# August 18 ## Spoken on August 18 *Lectures from this day: 6 recordings* --- **[1968: Room Conversation [First Devotees Going to London on Evening Before Their Departure](spoken/1968/680818r1.mon)** > Śuṣka-vairāgya* means simply renunciation without assimilation. *Māyāvādī* sect, Śaṅkara sect, they have got stringent laws for renunciation. But Vaiṣṇavas, they have no stringent law. They accept everything as *kṛṣṇa-prasādam,* actually: offering Kṛṣṇa, working for Kṛṣṇa, living for Kṛṣṇa. This is the best use. My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "The best use of a bad bargain." Everything in Kṛṣṇa relationship. That is *yukta-vairāgya. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate* [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu* 1.2.255]. *Vairagya* means detachment. > there. But real self-interest is Kṛṣṇa. For Kṛṣṇa we can do anything, because He is supreme Self. *Bījo 'ham sarva-bhūtānāṁ*. He is the Self of selves. --- **[1968: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.12](spoken/1968/680818sb.mon)** > But the relationship... Just like I say "my hand." So how can I express? Just like Kṛṣṇa says *mamaivāṁśo. Mama* means "mine." "These, all these living creatures, they are My part and parcels." So why the living creatures shall not say "my God"? Do you follow? Kṛṣṇa says, "You are Mine." Why shall you not say, "Kṛṣṇa, You are mine"? Your husband says, "You are mine." Why shall you not say, "You are mine"? But don't take it in the material sense. In material sense, as soon as I say it is mine, it is nobody else's. It is my property. Law of identity, or something like that. > Therefore Brahmā recommends, *īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ* [Bs. 5.1].* The Supreme God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* Himself that *mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya* : --- **[1972: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.15](spoken/1972/720818sb.la)** > That... This process has been approved by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. *Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You can remain in your position, but try to hear the transcendental message from realized soul. Then gradually you will be enlightened and you will be free from this knot, this material bondage. Thank you. > So that is the difference. Therefore, the conclusion is, man's life is meant for control. Not like animal: "I want to eat; immediately catch it." A cat and dog or a cow or a bull—rape. As soon as there is a female, immediately rapes. So there is no punishment. But if you do that on the street, raping, immediately you will be criminal. So that is the difference. The inclination is there, both in the animal and both..., and in the human being. But a human being supposed to be controlled. That is human life. The more you control, you become perfect. And though, the more you become loose, you are animal. That is the difference. --- **[1973: Bhagavad-gītā 2.12](spoken/1973/730818bg.lon)** > So the body is not all. This is the first lesson to understand, what is spiritual life, what is spiritual knowledge. But all rascals, they do not know. Therefore Kṛṣṇa first of all slapped Arjuna: *aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase*.* "You do not know what is the fact, and talking like a very learned man. Just try to understand what is truth." *Na tv evāhaṁ jātu.* First thing is that *nāsam;* we have no *nāsam.* We never die. That will be explained later on more clearly. We do not die, *nāsam,* at any time. It is not that sometimes we die and sometimes... No. Any time, *jātu.* At any time. > So it is our business to see what kind of body we shall get next life. *Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya*. Actually if we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then after giving up this body we are no more going to accept any material body. Because spiritual body is already there. That is eternal. The spirit soul, the spiritual body, that is never vanquished. It was existing in the past, it is existing now, and it will continue to exist in the future. Because people may say, "How is that? How odd thing Kṛṣṇa is speaking, that *na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ*. --- **[1974: Ceremony Speech [Partially Recorded](spoken/1974/740818sp.vrn)** > "The law which is given by God, that is *dharma.*" This is the simple definition of *dharma.* And at the end of *Bhagavad-gītā* Kṛṣṇa says, *sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja*. That is the ultimate religion. One has to surrender to the Supreme Lord. This is religion. > If we actually want peace, *samprasīdati,* then we must learn how to surrender to the Supreme Lord. It doesn't matter through which process. Either by Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion, it doesn't matter. We want to see that everyone is becoming a perfect lover of God. This is our definition of God. It may be, due to circumstantial changes in the country, the Muslim religion may be little different from Hindu religion so far the ritualistic ceremonies are concerned, but actually we want to see whether you have advanced in the matter of loving God. Not that "Superficially I am very advanced in religion, but I do not know how to love." This is the test. *Sarve sukhino bhavantu.* This is the test. A devotee wants to see that everyone is happy. It doesn't matter whether he is a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian. It doesn't matter. We want to see that everyone is happy. --- **[1976: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.6 Śrīla Prabhupāda's Speech at The Opening of the Hyderabad Temple](spoken/1976/760818sb.hyd)** > This is the word used by Kṛṣṇa personally. Nobody understands Him, *tattvataḥ,* what He is actually. We understand superficially, "Kṛṣṇa was born in Mathurā, and He was the son of Vasudeva, and so on, so on." But one has to understand Kṛṣṇa *tattvataḥ:* in truth. And Kṛṣṇa says, *janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ*. > This is a description of Vyāsadeva. *Vidvān.* Even from literary point of view, if you see the contribution of Vyāsadeva, it is not possible in any age. So many books. Four *Vedas, Vedānta-sūtra, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas,* and the most important contribution is the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.* That is his last contribution. Under the instruction of his spiritual master, Nārada Muni, he contributed *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, amalaṁ purāṇam. Amalaṁ purāṇam* means there is no material contamination. *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90],* there are material contaminations. But above this is the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.* Therefore in the beginning of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,* Vyāsadeva introduces *dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra*. --- ## Letters on August 18 *Letters from this day: 12* --- **[1970: Letter to My Beloved Disciples At New Vrndavana](letters/1970/700818_my_beloved_disciples_at_new_vrndavana)** > I was so happy to receive all your nice letters from New Vrindavana and have read them all with great pleasure. --- **[1970: Letter to Satsvarupa](letters/1970/700818_satsvarupa)** > Herewith please find four pages of poems written by Tirthapada dasa Brahmacari who is working at Sydney very diligently. --- **[1970: Letter to Upendra](letters/1970/700818_upendra)** > Yes, for the present I am in Tokyo and arranging to reprint some of our books and magazines to the extent of 70,000 copies and I am also awaiting the manuscript of KRSNA, Volume II, as well as Hindi magazine. So altogether there will be about 100,000 copies of different books and literatures which will all be carried to India for distribution. --- **[1971: Letter to Bhakta Dasa](letters/1971/710818_bhakta_dasa)** > I am so glad to hear that Krishna has provided you with a new temple very suitable for our purposes. --- **[1971: Letter to Madhusudana](letters/1971/710818_madhusudana)** > So far your choice of artwork for BTG, I do not know the artistic sense. Not that you make Krishna a cartoon character and therefore laughing stock. --- **[1974: Letter to Balabhadra Ratnaranjini](letters/1974/740818_balabhadra_ratnaranjini)** > I beg to thank you for your kind appreciation on the Vyasa Puja Day. It is stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura it is only by pleasing the Spiritual Master that one can be assured of pleasing Krishna. --- **[1974: Letter to Ksirodakasayi](letters/1974/740818_ksirodakasayi)** > I beg to thank you for your kind appreciation on the Vyasa Puja Day. It is stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura it is only by pleasing the Spiritual Master that one can be assured of pleasing Krishna. --- **[1974: Letter to Madhudvisa](letters/1974/740818_madhudvisa)** > I beg to thank you for your kind appreciations on the Vyasa Puja Day. It is stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura it is only by pleasing the Spiritual Master that one can be assured of pleasing Krishna. --- **[1974: Letter to Nalinikanta Ratnesvari](letters/1974/740818_nalinikanta_ratnesvari)** > I beg to thank you for your kind appreciations on the Vyasa Puja Day. It is stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura it is only by pleasing the Spiritual Master that one can be assured of pleasing Krishna. --- **[1974: Letter to Nayanabhirama](letters/1974/740818_nayanabhirama)** > I beg to thank you for your kind appreciation on the Vyasa Puja Day. It is stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura it is only by pleasing the Spiritual Master that one can be assured of pleasing Krishna. --- **[1974: Letter to Purnaprajna Narayani](letters/1974/740818_purnaprajna_narayani)** > I beg to thank you for your kind appreciation on the Vyasa Puja Day. It is stated by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura it is only by pleasing the Spiritual Master that one can be assured of pleasing Krishna. --- **[1975: Letter to Shaktimati](letters/1975/750818_shaktimati)** > Please especially see that the Deity worship is going nicely. You are an experienced lady, and you can teach especially the girls there to cook nicely for the Deity, to prepare flower garlands nicely for the Deity, to clean and dress the Deity nicely. ---