# December 28 *Lectures from this day: 10 recordings* --- **[[spoken/661228cc.ny|Cc. Madhya 20.354-358 — December 28, 1966, New York]]** **Prabhupāda:** > avatāra nāhi kahe-'āmi avatāra' > muni saba jāni' kare lakṣaṇa-vicāra > [[cc/madhya/20/354|[Cc. Madhya 20.354] ]] So Lord Caitanya says that incarnation, He never advertises Himself that He is *avatāra.* But experienced *muni,* those who are liberated souls, those who are expert in Vedic knowledge, they understand that this is *avatāra,* or incarnation, by the symptoms, as they are stated in the scriptures. In the scripture, the color, the activities, the time and the place and the parents—everything is described about the incarnation. So, so that just like everything has to be understood by the symptoms, that is the scientific advancement. Just like a drug is tested in the laboratory and the drug, the symptoms and the taste, how it is, how the color changes, how it tastes in the tongue, everything is described there, so scientists proves, understands, the genuineness of a particular chemical by testing. Similarly, nobody should be accepted as incarnation. That is foolishness. Incarnation, they are stated in the scriptures. Their symptoms, everything is there, and one should understand from that. The *avatāra* never advertise. And anyone who advertises himself that "I am incarnation," he should be at once rejected. He should be at once rejected. --- **[[spoken/681228pu.la|Purport to Śrī Śrī Śikṣāṣṭakam [partially recorded] — December 28, 1968, Los Angeles]]** --- **[[spoken/721228nd.bom|The Nectar of Devotion — December 28, 1972, Bombay]]** **Pradyumna:** [reading:] "*Bhakti-rasa,* however, the mellow relished in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, does not finish with the end of life. It continues perpetually and is therefore called *amṛta*, that which does not die, but exists eternally." **Prabhupāda:** This is the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* it is said: --- **[[spoken/721228sb.bom|SB 1.2.10 — December 28, 1972, Bombay]]** **Prabhupāda:** Somebody is talking... > kāmasya nendriya-prītir > lābho jīveta yāvatā > jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā > nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ > [[sb/1/2/10|[SB. 1.2.10] ]] This verse we have been discussing for the last few days, it is very important, especially for the modern civilized man, that they're after simply sense gratification, inventing so many things simply for sense gratification. So Rūpa Gosvāmī says that sense gratification is required, but not simply we shall devote our life for sense gratification. There is another business. *Kāmasya na indriya-prītir,* lusty sense gratification, not for, there is demand. The sense demands some satisfaction, but not for..., for the sake of sense gratification. Just like sex life. Sex life, there is demand, but that should be utilized for begetting nice children, not for sense gratification. *Dharma viruddha kāmaś ca aham asmi,* Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā.* "Sense gratification which is not against the religious principle, that is I am." --- **[[spoken/731228sb.la|SB 1.15.51 — December 28, 1973, Los Angeles]]** **Pradyumna:** *Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.* *Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.* *Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.* [leads chanting of verse] [**Prabhupāda and **devotees repeat] **Pradyumna:** *yaḥ*—anyone; *śraddhayā*—with devotion; *etat*—this; *bhagavat-priyāṇām*—of those who are very dear to the Personality of Godhead; *pāṇḍoḥ*—of Pāṇḍu; *sutānām*—of the sons; *iti*—thus; *samprayāṇam*—departure for the ultimate goal; *śṛṇoti*—hears; *alam*—only; *svasty-ayanam*—good fortune; *pavitram*—perfectly pure; *labdhvā*—by obtaining; *harau*—unto the Supreme Lord; *bhaktim*—devotional service; *upaiti*—gains; *siddhim*—perfection. [break] --- **[[spoken/741228sb.bom|SB 3.26.19 — December 28, 1974, Bombay]]** "After the Supreme Personality of Godhead impregnates material nature with His internal potency, material nature delivers the sum total of cosmic intelligence, which is known as hiraṇmaya. This takes place in material nature when she is agitated by the destinations of the conditioned souls." **Prabhupāda:** *daivāt kṣubhita-dharmiṇyāṁ svasyāṁ yonau paraḥ pumān ādhatta vīryaṁ sāsūta mahat-tattvaṁ hiraṇmayam* [[sb/3/26/19|[SB. 3.26.19] ]] --- **[[spoken/751228bg.san|Bg 7.2 [Hindi] — December 28, 1975, Sanand]]** **Prabhupāda:** > jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam > idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ > yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj > jñātavyam avaśiṣyate > [[bg/7/2|[Bg. 7.2] ]] The Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is talking about Himself, says, "Increase your attachment and love for Me." *mayy āsakta-manāḥ*, you will be able to acquire knowledge of the Absolute Truth by doing so. We must take the shelter of the Lord. The Lord, if someone says that the Lord is not in front of our eyes, so how can I take shelter of Him? So in the fourth chapter the Lord has said, --- **[[spoken/761228r1.bom|Room Conversation — December 28, 1976, Bombay]]** **Girirāja:** He made another point that in Krishna Shankar Shastri's compiling of the commentaries, commentators, that Śrīdhara Svāmī is given the first position. **Prabhupāda:** [laughs] What is nonsense. Unless one is best, why he should be given first? Any... If there is any meeting, the most important man is given the first position. At least out of respect. Everyone has given first position. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore praised. What is his nonsense arguments? **Yaśomatīnandana:** There are two other versions of *Bhāgavatam.* There also, Śrīdhara Svāmī has been considered the best commentator. --- **[[spoken/761228r2.bom|Room Conversation — December 28, 1976, Bombay]]** **Prabhupāda:** If woman walks on the street then [s]he is not respectable. Now women are going to offices. **Gopāla Kṛṣṇa:** In President Carter's new cabinet he included a woman as a secretary now, as a minister, for the first time, I think. **Rādhā-vallabha:** In Los Angeles there was this one man at the temple that we suspected that he had a gun. So we called the police. It is a difficult job for police when someone has a gun. They always send the best men. So a car pulled up and a woman got out, and she crept up on the man to arrest him, and the men stayed in the car. --- **[[spoken/761228sb.bom|SB 5.6.10 — December 28, 1976, Bombay]]** **Prabhupāda:** "People who are lowest among men and bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord will give up the original *varṇāśrama-dharma* and its rules and regulations."* [[sb/5/6/10|[SB. 5.6.10] ]] The *var**ṇāśrama-dharma,* that is beginning of human civilization. So in this age they have already given up. There is no *varṇāśrama.* In India it is simply in name. Actually, there is no *varṇāśrama.* The..., most of the people, they are *śūdras.* But without *varṇāśrama,* there cannot be any human civilization, because the aim of human life is to understand God. That is the aim of human life. Unfortunately, they have given up this idea, the aim of life is to understand God. You inquire all over the world, 99.9% will deny God or they have no clear idea of God. Even the so-called religionists, they have also no clear idea. Maybe some power; no clear idea. Neither they are interested to know. But so far we are concerned, we have got full description of the Lord and His pastimes, His activities. Everything is recorded in the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* and other Vedic literatures. And God says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* personally that "I was existing in the past, and I shall continue to exist in the future." Similarly, the living entities, they also existed in the past and they will continue to exist in the future individually. That is stated in the *Bhagavad-gītā* in the Second Chapter. It is not that we shall be finished in future or there was no existence in the past. No. We are, both of us, we are eternal. God, Kṛṣṇa, and we, living entities, we are eternal. *Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre* [[bg/2/20|[Bg. 2.20] ]]. Our destruction of this material body does not mean we, as spirit soul, we are destroyed. No. To understand this truth, the *varṇāśrama* system required. Without this *varṇāśrama* system nobody can understand that we are individual person, we existed in the past, and we shall exist in the future, and we are existing at present. Anyone can understand. There was no change in the past, neither there will be change in the future. Simply we change the dress: *tathā dehāntara-praptir dhīras tatra na muhyati* [[bg/2/13|[Bg. 2.13] ]]. This is our self-realization. This is called *ātma-tattva-jñāna.* But people in the present day, they are not interested. *Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam* [[sb/2/1/2|[SB. 2.1.2] ]]. * --- ## Letters - [[../../letters/1968/681228_gaurasundara.md|Letter to Gaurasundara, 1968]] - [[../../letters/1968/681228_madhavi_lata.md|Letter to Madhavi Lata, 1968]] - [[../../letters/1970/701228_jayapataka.md|Letter to Jayapataka, 1970]] - [[../../letters/1970/701228_satsvarupa.md|Letter to Satsvarupa, 1970]] - [[../../letters/1970/701228_tulsi.md|Letter to Tulsi, 1970]] - [[../../letters/1970/701228_vamanadeva.md|Letter to Vamanadeva, 1970]] - [[../../letters/1971/711228_bali-mardana.md|Letter to Bali-Mardana, 1971]] - [[../../letters/1971/711228_giriraja.md|Letter to Giriraja, 1971]] - [[../../letters/1971/711228_laksmimoni.md|Letter to Laksmimoni, 1971]] - [[../../letters/1971/711228_mukunda.md|Letter to Mukunda, 1971]] - [[../../letters/1971/711228_niranjana.md|Letter to Niranjana, 1971]] - [[../../letters/1971/711228_rsabhadeva.md|Letter to Rsabhadeva, 1971]] - [[../../letters/1971/711228_saci_dulal_bilvamangala_avhinava_novina.md|Letter to Saci Dulal Bilvamangala Avhinava Novina, 1971]] - [[../../letters/1971/711228_sivanivas.md|Letter to Sivanivas, 1971]] - [[../../letters/1971/711228_yogesvara.md|Letter to Yogesvara, 1971]] - [[../../letters/1972/721228_brhatbanu_jagadadija.md|Letter to Brhatbanu Jagadadija, 1972]] - [[../../letters/1972/721228_jaggadeva.md|Letter to Jaggadeva, 1972]] - [[../../letters/1972/721228_ksirodakasayi.md|Letter to Ksirodakasayi, 1972]] - [[../../letters/1974/741228_jagadisa.md|Letter to Jagadisa, 1974]] - [[../../letters/1974/741228_jagadisa_pandita.md|Letter to Jagadisa Pandita, 1974]] - [[../../letters/1974/741228_kurusrestha.md|Letter to Kurusrestha, 1974]] - [[../../letters/1974/741228_sons.md|Letter to Sons, 1974]] - [[../../letters/1974/741228_sukadeva.md|Letter to Sukadeva, 1974]] - [[../../letters/1974/741228_tamala_krsna.md|Letter to Tamala Krsna, 1974]] - [[../../letters/1974/741228_uddhvareta.md|Letter to Uddhvareta, 1974]] - [[../../letters/1976/761228_kurusrestha.md|Letter to Kurusrestha, 1976]]