# December 27 ## Spoken on December 27 *Lectures from this day: 12 recordings* --- **[1966: Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.353–354](spoken/1966/661227cc.ny.md)** > Lord Caitanya says, *āmā-sabā jīvera haya śāstra-dvārā 'jñāna'.* So therefore, for real knowledge, we have to consult the scriptures, *śāstra. Sādhu-śāstra-guru. Sādhu* means pious, religious, honest person. *Sādhu.* Whose character is spotless, he's called *sādhu. Śāstra* means scripture, and *guru, guru* means spiritual master. They are on the equal level. Why? Because the medium is scripture. *Guru* is considered to be liberated because he follows the scripture. *Sādhu* is considered to be honest and saintly because he follows scripture. *Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya.* Nobody can become a *sādhu* if he does not accept the principles of scripture. Nobody can be accepted as *guru,* or spiritual master, if he does not follow the principles of scripture. This is the test. > So here Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, *avatāra nāhi kahe-'āmi avatāra'.* Actually who is *avatāra,* incarnation, he'll never say that "I am *avatāra.*" *Muni saba jāni' kare lakṣaṇa-vicāra.Muni,* those who are thinkers, who are actually in the line, they see the symptoms and, with symptoms, they specify, "Yes, here is a *avatāra.*" The symptoms... How the symptoms are analyzed of a *avatāra*? The symptom is, first symptom is that there is reference in the *śāstra,* scripture, that in such and such time, such and such personality will come, He is the incarnation of God. Even His father's name, His birthplace, everything is written in the scripture. So we have to identify, *lakṣaṇa.* Then: He will act like this. He will come as this, and He will act like this. --- **[1968: Bhagavad-gītā 3.11–19](spoken/1968/681227bg.la)** > Therefore in this age Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that you do not require to change your position. You simply try to hear about Kṛṣṇa from the rightful source. That's all. Then everything will be all right gradually. Every one of us are mistaken or whatever you may call, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He gives His book, *Bhagavad-gītā,* He sends His representative, He comes Himself as Lord Caitanya to deliver us; He sends Lord Jesus Christ. So, so many arrangement, but we don't take advantage. We are so fool and sinful. But still, the propaganda will go on. > Besides that, scientifically, your teeth is meant for eating vegetables. The tiger has teeth for eating meat. Nature has made it like that. It has to kill another... Therefore he has got nails, he has got teeth, he has got strength. But you have no such strength. You cannot kill a cow like that, pouncing like tiger. You have to make slaughterhouse and sit down at your home; somebody may slaughter, and you can eat very nicely. What is this? You do like tiger. Pounce upon a cow and eat. [laughter] You cannot do that. You cannot do that. --- **[1972: The Nectar of Devotion](spoken/1972/721227nd.bom)** > So the *śūnyavādi,* they are like that—committing suicide; stop these activities. But they do not know that there is activities. There are... After being cured of this material disease, when one is healthy... That healthy activities are the devotional activities. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, *māṁ ca avyabhicāriṇi yogena yaḥ sevate. Sevate* means there is activities. It is not stoppage of activities. *Sevate. Sevate* means giving service. Giving service is not stopping activities. But that is a different type of activities, healthy activities. > So his business is different. Not dreaming, daytime dreaming and nighttime dreaming. He has to come to the actual platform. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is his actual life. Otherwise, he's in the dreamland. *Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā*. This is called *māyā,* illusion—nighttime dreaming and daytime dreaming. The nighttime dream... In this way, we are dreaming life after life: as human being, as animal, as tree, as aquatics. *Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati* [*Padma Purāṇa].* So this evolutionary process is going on. --- **[1972: Room Conversation](spoken/1972/721227r1.bom)** > Therefore, I decided I shall go to America. They have lost everything—their culture, their civilization, their religion, their mode of living. Simply because it is a great culture, still we find some gentlemen because it is coming out of their heritage. Because a great family, a person belong to a great family, although he becomes poverty-stricken, he cannot give up his family style. That is India's position. Because it belongs to a great civilization, still lingering. Otherwise they have given up. > Every moment millions of people are dying. *Śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti.* But those who are not dying, he's thinking that "I will not die. I will stay in my this position. Therefore I don't care for anything." This is most wonderful. Everyone is thinking that "I shall continue." He forgets that at any moment he'll be kicked out. --- **[1973: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.50](spoken/1973/731227sb.la)** > Actually, Kṛṣṇa saves us. Why we should depend on others? Kṛṣṇa saves. Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who is completely dependent upon Me," *yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham*, "I personally bring whatever his necessity is." That is the promise of Kṛṣṇa in the *Bhagavad-gītā.* So renounced order means no more dependence on father, mother, husband, or... No. Completely dependent on Kṛṣṇa. *Ekānta.* That is perfection. One who is fully convinced that "Kṛṣṇa is with me..." *Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati. "I will not have to search out Kṛṣṇa anywhere. He is within me, within my heart." There are many instances. > So the real thing is the soul. *Dehino 'smin yathā dehe*. So we should take care. Just like we can take care of this hat and coat by soaping it, but we must take care of myself, the body which is putting on this hat and coat. Similarly, this material body is hat and coat. Real is the spirit soul. So what is the necessity of the spirit soul? The necessity of spirit soul, because it is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, he is hankering to unite with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious... The soul is hankering after uniting with the supreme soul. That is natural. You study your body. --- **[1974: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.26.18](spoken/1974/741227sb.bom)** > The real problem is, Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam*. Our real miserable condition of life is birth, death, old age and disease. Where is scientific help to mitigate these miseries? There is no stoppage of birth; there is no stoppage of death; there is no stoppage of disease. You can manufacture very good medicine for disease, but you stop disease. That is not possible. So our so-called meritorious activities in scientific research and education, they have been described in the *Bhagavad-gītā* as *duṣkṛtinaḥ,* mischievous activities. *Duṣkṛtinaḥ.* They are not actually beneficial, but they are mischievous. And why, mischievous, they are engaged, they are wasting their so much time in mischievous? Because *mūḍhāḥ:* they do not know what is the purpose of life. They are *mūḍhas. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ*. > Kalā-viśeṣa* means *kalā,* and *aṁśa... Aṁśa* is directly, and *kalā* is *aṁśa* of the *aṁśa.* There are so many things to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that *yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ .* There are many *siddhas.* We are not *siddhas.* We are trying to be *siddhas. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye .* Not all. Just like here the *bhakti-yoga* is going on, how to become *siddha.* But who is interested? In Bombay there are millions of people, but who is interested? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, *manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye:* "There are millions and millions of human being, but out of them, one may be interested to become *siddha.*" And if one is *siddha... Yatatām api siddhānām.* And all those *siddhas,* those who are actually *siddhas,* they are trying to understand Kṛṣṇa, *kaścit,* out of... Some. Out of them, somebody may be knowing Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa science is not so easy. It is not so easy. So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised, *yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā.* Any person who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is *guru;* not others. *Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya.* --- **[1975: Bhagavad-gītā 7.7 [with Translator](spoken/1975/751227b2.san)** > Many *yogīs.*.. There are many *yogīs,* many form of *yoga* practice, mystic, but the *yogī* who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, he is first-class *yogī.* So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to educate people how to become attached to Kṛṣṇa. But if one does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of increasing his *āsakti* for Kṛṣṇa. So to understand Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa personally appears to draw our attention to Kṛṣṇa. When we forget our *āsakti,* that is material life. Forget our *āsakti* for Kṛṣṇa, that is our material life, or we struggle for existence in the material life. That is said by Kṛṣṇa: *yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham . This *dharmasya glāni,* deviation from the occupational duty... *Dharma* means occupational duty. Then Kṛṣṇa, out of His causeless mercy, He appears to teach us how to divert your attention and *āsakti* to Kṛṣṇa. So *dharmasya glāni,* deviation in the path of religious system, means to forget our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa ultimately, at the end of the *Bhagavad-gītā,* He says, as the Supreme Person, He orders, *sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja*. Therefore He did not come to establish the so-called Hindu *dharma* or Mussulman *dharma* or Christian *dharma,* this *dharma* or that. He came to establish the real *dharma,* that is, to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. > So *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* is establishing also in the beginning, *dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra*. In the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* the so-called cheating ways and cheating type of *dharmas* are kicked out, *projjhita,* thrown away. *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* is explaining what is real *dharma* as it is established by Kṛṣṇa, *sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja*. According to *dharma-śāstra,* material *dharma-śāstra,* it is said, *dharma artha kāma mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90],* up to *mokṣa.* In this connection Śrīdhara Swami, the great commentator of *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,* he says, *atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirasta:* "In the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* there is no chance or opportunity for thinking of so-called liberation." The purpose is that if one fully surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, he immediately becomes liberated. The Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, he says, *muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān.* Why... For a devotee, why he should be anxious for *mukti,* because *mukti* is always standing on his door to give him service, *mukulitāñjali-sevā,* with folded hands. So a devotee hasn't got to endeavor separately for *mukti.* As soon as he is engaged in devotional service, *mukti* is already there. Just like if a person becomes rich man, automatically his poverty is gone away. So a rich man does not require to endeavor separately to drive away poverty. So therefore the central point is, Kṛṣṇa is advising here, "Just increase your *āsakti,* attachment, for Me. Then everything will come." --- **[1975: Bhagavad-gītā 3.14 [with translator](spoken/1975/751227bg.san)** > Kṛṣṇa therefore teaches, *yat karoṣi:* "Whatever you do, it doesn't matter." *Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam* : "Whatever you be, that doesn't matter, but the result should be given to Me." So at the present moment in this age, all over the world people have forgotten Viṣṇu, or God. They are whimsically doing things which will implicate them birth after birth, *sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu,* either higher class of birth or lower class of birth, *sat* and *asat.* But this is not solution of life. > So *yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra.* This *karma* should be performed for executing *yajña.* [aside:] Why... Translate. So this *yajña...* Formerly *yajña* was performed very gorgeously. So many *mounds* of *ghee* and grains were put into the fire. But in this age, Kali-yuga, there is neither *ghee* nor grains to offer in the fire, *yajña* fire. Therefore in this Kali-yuga the *yajña* is performed by chanting the holy name of the Lord. --- **[1976: Room Conversation](spoken/1976/761227r1.bom)** > We have to purify our existence. So this aim is missing—how to purify it. *Sattvā.* I am eternal. Now I am existing in a condition, birth and death. That they do not know. *Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum*. He does not know his interest. He's thinking, "This is life. Let me enjoy. And there is no life after death, and even there is, who cares for it?" This is going on. > Dr. Patel: Sir, isn't the real *bhakti* a sort of a *tapa*? *dvijātmānaṁ brahma-rūpaṁ deha-tyāgi vibhayaḥ tena kartavyam...* [Transl. Engage in devotional service.] That type of *bhakti* is a *tapas itself. Then you* [indistinct]. --- **[1976: Room Conversation about F.A.T.E. [First American Theistic Exhibition](spoken/1976/761227r2.bom)** > Now this is the part that... You will be... This will be a recording of you speaking, and it will appear to be you thinking in the display. "Out of many, many human beings, *Bhagavad-gītā* is directed to the one who seeks to understand his position. The Lord has great mercy for human beings; therefore He spoke the *Bhagavad-gītā* to Arjuna, a saintly prince, to enlighten him. Arjuna was actually above ignorance, but he was put into ignorance on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra just to ask about the meaning of life so that our mission of life can be perfected. " > "Preserved by the invincible tradition of spiritual scholars known as the disciplic succession, these original words spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa to one of His most intimate devotees were recorded in a book called *Bhagavad-gītā,* Sanskrit for the 'Song of God.' Today a unique presentation of this ancient classic has aroused keen interest and deep appreciation from leading scholars in diverse disciplines. It was brought to the West by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is a living link in the chain of disciplic succession. --- ## Letters on December 27 *Letters from this day: 17* --- **[1968: Letter to Himavati](letters/1968/681227_himavati)** > When I put on the hat sent by you on my head, everyone says that it is brilliant, and because one has to dress according to the taste of friends this hat has become an important factor of my dressing. --- **[1968: Letter to Satyabhama](letters/1968/681227_satyabhama)** > There is a statement of Sri Naradaji, the exact sanskrit words are: The purport is that anyone desiring to raise the people's standard of advancement in spiritual life, will have their noble desire very soon successful by the Grace of the Lord. --- **[1972: Letter to Janajanmadhih Anadi Araudra](letters/1972/721227_janajanmadhih_anadi_araudra)** > Upon the recommendation of Traidas I have gladly consented to accept all of you as my duly initiated disciples. --- **[1972: Letter to Mukunda](letters/1972/721227_mukunda)** > You are one of my first and nicest disciples that is a fact, and I am always hoping that you will again come to live with me again, along with your good wife Janaki. --- **[1972: Letter to Sri Govinda](letters/1972/721227_sri_govinda)** > Enclosed please find three sacred threads duly chanted by me, along with three copies of gayatri mantra. --- **[1972: Letter to Trai](letters/1972/721227_trai)** > And that enthusiastic mood is maintained when everyone is always without fail chanting 16 rounds daily, rising early for mangal arati, reading books, preaching—in this way, by observing strictly the regulative principles of devotional life, that enthusiasm or great eagerness to have Krishna will come out. So if you are very serious to remain tightly there in Boston centre and develop it fully, I am very much pleased upon you for this. --- **[1974: Letter to Durgesh](letters/1974/741227_durgesh)** > It has been recommended to me by the leaders in London that you should move into our temple as a permanent brahmacari and that your father will allow it if I also recommend. After studying your letter carefully and seeing the devotion and sincerity that you possess I am also very much in favor of your staying at our temple as a brahmacari. In my previous letter I had said that you could go to school during the week and live in the temple on the weekends. --- **[1974: Letter to Gopijanavallabha](letters/1974/741227_gopijanavallabha)** > I have answered your telegram also by telegram but I am confirming with this letter and also enclosing threads and mantra sheets for the second initiations. I have accepted as initiated disciples for first initiation the following; Douglas Currie—Darpaha, Frank Natali—Pravartaka, Gabriel Fried—Gopisa, Bharata Jagernauth—Bhtadi, Orville Griffith,—Arcita, Paul Hershey—Paramaradhya, Tab Mattler—Taraka, Karen Silverstein—Kamra, devi, Kathy McGuire—Kamalini devi, Paula Genstsch—Parasakti devi. --- **[1974: Letter to Hansadutta](letters/1974/741227_hansadutta)** > I have just received one letter from Tamala Krishna Goswami which is very encouraging regarding his preaching program in the United States. --- **[1974: Letter to Hrdayananda](letters/1974/741227_hrdayananda)** > It is very good that people are pleading for devotees to come in Brazil. You should send some competent men there to help direct them and establish two centers there if possible. --- **[1974: Letter to Jayatirtha](letters/1974/741227_jayatirtha)** > I have received your latest receipt from Bank of America dated 15, November, 1974 confirming $4235. --- **[1974: Letter to Pancadravida](letters/1974/741227_pancadravida)** > I am very interested to know how the program in Bangkok is going. Please make sure that you and your assistances are keeping yourselves fit in Krsna Consciousness by chanting 16 rounds daily and following all the principles very strictly, holding classes, rising early etc. --- **[1974: Letter to Parvati](letters/1974/741227_parvati)** > Unfortunately this last time they went bad on the way here, therefore they were not in offerable condition. --- **[1974: Letter to Trivikrama](letters/1974/741227_trivikrama)** > He said that there is one Chinese initiated devotee there who is giving money and has already translated three chapters of *Bhagavad-gita.* This is very wonderful. You can immediately print those first three chapters of *Bhagavad-gita* into a book. In this way we can introduce our *Bhagavad-gita As It Is* in Hong Kong also. --- **[1975: Letter to Punjab National Bank](letters/1975/751227_punjab_national_bank)** > With reference to our conversation regarding opening a branch in our temple. to be deposited is already secured. --- **[1975: Letter to Visvambhara](letters/1975/751227_visvambhara)** > I wrote you one letter regarding the translation work of Nrsimhavallabha Goswami and sons. I have not received any reply from you although I am very much anxious to know the result. --- **[1976: Letter to Ramesvara](letters/1976/761227_ramesvara)** > Fight and depend on Krsna, that will bring you victory. ---