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Whole thing (Lectures, BG)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

One cannot say anything about the transcendental world without being free from the materially contaminated consciousness. So the Lord was not materially contaminated. But our consciousness, at the present moment, is materially contaminated. So whole thing, as the Bhagavad-gītā teaches, we have to purify the materially contaminated consciousness and in that pure consciousness, the actions will be done. That will make us happy. We cannot stop. We cannot stop our activity. The activities are to be purified. And these purified activities are called bhakti. Bhakti means they are, they appear also just like ordinary activity, but they are not contaminated activities. They are purified activities. So an ignorant person may see that a devotee is working like an ordinary man, but a person with poor fund of knowledge, he does not know that the activities of a devotee or the activities of the Lord, they are not contaminated by the impure consciousness of matter, impurity of the three guṇas, modes of nature, but transcendental consciousness. So our consciousness is materially contaminated, we should know.

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

Therefore we shall find in this Bhagavad-gītā that the complete whole, comprising the supreme controller, the controlled living entities, the cosmic manifestation, the eternal time, and the activities, all of them are completely explained. So the whole thing taking together completely is called the Absolute Truth. The complete whole, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is therefore the complete Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. As I have explained, that the manifestation are due to His different energies, and He is the complete whole.

The impersonal Brahman is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that impersonal Brahman is also subordinate to the complete person. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā (BG 14.27). Impersonal Brahman is also. It is... The impersonal Brahman is more explicitly explained in the Brahma-sūtra as the rays.

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

And that point of view was due to his conception of the body. Because he was thinking that the body was himself and the bodily relatives, his brothers, his nephews, his father-in-law or his grandfather, they were expansion of his body, and he was thinking in that way to satisfy his bodily demands. And the whole thing was spoken by the Lord just to change the view. And he agreed to work under the direction of the Lord. And he said, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73).

Therefore in this world the human being is not meant for quarreling like the cats and dogs. They must be intelligent enough to realize the importance of the human life and refuse to act like ordinary animal. He should... A human being should realize the aim of human life. This direction is given in all the Vedic literature, and the essence is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vedic literature are meant for the human being and not for the cats and dogs.

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

At the same time, Yogeśvara.

So without becoming a disciple in bhakti-yoga, nobody can study Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). So the whole thing, Bhagavad-gītā is there, how to understand Kṛṣṇa. As soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). There is no more again birth in this material world. You go back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973:

It is very, very difficult to control the senses. Therefore the yoga process, mystic yoga process—just to practice how to control the senses. But for a devotee... They... Just like the tongue, if it is engaged only in the business of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and eating only Kṛṣṇa prasādam, the whole thing is done, perfect yogi. Perfect yogi. So for a bhakta, there is no trouble with the senses because a bhakta knows how to engage each and every sense in the service of the Lord. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam (CC Madhya 19.170). That is bhakti. Hṛṣīka means the senses. When the senses are engaged only for the service of Kṛṣṇa, Hṛṣīkeśa, then there is no need of practicing yoga. Automatically they are locked up in the service of Kṛṣṇa. They have no other engagement. That is the highest.

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

The brāhmaṇa is meant for giving good intelligence. The vaiśyas are meant for maintaining the economic condition. So as the government maintains the force, military police, their business is to chastise. This is required for maintenance of the whole thing. So you cannot avoid this war, fighting, when it is for good cause. We should not be so foolish that war can be, I mean to say, completely abolished. That is not possible. If you want to keep the social order, you must have to maintain the military strength, the police strength, and the court or the university. Everything is required. You cannot neglect one of them. Similarly... But if you are afraid of being killed—that is the medicine we are preaching—then you get out of this entanglement. You be situated in your spiritual body. There is no more question of killing. But so long you are in the material world, you have to abide by the rules and regulation of material nature.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:

Now, if this, this life we purify just like rose, then next life we shall get a body which is full of flavor. If, if, if in this life, if we practice devotion of God, then next life is to become the associate of God. That cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu... We are transferred to that planet. You see? These are simple things. The whole thing is in my hand. If I want to be degraded, I can prepare myself in this life for such degradation in the next life. And if we want to elevate ourself to the highest perfection of life, as to become one of the associates of God, we can prepare ourself like that. You'll find in the, in the advanced chapters, that yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). Now, we are trying to go to the moon planet. Now, here, in this life, if cultivate ourself for the same thought, the moon planet... That means the moon planet, about moon planet, we have to hear, and we have to think that "I shall go in such and such place." Unless you hear, you cannot abide here.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:

And there are thousands of women loitering in the street of New York, and suppose I have got some ma..., bodily connection with you, I call you my wife. And because I have got bodily relation with you, all the children produced by you, they are my children. You see? So whole thing is... The basic principle is wrong, that "I am this body." Now, from the expansion of the body, the whole thing, the whole thing is false. Because I am not this body, so my expansion of body is also not I am. But whole world is going on on this false impression. The whole world is going on. The fight, the fighting between one nation and another nation—because due to this body. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). "One who is identified with this body, which is made of water, fire and, water, fire and air, and the issues from this body as kinsmen and own men..."

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:

He takes simply bath and purchases some goods and advertises, "Oh, I have been to such and such pilgrimage." Well... yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13) and yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu: "He has the attachment for pilgrimage, for taking bath only, but he has no attraction for the learned people there." You see?

So such kind of man is considered as ass. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Go-khara. Go-khara. Go means cow or..., and khara means ass. So practically the whole world is moving as the civilization of cow and asses because the whole thing is identification with this... The center is this body, and expansion of the body, the attraction, whole attraction is there. Yes? You want to...?

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:

I shall be very comfortable there. And I'll be, I'll have no anxiety, nothing of the sort. You see? But I have taken all the risk in the old age because I am in duty-bound. I am in duty-bound. So I have to execute my duty in spite of all my inconveniences. That is the idea.

So this is the whole thing, the whole basic principle of spiritual advancement of knowledge. One should first be convinced that he is not this body. He is not this body. Then other spiritual knowledge will begin. This is the basic principle. You'll find it. You'll find it in the Bhagavad-gītā that this situation of spiritual life is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahman.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:

All, everything is one," but here you cannot apply that ignorance to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, His instruction of whole Bhagavad-gītā, which is so importantly taken by all authorities, all scholars, then it is at once rejected. If it is supposed that Śrī Kṛṣṇa was also to commit mistake, or He was in imperfect knowledge, then whole thing becomes rejected. So it is not, not like that.

So Śrī Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He's in full knowledge, and therefore as He says that "Either Myself or yourself or all these persons, kings and soldiers, who are assembled here, they're all individuals. In the past they were individuals, in the present we are individuals, and in the future they will continue to be individuals." Now, one thing... Suppose another argument is that due to ignorance... Just like an animal. It thinks that there is water in the desert, on the reflec...

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

Tapasya means penances, accepting penances for spiritual realization. Now, one who has accepted the worship of the Supreme Lord, he has no more anything to do for spiritual realization. He has realized. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim. And undergoing so much severe penances, if one does not understand what is God, then whole thing is spoiled. Tapasā tathā kim. Whole penances is spoiled because he could not reach to the ultimate goal. So ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim. Antar-bahir yadi haris tapasā tathā kim. One who has achieved that knowledge, that he can see within himself and outside always the Supreme Lord, he has no more necessity of any penance. And after undergoing all sorts of penances, if I cannot realize that God is within me and God is without everywhere, then all my penances are spoiled. You see? These are very nice.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:

If we pinch in this part, by consciousness you'll feel pain, or this part or any part of the body, because the consciousness is there, you feel pains and pleasure.

So Kṛṣṇa points out that this consciousness is immortal, avyaya. Avyaya means which is never annihilated, avyaya. Vyaya means there is whole thing, and you can take out part of it, but avyaya means you cannot take a part of it also; it is always wholesome. e

Similarly, this material cosmic manifestation is working very nicely—the sun is rising; the moon is rising; the seasons have changes; the air is blowing; the light is there; heat is there—why? Because there is big consciousness. And that small consciousness in your body and my body, keeping this body fit, similarly, there is another, greater consciousness which is keeping this material world fit and working order. So what is this consciousness?

Lecture on BG 2.23 -- Hyderabad, November 27, 1972:

Where is the question of surrendering? There is no question of surrendering. So this is the disease. Therefore Kṛṣṇa demands that to cure this rascaldom, or most chronic disease, you surrender. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "Then? If I surrender, then whole thing will be failure? My business, my plans, my, so many things...?" No. "I take charge of you. I take charge of you." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. "Don't be worried." So much assurance is there. Still, we are not prepared to surrender, This is our material disease. Therefore Kṛṣṇa came again as a devotee just to show how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32).

Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973:

Unemployed. Thousands and thousands of young boys and girls. Girls are not meant for working outside. Girls are meant for working inside.

So, the whole thing has topsy-turvied. Why? Because there is no good king. This is the cause. So the whole Battlefield of Kurukṣetra was arranged by Kṛṣṇa so that these irresponsible rogues, dressed as kings, should be all killed. That was the plan of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Duryodhana. Duryodhana, in the dress of a king, he was a rogue. He cheated the Pāṇḍavas by gambling. "You bet your wife, you bet your kingdom." In this way, they were devotees, simple, cheated them. So Kṛṣṇa wanted to see that these cheaters and rogues must be killed. That was His plan. Therefore He said, yadṛcchayā copapannaṁ svarga-dvāram apāvṛtam: "Arjuna, you are hesitating to fight, but it is a great opportunity for you.

Lecture on BG 2.36-37 -- London, September 4, 1973:

The rascals should not take example that: "Kṛṣṇa encouraged killing. Therefore everyone should kill. There is no sin." Without understanding. This is the difficulty. The rascals they do not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. They interpret for their favorable condition. That's all. Here is Bhagavad-gītā. They do not read the whole thing from ācārya—misunderstand. Bhagavad-gītā is not encouraging violence. That is not the Bhagavad-gītā's purpose. But a kṣatriya, when there is fight, dharma-yuddha, yuddha dharma... What is that, before we...? Sukhinaḥ kṣatriyāḥ pārtha labhante yuddham īdṛśam. A kṣatriya becomes very satisfied to get such fighting opportunity, yuddham īdṛśam, yadṛcchayā copapannaṁ svarga-dvāram apāvṛtam, labhante yuddham īdṛśam.

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

And consciousness minus... Body minus consciousness is dead body. Everyone knows it. A child can understand it, that I am speaking, you are hearing because your consciousness is present, my consciousness is present. As soon as my consciousness is deducted from this body, then this same mouth will not speak, the same hand will not move, the same your ear will not hear. The whole thing will be stopped. So it is very common sense affair, that consciousness, that is the main thing in this body. So any intelligent man with common sense can understand this. Now, what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Just like wherever there is some fire, there is heat or there is smoke. When you see something... Suppose you are sitting here. If you find somewhere smoking, then you are afraid, "Oh, there must be some fire. Otherwise why smoke is coming?" Or wherever you feel some heat, although you do not see the fire directly, still, you can understand that there is fire.

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

You life'll be risky. If you simply sit down in a good car without knowing the art of driving, then it will play disaster. You give at once motion, and it will collide with something, and you will be fractured, and whole thing will be dismantled.

So... Now, our position is that we do not know how to drive this motorcar. We do not know how to drive this motorcar. We have become the servant of the motorcar, servant, not the expert driver but a servant. This body means the senses. The senses. The sense wants that... My eyes, it wants, "Oh, there is a beautiful girl. Let us see. Oh, I am hankering after it. I am following that beautiful girl." "Oh, there is very nice music. All right." Ear. "All right. Let us have it." "Oh, there is a very good restaurant, palatable dishes." Oh, tongue, tongue dictates, "Oh, you go there." Similarly, all our senses...

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

The saṅkīrtana just now we have performed, it is vibration of the transcendental sound. This will help us in clearing the dust which we have accumulated on the surface of our mind. The whole thing is misunderstanding. We, as pure soul, pure consciousness, naturally we are aloof from material contamination. But due to our long association with this material atmosphere, we have accumulated a great, thick layer of dust on the mind. So as soon as the dust is cleared off, then we can see ourself, what we are.

So we are discussing for the last few days on the constitutional position of ourself, myself, yourself—the soul, pure soul. Now, we have discussed that this pure soul is distinct from this material body. And we can understand this constitution of the soul by the presence of consciousness. The Lord says, Kṛṣṇa says, that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

You cannot stop acting; at the same time, you cannot take the fruitive result of your activities. And if you think that "Oh, I am not going to..." Just like in India one business friend, he was selling my books. He was telling, "We are not going to make any huge business this year because if we do business, the profit is more. The whole thing will be taken by government by income tax. So we are stopping to work, to have more business." This is the position because our mind is so inclined that if I cannot enjoy the fruit of my activities, then I am disinclined. Perhaps you know. There is a proverb in English that "Proprietorship turns sand into gold." A person working on his own account, oh, he can turn sand into gold, but a person working for others' account, oh, that is not possible. He will be slow. He will be slow because the purpose is that "Why shall I work so hard? It will be enjoyed..." Just like our business friend was speaking to me that "Why shall we work so hard and make huge profit that...? The whole thing will be taken by the government." But here the Lord says that "You cannot stop your work, neither you can enjoy the activities, the fruit of your activities." That is the work on spiritual plane.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

That is the whole idea of incarnation. Now, at the present moment... Not at the present moment. Practically always, the people, by material contact they forget their relation, their relationship with the Supreme Lord, their constitutional position. Now, this, whatever we earn, if not the whole thing, but if at least some portion of our income we engage in the service of the Lord for propagating the teaching of God consciousness, that is engaging our fruitive activities, the result of our fruitive activities, in the service of the Lord. And another thing, if we want to prosecute our spiritual life, then there are certain formulas. Certain formulas mean that we should not take more than what we need. We should not take more than what we need. We should not neglect also that, the portion which we actually need, but at the same time we should not accumulate more than what we need.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

So in other words, they were afraid of their priestly profession. Because if everyone takes to simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and forgets all ritualistic activities, then how they will live? They were priestly class, they were getting some money by their followers. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu had no such desire. He simplified the whole thing. Harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you become elevated to the highest platform. Actually it is so. You can see from the behavior of our students. They simply took this chanting, now see their behavior, see their character. It will automatically. That is the result. Ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra. Lord Caitanya said, every kind of, all kinds of perfection will follow. Simply you begin chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa sincerely. Yes. Go on.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

The sun planet is so dazzling due to his presence. Similarly, with all impersonal conception, when you reach Kṛṣṇa, then you reach to the goal. There are so many crude examples. Just like your country. There are so many departmental government businesses going on. This department, that department, all over the country. The whole thing is concentrate in the President. How can I deny it? The everything is going on on the finger's end of the President. This is a crude example. Similarly, ultimately, unless there is the Supreme Person on the background... That, Hayagrīva has brought one book, Evidence of God. So the many scientists they have written in that book, and they have agreed that if God is there, He must be person. He must be person. Is not that, Hayagrīva?

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

So he has to utilize. Just like you have got 100,000's of dollars. Now, if you properly utilize, it can be increased. It can be increased to millions of dollars by your intelligence if you utilize it. And if you do not utilize it, if you keep it as it is, that is also very good, but sometimes we lost the whole thing. They are called kṛpaṇa. Foolishness. Foolishness.

So we must utilize this human form of body properly to understand that "I am not this body; I am pure consciousness. And this pure consciousness I have to practice in such a way that in next life I get my pure conscious or into pure spiritual body, not again this material body." This material body, we must always know, this is a foreign thing. We have already explained to you that this is just like dress. Dress. Dress is a foreign thing to my body.

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

Now, this book, my Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is recognized by the government. The Ministry of Central Government, they have recognized this book, and they are purchasing hundred copies of each part. They recognize. But when I told that "For this publication of the whole thing, I require 500,000's of dollars. The government can take up this work," "No, our government is secular. Secular." So I could not get any help from my government. You see? And here also I approached some foundation that "Here is my program, that I want to start one institution for God consciousness. Please, your... The institution will be established in your country. Your people will be benefited. I don't take any money. I don't make any profit. I want to simply give my service." And I have got their letter, on the Rockefeller Foundation. They have flatly refused: "No, we are not going to contribute anything for religious purpose or for God consciousness.

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

So people have become so averse to the sense of God. How they can be happy? At least from the Bhagavad-gītā we find it clearly they cannot be happy. However they make progress in material advancement of science and economy and everything, oh, they cannot be happy. They cannot be happy. The whole thing is the wrong process. Here is the process recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, that yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi. Yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi. Unless you work. No work is condemned. Whatever you do, that doesn't matter. But if that work is done on behalf of the Supreme Lord, that makes you purified. That makes you happy. But that science is lacking altogether all over the world, not only here or there. The whole thing... In Russia they are preaching godless civilization: "There is no God." Here also there are even some churches. I know they are preaching that God is dead. You see? They are preaching like that.

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

Vedic philosophy means Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). The all Vedic knowledge, all Vedic wisdom means to understand Kṛṣṇa philosophy. That's all. Nothing else. The Kṛṣṇa philosophy in different ways all over the world, they have been described according to the time, place and people, but you must know the whole thing is Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Kṛṣṇa philosophy is... When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, you don't take this word, Sanskrit word, Kṛṣṇa, in a sectarian meaning. Kṛṣṇa means the Supreme, the highest pleasure, highest pleasure.

So now, yoga-sthaḥ. In the previous verse we have been advised to work, continue work, being situated in yoga.

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

So of course, this is self-imposed, but the idea is that they are spiritually conscious in this way. "Oh, I did not go yesterday to offer my respect to the Deity, Kṛṣṇa. So I must pay fine." This is also spiritual consciousness. This is also spiritual consciousness.

So the whole thing is that life should be molded, molded in such a way that in every step or action, we shall feel the presence of the Lord. That is spiritual life. That is spiritual life. You need not change your present occupation. Just like the example, this Singhania family, they do not change. They are doing just like ordinary... But they are always spiritually conscious. The aim is, aim is toward Kṛṣṇa. That is very nice example. It is very ordinary. Everyone will understand it. Now, suppose a man or woman is in love, and the man is a third person, beyond the husband of the wife, beyond the, of the woman.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

This is called māyā. This is called illusion, that death is born and we are jolly that there is birth of a child. This is called māyā. So everything, from the beginning of our birth, we are illusioned, illusioned. And that illusion is so strong that it is very, very difficult to get out of it. Whole thing is illusion. The birth is illusion. This body is an illusion. And the bodily relationship, the country is illusion. The father is illusion. The mother is an illusion. The wife is illusion. The childrens are illusion. Everything illusion. Everything illusion. And we are compact in that illusion. We are thinking that we are very much learned and very much advanced and so many things we are imagining. But as soon as death comes, the actual fact, the beginning of death, then we forget everything. We can forget our country. We forget our relatives. We forget our wife, children, father, mother—everything gone. You see?

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

Yadā te moha-kalilaṁ buddhir vyatitariṣyati, tadā gantāsi nirvedam: "At that time you become callous to all these rituals because your position and your activities are fixed up." Śrotavyasya śrutasya ca: "Whatever you have heard and whatever you have to hear in the future, all finishes."

Therefore the whole thing depends how to adjust ourself to that supreme consciousness. And if we cannot... The next verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that,

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
(SB 1.2.8)

Śrama eva hi kevalam. If by performing all religious rituals very nicely and very perfectly, if we fail to dovetail ourself with the supreme consciousness, then all our labor for performing these rituals and religious performances, they become only labor of love. It has not produced anything substantial, anything substantial. Nanu niṣkarmāṇi karmāṇi kurvata me.(?)

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

This material creation, how it is being done? It is being done that the Supreme Lord in His form of Mahā-Viṣṇu, He's lying on the Causal Ocean and in a sleeping mood, and with the breathing of His nostrils, so many universes are being born as seed. And when He's taking the breathing, inhaling, the whole thing is going into Him. So such is the position of God, that by His breathings, all the universes are coming, and by His breathing... So the existence of the universe means within His breathing period, within the breathing period of the Mahā-Viṣṇu. So that Mahā-Viṣṇu is described, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣaḥ (Bs. 5.48). That Mahā-Viṣṇu is also plenary portion of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. That Mahā-Viṣṇu is also not the original. The original Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

Somebody says, "Don't desire; become desireless." It is nonsense. Nobody can be desireless. How he can be desireless? Desireless. Desire is the symptom of my, my life. How can you stop it? It is not possible. Desireless, I cannot be, but I must desire, I mean to say, purely. That's all. I should not desire impurely. If I desire from the bodily platform of my life, then my desires will be impure. And when I shall desire as the desire of the Supreme Will, then my desire is pure. So desire has not to be cut or stopped. It has to be purified. That's all. The whole thing explained in a verse which is called Nārada-pañcarātra. That definition of this dovetailing consciousness with the supreme consciousness is nicely described in two lines:

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

That's a different proposal. But actually, in ordinary course of life, nobody is bereft of these four things.

But one thing: When we stand on the supreme conscious..., I mean the, in my consciousness platform, you must know, this consciousness platform and the dovetailing of consciousness to the supreme consciousness—the whole thing based on love, love, pure love. Just like a, a small child offers his broken biscuit to the father, "My dear father, you just taste; it is very nice." Oh, father... "Oh, it is very nice? All right. Give me it." But a small part, particle of biscuit is nothing for the father, but the father sees, "Oh, my child is so loving that he has tasted it good, and offering me." This is the consideration of love, exchange of love. So God is not poor, neither He's wanting for you. He's self-satisfied. He's satisfying many, many living creatures like me. So He does not require anything from me. It is for your sake. It is for your benefit that you should offer like that.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

So God wants to eat something. Why don't you offer it first to God? Then you eat. "No. If God takes it away, then how shall I eat?" No, no, no. God will not take it. We are offering daily. After preparing our foodstuff, daily to Kṛṣṇa, there is witness, Mr. Paul. We offer Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa does not take it. Whole thing, we eat. You see. He does not regard... He eats! But because His spiritual eating is such that even after His eating, the whole thing is there. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). So we shall not suffer a pinch if we dovetail our desires with the Supreme Lord. Simply we have to learn the art, how to dovetail. That's all. And some of the instances I have already cited to you... Just for the matter of eating. Similarly...

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

"Oh, this is my loft. I haven't got to pay the rent. I am the proprietor," then whole trouble begins. The whole trouble begins. Otherwise, so long we are conscious that "This, this... I am, I am, I have given, rented out this loft for my use. That's all right, but I am not the proprietor..." Similarly, whole thing, the whole world...

The Īśopaniṣad teaches us, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) "Nothing, nothing belongs to you. Everything belongs to God. Everything belongs to God." There is a story that God laughs when two party fights for the land. Actually we have seen. In India, when there was partition day, the Hindu, Muslim, fought. Hindu, Muslim, fought, and when both of them died and lied on the street and strewn all over the street and ask them, "Now, whose land it is?" now nobody replied. Nobody replied. The God's land will remain here. And we simply fight that "This is my land. This is my land."

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

"You are, you are declining to fight? This is your nonsensical." Now, just see. The things which are estimated in the public eyes very nice, very good, that is condemned by God. Condemned by God. We have got so many examples and experiences life that what is eulogized by some of our friends, it is condemned by others. So whole thing, our perfection of any act, that should be certified by the Supreme Lord. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām... (SB 1.2.8). Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Hari-toṣaṇam. We have to see it, "Whether the Supreme Consciousness is pleased with my, this action." So Arjuna's action was not approved, not approved by Lord Kṛṣṇa. But the same Arjuna, he fought at the last. After hearing the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, he engaged himself in the fight.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

And some way or other, we are discussing some of the points, but here the formulas...

Just now we are engaged in the Second Chapter. These are the contents, contents, the how a, I mean, a self-realized person, situated in pure consciousness, will be experienced by his practical behavior. Yes. Vāsudeve bhagavati. The whole thing is... It is called vairāgya. Vairāgya. Vairāgya means to detach, be detached. I am a spirit, and some way or other, I am in contact with the matter. That is my trouble. The whole trouble is due to my contact with matter. Now I have to detach from this matter and to be situated in my pure conscious, spiritual state. So this is called vairāgya. This vairāgya, or detachment from material attraction, is very easily done.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

The materialistic way of life means these four things: eating, sleeping, defending and mating—sense gratification. But if we want to go to the spiritual platform, then these bodily demands, at least for the present, we have to regulate. We cannot enjoy material life without any restriction and at the same time, we can stand on the spiritual platform. That is the whole thing. The difficult problem is that: we want to be spiritualists by speculation only. That is the whole tendency. People are much interested in philosophical speculation without any practical life. In the modern world it is said, yaśo 'rthe dharma-yajanam. This is the symptom of this age. Yaśaḥ arthe. I want to associate with some organization, spiritual, just for the sake of name: "Oh, I am attached to that, such big organization." But, so far my life is concerned, it is as it is. As it is. I have seen that... I don't wish to name that particular... In some yoga institute, I have seen the members, they come.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

"And it is very difficult to control." Now, kṛṣṇa baḍo doyāmoy: "So Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is so kind that in order to control my senses, tongue, first, He has given me so many nice foodstuff so that if I eat them, then my tongue will be controlled."

So the whole thing is tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ. We should always remember that, that to attain to the spiritual life, it is a great penance. It is a great penance. But although it is very difficult, although it is very difficult... Perhaps you know that in, in the Purāṇas, in the Vedic literature, we have got information that there are sages who underwent penance for so many, many years. Why in the history or the Purāṇas? You can see from the examples of Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Caitanya, Śaṅkarācārya, who were recently within the limit of our historical knowledge. They attained spiritual perfection after undergoing penances for many, many years.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

"This opportunity, this nice form of human life with civilized, in civilized society, with developed consciousness, I must utilize this opportunity for my spiritual perfection so that I may not suffer life after life these material pangs." This is the determination. Otherwise... The whole thing, just see, controlling, how it is nicely... Dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ. Thinking of sense enjoyment. Dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣu upajāyate. Then I become attached to it. And if my lust is not fulfilled, then I become angry, and by anger, I forget myself. Then my intelligence is lost, and I may commit havoc. I may commit havoc. So actually, those who are serious for spiritual enlightenment of life, they should try, try to control the senses not by force—by regulating, by dovetailing it in relationship with the Supreme Lord. Then my senses will be purified. Purified.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

So without taking any account how the things are going on, if you are actually serious for spiritual emancipation of life, then the, the process recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, as, and as practically demonstrated by Arjuna, if we follow this principle then we shall be proceeding towards the spiritual emancipation of life undoubtedly and without fail. So whole thing is that we have to make the best use of a bad bargain. The, that whole thing is the senses, senses are the cause of my material miseries. Now I cannot avoid the senses in my present status of life. The best thing is that senses may be engaged in the service of the Lord so that automatically they'll be restricted and purified, and my spiritual life will be revealed and the spiritual perfection will sure to come.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

When Lord Caitanya was invited by Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, so he gave Him so much rice and vegetables and all these things. So He thought "It is offered to Jagannātha." So He asked Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, "All right, give Me little prasāda. From this I shall eat." So Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, "No, You eat the whole thing." "Oh, how it is possible?" Then he gave the example, "Sir, You don't say like that. I know You are taking in the temple fifty-six times like this and this is only a morsel of food for You." You see? (laughter)

So actually, if you offer kṛṣṇa-prasāda, fulfilling the whole hall, as many times, fifty-six times... Fifty-six times means you have got only twenty-four hours. How many times in an hour? Without sleeping, without doing anything. Kṛṣṇa will accept. Kṛṣṇa will accept. And I want it. You American people, you have got so much money, you engage your money in that way. Don't spoil your life by this way and that way. So you can do that.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

We can see from great sages and ācāryas that whatever we earn... According to Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra. Whatever you earn, yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi. The result of your work should be offered to the Supreme. Now, if it is not possible to offer the whole thing to the Supreme, so at least one should offer 50% of his income for God's purpose. That is the example we get from these ācāryas. So 50% for God, 25%... Of course, the relatives, they expect something from the father or the chief of the family, some, I mean to say, gift. They expect something. But according to these ācārya rulings, the gift was only 25%, not that whatever money I have got, I leave to my family and go singlehanded to God. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). If God asks you, "What you have sacrificed for Me? You have come to Me." "No Sir. I have sacrificed everything for my family. For my family."

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

If we are actually conscious for our happiness, we must make a permanent solution of these miseries. That is the mission of human life. So for making that mission fulfilled, we have got developed consciousness than the animals. That developed consciousness should not be misused only for the animal propensities of life. That is the whole thing.

And therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says that in order to reach to that stage of perfection, you should work. Your work should not be stopped. We have already discussed this point, that niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ, that "Your prescribed duty should be prosecuted nicely. Go on. Don't stop it, but work for the life of karma-yoga. Karma-yoga. Ordinary work is called karma. Ordinary work is karma. And when it is added with yoga, that means spiritualized work. Yoga. Yoga means spiritual perfection or linking up with the Supreme.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

That's all. Now you are thinking, "Let me purchase from the store this nice thing. It is very palatable to my taste." And when you actually become a learned scholar of Bhagavad-gītā, at that time you will have to think whether this thing will be palatable to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. The whole thing is there. When you learn that thing, when you want to please Kṛṣṇa and not yourself, then you become an expert spiritualist. That's all. So it is not very difficult thing. Very easy. Simply we have to learn how to reach that stage of life.

You haven't got to change anything. The same thing, example, that Arjuna was a military man, a householder, a family man, before hearing Bhagavad-gītā, and he remained the same family man, the same military man, but he became a great devotee of the Lord. That technique we have to learn.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

That technique we have to learn. That technique is that Arjuna, in the beginning, he did not like to fight because he wanted to gratify his senses. He thought that "I shall be happy if I do not fight with my kinsmen because in the fighting my kinsmen will die and I shall be sorry. So what is the use of fighting like this?" That means the whole thing, whole program, is according to his own sense gratification. He did not know that this war field, this battle of Kurukṣetra, was organized by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to kill all unwanted men of the world at that time, all unwanted men of that world. That was His plan. Now, this was disclosed to Arjuna. In the Eleventh Chapter you will find that "My dear Arjuna, I have given you all kinds of instruction to induce you to fight in this battle. But know you perfectly well that either you fight or do not fight, I do not mind. All these men who have assembled here, they are not going back home. They will be killed here. It is already settled. It is already settled.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

Now, if by doing that yajña, if we become free from all reactions, then why should we not do it? Why should we not do it? There is no difficulty. There is no question of difficulty. Rather, it is a thing of pleasure, ānanda. The whole thing is ānanda. Ānanda means pleasure. Enjoyment. Spiritual life does not mean that void of enjoyment, no. It is full of enjoyment. We are seeking after enjoyment, but that enjoyment is hampered by our material existence. We do not know. We are trying to squeezing out the senses and trying to have material pleasure. This is nonsense because we do not know what is spiritual life. Spiritual life means unlimited, unlimited pleasure.

There is a verse describing about Rāma. Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, we chant. Now, what is the meaning of Rāma? That is described.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

So because the beginning is from the Brahman—Brahman means Veda, transcendental sound—therefore, if we work according to the direction of this Bhagavad-gītā or Vedas, then the whole thing becomes, I mean to, spiritualized. Whole thing becomes spiritualized. Because... Karma-yajña... Yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ. Karma...

And if your karma is regulated by the direction of Kṛṣṇa, just like Arjuna regulated his karma, his warfare, by the direction of Kṛṣṇa, then by regulation of karma, you perform yajña, sacrifice, and from, for your performance of yajña, sacrifice, there is regulated rainfall, and from regulated rainfall there is sufficient production of grains and foodstuff, and from your sufficient foodstuff, you can grow yourself, body, maintain your body very nicely. The whole program is like that.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

The whole process of human civilization should be to acquire love of God. Our love is now distributed in so many things. And that is misdistributed. The whole thing was to be targeted to the Supreme Lord. I was to love God, but instead of loving God, my love is distributed in so many things. And that is a misdirected civilization.

How it is misdirected? Suppose if I do not love God, if I love my wife, my children, my countrymen, what is the wrong there? Oh, there is great wrong. That you do not know. That is most unscientific. Without loving God, if I want to love my wife, that love is not perfect. Therefore so-called love is disrupted by divorce and so many things because that is not perfect love. We do not know what is perfect love and how to conduct it. That is the defect of our civilization. Which we are accepting as love, that is simply a desire for sense gratification. That is not love. Love is different thing. So because... Why the love is defective in the material world? Because it is not properly discharged. We have to understand that thing.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

And dvāpare paricaryāyām. That very thing was realized in the Dvāpara-yuga by temple worship. There... From that in Dvāpara-yuga in India so many temple worship flourished, not only in India, all over the world. Church worship is also temple worship. Mosque worship is also temple worship. It may be different for different countries and different class of people, but the whole thing is temple worship. Temple worship. There are, in the temple there are nine kinds of different process of worship.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

Just like we are sitting in this loft. So by association of this Bowery Street, always dust is coming in this room, and it is being stuck up, layer after layer, similarly, by association of this material contamination, we have in our heart accumulated so many material dust. The whole thing, our progress of spiritual life, our progress of spiritual realization, is checked only because we have got some misunderstanding of our identification. The identification is that "I am this body." That's all. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).

This is also described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that "One who is identified with this body of three elements..." This body is made of... According to Ayurvedic medicine system, this body is made of tri-dhātu: tejo-vāri-mṛd. That is also stated in the Bhāgavata, tejo-vāri-mṛd. That means heat, water and earth.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

And because expanded into society, into country and so many things..."

So all these entanglement is there. But actually I am pure soul. I am not this body. As soon as I understand this, then whole thing is vanished. You see? Because if I am not this body, then in relationship with this body, whatever I have expended, my extended selfishness is at once vanished. Then I am mukta-puruṣa; I am liberated soul. So Lord Caitanya says by chanting this śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, I become at once liberated from this misconception of life. What I need? I am suffering due to my, this misconception of life. The whole Vedic literature advises me that "You are not this material body." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." Brahman means I am spirit. I am the supreme..., not supreme spirit, but I am spirit, Brahman.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

This is dual world. This world is of duality. But in the absolute world there is no such duality. Everything is everything. One plus one equal to one; one minus one equal to one. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). These are Vedic injunction, that "If you take the whole thing from the whole, still, the balance is whole. The balance is whole."

So Lord Caitanya also said the same thing, that nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. This chanting, this performance of yajña, is so powerful that the Kṛṣṇa name is as powerful as Kṛṣṇa, the person. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. And in the Kṛṣṇa name all the... God is almighty. So all the mightiness of God is there. Simply we have to realize. So nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā. And there is already invested all the potency, all the potency of the supreme person into His name.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

Nonsense means he has no requisition for all these things. He has come to the highest stage. Ārādhito yadi hariḥ.

And nārādhito yadi hariḥ. And after performing all these penances, and jñāna, yoga, meditation, ultimately end there is no understanding of Kṛṣṇa, then whole thing is spoiled. Tapasā tataḥ kim: "What is the use of all this nonsense if you have not understood the real thing?" If you understood the real thing, then also these things are nonsense. And if you have not understood the real thing, then these things are also nonsense.

So there are two stages. But that is the ultimate, but one has to come to that very point, understanding of Kṛṣṇa, ātma-rati, because he is Paramātmā. He is the Supreme Soul, and I am ātmā. I am individual soul. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. That relationship is there, eternal.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

Now, these people were very aristocratic. Maṇḍala-pati. Maṇḍala-pati means leaders of great society. So they gave up. When they joined Lord Caitanya's movement they gave up everything. They resigned from ministership. The Nawab Shah was very much sorry. He was interned, that "You cannot resign from this post. Then whole thing will be, whole, my plan, whole, my kingdom will be lost. I cannot allow you to resign." But they decided that, "No. No more." Then the Nawab Shah told him, "Then I put you into, under internment." So they were put into jail. So anyway, they came out. So this fact is narrated. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Tuccha means insignificant. Such high post and position, they left everything. Left everything. Why? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. And for doing good to the poor conditioned souls they came to Vṛndāvana and became just like niggardly, poor beggars.

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

So as soon as Bhagavad-gītā is interpreted in the way of a particular scholar or particular man, oh, then the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is lost.

Now, you'll find in the Tenth Chapter how Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā. So you have to follow the footprints. The whole thing is... I have several times repeatedly saying to you that mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājana. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. It is said that you cannot reach to the right conclusion of the Vedic literature simply by your argument, by your force of argument or logic. That is not possible. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. There are many things which do not come within our argument, within our sense of logic. So tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. You cannot understand the Supreme Truth simply by argument. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

You are a good scholar. You can make a... something... Just like our president, Mr. Goldsmith, he knows that expert lawyers, by interpretation, they can do so many things. That is another thing. And in Calcutta, when I was in Calcutta, there was a rent tax passed by the government, and some expert lawyer changed the whole thing by his interpretation. The government had to reenact, you see, because the purpose was foiled by the interpretation of the lawyer. You see? So we are not out for foiling the purpose of Kṛṣṇa for which the Bhagavad-gītā is said. These persons, these unauthorized persons, they are practically trying to foil the purpose of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, that is unauthorized. All right, Mr. Goldsmith, you can ask anything.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

The yoga system's basic principle is to stop the material activities. Sarvāṇīndriya karmāṇi prāṇa-karmāṇi cāpare. There are the controlling of different airs passing within this body. Apāna-vāyu, prāṇa-vāyu, vyāna-vāyu. That is the yoga system, controlling the breathing. Ātma-saṁyama. The whole thing is for ātma-saṁyama, for controlling the mind and senses. If one is unable to control the mind and senses, then he is simply wasting time. And that ātma-saṁyama can be directly practiced by bhakti yoga. What is that? Now the same example can be given, that Arjuna was a fighter. So in the beginning he was considering, "Whether I shall fight or not." That was also ātma-saṁyama. But actually ātma-saṁyama was when he did not fight for his sense gratification. That is. Similarly, when we engage our senses... Because senses means they want some activity. Just like our eyes. If... The eyes want to see something beautiful.

Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:

Hari-kathā, this message of Bhagavad-gītā is hari-kathā. Hari means the Supreme Lord. His word. Therefore it is warned that to "Do not try to hear this message of Hari or the Supreme Lord from rascal nondevotee. Do not try to hear." Why? Sarpocchiṣṭa-payo yathā. Just like milk is very nutritious food, but if a little milk is touched by the tongue of a serpent, whole thing is spoiled. A serpent, a very thin tongue, if he touches the milk, oh, the whole milk is spoiled. So if we take such milk, "Oh, milk is very nice," no. Because it is touched by the serpent's lip, it should not be taken. Similarly, any transcendental message, any Vedic literature, unless it is presented by a self-realized devotee, it is poison. You simply misunderstand the whole thing, and you do not get the benefit. Rather, you become a victim of misunderstanding.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

You'll find it in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā that the Lord says that He has got two... Why Lord says? In the Vedic scripture also we'll find, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport) "There are different kinds of nature of the Supreme." Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. So out of many kinds of nature of the Supreme Lord, they have divided the whole thing into three divisions. One is called external nature, and the other is called internal nature. And there is another nature which is called marginal nature. The external nature, the material world, manifestation of this material world, is external nature. And this is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, as we'll find it in the Seventh Chapter, that apareyam. Aparā. Aparā means inferior or lower nature, lower nature. So He has got higher nature.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Here is our Dr. Mukerjee, sitting. "Can you find out the heart in that small particle-like animal?" It is not possible. But there is. But there is; otherwise, how Kṛṣṇa says sarva-bhūtānām, all living entities? So our so-called scientific advancement always remains indefinitely imperfect because it is not possible to understand the whole thing as it is. But we can understand from Bhagavad-gītā that there is heart. Now if you go to the laboratory to find out where is the heart of the small creatures, you have no capacity, neither you have instruments. No. Therefore your knowledge will always be imperfect because this process of acquiring knowledge is always imperfect. But this knowledge, as we hear from Bhagavad-gītā that there is heart in every living entity, this is perfect.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

Paras tasmāt, anya. Anya, there is another nature, which is called sanātana. You'll find in this Bhagavad-gītā, as you make progress. That is called sanātana nature. Sanātana means that nature never annihilates. This nature, this material nature, it is manifested at a certain time, and it remains for a certain period, and then the whole thing is dissolved again. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It is manifested and again dissolved, and in, in the spiritual sky. That is the function of this material nature, there is another nature, superior nature, which is called the kingdom of God, sanātana, eternal. Yes. So from that eternal nature all these, either God or representative of God, or incarnation of God, they come down. At times. When there is necessity...

Just like the other day I explained to you, just like there is scheduled time of the appearance of the sun.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

Because that attitude is there, you cannot avoid it. If you have nothing to serve, your wife, your children, then you have to catch some cat and dog and give service. That is your nature. You cannot avoid it. So that is your religion, to serve.

Now, our whole thing is to serve the Supreme. Then that's... Now, our designated service... We are now in designated service. That means we, because due to these material bodies, we have manufactured so many service. Service, we cannot... Just like the water cannot be more than a liquid thing, similarly, we cannot be more than a servant, but because we have got so many designation, our service is being rendered in designation. That is the difference. Now, when we become free from the designation and we come to our senses and render service to the Lord, that is our position of freedom, real position. Real position.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Bombay, March 27, 1974:

That is ignorance. Mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). So long we are in the bodily concept of life, with upādhi, designation, so long we are in ignorance. That is dharmasya glāniḥ. In ignorance whatever you do, that has no benefit either for you or for anyone. So whole thing, whole world is going on under this bodily concept of life, designation. "I am Indian." "I am American." "I am this." "I am that." So that kind of dharma is not dharma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says at the end of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). The Bhagavad-gītā religion is not Hindu religion or Christian religion or Mohammedan religion. It is the real religion, between the soul and God. The reciprocation, the exchange of dealings between the Supreme and the subordinate. That is called bhakti. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Purified.

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

There is a fire always blazing over this material world. Everyone is trying to extinguish it, but it is not possible to extinguish this fire of material miseries unless we are situated in our pure consciousness of spiritual life. That is the whole thing.

Now, we were discussing last meeting,

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
(BG 4.7)
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge
(BG 4.8)

Why the Lord comes as incarnation. This point we have been discussing last meeting. And what is dharma, what is religion? Perhaps you'll remember that the translation in the English language, dharma, is a description of certain kind of faith, but according to the Vedic literature, dharma is not a kind of faith. Faith can be changed, but dharma cannot be changed.

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

Yes. So any other question? That, that, that, I mean to say, authority, is very simple. It is not very difficult. Just like you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that self-realization, as far Bhagavad-gītā, was taught to Arjuna. Now, how Arjuna understood it, that is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. Simply if you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as Arjuna understood it, then you also become self-realized. So it is not a very difficult job. Unfortunately, people apply their own scholastic ideas in a different way and they murder the whole thing. You see? The simple thing is that if we understand it as it is, then it is as simple as anything. But if you want to...

Just like in our Bengal there is proverb, ghuriye nag nag naki.(?) Now, now, you are asking me... Just like sometimes we ask small child, "Where is your nose?" He says, "It is nose." "Where is your eye?" "It is eye." So that is a simple thing. But one child... Not child. One man is asked, "Where is your nose?" He says, "Oh, here is my nose." (laughter) "Here is my nose," this is simple thing. But one should show, "Oh, here is my nose." So Bhagavad-gītā is interpreted like that, "Here is my nose." Nobody shows that "Here is my nose." You see? So that is the difficulty.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

Our sense are originally spiritual, but it is covered by material contamination. Therefore the process is to purify, to purify the coverings of our material existence. And that is also recommended—simply by service attitude. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). The whole thing depends on our surrendering process and engage ourselves in the service of the Lord. Then gradually, the Lord reveals to the devotee. That is the process.

So what is the birth of the Lord? There is no question of birth of the Lord or of the living entities. This subject matter we have already discussed in the last meeting, that the Lord and the living entities, both are eternal. There is no question of birth and death.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

By our experimental knowledge, we cannot understand what is God. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our senses are now materially contaminated; therefore we cannot understand what is God, what is His appearance, what is His disappearance. This is not possible. The whole thing is to accept the purificatory process of the senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).

One has to become purified by freeing himself from all designations. This is the first step. We are now under different designations. Every one of us is thinking that "I am this body, and because I am this body and this body is produced under certain condition, in a certain family, by certain father and mother, in a certain society, certain country, certain land, therefore I have got, you have got so many designations." But we have to become first of all free from the designations.

Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:

So we shall have to try, we shall have to practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness in such a way, that we shall permanently exist in higher nature. And if we can die in that higher nature, then our place in the transcendental world is reserved. That is the whole thing.

In India there is a common saying. They say, bhajan koro pūjān koro morte janle haya. The meaning is that however you may meditate upon... You may be very great meditator, or you may be a great religionist or yogi or a very learned scholar or whatever you may be, but everything will be tested at the time of your death. How far you have made progress, that will be tested at the time of your death. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Ante. Ante means at the end. Because this body is sure to end. Antavanta ime dehāḥ. This body is antavat; it is destined to be ended.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

He says, "My dear Arjuna, I have spoken to you all about Bhagavad-gītā. I do not know whether you have understood the whole thing or not, but because you are My friend and I love you and you love Me, I say you the most confidential thing to you. And what is that? You give up everything and just follow Me. You just give up all your concocted things in the mind and just become Kṛṣṇa conscious."

"Oh, I shall give up everything and simply I shall follow You?" "Yes." "Oh, how can I do? I have got so many department of knowledge and department of things. How can I?" No. He says, mā śucaḥ: "Don't hesitate." Now, what will be the result? The result will be ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "I shall deliver you from all reactions of your sinful acts."

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

We are trying to noncooperate with Him. We are trying to noncooperate, and He is trying to cooperate. He is sitting with me in the same branch, He is witnessing, He is observing, and He is waiting, simply waiting when we shall turn my face, when I shall turn my face towards Him. That is the whole thing.

So here Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). He is waiting, waiting when you shall turn, when I shall turn my face towards Him. That's all. He is waiting. Just like... Just you can imagine. Just like a father and a rebelled child or insane child. Those who have got... Of course, you are all young men here. Those who are elderly persons, they have got experience. If their sons go wrong, how much they are anxious. How much the father is anxious to get his son back again, back again. That is the natural instinct.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

He is all in all, so I have to surrender unto Him." That is the perfection of knowledge. This stage one has to reach. Never mind whether he is following a principle of philosophical research, whether he is following the yogic principle, or whether he is following philanthropic work or political leadership or... So many things are going on, but the whole thing is targeted toward Kṛṣṇa. How it is targeted? That is explained. I shall try to explain.

Now, the whole material world is working under two energies: the lower energy and the higher energy. And the both of the energies, they have got different dimensions. Just like in this atomic age, you know, the material energy ends in the atomic portion, atoms, paramāṇu. Similarly, this is... Material energy is called lower energy, and there is another energy which is called spiritual energy. So both the energies, they are emanating from the Supreme Lord. In the Vedānta-sūtra also, it is confirmed, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1)

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

Kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ. Iha devatāḥ means these material gods. Material gods means their existence is so long this material world.

Just like here we have got the president, the governor and so many big, big officers. But suppose, somehow or other this whole planet or the whole thing is gone, destroyed—because we can expect destruction every moment, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19)—then the whole thing, I mean to say, the president and the governor, everything is gone. Iha devatāḥ. So we are taking shelter of this material world, something big, but that will not exist with the annihilation, with the dissolution of this material world. Everything will be dissolved. Everything will be... So we have to take the leadership of the Supreme. Then it will be the largest perfection, the greatest perfection of life.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

Yasya sarve samārambhāḥ. You are not forbidden to execute your duties. We are not after stopping the general process of material activities. That is not our mission. The whole thing is that we have to act everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like... It is very easy to understand. Everybody has got some vocation of his life. But what is their consciousness? Their consciousness is that "I am engaged in this business, I am engaged in this service, because I have to maintain my family," "I have to maintain myself," or "I have to satisfy the government," or "I have to satisfy somebody else." This is our consciousness. Nobody is free from such consciousness.

Everybody must have some consciousness. Without consciousness, nothing can be done. One who has no consciousness, he cannot do anything nicely.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

The word, Sanskrit word kāma, is used for lust, for desire, for sense satisfaction. So Lord Kṛṣṇa recommends that, "Don't do it for satisfaction of your senses, for satisfaction of your lust, or for satisfaction of your desires." That is the whole thing. Whole teaching of Bhagavad-gītā is based on this principle.

The whole instruction to Arjuna is that Arjuna wanted to satisfy his senses, his senses. He wanted that, that by not fighting with the opposite party, who were composed of his relatives, brothers and brother-in-laws and father-in-laws and so many relatives. So he did not want to fight. And therefore this instruction of Bhagavad-gītā was needed by Kṛṣṇa. The whole basic principle is this. Now, that was Kṛṣṇa's, Arjuna's own satisfaction of the senses. Arjuna did not want to fight.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

So long you'll be in the material world... Material world means so long we'll have this material body, we'll have to face so many disturbances. War is one of them. Suppose there is, perpetually, there is no war. Do you mean to say there will be perpetual peace? No. There are so many other things. At once, if there is some upheaval in the Atlantic Ocean, the whole thing is swallowed up, your beautiful New York City will be no more there. There are so many natural disturbances. What to speak of war, what you have...

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

So our problem is that. We are not going to adjust here. Here any kind of, any amount of adjustment will not make us happy. That is a fact. Because this place is like that. So we have to completely get free from this repeated birth and death of the material world and go back to home, back to Godhead and live peacefully with eternal life, knowledge and bliss. That is the whole thing Bhagavad-gītā is teaching. Kṛṣṇa's business is not to stop war or this or that. Any other question? (end)

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

If we perform this sacrifice nicely, according to the rules recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are sure to get salvation. Niścitam. Niścitam means sure. So let us perform this sacrifice with patience and perseverance, with steadiness, and then surely we shall achieve the desired result, spiritual salvation, which is that... It is stated, brahmaiva tena gantavyam. The whole thing is meant for go back to home, go back to Godhead. That is the whole thing. This is not our home; neither it is our place. We come here as a foreigner.

Just like I have come to your place as a foreigner. Suppose I am here for last one year. I may remain here for three months more or one year more, or then I may go back. Similarly, we are all foreigners in this material world. We come here for certain... That is changing bodies, changing bodies, changing place. So this is not our place. Our real place is... (break)

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

People are anxious to see God. Here Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that as soon as one gets knowledge from the right person, then he never comes into the field of delusion. The whole thing is that in the present stage of our life, we are conditioned and deluded. We do not know things as they are. That is the cause of our all miseries.

Otherwise, constitutionally, we are ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. By nature, we are jolly. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. In the Vedānta-sūtra you'll find. The nature of Brahman is ānandamaya. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sat, cit, ānanda. Sat means eternity, cit means full knowledge, and ānanda means pleasure. This is our constitution. We are all fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

He'll not stock. Similarly, this is natural. This is natural.

But if we put here a hundred bags of flour and if we ask people that "Come and take," then somebody will take ten bags, somebody will take fifteen bags, somebody will take, will not take any bags because, if he's weak, he cannot take. So the distribution will not be equal. That is our advancement of civilization. The knowledge which the pigeons, the cats and dogs have got, we are lacking in that knowledge, that the whole thing belongs to the Supreme Lord and we can accept them, whatever we need, not more than that. That is knowledge. That is knowledge. There will be no difficulty. The whole world is made by the Lord's arrangement that you have no scarcity. Everything is sufficient. Everything is sufficient. There will be no scarcity, provided you know the distribution. The distribution is... There is fallacy, distribution: one is taking is more and the other is starving. Therefore, the starving population, they are making protest, "Why we shall starve?" But that is also defective.

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

So by culture of Kṛṣṇa science, when we understand the Kṛṣṇa science, then we become free from this ignorance. And Lord Kṛṣṇa recommends that "By this knowledge, you can very easily cross over the ocean of nescience, ocean of ignorance." The whole thing is: we are suffering due to... Just like ignorance is no excuse in the law court. Suppose you have done something wrong and if you say to the judge, "So I, I did not know, sir, this law," oh, that is no excuse. You'll be punished. You'll be punished. Now, in the śāstra, in the Vedic literature, it is said that "Everything belongs to God. Everything is manufactured by God. So everyone has right, not only human being, even the animals, everyone has got the right to live and use things as much as he requires. But if he stocks more, if he acquires more, he becomes the thief, and he is punishable." Now, suppose if I say, "Oh, I do not know this law.

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

That should be your struggle, not for economic development. The economic solution is there. If it is there for the elephant, for the ant, why not for you? Because we are in ignorance, we are thinking that we have to devote more time for economic development than to spiritual realization. No. The whole thing is planned like that, that for economic development you need not, you need not try, you need not attempt. You simply try for spiritual realization, for getting out of this entanglement of material life. That is knowledge. And that will make your solution. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can ask. (end)

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

This book. You, do you not know that this Bhagavad-gītā instruction is being given by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna? Then why do you ask this question? That is a disturb, chronic(?). Do you mean to say from Kṛṣṇa only one dozen or two dozen disciples have come? There are many millions and trillions. It has given one list only. That's all. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in this Fourth Chapter, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). So he first of all taught to the sun-god. So sun-god had many sons, many disciples. Kṛṣṇa taught to Nārada. Oh, Nārada has got innumerable disciples. They have got different branches. So that whole thing is not complete there. It is simply given idea. So there is one disciplic succession like this. So any other question? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa says, mām upetya tu kaunteya. Kaunteya means Arjuna. "O the son of Kuntī, after attainment of Myself by a person, the..." What is the result? The result is: mām upetya tu kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvataṁ nāpnuvanti: (BG 8.15) "He does not get any more to this place of miseries."

The whole thing is... Now, jñānāgniḥ, knowledge, fire of knowledge. That fire of knowledge does not burn in our mind. You see? Therefore we accept this miserable life as happiness because there is want of that knowledge. Just like a dog or a hog cannot understand what sort of miserable life he's passing on. He thinks that "I am all right. I am enjoying life very nicely." That is the... That is called covering influence of material energy. A person who is suffering...

Just like you'll find in the Bowery Street there are so many drunkards lying on the street. Oh, they're also thinking, "Oh, we are enjoying life, enjoying life."

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

"Those who are faithful, they can make progress in this knowledge of spiritual advancement." Tat-paraḥ saṁyatendriyaḥ.

And faith, how we become faithful? Now, saṁyata indriya. You have to control the senses. The whole thing is: our material existence is here because we want to gratify senses. That is the whole disease. So this faith of spiritual advancement can be, I mean to say, enhanced when we agree; at the same time, saṁyata indriya. Just like if you are taking treatment of a physician, you have faith, "All right." But the physician says, "Don't do this," and if you do this, then what kind of faith you have got? Physician, when he treats some patient, he prescribes something, "don't do this" and "do this," some "do-nots," some "do." Now, if I say, "My dear physician, I have got all faith in you. Very good. But I cannot follow your instruction. You say, 'Do not.' I do it," oh, how you can?

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

Yes. This transcendental sound is a process of cleansing our mind. This is also transcendental sound. This is not ordinary sound. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The whole thing is due to our unclean mind. So this transcendental sound is the process of cleaning the mind, and in clean, in clean mind, we can accept transcendental subject. Otherwise it is sometimes disturbing. So this...

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

And after one has full training, then he comes home and he gets himself married. That is called gṛhastha, householder life.

Then, after the age of fifty years, he leaves. He gives up the family, not exactly gives up family connection, just tries to remain aloof from the family. So the husband and wife, they, entrusting the whole thing to the grown-up boys, they go out of home and travel in so many holy places and, after traveling, say, for six months, again comes home for, remains for one month, and then again goes away. That is the... That stage is called vānaprastha.

Then, when the man is completely detached from family affection, he takes sannyāsa. This is called sannyāsa. We have no connection with family. So sannyāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ kṛṣṇa punar yogaṁ ca śaṁsasi.

Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:

Suppose he has got workshop, many, many thousands of workers. So he's looking after the interest of everyone. That's all right. But those who are his personal sons and dependents, oh, he has got special favor for them. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, although He is equal to everyone, still, those who are especially trying to be connected with Him... Because the whole thing is, whole material manifestation is meant for giving us a chance to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So one who is trying to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, He has got special favor. (aside:) I'll answer later. He has got special favor.

So sāṅkhya-yogau pṛthag bālāḥ pravadanti na paṇḍitāḥ. So any, any type of spiritual realization, they are different forms. "You are, you are Hindu? Oh, I am, I am Christian." "Oh, you are Christian? I am Muhammadan." So these conceptions, that "I am different from you," that is not for the learned. The learned one is hankering after the Supreme Truth. Never mind.

Lecture on BG 5.7-13 -- New York, August 27, 1966:

Therefore it has got intimate relation with the Supreme Lord. That we have to understand. We should not take it, accept it as false and reject it. No. We cannot reject it because there is connection with Kṛṣṇa. Now we have to utilize it properly. Because it has got connection with Kṛṣṇa, and because it is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the whole thing is that this should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. It should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. If this material world is utilized for Kṛṣṇa, then there is no trouble, there is no disturbance of peace. There is always peace and tranquility and happiness in this world, and at the same time happiness in the next world.

If we consider... When I am taking my food, if I think, "Oh, this nice foodstuff is sent by Kṛṣṇa. He has kindly sent me this foodstuff." So I think of Kṛṣṇa. So that taking of foodstuff in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is yoga-yukta. That is called yoga-yukta. That is yoga. Always thinking in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 5.22-29 -- New York, August 31, 1966:

"Nothing belongs to me; everything belongs to God." If I want to enjoy it, that is illegal, and if I neglect it, that is also illegal. If I say, "Oh, let... Jagan mithyā, this world is false. I don't want it. Let me go to the Himalaya in the jungle," oh, that is also not good. You must try to utilize the whole thing for the purpose of Kṛṣṇa because everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. That is your duty. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because He is the proprietor.

Now, this tape recorder is advancement now of material science. We should think, "Oh, this is the property of Kṛṣṇa." Let it be utilized in the propaganda work for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is proper utilization. So everything. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Suppose if somebody says that "I am the proprietor everything of this room. So you have no claim." So we have actually no claim. We simply come. And the whole philosophy is... That is spiritual communism.

Lecture on BG 6.1 -- Los Angeles, February 13, 1969:

When your activities—actually in higher sense there is no matter. There is no matter, everything is spiritual because Kṛṣṇa is spiritual. Kṛṣṇa is whole spirit, and the matter is one of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is also spirit. But because it is being misused, not for the purpose of Kṛṣṇa, therefore it is matter. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to spiritualize, respiritualize the whole thing. Whole social position, political position, anything. It is very nice movement. People should try to understand it. And if it will actually spiritualize the whole world—of course that is not possible, but the ideal is like that. But at least if individually one tries this respiritualization method, his life become perfect. Yes?

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

Prabhupāda: So every system is connected with God, Kṛṣṇa. But that does not mean every man is on the topmost floor. One who is on the topmost floor, he is to be understood in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Others, they are just like fifth or fiftieth or five-hundred, like that. The whole thing is called ladder. Go on.

Devotee: Verse number five. "A man must elevate himself by his own mind. Not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul and his enemy as well (BG 6.5)." Purport: "The Sanskrit word ātmā, self, denotes body, mind and soul, depending on different circumstances. In the yoga system, the mind and the conditioned soul are especially important since the mind is the central point of yoga practice. Ātmā here refers to the mind. The purpose of the yoga system is to control the mind and to draw it away from attachment to sense objects.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

There is no demand. When you have no demand, then your mind is naturally becomes controlled. Manaḥ saṁyamya mac-cittaḥ. Now, doing all these things, the next item is mac-cittaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says mat, to transfer the whole thinking to Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Not vacant. Mac-cittaḥ. So if that is the system of yoga, mac-cittaḥ, yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ. Mac-cittaḥ and yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ. "Always thinking of Me, or Viṣṇu. Always thinking of Me." So now, that one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he gets the opportunity of the highest yoga system, but he hasn't got to take the trouble of the process. That is the beauty of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Here the whole thing is coming down, the Lord says mac-cittaḥ. The mind should be engaged in Viṣṇu. The yogi, the real yogi, who goes to the forest, to the secluded place, he thinks of the catur-bhuja Viṣṇu. That will be explained here.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

Therefore one who prepares foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa, he has to take very precaution. You see? That it is being prepared for Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes I therefore ask the students "Don't touch your mouth. Don't... Very cleanly, very sanctifiedly." Because it is being prepared... So now, that desire, that "Kṛṣṇa will eat such nice cake and such nice rice," so the whole thing is prepared in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and when it is offered to Kṛṣṇa, you taste. So your kāma is already sacrificed because from the very beginning you're thinking that "It is being prepared for Kṛṣṇa." You have no desire for that. But Kṛṣṇa is so merciful that He gives you the foodstuff for your eating; so your desire is already fulfilled. You do not desire it, but Kṛṣṇa's mercy is so that He can fulfill your desire.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

That flame is very nice, when it is stand straight without being moved by the wind. That flame is very nice. So that example is given here. The flame is so susceptible to wind that a little agitation it moves. So similarly, our mind is also so susceptible to material desires that a little movement can change the whole thing. Change it. Balavān indriya-grāmo vidvāṁsam api karṣati. Little change. In the Vedic language it is forbidden for a yogi, or those who are transcendentalist... Because he has to remain brahmacāri-vrate sthitaḥ.

Brahmacārī, there are two kinds of brahmacārīs. One who is leading complete celibacy, complete free from sex life, he is called brahmacārī. Another brahmacārī is gṛhastha-brahmacārī. He has got his wife, but he has no other understanding with any other woman. And that wife also only, I mean to say, relationship is performed under regulation, he is also brahmacārī.

Lecture on BG 6.11-21 -- New York, September 7, 1966:

That's all. He is killing himself, the process. Similarly, the more we increase our material enjoyment we are more making ourself entangled in this material world, without being freed from these material clutches.

That is the whole system of yoga, jñāna, bhakti, anywhere. Anywhere. One may find, "This system is nice; that system is very difficult.' That is a different thing, but any system you adopt, the whole thing is that you have to purify your existence from the conception of material enjoyment to the conception of Kṛṣṇa consciousness enjoyment. That will make you happy. Thank you very much.

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

That is disconnection. Instead of thinking myself that I am eternal servant of God or Kṛṣṇa, I am thinking I am servant of my society, I am servant of my country, I am servant of my husband, I am servant of my wife, I am servant of my dog or so many. This is forgetfulness.

So how it has happened? Due to this body. Whole thing. Whole misconsciousness has come into existence due to this body. Because I am born in America I am thinking American. And because I am thinking American, the American government claims, "Yes, you come and fight, give your life." Draftboard. Why? This body. Therefore the intelligent person should know that I am suffering all miserable condition of my life due to this body. So we should not act in such a way that this imprisonment with this material body will continue birth and birth. Either American body, Indian body, dog's body, hog's body, so many—8,400,000 of body. That is called yoga.

Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

He is teaching Arjuna directly the perfect form of yoga. If you actually want to perform the yoga system, then here is authoritative statement by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we have discussed in details. Now, after hearing the system, Arjuna is replying. Just mind that, that the whole thing was being described in the battlefield, in the battlefield. This whole Bhagavad-gītā was taught to Arjuna in the battlefield. And when Arjuna was just going to release his arms on the opposite party, on the enemy's party, he thought... He got a sentiment: "So why this fighting with my own kinsmen?" That was his illusion, and to eradicate that illusion of Arjuna's, this Bhagavad-gītā was explained by Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

So what is the duty of this finger? The duty of the finger is to serve the whole body, that's all. If I am feeling something itching, immediately finger is working. If I want to see, the eyes immediately work. If I want to go the legs immediately take me. So as this bodily part and part, limbs, are helping me, the whole thing, and I am eating, and the stomach, I am eating only. Similarly God is meant for simply receiving service from all other parts. Not to serve. The service, if the limbs of the body serves the whole body, the energy automatically comes to the parts of the body. Similarly if we serve Kṛṣṇa, we get all our necessities, energy, automatically. Yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena (SB 4.31.14). The example, just like pouring water on the root of the tree, the energy is immediately supplied to the leaves, to the twigs, to the branches, to everywhere immediately. Similarly simply by serving Kṛṣṇa or God you supply all other parts, you serve all other parts. There is no question of serving differently.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

The father is playing a king, and the son is playing another king. Both are inimical. But actually they are playing as such. Similarly, Arjuna is eternal friend of Kṛṣṇa. He cannot be in delusion. How he can be delusioned if Kṛṣṇa is his constant friend? But he was supposed to be in delusion so that he played the part of a conditioned soul and Kṛṣṇa explained the whole thing. He played that ordinary person; therefore all his questions were just like ordinary man. Unless... Because the teachings of Gītā was lost. That is explained. So Kṛṣṇa wanted to deliver again the yoga system of Gītā. So somebody must ask. Just like you are asking, I'm answering. Similarly Arjuna, although he was not to be supposed in illusion, he placed himself as representative of this conditioned soul and he inquired so many things, the answers were given by Lord.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So You first of all taste. Then we shall take." Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. Yes, that's all. Kṛṣṇa eats, and Kṛṣṇa puts again in the same way. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). We are offering Kṛṣṇa, that does not mean that Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is eating, but Kṛṣṇa is so full, complete, that He's leaving the whole thing complete. So people do not even understand these things that we are not loser by offering Kṛṣṇa. We become gainer only. Gainer only. You decorate Kṛṣṇa nicely, you see. Then your desire for seeing beautiful thing will be satisfied. You no more will be attracted by the so-called beauties of the world. You keep Kṛṣṇa in comfortable state, You offer Kṛṣṇa nice foodstuff, you'll eat it. So just like if I decorate my face, I cannot see how it is beautiful, but if I bring one mirror before me, the reflection of my face is beautiful. Similarly, you are reflection of Kṛṣṇa. Man is made after God. So if you make happy Kṛṣṇa, then you'll see that your reflection, you are happy.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

Every living entities are engaged in some activities. So you have to understand these five things which you are experiencing daily. So if you understand Kṛṣṇa, these five things will be automatically understood, and you will understand everything. By understanding one, Kṛṣṇa, you understand these five items. And by understanding these five items, you understand the whole thing. That's all. That means you have complete knowledge. So Bhagavad-gītā explains like that. Kasmin vijñāte sarvaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. Everything becomes known by understanding the Supreme. That is our program. Go on.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

And as soon as I get some impetus from another demon, I become again demon. Again I become demon. And then out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has distinctly forbidden: māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa: (CC Madhya 6.169) "If you hear the commentary of the impersonalist demons, then your whole thing is spoiled. Your life is spoiled." Go on. Māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa. Sarva-nāśa means you lose everything. And because we do not explain demonic explanation, that "I am God, you are God," people do not like. Just like the other day the question was... They explained in different... They like that explanation because demonic. People are generally demonic, more or less. One may be fifty percent demon, another may be eighty percent demon, but everyone in this material world is a demon.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

This is the process. By hearing, you become pious. Those who are hearing in this meeting, even they cannot understand the words which we are discussing, he's, he's becoming purer. He's becoming... Just like one becomes purer by acting piously. So simply hearing, if one cannot understand the whole thing, he becomes pious. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). One who is speaking Kṛṣṇa's words, and one who is hearing Kṛṣṇa's..., both of them are becoming purified.

So if we hear daily, regularly, nityam, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, then... Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). If you hear daily... Just like we are holding class daily in the morning. And bhāgavata-sevayā. Sevayā means service. To make the place nicely cleansed so that devotees will sit down and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā will be discussed, this is called bhāgavata-sevā, serving the Bhāgavata. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā...

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

Just like we are doing. We do not engage only the devotees to the temple worship, but there must be program for hearing Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the science of God. Otherwise, after sometimes, simply if you ring the bell, after time you'll be disgusted and the whole thing will be lost. As it has become now in India. There was no instruction about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They simply attached to the temple and belling. And now it is now zero. Devotion is zero.

So two things must go on, parallel. Then if we, two things must go, then you are promoted to the second platform, madhyama-adhikārī. Madhyama-adhikārī means at that time he sees four things:

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

The Supreme Lord has to execute the law. So there is no mistake. As there is no mistake in the judgment of the high-court, similarly, what to speak of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. There is necessity. The government, in order to keep law and order, there is violence also. The police sometimes commit violence, the military force. So in order to keep whole thing in balance, sometimes violence is required, and that is not to our whims but at the decision of the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

So we have to receive this knowledge submissively. The, Lord Brahmā recommends that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Namanta eva. We must be submissive. The whole thing depends, spiritual knowledge...

tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham
(MU 1.2.12)

Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). So this knowledge, this process of knowledge, is received by submissive mood. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. One has to give up the false prestigious position that "I can understand God and everything by my speculative, experimental knowledge." This is called jñāne prayāsam. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. One should be submissive, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām, and try to hear the message of the Lord from san-mukharitām, sādhu, devotees, san-mukha..., not professional. Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī has strictly forbidden: avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

...the whole thing that every living entity is prakṛti, every living entity. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtām. Every living entity is woman. Those who are thinking of becoming man, they are in illusion. Prakṛti, puruṣa. Puruṣa means the bhoktā, the enjoyer, and prakṛti, strī, means enjoyed. Every living entity is described as prakṛti. No living entity is puruṣa. Puruṣa is only Kṛṣṇa. So when we are thinking, "I have become a puruṣa, enjoyer," that is māyā. That is māyā. (break) ...as woman or man, but actually, every one of us, woman, prakṛti. Every one of us. And every one of us are thinking as man. Even the woman. Man means enjoyer. So everyone is thinking enjoyer, "I am enjoyer." And this is called māyā. And about the gopīs, it is better not to speculate. The speculator's writing has no value. Gopīs, they are pleasure potency expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya (Bs. 5.32).

Lecture on BG 7.11-12 -- Bombay, February 25, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says, "Whatever you eat..." Just like we are eating prasādam. Others will see, "They are eating ḍāla-bhāta, and they are calling prasādam." Because he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And one who has got Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he eats the same ḍāla-bhāta... It is not ḍāla-bhāta. It is spiritualized, because it is offered to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has eaten it. Kṛṣṇa eats. Don't think that "The things are there. Kṛṣṇa has not eaten." No, Kṛṣṇa has eaten. But Kṛṣṇa's eating and your eating is different. If I give you something to eat, you'll finish the whole thing, but Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). This is the Vedic injunction. He can eat, and He can leave. Otherwise, is He speaking false?

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

Just like Vedānta-sūtra says that the Absolute Truth is that from whom everything is born or everything emanates. So in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, the Lord says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: "I am the origin of everything." So if you believe that Kṛṣṇa is the..., or the Supreme Personality of Godhead is everything, and if you surrender, if you worship, then the whole thing, whole account, is closed in one second. But if you don't believe—"Oh, I want to see what is actually God is"—then you have to go by stages: first realization, this impersonal Brahman effulgence; then second realization, the Paramātmā; and then, in the third stage, you realize, "Oh, here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So that will take time. So... But one has to continue. If one gives up the research work just after making a few steps advance, oh, that will not help. One has to go on, go on with it with steadiness, that "What is God? I shall see." That is called jñānī, jijñāsu, philosopher, inquisitive.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

Similarly, in our living condition, if we prepare for the examination at the time of death and we pass the examination, then we are transferred to the spiritual world. So prayāṇa-kāle. The whole thing is examined at the time of death. Just the other day I recited one Bengali prover, proverb. This is a very common saying in Bengal. They say bhajan kara pūjān kara mṛtyu-kāle haya:(?) "Our, whatever you do for perfection, at the time of your death it will be tested." At the time of..., a tested.

So Bhagavad-gītā is describing what should we do at the, at the point of our death, when we are giving up this body, this present body. So for the yogis, dhyāna-yogis, this prescription is recited here, sarva-dvārāṇi saṁyamya mano hṛdi-nirudhya ca. Sarva-dvārāṇi means... This system is called pratyāhāra. In the technical language of yogic system it is called pratyāhāra. Pratyāhāra means "just the opposite." Now, the senses, my eye, my eyes are engaged in seeing the worldly beauty.

Lecture on BG 9.4-7 -- New York, November 24, 1966:

"This is the... Do you think, sir, that this boy is fit for my sister? We are aristocratic family and this and that...," so on. So the young man said... Young man could understand the old man is still agreeable, but these, his sons and family members, as he suggested, they are not agreeable. So he explained the whole thing before all the gentlemen who came, that "This is the fact. Now, he promised. Now, for the sake of his son and wife, he cannot fulfill his promise. This was a promise before the Lord." In the meantime, the old man's eldest son... He was atheist. He voluntarily says, "Well, if your God comes and gives witness, then I shall offer my sister to you." But he was confident that God will come. He said, "Yes. I shall ask God. I shall ask Kṛṣṇa to come and give witness." So... Now, before all gentlemen this was done. Then the young man said, "All right, let us now come to agreement that I shall call Kṛṣṇa from Vṛndāvana to give witness in this matter, and when He comes, you'll have to."

Lecture on BG 9.24-26 -- New York, December 12, 1966:

And the same thing, if you offer to Kṛṣṇa, it becomes spiritual.

Now, after offering Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is not taking it away. You are... You are taking the prasādam. That means the whole thing becomes spiritualized. So in this way we can spiritualize the whole world, whole world, simply by changing our consciousness. We are... We are anxious for peace. This is the process of peace; you change your consciousness. Don't accept anything for your sense gratification. Everything is there. It is supplied by the Supreme Lord. Everything is the property of the Supreme Lord. You are falsely claiming that you are the proprietor. You are not proprietor. How you can be proprietor? Suppose before you came to America from Europe... The land was there. And suppose sometimes you leave this land. Oh, the land will remain there.

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

This description we have got in several Vedic literatures, Brahma-saṁhitā and Vedānta-sūtra, Bhāgavata, in Purāṇas, in Upaniṣad. Everywhere these descriptions are there. Those who are scholarly student, they'll get information, and the whole thing is summarized in Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is known also as Gītopaniṣad. At the end of every chapter you'll find these things are written, gītāsu or upaniṣatsu. It is one of the Upaniṣads. You have read Upaniṣad. The Bhagavad-gītā is also one of the Upaniṣads, and therefore Bhagavad-gītā is known as Gītopaniṣad.

So if nobody knows the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then how He can be known? If He is not known to the demigods, if He is not known to the great sages, then how He can be known? Yes. He can be known. He can be known in this way.

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

So sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva san-mukharitām. You have to find out that authority. That's all. That authority you have to find out and remain in your place and try to hear submissively everything, svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. As soon as you become submissive and hear from authorities, then the whole thing will reveal within yourself. God is the always ready to be revealed to you. But how does He reveal? He reveals as soon as you become submissive, you become devotee, you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you just follow the path traversed by the great mahājanas, great ācāryas. Then it is... Everything is known.

Although He's not known even to the demigods, even to the great sages, he can be known to you at your home, ajita jito 'py asi, although He is unconquerable, if you adopt this process. So you have to adopt the process only. Otherwise, if you don't adopt the process, there is no alternative.

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

So there you have to surrender. Praṇipāta. Praṇipāta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipātam, no reservation.

If you find out such person, then surrender there. Praṇipāta. And try to serve him, try to please him, and question him. The whole thing will reveal. You have to find out such an authoritative person and surrender unto him. Surrendering unto him means surrendering unto God because he is God's representative. But you are allowed to make questions, not to waste time, but for understanding. That is called paripraśna. These are the process. So everything is there. We have simply to adopt it. But if we don't adopt the process and simply waste our time by intoxication and speculation and all nonsensical activities, oh, that is not possible ever. You'll never understand what is God. Because God is not understandable even by the demigods and by the great sages. What is our teeny efforts?

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute, there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and the method of attaining Kṛṣṇa. They are the same. Method... The bhakti method means Kṛṣṇa method. Bhakta-bhagavān. And the method to approach Bhagavān is called bhakti.

The whole thing is based on one root, bhaj. Bhaj-dhātu. Bhaj-dhātu. That means offering loving service to the Lord. And Kṛṣṇa says: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. These words are there: sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30), api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Bhajate, this very... Bhajate. Catur-vidhā bhajante mām. This word, bhaja is very important thing. From bhaja, the word bhakti comes. Bhaja dhātu ukti. (?) So bhakti means bhajana. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ (BG 9.13). Again: bhajanti.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, December 30, 1972:

That is called yajña, yajñārthe karma. So that either he acts as a śūdra or either he acts as a brāhmaṇa, it doesn't matter. The real aim is to satisfy the Supreme. This is very easy. Now, there are so many grades of officer in a big establishment. Either the manager or the orderly or the servant. Because the whole thing is to satisfy the supreme authority of the office, everything is all right.

Similarly, according to the capacity, one is ordinary servant, one is manager, one is clerk, one is this and that. That, That's all right. Similarly, according to our particular quality, one may be a brāhmaṇa, one may be a kṣatriya, nor be a śūdra, or vaiśya. It doesn't matter. But the whole society, if they are engaged in satisfying Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not that we are asking everyone to become a sannyāsī like me, and give up everything. No. That is not our program. You act as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya or a vaiśya or a śūdra. It doesn't matter. But you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is the program.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, September 30, 1973:

If you do not take your initiation mantra from the sampradāya, then it is useless. Now, there are so many apasampradāya. They do not come in disciplic succession, but becomes guru, teacher. Therefore everything is topsy-turvied. Nobody has got fixed idea what is God. Everyone has created his own philosophy. The whole thing is now confused.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa specifically mentions, Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). The sampradāya must have understanding of the Brahma-sūtra, Vedānta-sūtra. So all the sampradāyas, they have got their commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra and... Even Śaṅkarācārya. But his commentary is not accepted by the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas because he has tried to derive some meaning, interpretation. But there is no question of interpretation. When the things are clear, in the Brahma-sūtra, all the sūtras are very clear. So you don't require any interpretation. You can expand, explain very elaborately.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:

And he is riding on. And this material supply is given by the material energy. The intelligence is given by Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa says, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15) "From Me he's getting the intelligence." So if you analyze the whole thing, the manufacturer of the car and the car itself and the, ingredients of the car, the platform on which the car is running—everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. That is the ultimate analysis. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says that in everything there is relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. So why shall I reject it? I am concerned with Hari, Kṛṣṇa; therefore anything belongs to Kṛṣṇa—I am also interested. Property of Kṛṣṇa, things of Kṛṣṇa...

Lecture on BG 18.67 -- Ahmedabad, December 10, 1972:

So the ācārya is coming by paramparā system, disciplic succession. Therefore Kṛṣṇa recommends, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā: (BG 4.34) "One should approach the ācārya and try to understand by praṇipāta, surrender." This whole thing is depending on surrender. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. The surrender process, the proportion of surrender, is the means of understanding Kṛṣṇa. If we are partially surrendered, then we understand Kṛṣṇa partially. So ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. It is the proportion of surrender. The one who has surrendered fully, he can understand this philosophy and he can preach also, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. What is that? (break)

Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:

This is tapasya, simply to become a faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So where is the difficulty? This is tapasya, that "I shall not speak anything beyond what Kṛṣṇa has spoken." This is tapasya. But if I want to adulterate, "Oh, I am bigger than Kṛṣṇa. I am greater than Kṛṣṇa. I am Kṛṣṇa," then you spoil the whole thing. That's all. Therefore it is warned: idaṁ te na atapaskāya nābhaktāya kadācana. "Never speak to rascals." Na ca aśuśrūṣave. One who's not... Here is another opportunity, one is eager to hear.

So we are speaking to persons who are at least eager to hear. Śuśrūṣave. Vācyaṁ na ca māṁ yaḥ abhyasūyati. Abhyasūyati means one who is envious. So this is right warning. But still, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to create the situation so that people may kindly hear about Kṛṣṇa. That is our business. Although it is warned that if we discriminate in that way, that here is a person, he has not undergone any austerities.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

I give the name and address of Bhagavān. His father's name and everything. Why you are being misled? Where is the scope for searching out where is Bhagavān? Here is Bhagavān. Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said... It does not say kṛṣṇa uvāca. Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Its name is Bhagavad-gītā, spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhagavad-gītā. Śaṅkarācārya says: bhagavad-gītā kiñcid adita.(?) Śaṅkarācārya says. Kiñcid adita. If, if somebody wants to understand Bhagavān he must read Bhagavad-gītā. Kiñcid adita. He never challenges Kṛṣṇa. So we have to understand the whole thing, whole philosophy, whole science of God through Bhagavad-gītā. Then our life is perfect. Why Śaṅkarācārya says bhagavad-gītā kiñcid adita? Why? Can you say? (break) ...little of Bhagavad-gītā.

Page Title:Whole thing (Lectures, BG)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:13 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=123, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:123