolish they are taking simply clap by wandering in the space a few thousand miles. They think, "This is our perfection. Because I have come so high, and 20,000 miles off from the earth planet, and there is clapping, 'Oh, sputnik has gone...' " But where is your result? The result must be you must reach to the moon planet. Then That is minus.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

As you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). There are innumerable varieties of planet. The higher planetary system, they are resided by demigods, very powerful. They are also human beings, but they are very beautiful; they are very powerful. So you can go there. The moon planet, sun planet—that is clearly stated—if you act accordingly, as they are prescribed, that "If you want to go to the moon planet, you have to do like this," then after leaving this body, you can go there. Similarly, you can go any planet. Similarly, you can go to the planet of Kṛṣṇa. So those who are intelligent, they are not concerned with..., any more with any planet within this material world. Because wherever you go, the four principles of material miseries, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, will follow. Either you go to the moon planet or sun planet or Venus planet or any planet. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). But that planet where going no more comes back in the material world, that is the most sublime planet. So we are... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are preparing living entities directly going back to Kṛṣṇa planet. The highest perfection. So this is opportunity. You have got human form of life. Now you have got our association. You have got all information from the Bhagavad-gītā. So the opportunity is there. Now if you don't utilize it, then you can commit your suicide. Nobody can check you. Otherwise you can utilize all these facilities and go directly to Kṛṣṇa.

General Lectures

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

If you want to enter into another planet, say moon planet or sun planet or Venus planet... There are innumerable planets. The ultimate, highest planet is called Brahmaloka. And the advantage of going to Brahmaloka is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that you can get a life, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). You can get there life for millions and millions of years. But still, there is death and there is birth and there is that old age and there is that disease. But mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. But if somebody is transferred to that planet which is called Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana, or Vaikuṇṭha, then one hasn't got to come back to this material, I mean to say, temporary existence. So these informations are there, and they are very scientific. They are not dogmatic. If you accept them with reason and argument and with human consciousness, the solutions are there.

Lecture -- London, September 26, 1969:

So they, our scientists are so-called nonsense only. They say, "No, there cannot be any existence of living entity in the moon pla..., moon planet or sun planet." They say like that. But our Vedic literature does not say like that. Living entities... It is said, sarva-gaḥ. They can go anywhere, and they can live anywhere. Sarva-gaḥ. Sarva means all; gaḥ means going. You can go. Just like here in London city, you are sitting here, you can go any other part, similarly, you can go any other part of the universe or any other part of God's creation. There is material world, spiritual world... You can go everywhere. But you must be capable of going there. Just like we Indians. There are many Indians... Or there are many Englishmen also, some of them want to go to India. Some of the Indians, from India they want to come to London. They think London is very wonderful city. And some Englishmen also think, "Oh, India is very wonderful land." So we are thinking that moon land or sun land or so many other planets, Venus...

Speech -- New Vrindaban, August 31, 1972:

In this way, if you make analytical study, every particular body has got a particular type of facility, while others haven't got. But we want all facilities of life. That is our inclination. Just like modern scientists, they're trying to go to other planets but they're conditioned, they cannot go. We can see. There are millions and trillions of planets before us—the sun planet, the moon planet, the Venus, the Mars. Sometimes we wish, "How I could go there." But because I am conditioned, I'm not independent, I cannot go. But originally, because you are spirit soul, originally you were free to move any way. Just like Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni moves everywhere; any planet he likes he can go. Still, there is one planet within this universe which is called Siddhaloka. That Siddhaloka, the inhabitants of Siddhaloka, they can fly from one planet to another without any airplane. Even yogis, yogis, haṭha-yogīs, those who have practiced, they can also go from anywhere to anyplace. The yogis, they sit down in one place and immediately transferred in another place. They take a dip in some river nearby here and they can get up in some river in India. They dip here and they rise there. These are yogic powers.

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

So actually my position is that I can go everywhere. Just like we are trying. Because I have got the desire to go the moon planet, to the Venus planet, or any other planet, and they are trying with our, scientific knowledge. But because it is gross material, we are not yet successful. But the point is that I have got the desire to go this planet, to that planet. Just like we make tour, even on this planet. We want to go this place, that place, that place. So this is natural. Therefore here in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sarva-gataḥ. You can go anywhere, everywhere. There are innumerable universes, and there are innumerable planets of different nature. And you can go. Sarva-gataḥ, sthāṇur acalo 'yam. So according to the different features, we get... Just like the aquatics. They have got a different type of body. They can very easily and very pleasingly, they can live within the water. But if you are pushed within the water, you'll die. You'll suffocate. So by nature's way, there are different types of body. They are going to the moon planet, but to live in the moon planet, you require a different type of body. That we get information from Vedic literature.

Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

There are many who worship demigods. So they will go to the planet where demigods reside. There are innumerable planets. This, according to Vedic literature, this moon planet is also a place where demigods reside. The sun planet also like that, and many other planets. The Bhagavad-gītā says, yānti deva-vratāḥ devān. If you want to go to the moon planet, sun planet, Venus planet or any other planet, you just prepare yourself in this life, and at the time of death, you'll be transferred to such and such condition of life. Similarly, pitṛ-vratāḥ, there are Pitṛ-lokas, bhūtejyā, bhūtejyam ghost worshiper. They will also go to such planet. And mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām, Kṛṣṇa says. "Those who want to go to Me, back to home, back to Godhead, they can also go there. They can also go there."

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: So about the next life, change of body, you can prepare yourself. Yānti deva-vratā devān. If you prepare your life to go to the higher planetary system, the Moon planet, the Venus planet, and other... There are thousands and millions of planets. You can go. Yānti deva-vratā devān... It is clearly stated. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ. "You can go to the Pitṛloka planets." Or bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni. "If you want to remain here, you can remain." Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. "And if you like, you can come to Me." Everything is there. So next life there is. I'll have to accept a body, and there are eight million... (break) ...you prefer. But Kṛṣṇa says that whichever body we accept, it is subjected to the four miserable conditions: birth, death, old age and disease. Even Brahmā. He has got millions and millions of years duration of life, but still, he has to die. So anywhere in the material world, you have to undergo the material tribulations: birth, death, old age and disease.
Morning Walk -- December 9, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: Actually, it's very good for them to be killed by a devotee.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like a murderer is to be killed. Then his sins out of this murdering will be counteracted. If he lives, then he has to suffer so many tribulations. Better let him be killed. Then everything's finished. Life for life. And if there are good leaders, then they will see that the cheating scientists, they're spoiling state money. They'll be stopped in their nefarious activities. They could not become successful in the moon expedition. Now they have made another plan. Venus... What is? Venus expedition?

Karandhara: Mars, Jupiter.

Hṛdayānanda: Mars.

Prabhupāda: Mars. You see? But the rascal government does not... You could not become successful about the moon expedition. Why you are asking money again?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They say they are successful.

Prabhupāda: What is that successful?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 20, 1974, Hawaii:

Prabhupāda: Then let them go. They are life. And colonize. Where is life? Which planet, they say, there is life?

Nitāi: Venus and Mars. They suspect life on those planets, especially Mars.

Prabhupāda: So they are going there?

Sudāmā: Yeah, they're making plans to go there.

Nitāi: It's quite a bit further than the moon. They watch through their telescopes and every year they see that the surface of the planet changes, that there's certain dark areas which grow and then they recede.

Prabhupāda: Every day, every year changes? Why?

Nitāi: Well, it appears to be like seasons. First they grow big, and then they grow small, then they grow big.

Prabhupāda: Moon planet?

Nitāi: No, this is the Martian... They call them "the Martian canals." So they think that although the life there may not be like we have here, that there may be some living beings there. They consider... What they consider living being is something that could live on this planet. That's what they consider living. So they think that Mars and Venus, because they're very close to this planet-out of all the planets that they know, those two are the closest—that on those two planets, there may be life like on this planet. (end)

Morning Walk -- March 6, 1974, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Thank you. That's... Svarūpa Dāmodara asked the scientist that, "You are beginning life from chemicals. Suppose I give you chemicals, can you make life?" "That I cannot say." This is their proposal. This is their... All rascals. And they're wasting public money and making other fools. They're going to the Candraloka and this loka, Venus. Simply wasting time. This remark I gave in the newspaper sometimes in San Francisco...

Siddha-svarūpānanda: When they asked about the moon.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. It is simply waste of time and energy. That's all. And in 1968 I wrote that Easy Journey: "And this is all childish."

Siddha-svarūpānanda: Sputniks.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Have you read that?

Siddha-svarūpānanda: Yes. It is very nice.

Prabhupāda: So we can boldly say on the strength of Vedic literature that all these attempts are childish and those who are attempting, they're all fools and rascals. That's all. Now they're silent about moon expedition. They're trying to go to Venus. What happened to moon, moon planet?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Woman Sanskrit Professor -- February 13, 1975, Mexico:

Prabhupāda: Therefore he's seeking pleasure. That is the real aim. Therefore he's going into the water. He has no business to go to the water, but because he is seeking pleasure—"Let me see if there is some pleasure. Experiment." That's all. But he does not get... Just like they are going to the moon planet, moon planet: "Let us see." Because there is no ānanda, he is seeking another type of ānanda. And now they have failed. Now they're going to Venus or what?

Devotees: Mars.

Prabhupāda: Mars. This is going on. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). He's not seeking after where is eternal happiness. He's... Temporarily, he's seeking here, there. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate. In this way his life is finished, seeking ānanda, and he gets another body, another term. So his intelligence is not coming to the point that "What is this ānanda? I am eternal. I am seeking eternal ānanda. Why this ānanda? Sometimes this body, sometimes this position, sometimes that position—what is this?" That is intelligence.

Morning Walk -- May 12, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: All wrong.

Paramahaṁsa: If it's a longer distance than the sun but still it appears so big in the sky, it must be a very large planet.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Similarly Venus and others, they are also above.

Paramahaṁsa: Oh, above the sun.

Prabhupāda: The sun is moving near about that. This is one universe, and there are thousands and millions of universe. Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). That is God's creation. And they are becoming God, "I am God." Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). If we simply think of the creation of God, we can appreciate how great He is.

Paramahaṁsa: That's why it's described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?

Prabhupāda: They say, "God is great," but they do not know how great He is. That is explained in the Vedic literature. Of course, those who are saying "God is great," they are pious. And those who are saying that "I am God," how foolish they are. Therefore I say that anyone who says, "I am God," immediately kick with your shoes on his face. Such a cheater.

Morning Walk -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: That law of gravity is a bogus theory. The... Sixteen hundred thousand miles... Sixteen hundred thousand miles below the sun is the Rāhu. They are going there.

Amogha: Rāhu. Seems like all the planets, they have that space interval of sixteen hundred thousand miles. Most of the sun...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Amogha: ...and then the moon and Venus. That two hundred thousand yojanas.

Prabhupāda: When the Rāhu happens to be between the two planets, sun and moon, there is eclipse.

Amogha: When the orbits intercross.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Amogha: Ketu is below Rāhu?

Prabhupāda: Ketu is not mentioned there.

Amogha: Oh. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...another part of Rāhu.

Amogha: Hm.

Prabhupāda: Madhudviṣa Mahārāja, here is a property for sale.

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: That is God's wish. "You can go up on Me? What is this?" Their calculation is that moon is nearer, is it not?

Guru kṛpā:. Yes.

Prabhupāda: But not moon is nearer; sun is nearer. And above, in the proportion, 1,600,000 miles, above moon there is Mercury, Mars, in this way, Venus. It is not so easy.

Śrutakīrti: The planets are not orbiting the sun.

Prabhupāda: No, no. They have got their different orbits.

Guru kṛpā:. This is real science, to know these facts.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guru kṛpā: So how can you prove that?

Prabhupāda: Vedic literature. Śruti-pramāṇam. Śruti means Vedas. What is that? That is another island?

Devotee: That's the Kaneohe marine base.

Prabhupāda: Huh? What is that?

Guru kṛpā: A marine base, army base.

Morning Walk -- May 27, 1975, Honolulu:

Guru kṛpā: That is a good argument.

Prabhupāda: He will think, "What is next? Is it finished here?" The rascal says, "No, after finishing, everything is finished." What is this? If there is evolution—you have come to this stage —then what is the next stage? That is natural. That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). Now you can go to the moon planet if you try. Moon planet, sun planet, Venus and so many. If you become serious. And you can go to God's planet, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. Now you select where will you will go. But there is spiritual planet. But what is their theory? That after finishing this body, everything is finished.(?) They do not believe in the next life.

Bali-mardana: Therefore their life must be hopeless.

Prabhupāda: Hopeless, yes. (break) Yes, you can send him to India.

Guru kṛpā: But there is no "after" here because there is so much to plant here.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's all.

Morning Walk -- June 2, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: That is the way of falsehood. If once you speak something false, then to protect that falsehood you have to take to so many other falsehoods. This is the way of falsehood.

Paramahaṁsa: One lie leads to another.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...are going to Venus, Americans and Russians combined together?

Ambarīṣa: This summer.

Prabhupāda: Oh, in the summer. Venus is very cold? Why they have selected summer season? (laughter) (break) ...could not go to the moon, and Venus is far above moon. How they will go?

Bali-mardana: They're not going to Venus, are they?

Paramahaṁsa: Are they going to Mars?

Bali-mardana: No, they're just going around the earth, right?

Ambarīṣa: Yeah, they're linking up in space.

Devotee (3): Prabhupāda, when they said they went to the moon and they showed films of them landing and walking on the moon, was this all a bluff?

Prabhupāda: Yes, here they... All laboratory work, that's all.

Morning Walk -- June 2, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Yes, here they... All laboratory work, that's all.

Devotee (3): They all made it up?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bali-mardana: Prabhupāda, they are not going to go to Venus. The American and Russian, they are just going to meet outside the earth. They are not going to any planet.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is finished.

Bali-mardana: It is too difficult.

Ambarīṣa: They're going to meet in space and float around in space.

Prabhupāda: That is birds are doing also. What is the credit?

Paramahaṁsa: They are thinking that "What is the use of going to any other planet, because there is no life on the other planets."

Prabhupāda: Why no life?

Paramahaṁsa: Well, they have photographs and things.

Morning Walk -- June 2, 1975, Honolulu:

Ambarīṣa: Prabhupāda, you said the other day that pretty soon all these lies will be exposed.

Prabhupāda: They are already exposed because they have left that expedition. That means they are hopeless. That is exposed. But foolish people will not ask them that "Why you have stopped this expedition?" They will again go on bluffing, and they will accept. That is the position. Now people should ask them, "Why you have stopped moon expedition and Venus expedition? You proposed you were going there, making arrangement. Why you have stopped?" It is failure.

Harikeśa: They might argue...

Prabhupāda: What is the argument? You have stopped. That is your failure, that's all. You can argue to the laymen, foolish men, but we will say you have stopped; therefore it is failure. All bogus propaganda is now stopped.

Devotee (3): They are saying the moon isn't worth develop...

Prabhupāda: Now they cannot say anything because they are failure. Anything they say, that is all foolishness. They cannot say anything. Once you are failure, you have no value, anything you say.

Morning Walk -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So you see, they are living within the sand... (laughter)

Brahmānanda: Has a house.

Jayatīrtha: That's a very fortunate crab.

Prabhupāda: And these people say there is no life. There is only sand. (break) What is their attempt about going to Venus?

Brahmānanda: Going to Venus? I think the Russians have sent some...

Indian guest: They are working on a joint venture, Russia and United States. They are going to rendezvous sometimes pretty soon.

Brahmānanda: To Venus there is some attempt now, to go to Venus?

Indian guest: The Russians have attempted to land not a manned craft but unmanned craft.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Man craft?

Indian guest: Unmanned craft.

Prabhupāda: What is that man craft?

Harikeśa: Just one ship without any people inside.

Morning Walk -- June 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Brahmānanda: With such little result coming from it.

Dr. Judah: Yes. The amount, the expense, whether the expense could actually be justified to continue on in the way that they had. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...to Venus? They say they are going to Venus?

Brahmānanda: The Russians have sent a spaceship to Venus.

Revatīnandana: It's unmanned. There are no men in it. They are going to Venus but there is no man in the ship.

Prabhupāda: Now, why they are going to Venus? They have failed to achieve anything by going to the moon. Now why another attempt, to go to the Venus?

Dr. Judah: Well, the usual explanation that they have given, as I recall, is that these explorations give man more of a knowledge about how the world was created, our universe was created.

Prabhupāda: That is another speculation.

Morning Walk -- June 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Bahulāśva: Why do they have to go to Venus, though, to figure that out? They have a planet here they can't get any information out of.

Prabhupāda: Why they are anxious to know how the world was created? It is already created. What is your credit? (break) ...and simply bluffing people, that's all. (break) It is already there. The nice creation is already there.

Dr. Judah: Accept it as it is.

Dharmādhyakṣa: And be joyful. But they want to try to imitate the creation.

Prabhupāda: That is their foolishness. "Where angels dare not, foolish rush in. Where angels dare not, fools rush in." So big, big, giant, saintly persons, they simply admired, and they are going to understand it. What is that? And they can create, like that? They cannot create even an ant, a small ant, and they are going to create, imitate the creation of God. Just see. And we have to believe such fools. (laughter) This is our misfortune.

Morning Walk -- June 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So here a big animal is being praised by a small animal, but both of them are animals.

Revatīnandana: So in other words the big leaders and the scientists, they are thinking that "When I am president or when I am scientist—then this time we have landed on Venus—I will be praised."

Prabhupāda: Yes, but who will praise?

Revatīnandana: By other animals.

Prabhupāda: By other animals. Not a human being.

Revatīnandana: Right. But they're thinking, "I will become great," even though we know they are not great.

Prabhupāda: No, how they will know? He is animal. How he can know his position? And especially when the other small animals praise him he thinks that "I have become very big."

Revatīnandana: So that is their real motivation for going to Venus. But it isn't very intelligent.

Prabhupāda: Yes, "The small animals will praise." That is good policy. I think we shall now go this way.

Morning Walk -- June 28, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: Well, when there is killing, it is not that the pious men... But mostly they were saved. The Pāṇḍavas were saved. The five brothers, they remained. Now the moon is sour. Grapes are sour? (laughter) The jackal jumped over to catch some grapes, and when he fell, "Eh, what is the use of grapes? It is sour." The jackal said. So this is... Now they say there is, that is not good for him. "Let us go to Venus. (laughter) Moon is sour." And why you spent so much money? (break) ...stone man has come. That is the museum.

Brahmānanda: Stone?

Prabhupāda: How from stone...

Kuruśreṣṭha: Anthropologists.

Prabhupāda: Modern stone does not produce. They have become modernized? (laughter) (break)

Kuruśreṣṭha: In Dvaraka, when Kṛṣṇa was here, they would have such parks?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Morning Walk -- July 21, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Yes. How can you say there is no life?

Paramahaṁsa: But the scientists are saying, though, that the nearest star to our... You know, they consider the sun a star. And that the nearest star to ours is four light years away. Which means that it's... They do not believe that there's life in this entire solar system, in the planets nearest us, the moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Neptune, Jupiter. They assume it's either too cold...

Prabhupāda: No, we say in the sun there is life. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). "I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā science to the sun-god." So? Sun-god is dead stone, and Kṛṣṇa spoke to him?

Bahulāśva: They're very convinced, though, that they went to the moon, the scientists.

Devotee (3): I was going to ask you, Prabhupāda, is that the moon planet that we see, is that the same moon planet that's mentioned in the śāstras? The same planet?

Prabhupāda: Yes, same one. But the moon planet where they went, that is a dark planet. That is not moon planet.

Morning Walk -- July 24, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No, they take all these stars as sun. But that is not fact. Sun is one. In each universe there is one sun in the middle. In this universe in the middle, from the circumference, 200,000,000,000's, no, two billion.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Two billion.

Prabhupāda: And above the sun there is moon. Then Mars, then Venus, like that. 1,600,000 miles above, above, above.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So the moon is further away than the sun.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore I say they have never gone to moon. Never gone.

Hṛdayānanda: What is that? Rahu. (break)

Nalinī-kaṇṭha: They say that they can see stars trillions of miles away.

Prabhupāda: But they cannot go. That's a fact. According to their estimation, the moon is the nearest. So they cannot go there. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break) ...deva-vratā devān. Moon is one of the heavenly planets. So unless one is very advanced in karma-kāṇḍa, offering sacrifices, nobody can go there. It is not so easy. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are more and more higher status of goodness, they are promoted in the highest planet. Not by drinking wine and driving a sputnik one can... (laughter) It is not so easy. (break) ...also drink soma-rasa. The residents of the moon, they live for ten thousand years.

Morning Walk -- October 9, 1975, Durban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Well, they give the excuse that all the other stars are so far away that the light doesn't shine bright enough.

Prabhupāda: There are no other, nearer planets?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. There are other planets like Venus and Mars, but they say these planets are much closer than the sun.

Prabhupāda: That means... So why they do not look so bright?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Their philosophy is that the earth, Venus and Mars, these different planets, they don't give off any light.

Prabhupāda: Then why do they say that all the planets look like moon? They say like that.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They think the moon is just reflecting light from the sun.

Prahupada: So why it is not reflecting to other planets, only to the moon? Why special advantage to the moon? They have no reason. All rascals' philosophy. Why particularly to the moon? Why not others? Simply theories and mental speculation. They have no scientific. And the śāstra definitely gives the distance of the moon from the sun planet-1,600,000 miles. Then similarly (sic:) 1,600 million up, the Mars, then Venus, then..., everything. And moon is specifically mentioned that "It is so brilliant because there is fire, blazing fire. And the blazing fire is so illuminating that even at night it looks white, bright." This is reasonable because... Not that it is being reflected by the sun. The sun can reflect other planets, but it is there, fire. Just like sun there is fire, similarly, moon there is fire. The sun is not covered by cool atmosphere, but the moon is covered by cool atmosphere. Therefore it is pleasing. When there is sunshine and breeze, it is very pleasing. And no sunshine, simply breezing—it is not pleasing. And only sunshine, there is no cool atmo... That is also painful. But sunshine and breezing is very pleasing. So there is, like sunshine, blazing fire and surrounded by cool atmosphere. Therefore the moon is so pleasing.

Morning Walk -- October 26, 1975, Mauritius:

Harikeśa: He had to put the dust somewhere. That's one of the theories, that all of the gas... In the beginning all the gas was circulating around and it solidified into different planets.

Prabhupāda: So why this planet is full of living entities? Why not others? What is that gas? What particular gas was circulating this planet? So take this gas, circulate over here, and get living entities there and live there. Why don't you do that, you scientists? Why you are disappointed? You are going to Venus. Just see. This rascaldom we have to believe.

Harikeśa: That's the next famous theory after the chunk theory.

Prabhupāda: It is simply waste of time even to talk with these fools.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The governments are giving billions and billions of dollars...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: ...in scientific grants.

Prabhupāda: All another set of fools, that's all. (Break) ...whole world is unhappy on account of being controlled by different set of fools. That is the calamity. If they say, "There are so many educated persons. They are controlling, and you are saying "fools." Why? Then what you will answer?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Sudāmā: Now they're trying for Mars.

Prabhupāda: Just see. Hele dāntavān keuṭe.(?) A man was trying to capture snake. So there are snakes, hele. There are many snakes; they have no poison, especially the water snake, the hele. So hele dāntavān keuṭe.(?) Keuṭe means cobra. So one cannot catch up the poisonless snake, and he is attempting to capture cobra. They could not go to the moon planet, which is only 1,600,000 miles above the sun, and they are going to Venus, which is far, far away, still. How many miles the Venus is situated? They have committed some mistake.

Harikeśa: Yes. Well, they say here it's 600,000 yojanas, which makes 48,000,000 miles. No, 480,000,000 miles above the sun.

Prabhupāda: If they cannot reach sun... They are trying to go above the sun. (Someone enters) Bosen. Jaya. (Bengali) (break) It is giving quotation from Vedas. How to act on Vedic principle, that is called smṛti. Sometimes the original law is explained by one lawyer in detail. So that detailed explanation is like smṛti, and the original law is śruti. In that we have to bathe. Smṛti means which is explaining śruti to understand easily.

Morning Walk -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Devotee (1): All they could get was some dust.

Prabhupāda: That is already known. Further?

Makhanlāl: They want to go to Mars and Saturn now.

Prabhupāda: Why? Moon finished? Simply by taking dust? And still the government is going to pay for Mars and Venus?

Devotee (1): They all do favors for each other. The government contracts big construction companies to build military bases for them. And then in turn they all have engagement, they all feed each other, like that. We met one boy in Houston, his grandfather was a disciple of Bhaktisiddhānta.

Prabhupāda: Indian?

Devotee (1): Yes. No, he is not Indian, he was German.

Prabhupāda: German. Yes.

Devotee (1): His grandfather was German, he was raised in Germany.

Prabhupāda: Yes, we had two German Godbrothers. One is that Sadānanda. Another was Bon something.

Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Hari-śauri: Takes several years to reach.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's such a bluff.

Hari-śauri: How long does it take them to go to Mars?

Pradyumna: Mars and Venus also, they say.

Hari-śauri: Venus is the other one they concentrate... They think that Venus, there's a good chance there may be some life there.

Pradyumna: Venus is covered by clouds. So no one can see what is there. There's clouds all around the planet. Heavy, what do they call, so that no one can see. So they sent a rocket inside or something to go through the clouds to see what is there. Russians also tried. Fermament. In the Bible, they say that on earth there was also..., above the earth there were all clouds at one time according to the Bible. And then at that time men used to live very, very long, and then the clouds went away at some point. They call it a firmament. So the same thing is on Venus. No one can see what the planet is like, no one has ever known. That is also a heavenly, we say also... That is Śukrācārya's place?

Prabhupāda: Not Śukrācārya's, just Śukra.

Pradyumna: Just Śukra.

Prabhupāda: May be Śukrācārya's place. What benefit they will have? Nothing. This is science. Without any aim, without any objective.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, the tree.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They eat through the roots.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Spider, big, big spider.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a thing called the Venus Fly Trap. It's this special plant, and if anything goes near it, it goes like that. Maybe they have big ones in Africa.

Prabhupāda: Simply eating competition. These American... It's called surfer?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: American?

Prabhupāda: What is that sport, surfer?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Surfing. You mean on the board in the water? Surfing.

Prabhupāda: So they may become fish next life.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually you said that in a lecture in Hawaii in our temple. I remember. That really gave everybody a thought. Food for thought.

Prabhupāda: It is in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then he did these charts.

Pranavdas Gupta: He has given in this chart. Mahārāji, your Śukra is very nice. Venus. Śukra means Venus. And in the seventh place Śukra is very, very... To him this is very good place of Śukra. But on the eleventh house, Rahu, "That has rather forced him to take sannyāsa. That has rather forced him to take... But what was he doing before taking sannyāsa?" "I actually do not know what he..." Because I had to say like that. "He might be in some good post," he said. "He might be in good post. Then he has taken sannyāsa. Was he a married man?" "Yes, he was a married." "Has he got issues?" "Yes, he has got issues." Then all these calculations. "But his eleventh house, that Rahu, made him like that. But Śukra in the seventh house is very good for him. As regards the others, these are good, but this is the best, the Śukra, the Venus, in the seventh house." So he has given this Janma Lagna and he has also given this Chandra Lagna. These are almost the same as now. But he was impressed that way, seeing all the horoscope. I did not disclose anything. I'm coming from Vṛndāvana, so he hold that I'm...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now we have one. That is one horoscope. Now we make comparison the next two that come in. They're both coming tonight to give reports. Bhakti-prema has returned, and Yaśodānandana Mahārāja has returned. So after we hear all three, then, if necessary, you can consult a kavirajā. Or everyone may say the same thing. Then we'll know if it's confirmed.

Pranavdas Gupta: You can ask in Bangalore also. They are very expert. Raman, there is one. Because by... (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says up to September 7th there's very... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...surrounded with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That was my great fortune. My father, mother, my relatives, my neighborhood... I had the opportunity mixing with... (break) Everywhere there was Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And they were all well-to-do, rich. This was the opportunity. Then gradually it developed. My father was a great Vaiṣṇava. He was worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Our family Deity was Dāmodara. So hereditary we are Vaiṣṇavas, followers of Nitāi-Gaura.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Why November 28th?

Jayapatākā: Why? That's just his... He may or may not be accurate.

Bhavānanda: What is the occurrence on that day?

Jayapatākā: He said that that's the last day of the...

Bhavānanda: That's the day Venus changes houses.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Kīrtanānanda: That's the day Venus changes houses.

Jayapatākā: He said that he is praying that Kṛṣṇa will keep you here, 'cause without a pure devotee in the world then everything becomes dark. West Bengal Council for Child Welfare and the West Bengal Government Health Department Inspector came out and inspected our distribution. We have five centers where we distribute five days a week, Monday through Friday, the foodstuff. We eat another thing given by the government. We prepare that and offer it to the Deity and distribute that from our temple as well as from a nearby village. The local villagers help to distribute. Right now twelve hundred people are taking every day. So they were very satisfied with the arrangement. And one of the centers is Māyāpur village. They had been refusing to take, and he said, "You just change and put into another village. They're not the only poor people in the world. Any other village can take." They are very favorable to our program. They given us a full quota that daily 1,846 people can get food and they'll bear the costs of the grain and oil, etc.

Prabhupāda: What is this preparation?

Jayapatākā: It's wheat that's chipped.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sakini.(?)

Pradyumna: Sakini? "Pitar Jaladevi(?) combined. Difficulty in recovery." Then another point. "The seventh dāsa starts." So this is Venus, Śukra-daśā. "The seventh daśā starts on 13th January, 1978. This is ending of seven years."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For three years it goes. Three years.

Pradyumna: Oh, I'm sorry. "We have noticed that the periods are all negative until March or April 1978, and main trouble was due to Śani. We have suggested that the blue sapphire be tried, and he should keep it, putting." He should keep it on. "Hospitalization and travels indicated. The only remedy in this case is to do mahā-mṛtyuṁ jaya japa and havana. Previously also, now also, we have recommend: Śiva is the presiding Deity of Śani, and with this the native will be able to overcome disease and life span increases. Astrologically, it is up to eighty-one years, four months, approximately. Japa and havana..."

Kīrtanānanda: What is up to eighty-four years?

Pradyumna: Eighty-one years, four months.

Kīrtanānanda: Is what?

Pradyumna: That is astrologically the length of life approximately.

Prabhupāda: So this japa, mahā-mantra-japa, and Bhāgavata-pāṭha, that I am doing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And what?

Prabhupāda: Śrīmad-Bhāgavata-pāṭha. So either read Bhāgavata or chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. And let me lie down like this, that's all, as it is going on. Huh? Can you make this program?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This program is already going on.

Correspondence

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Svarupa Damodara -- Mauritius 24 October, 1975:

According to our sastra, sun is first, then moon, then Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, like that. In other words, from Bhagavatam we understand that the moon is 1,600,000 miles above the sun. If that is true, then is it possible to go to the moon planet by persons who can never imagine to go the distance to the sun planet? Under the circumstances, if we say that they have never gone to the moon planet, is it exaggeration? You are a scientist, I hope you will reply these 2 points scientifically. If the moon planet is actually far away from the sun planet, how they can go there and publish in the paper that the moon planet is the nearest planet.

Page Title:Venus
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:19 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=12, CC=2, OB=2, Lec=22, Con=28, Let=1
No. of Quotes:67