# September 17 ## Spoken on September 17 *Lectures from this day: 8 recordings* --- **[1969: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.2](spoken/1969/690917sb.lon)** > People are now entangled in hard working. Actually, human life should be very easy, very easy—no hard work; living very simple life and eating very healthy food; living in open space; no quarrel, no antagonism; everyone is happy, everyone is free. That is human civilization. Not to become entangled. But at the present moment we have become entangled. So Ṛṣabhadeva says that *mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ*. If we actually want liberation from this entanglement, then we should associate with *mahātmās,* great souls. And who is a great soul? That is being described. > But both the devotees and nondevotees, they must obey the laws of Kṛṣṇa. There is no exception. There is no exception. This is *māyā.* He is being forced; the nondevotee is being forced to act. *Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ*. He's under the spell of the modes of material nature, and he's being forced to act under the spell of material nature, but he is thinking, "I am free. I don't care for God." This is called *māyā.* He is being kicked by *māyā,* but he'll not agree to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa. He'll agree to be kicked by *māyā.* That is his business. That he will agree: "Yes, let me be kicked by *māyā.*" --- **[1971: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6 Engagement](spoken/1971/710917sb.mom)** > Suppose if we get the form of a tree by our *karma,* then the next life, how much it is severe to stand up in one place for thousands of years. Therefore *tūrṇaṁ yateta anumṛtyu patetu*[?] *yāvan*. The injunction is that you try to evoke your Kṛṣṇa consciousness before the next death comes. Death is sure. Whatever you are manufacturing, when death will come it will take away everything. Kṛṣṇa says, *mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham*. *Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś. Mṛtyuḥ* means He takes away everything—your house, your family, your country, your dress, your apartment—everything finished. Then you have to accept another body, and you have to cultivate..., you have to construct another house, another society, another... This is bondage. *Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate* : coming once for some years, working very hard, creating a very favorable situation and unfavorable situation, and having a next life. This is going on. > And Lord Caitanya says that "The prime duty of living entity is to understand that he is eternal servant of God," *jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa*. That is our real, constitutional position. We are eternal servant of God; therefore we are engaged in different types of services. --- **[1972: Morning Walk](spoken/1972/720917mw.la)** > They do not know that they are creating a mischief to the world, *na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. duṣkṛtinaḥ* the mischief mongers will never surrender to Kṛṣṇa. They make their...manufacture some concoctions and create catastrophe. Therefore they are called demons they do not create something which is very peaceful to the living condition. Simply they disturb... [break] after... [loud engine] Asuric civilisation, demoniac civilisation it disturbs. > Real knowledge *Bhagavad-gītā*, read *Bhagavad-gītā* thoroughly you get complete knowledge. *Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate*, *anyat jñātavyam* anything more to be known. If one reads *Bhagavad-gītā* carefully his complete knowledge is there. Hare Krishna. Aeroplanes are described but these planes are not being driven by machine or this petrol, why do they not make research? How they were flying their planes? --- **[1972: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.11–12](spoken/1972/720917sb.la)** > Therefore He is original father of everyone. Not only of the living entities, but also stones, woods, earth, water, fire—everything He has created. *Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva..., prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā*, in the *Bhagavad-gītā.* So He has created everything. He is actually the father. But out of love, the devotees, they accept the father as son, to give more service. Father is obliged to give service to the son. He has given birth; therefore he has obligation to maintain the son, to give service. > So Gargamuni said, *śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ :* "Your son, this son, formerly He appeared in white color, in red color, in yellow color. Now He has appeared in black color." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was yellow color. Therefore, when it is said in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, tviṣā akṛṣṇam,* "He is not black," that means "He is *pīta,* He is yellow." *Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam* : "He is always associated by His devotees." --- **[1975: Morning Walk [Partially Recorded](spoken/1975/750917mw.vrn)** > You can come back, half past six, in my room. --- **[1975: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.14](spoken/1975/750917sb.vrn)** > So some way or other... *Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet* [*Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu* 1.2.4]. This is the process. Somehow or other, you engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa. *Yena tena prakāreṇa.* Without any regulative principle? Yes. *Sarve vidhi-niveṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ.* [*Padma Purāṇa, Bṛhat-sahasra-nāma-stotra*] If you some way or other think of Kṛṣṇa, then the *vidhi-niṣedhā,* [prescriptions and prohibitions] *vidhi-niṣedhā,* regulative principle and forbidden things... Just like we have got our regulative principle that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra* at least sixteen rounds." This is called *vidhi.* And *niṣedha* "Don't have illicit sex, don't eat meat, don't have intoxication, don't indulge in gambling." These are *niṣedha.* So *sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ.* As soon as you go on chanting the holy name of the Lord, *vidhi,* sixteen round, this *niṣedhā* will automatically follow. *Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ*.* This is the process. > This is the process. Somehow or other, *yena tena prakāreṇa,* you think of Kṛṣṇa, you chant Kṛṣṇa's name, you just offer your obeisances, and... This temple is here. There are many temples. What is the process? Process... If somebody comes here, he immediately think of Kṛṣṇa. By seeing Kṛṣṇa's Deity... Kṛṣṇa's Deity and Kṛṣṇa is not different. So even if he thinks that it is some stone Deity, but Kṛṣṇa's stone Deity... Therefore "Kṛṣṇa's," he says—that will benefit him. Some way or other, he is chanting "Kṛṣṇa." "Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma is very nice in this temple." So that "Kṛṣṇa" and seeing Kṛṣṇa, thinking of Kṛṣṇa, chanting Kṛṣṇa... *Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī*. And if you worship Kṛṣṇa, offer *ārātika, bhoga,* decorate with flowers: *śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan mandira-mār*...*\*\Even you wash this temple, you get the benefit. Somehow or other be in touch with this temple, with the holy name, with the Vaiṣṇava. In this way, by constant association—*saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ*—by association of devotees, you become a Kṛṣṇa devotee. --- **[1976: Room Conversation](spoken/1976/760917r1.vrn)** > They cannot understand this. That we are equal, that's all right, but there is difference. So far I am a living being, He's also a living being, but He's supreme living being. How? Because I breathe, some dust comes and goes out, and when He breathes some universes come out. This is the difference. So because He is breathing and I am breathing, therefore equal? No. *Paśyaty acakṣuḥ.* He sees, but not like us. *Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata*. He's seeing every particular thing, anywhere. *Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu.* I can see within my limit, or I can feel pains and pleasure within my... But He knows everything, everywhere. *Sarva-kṣetreṣu.* And because I cannot become like Him, therefore Māyāvādīs say *kalpana,* "This is imagination." He wants to make God like himself, and he wants to become like God. Therefore all description about God he thinks imagination, *kalpana. Kalpana.* Dr. Frog. Huh? "More than this water, the...? How it is possible? Atlantic Ocean, very, very big. What is that big? Maybe four feet, five?" Yes. Otherwise *kalpana*. It it is not within his "feet" estimation, then he's *kalpana,* imagination. This is their knowledge. I can think of three feet, four feet, five feet, ten feet, hundred feet—like that. And when I'm informed, "No, no, it is unlimited feet." "Ah, this is *kalpana."* This is going on. > So, what other news? I have to send one letter to the governor. [break] *Sūtyām abhijāta-kovidāḥ. Yathā hi sūtyām abhijāta-kovidāḥ samādiśan vipra mahad-guṇas tathā*. Where this class of literature is now? *Yathā sūtyā,* in the maternity home or maternity room, *sūtyā. Abhijāta-kovidāḥ:* the astrologers who can estimate the newly born child's destiny. Whatever they predicted, according to them, *yathā hi sūtyām abhijāta-kovidāḥ samādiśan.* They said that "This child will be like this"—exactly he became. *Parīkṣid dvija-varya-śikṣayā,* and being trained up by first-class *brāhmaṇas,* and the child came perfectly the king. Where is that king? --- **[1976: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.20–21](spoken/1976/760917sb.vrn)** > One who has not been successful, one is fallen from this *bhakti-yoga,* for him also there is guarantee nice. That guarantee, Kṛṣṇa says that *śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sanjāyate. Śucīnām.* Then he's given the chance of taking birth in a very pious *brāhmaṇa's* family. Not ordinary: *śucīnām. Śuci* means *brāhmaṇa,* and *śrīmatā, śrī* means fortune, and *mat* means one possesses fortune—that means very rich man. *Śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sanjāyate.* Even... Therefore Nārada Muni has said in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,* > If you don't rectify your existence, then this *janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi* will go on. Then what is the good? Actually, there is no good. '*Ei bhāla, ei manda'—ei saba 'bhrama'.* It is simply mental concoction. So in the material world, even you become very expert to deal with your business very nicely, it is all useless. *Ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ.* If one does not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, his so-called success in this material world or failure, they have no value. Rather, if by sentiment somebody comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if for a few days he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa *mantra,* their success, in future at least, guaranteed. --- ## Letters on September 17 *Letters from this day: 10* --- **[1968: Letter to Brahmananda](letters/1968/680917_brahmananda)** > I hope you have received my letter regarding *Bhagavad-gita as it is,* and Jaya Govinda's letter from India. --- **[1968: Letter to Janaki](letters/1968/680917_janaki)** > With great pleasure I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 13/9/68, and it is so nicely written that I have read the matter twice, I am writing herewith in my hand, Hare Krishna: Please... --- **[1969: Letter to Krsna Dasa](letters/1969/690917_krsna_dasa)** > Yesterday I received a packet from you containing several letters from different parts, and I thank you very much for it. --- **[1970: Letter to Bali-Mardana](letters/1970/700917_bali-mardana)** > I beg to thank you for your letter dated August 31st, 1970, and I have duly noted the contents. Do your best to serve in the Commission by correspondence, but I prefer to see you a great preacher and if possible you may be relieved from the responsibility of remaining a member of the Governing Body Commission. While we were coming through the Philippines on the way to Calcutta from Tokyo we learned that in Manila they are also interested in our Movement for Krsna Consciousness, so that is another open field. --- **[1970: Letter to Jagadisa](letters/1970/700917_jagadisa)** > I am so glad to learn that your center is doing very nicely—distribution of "Back to Godhead" and other literatures is very encouraging and you are now 17 devotees strong there. --- **[1970: Letter to Sudama](letters/1970/700917_sudama)** > I was very much hopeful about the house, but you have not got it. Don't be worried, Krsna will provide you with a better house very soon. --- **[1974: Letter to Prabhas](letters/1974/740917_prabhas)** > I request you to learn the doll making more perfectly, and when I shall go the the foreign countries by the month of April to New York, I will take you with me. --- **[1974: Letter to Satsvarupa](letters/1974/740917_satsvarupa)** > From this book they will understand the importance of our society. So do it nicely. --- **[1975: Letter to Dr. Babbar](letters/1975/750917_dr._babbar)** > He is in need of some service from you, and I request you to kindly give him assistance. I wish to introduce to you Mr. --- **[1975: Letter to Sri Ram Kumar](letters/1975/750917_sri_ram_kumar)** > It is rare that an important man like yourself understands the prime importance of the Krishna consciousness movement. ---