Kirtana and Prayers of Love

0:00[kīrtana] [prema-dvani prayers]

0:00Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.

Opening prayers and spiritual meditations

5:35[devotees offer obeisances] om ajñāna-timirāndhasyajñānāñjana-śalākayācakṣur unmīlitaṁ yenatasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

22:20I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master who, with the torchlight of knowledge, has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.

22:29SB 11.5.33ध्येयं सदा परिभवघ्नमभीष्टदोहंतीर्थास्पदं शिवविरिञ्चिनुतं शरण्यम् ।भृत्यार्तिहं प्रणतपाल भवाब्धिपोतंवन्दे महापुरुष ते चरणारविन्दम् ॥ ३३ ॥dhyeyaṁ sadā paribhava-ghnam abhīṣṭa-dohaṁtīrthāspadaṁ śiva-viriñci-nutaṁ śaraṇyambhṛtyārti-haṁ praṇata-pāla bhavābdhi-potaṁvande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindamMy dear Lord, You are the Mahā-puruṣa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and I worship Your lotus feet, which are the only eternal object of meditation. Those feet destroy the embarrassing conditions of material life and freely award the greatest desire of the soul, the attainment of pure love of Godhead. My dear Lord, Your lotus feet are the shelter of all holy places and of all saintly authorities in the line of devotional service and are honored by powerful demigods like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. My Lord, You are so kind that You willingly protect all those who simply bow down to You with respect, and thus You mercifully relieve all the distress of Your servants. In conclusion, my Lord, Your lotus feet are actually the suitable boat for crossing over the ocean of birth and death, and therefore even Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva seek shelter at Your lotus feet.”

23:50SB 11.5.34त्यक्त्वा सुदुस्त्यजसुरेप्सितराज्यलक्ष्मींधर्मिष्ठ आर्यवचसा यदगादरण्यम् ।मायामृगं दयितयेप्सितमन्वधावद्वन्दे महापुरुष ते चरणारविन्दम् ॥ ३४ ॥tyaktvā su-dustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁdharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyammāyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvadvande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindamO Mahā-puruṣa, I worship Your lotus feet. You gave up the association of the goddess of fortune and all her opulence, which is most difficult to renounce and is hankered after by even the great demigods. Being the most faithful follower of the path of religion, You thus left for the forest in obedience to a brāhmaṇa’s curse. Out of sheer mercifulness You chased after the fallen conditioned souls, who are always in pursuit of the false enjoyment of illusion, and at the same time engaged in searching out Your own desired object, Lord Śyāmasundara.

24:12he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pategopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te

24:43O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the* gopīs,* especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

24:43tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarivṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye

24:43I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

24:43I am very glad that these girls, with great difficulty, you come to this class. It is very nice. Thank you.

Nature of devotional service and dharma

24:54This is ahaituky apratihatā. The devotional service cannot be checked by any material impediment. It is not conditional, that "Because I am in this condition, I cannot execute devotional service." No.

25:40Anyone, in any position, in any circumstances, he can become the greatest devotee of the Lord—if he desires. SB 1.2.6स वै पुंसां परो धर्मो यतो भक्तिरधोक्षजे ।अहैतुक्यप्रतिहता ययाऽत्मा सुप्रसीदति ॥ ६sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmoyato bhaktir adhokṣajeahaituky apratihatāyayātmā suprasīdatiThe supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.

26:04The real aim of life is how to get satisfaction, full, complete satisfaction. And that satisfaction, complete satisfaction, can be achieved only by prosecution of devotional service. There is no other method.

26:40If you want to be happy, free from all cares and anxieties, then you have to engage yourself in devotional service of the Lord. That will make you free from all material anxieties and all material miseries.

27:11We are all seeking after that position, how to become completely happy. Our whole struggle for existence...

27:24Anyone, in any place, any country, they are all struggling for existence, either human being or animal or birds or beasts, how to become happy.

27:40This happiness of the mind, ātmā, is only possible when we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only remedy. There is no other alternative. So Lord Kṛṣṇa said that,

28:08BG 4.7यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥७॥yadā yadā hi dharmasyaglānir bhavati bhārataabhyutthānam adharmasyatadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy ahamWhenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself.

28:17"My dear Arjuna, whenever there is discrepancies in the matter of execution of real purpose of life..." That is called dharma. Dharma, this word, either you take it "religion" or "duty" or "nature," as you like, but, as explained before, dharma means your actual, constitutional position.

29:04It is nothing artificial. The example again I am repeating: just like fire is hot, warm; fire has light. You cannot separate light from fire or heat from fire.

29:26Therefore heat and light is dharma. That is its real religion. So our dharma, living entity, that is defined very nicely by Lord Caitanya.

29:45Our dharma, or religion, is to obey the orders of the Supreme Lord, to become..., to engage ourself in the loving, transcendental service of the Lord.

30:04Whenever this principle is crippled or checked by our material activities... Just like at the present age they have no idea what is God. They are asking, "What is God?" and they are proud of their education. Just see.

30:33This is the godless..., result of godless civilization. This is discrepancy of dharma.

30:44So at this age, at this stage, when people have forgotten God, when they are speaking that "God is dead," now this Bhagavad-gītā or this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra has descended, just like Kṛṣṇa says,

31:19BG 4.7यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥७॥yadā yadā hi dharmasyaglānir bhavati bhārataabhyutthānam adharmasyatadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy ahamWhenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself.

31:19"At that time, I appear." So this is...

Divine appearances and historical incarnations

31:25Kṛṣṇa has appeared in His holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between this holy name Kṛṣṇa and the person Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa is absolute.

31:39There is no difference between His name, between His form, between His quality, between His pastimes, between His abode, between His entourage. There is no such difference. Materially there is difference.

31:58I am Indian, I am person, and my place, India, is different. You are American. You... This is all designation of this body.

32:15So Kṛṣṇa says that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. Now, this sṛjāmi, this word, is used in Sanskrit, "something manufactured." Something manufactured.

32:39Just like I make this spectacle case. Or you make.

32:46This is called sṛjāmi. But actually we understand like that, but here sṛjāmi, this word, as explained by Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, a learned scholar, who said that sṛjāmi means prakaṭāmi[?], "I appear."

33:22Now, if you say this word means "manufactured"...

33:27The Māyāvādī philosopher, they take advantage of this word, and they say that "Kṛṣṇa or anyone," I mean to say, "incarnation of God, that is created." That means they understand that as so many material things are created...

33:59Anything which we find here in this room, that is created. This Dictaphone, this microphone or anything, that is created. But here, if you say this word in that sense, that "Kṛṣṇa is created.

34:21Anything created, that is material. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is also material," then you will be in misunderstanding. Here... Just like if you say that "I create," that means you exist before creation. Is it not?

34:47If I say, "I have created this glass case, spectacle case," that means before creation of this case, I was existing. You cannot deny it. So how this is possible, that if this case says that "I have created this case"?

35:21No, that is not... One cannot say, "I have created myself." It is impossible.

35:31Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa says that "I...," tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham... This ātmānam means body, ātmānam means the mind, or ātmānam means the soul. But He is the Supreme Soul, so how He creates His soul?

36:01And He is nondifferent, absolute. Therefore the interpretation given by Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, that "I create" means "I appear," "I create My appearance." Just like sun creates its appearance.

36:24The sun is there already, but when sun appears, it means that you can say like that, that "Sun creates its appearance." And why does He create or appear? That is explained in the next verse,

36:56BG 4.8परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥८॥paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁvināśāya ca duṣkṛtāmdharma-saṁsthāpanārthāyasambhavāmi yuge yugeTo deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.

37:02"In every millennium, every yuga..." There are different periods, just like in the whole year there are different periods in your country called summer, winter, fall, spring. They are coming by rotation.

37:28Similarly, there is rotation of time, which is divided into four millenniums called Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and Kali-yuga.

37:46So Kṛṣṇa says that dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge. Now, one may inquire that "Kṛṣṇa appeared in the Tretā-yuga.

38:06And when He is going to appear in the Kali-yuga?" That is also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga there are three different incarnations mentioned in the Bhāgavatam or any other authentic Vedic literature.

38:36One incarnation is Lord Buddha, and another incarnation is Lord Caitanya, and another incarnation, in the last stage of this age, is Kalki, so far we get from the authority of Bhāgavatam.

39:01So we have to accept according to the authentic scripture who is incarnation. We cannot accept anyone who claims that "I am also incarnation." No. In the śāstras there are symptoms foretold of the incarnation.

39:25Just like about Lord Buddha there is mention, "In such and such place, in such and such form, in such and such activity, Lord Buddha will appear." Similarly, about Lord Caitanya is there.

39:49Similarly, there is a description about Kalki. So far Lord Buddha is concerned, in the Bhāgavatam the name of the mother of Lord Buddha is mentioned there. And the activities is also mentioned, what are his activities.

40:15The activities are not very pleasant. Sammohāya sura-dviṣām [SB 1.3.24]: "The Lord will appear as Buddha in order to sammohāya, bewilder, the atheist class of men." Atheist class of...

40:43His activities were to cover the atheist class of men, those who do not believe in God. Yes. Lord Buddha said, "Yes, there is no God. There is no God. There is void only. But you believe me, what I say." Just see.

41:08He is incarnation of God, and the people amongst whom he is preaching, to them he is saying, "There is no God," but he is God. Is it not a process of cheating? Yes.

41:24So this process of cheating is not exactly cheating; it is for the welfare of the so-called atheistic persons. Just like sometimes father cheats the son.

41:38The son is insisting to get one thousand-dollar note, and the father asking, "My dear son, please deliver it." "No, I shall not." So father gives him one lozenges: "My dear son, will you like to take this lozenges?" "Yes, give me." "But you must have to give me that paper." "All right, take it." So this kind...

42:15[break]

42:15...is not actually cheating, but father knows that "This boy will destroy this one thousand dollar, so it is necessary to give him that two-cent-worth lozenges and take out that one hundred- or thousand-dollar-worth paper." Similarly, when people become too much atheistic, so, in order to bring them back to the understanding of God, there is sometimes necessity like this.

42:58Now, those who follow the Buddha philosophy, they say that "There is no soul. There is no God." But there are thousands and thousands of temples of Lord Buddha, and they worship.

43:20Especially in the countries like Japan and China and Burma there are thousands of temples, and they exactly worship in the same way as we are worshiping Jagannātha.

43:33The lamp is given, the candle is burned, they offer very respectfully, and there are brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs. The whole principles is there. But officially, there is no question of God.

43:53So this is mentioned in the Bhāgavata.

Sankirtana movement and spiritual equality

43:57Similarly, Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, SB 11.5.32कृष्णवर्णं त्विषाकृष्णं साङ्गोपाङ्गास्त्रपार्षदम् ।यज्ञै: सङ्कीर्तनप्रायैर्यजन्ति हि सुमेधस: ॥ ३२ ॥kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁsāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadamyajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyairyajanti hi su-medhasaḥIn the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kṛṣṇa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.

44:13Now, Kṛṣṇa will appear in the Kali-yuga. His symptoms are this. Just like Lord Buddha's symptoms were described, similarly, Lord Caitanya's symptoms are also described. What is that?

44:38That kṛṣṇa-varṇam: "He belongs to the category of Kṛṣṇa Himself," or, in other way, "He is always chanting 'Kṛṣṇa.' " Kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Kṛṣṇa... His business is simply to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

45:03Kṛṣṇa is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam. And tviṣā akṛṣṇam: "By His... But His complexion is not kṛṣṇa, black." Lord Caitanya appeared very fair complexion, very nice, golden color.

45:25You have got pictures of Lord Caitanya, very beautiful. He was very beautiful figure. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam tviṣā... Tviṣā means "by complexion." Akṛṣṇa. Therefore His another name is Gaurasundara.

45:43Gaurasundara means very fair complexion. Sundara means beautiful, and gaura means fair. The another name is Gaurasundara, or Gaurāṅga, "whose body is very fair."

46:00So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam SB 11.5.32: "He is always accompanied by some associates," especially Lord Nityānanda, Lord Advaita, Śrīvāsa, Haridāsa, like that. You have seen the pictures.

46:24He is chanting and dancing with the associates and others.

46:25When Lord Caitanya was present, whenever He would go, wherever He would go and..., His attitude was dancing: "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa..." And He was so beautiful and attractive that people would follow.

46:47Thousands and thousands people will follow, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Even Lord..., Nawab Hussain Shah. And when He started this movement in Bengal He was a boy of twenty years old. So, so many people were following.

47:12So Nawab Hussain Shah inquired his minister, "Who is this person, that He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and so many people are following Him?" So the minister was Hindu.

47:32He thought that "He is Muhammadan king, so he may not like this movement." Therefore he wanted to hide it: "My Lord, you have misinformed. He is not very important man. Some, I mean to say, people are crazy fellow.

47:58They are following. Not... A few only, not many." The Nawab replied, "No, I know it certainly, but you don't try to hide the fact. He must be a great personality.

48:20Otherwise why so many people are following Him?" That was his remark. Similarly, Lord Caitanya, wherever He went, that was... Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam: "always followed by many associates." These are the symptoms.

48:38And how to worship that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, in this age? Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ SB 11.5.32: [Any members of the four varṇas and four āśramas who fail to worship the Personality of Godhead, the source of their own creation, or who intentionally disrespect Him will fall down from their position into a hellish state of life.]

48:52"This form of the Personality of Godhead is worshiped by the intelligent class of men," su-medhasaḥ. Su means very good, and medhasaḥ means brain, brain substance.

49:13One who has got very good brain substance, they will understand this saṅkīrtana movement nicely.

49:25Just like in our India, especially in Bengal, sometimes they say a dull-brained man, "Oh, you have got cow dung within your brain.

49:39You have no brain substance." Actually a man becomes intelligent by the greater amount of brain substance. It is a psychological fact. It is called celebrum... Doctor knows. What is called?

49:58Doctor: Cerebrum. Cerebrum cortex.

50:01Prabhupāda: Yes. So psychology... I was student of psychology in my college life.

50:10Dr. Urquhart said, I remember still, that the brain substance of man has been found up to 64 ounce, while brain substance of woman has been found, highest, 34 ounce.

50:29Therefore woman class [laughs] is not so intelligent as man. There is no question of competition. It is actual, scientific fact. Anyway, the word su-medhasaḥ... Su-medhasaḥ means one who has got good brain substance.

50:54But one thing I must explain here. So far spiritual life is concerned, it does not depend on the material brain substance. It is different thing. It is spiritual platform. It has nothing to do with this bodily construction.

51:12You must remember. We don't make any distinction that a man can be better Kṛṣṇa consciousness than woman. No. A woman can be better Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because they are very simple. They can accept any religious system.

51:40Generally the women, they accept it, because they are very simple. They have no crooked mind. Sometimes they are exploited, therefore. So in the spiritual platform there is no such distinction, although in the material...

52:00Just like the bodily construction of man is different from woman, similarly, the brain substance may be also different, but that does not disqualify any woman for spiritual advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

52:20That is clearly defined in the Bhagavad-gītā: BG 9.32मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य येऽपि स्युः पापयोनयः ।स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथा शूद्रास्तेऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम् ॥३२॥māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityaye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥstriyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāste 'pi yānti parāṁ gatimO son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras [workers] – can attain the supreme destination.

52:20"It doesn't matter whether one is woman or a mercantile class of man or a śūdra. It doesn't matter." Because these classes are understood less intelligent. But Kṛṣṇa is opening the path for everyone.

52:54Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya. If one accepts Kṛṣṇa very seriously, vyapāśritya... Vi-pūrvaka... Vi means... Vi means "specifically," vi, viśeṣaṇam, viśeṣaṇam, "particularly."

53:10Āśritya, if he takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa specifically, then either he may be woman or he may be śūdra, or laborer class, or may be mercantile class—it doesn't matter—he or she can go to the highest perfection.

53:31Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ bhaktyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā [Bg. 9.33]. Puṇya. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyāḥ. And what to speak of the intelligent class? Even this class also elevated to the highest position.

53:49So there is no such question.

53:52But here the word used, su-medhasaḥ, in the particular sense that for worship of God there are different methods, different religious system, different methods, different churches, different mosque, different temple.

54:20Even accepting that this is Hindu philosophy, so Hindus, they have got many different processes. I think the Hindus have got so many different processes that it can outnumber all the different processes of the world.

54:40They have got so many processes. So su-medhasaḥ means for executing religious life, for achieving the highest perfection of life, one must be very intelligent. A fool cannot achieve the highest perfection of life.

55:06Just like a fool cannot be very prosperous even in this material world, similarly, a fool also cannot make any progress in the spiritual world. So su-medhasaḥ means one should be little intelligent.

55:34What is that intelligence? Now, if I have got the easiest path to achieve the highest perfection of life, why shall I take a path which is not very sure? This intelligence required.

55:59Now, Lord Caitanya, as He is described, if you accept... We are explaining that paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, sambhavāmi yuge yuge [Bg. 4.8]. So Lord appears in this age also.

56:17And according to śāstra, authentic scripture, He has appeared as Lord Caitanya. So if we accept this principle on the method of authentic scripture, that is our intelligence. That is our intelligence.

56:40Not that you have to become a great psychologist or a great scientist or mathematician. No. You have to take the orders of the authority. Just like you are driving car.

56:58It is written there, "Keep to the right." It does not require a very nice intelligence. You keep your car to the right, you are all right. But if you go to the left, you are fool number one. Why?

57:18It is di..., written there, "Keep to the right." Why you go to the left? That means you are fool number one.

57:27So this much intelligence we must have, that "Here is police direction, 'Keep to the right.' Why shall I go to the left?" This much intelligence can be had by any common man.

57:43So similarly, if the śāstra says that yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ SB 11.5.32*,*

57:48that "Those who are intelligent, they will perform worship of the Lord by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa," this yajña... Yajña means anything sacrificed for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu.

Sacrifice and chanting for perfection

58:15That is called yajña. Yajña means to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu.

58:23That is yajña. Now, in this age the Supreme Lord is satisfied simply by saṅkīrtana, or congregational chanting: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

58:47This is mentioned in the śāstra. CC Adi 17.21হরের্নাম হরের্নাম হরের্নামৈব কেবলম্‌ ।কলৌ নাস্ত্যেব নাস্ত্যেব নাস্ত্যেব গতিরন্যথা ॥ ২১ ॥harer nāma harer nāmaharer nāmaiva kevalamkalau nāsty eva nāsty evanāsty eva gatir anyathā“ ‘In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.’

58:58In this age of disagreement there is no possibility of executing different process of self-realization. No. They say that there are as many paths as one can manufacture. It may be true.

59:27But in this age, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā, "There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative in this age."

59:37Therefore an intelligent man will take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is the test of one's intelligence. And it is very easy.

59:55And by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you gradually develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the highest platform. So one who has accepted the simply method recommended for this age, he is called the intelligent. That is required.

1:00:20That much intelligence we must have. So it is quarter past eight. I will stop here. Next meeting we shall explain further. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can put. [break]

1:00:46...you say like that, "Only persons who are joining this movement, they are intelligent, and others are not intelligent?" that is our challenge. Now you can defend on behalf of those who do not accept this proposal.

1:01:07This is my challenge. This is a fact. And as I... Now you can talk. It is very intelligent question also. And Janārdana will reply.

1:01:31Doctor: Nothing like this taken thrice [indistinct], it might happen [indistinct]. That experience [indistinct].

1:01:41Prabhupāda: No, if... Our proposal is the saṅkīrtanaiḥ, the chanting, chanting of the holy name. So if somebody takes this principle, that "Well, we have got our holy name of God.

1:02:13We shall chant that holy name of God," so we have no objection. So that is not our objection. Our objection...

1:02:28Our submission is that "You chant the holy name." Just like Lord Caitanya said, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. The śāstra says. So it does not mean harer nāma is only Kṛṣṇa.

1:02:47If you have got any other name of Hari, the Supreme Personality of... But that name must be actually the name of the Supreme Personality of God, as it is recognized by scriptures.

1:03:05You may have our own scripture, but if you have a name sanctioned by the scripture, that "This is the name of God," just like in Jewish scripture they say Jehovah...

1:03:17Similarly, in Christian scripture, if you have got name... Just like Buddhists, they have got God, or the Supreme—they accept Lord Buddha. Similarly, if you have got any other name of the Supreme Lord, you can chant.

1:03:39We are not insisting that you chant Kṛṣṇa. But if you have no specific name of God found in your authentic scripture, then what is the harm if you chant "Kṛṣṇa"? This is not very bad proposal. Any intelligent man...

1:04:00If you have, you chant. Our Lord Caitanya says that nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ, bahudhā nija-sarva-śak..., tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe [Cc. Antya 20.16]. There are many names.

1:04:23As there are many potencies, there are many names also. Just like take for Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is not understood simply by uttering this word "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is understood if you call "Govinda." That is also Kṛṣṇa.

1:04:45If you call "Mādhava," He is also Kṛṣṇa. If you call "Vaṁśī-vadana," He's also Kṛṣṇa. So the aim should be that it is God's name, or the Supreme Lord's name.

1:05:01If the name is different in vibration or form, it does not matter. [aside:] Yes, you can come in. Why you are standing there? Yes?

1:05:31Guest: Is it simply the nature of the name Kṛṣṇa that this particular name is the most powerful?

Meanings and potencies of divine names

1:05:41Prabhupāda: Yes. God... God's name is according to His action, God's name. Just like Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa name is given... That is explained also:

1:06:12Mahābhārata 71.4kṛṣir bhū-vācakaḥ śabdoṇaś ca nirvṛti-vācakaḥtayor aikyaṁ iti kṛṣṇa paraṁ brahmaity abhidhīyate

1:06:27The word "kṛṣ" is the attractive feature of the Lord's existence, and "ṇa" means spiritual pleasure. When the verb "kṛṣ" is added to the affix "ṇa," it becomes Kṛṣṇa, which indicates the Absolute Truth.

1:06:32Kṛṣṇa means... Kṛṣ means to become, to appear. Bhū-vācakaḥ. Or attraction. We have got attraction for material enjoying, and ṇaś ca nirvṛti-vācakaḥ. Ṇa means ānanda. And another meaning is negation.

1:07:01So "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who, by His attractive features, by attraction of His bodily beauty, by attraction of His opulence, by attraction of His pastimes, so many things..." Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive.

1:07:25And one who is all-attractive, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the meaning of "Kṛṣṇa." Similarly, "Govinda." That also has meaning. Go means cow, go means senses and go means land.

1:07:50So in these three features Kṛṣṇa can be applied. He gives pleasure to the senses; therefore He's Govinda. He's very kind to the cows; therefore He's Govinda. He is the proprietor of all land; therefore He's Govinda.

1:08:16So in this way "Govinda" means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, "Kṛṣṇa" means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, if you have got any word which means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you can chant.

1:08:34Devotee (1): Just like you mentioned [indistinct] that we chant the name of Rāma three times.

1:08:40Prabhupāda: The Rāma, that is also God's name. CC Madhya 9.29রমন্তে যোগিনোঽনন্তে সত্যানন্দে চিদাত্মনি ।ইতি রামপদেনাসৌ পরং ব্রহ্মাভিধীয়তে ॥ ২৯ ॥ramante yogino 'nantesatyānande cid-ātmaniiti rāma-padenāsauparaṁ brahmābhidhīyate“ ‘The Supreme Absolute Truth is called Rāma because the transcendentalists take pleasure in the unlimited true pleasure of spiritual existence.’Rāma means enjoy. We want enjoyment, but we do not know how we can have permanent enjoyment.

1:09:09When you have got permanent enjoyment by reciprocation of transaction with the Supreme, then that particular accepter of our reciprocation is called Rāma. That means by...

1:09:37We enjoy the loving exchange between God and ourself.

1:09:40That position is called rāma. But if you have no idea what is God, how we can exchange our feelings, then there is no question of rāma. Rāma means when we are in position of exchanging our loving attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then He's known as Rāma.

1:10:10The capacity in which He accepts our service, loving service, is called Rāma,* ramante.*

1:10:34Devotee (2): You say that if we chant Rāma three times, it's equal to once chanting Kṛṣṇa. Now I don't understand...

1:10:50Prabhupāda: Why do you not understand? If I say that "If you give me three dollars, I shall give you this," then what is the difficulty to understand? Eh?

1:11:04Devotee (2): Yes. Is it just... Is it just in the potency of the name? Is that [indistinct]?

1:11:23Prabhupāda: No. As there are different things of different value, similarly, in each name there are potencies of the Lord. But there is degrees of potencies. Just like rāma-līlā and kṛṣṇa-līlā, pastime.

1:11:35Both of them are the same thing, God. But in the rāma-līlā you find less potential exhibition of the Lord, but in kṛṣṇa-līlā you find full potential manifestation of Lord. So degrees of potencies.

1:12:11Although it does not mean the Rāma is less potent. No. Rāma is also the same potency. But under circumstances He exhibits a partial potencies, not full potencies. But kṛṣṇa-līlā, you will find full potency.

1:12:42Just like Rāma, Lord Rāmacandra. He married only one wife, Sītā. But Kṛṣṇa married 16,108.

1:13:07Now, if you question why Rāma is so moralist, or whatever you like—He is sticking to one wife—and Kṛṣṇa is marrying sixteen thousand, that means you will... We say that God is omnipotent.

1:13:36That is a, I mean to say, qualification of God. So He is showing His omnipotency. That means why sixteen thousand? If He marries sixteen millions, sixteen billions, still, He is potent, full-fledged potency.

1:13:56So we cannot imagine even that how a person can marry sixteen thousand wives. This is inconceivable potency, to give an example of His inconceivable potency. And Rāma presented Himself as an ideal king.

1:14:20He did not manifest Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but from symptoms of authentic literature we understand that He is God.

1:14:36But Kṛṣṇa personally said that "I am the Supreme Personality of God." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]: "There is no superior truth beyond Me." The Rāmacandra never said that, that...

1:15:00He never said that "I am God." But those who are intelligent, they understood that He is God.

Conditioned souls and final kirtana

1:15:12Pradyumna: I'd like to ask you about something, er, about the eternally conditioned souls and eternally liberated souls. I'd like to know what's the meaning of "eternal" in both those statements.

1:15:25Prabhupāda: Eternal means those who have not come in contact with this material nature. There are living entities, I mean to say, many, many more times than the living entities who are within this material world.

1:15:50They are in the spiritual world.

1:15:52Just like the number of population outside the prison house is very great, and the number of population within the prison house is very small, this material world is supposed to be the prison house.

1:16:13Those who are condemned, those who want to try to lord it over, they are imprisoned within the walls of material universes. So their number is very small.

1:16:28That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that ekāṁśena sthito jagat [ BG 10.42** [**But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.]

1:16:38"It is only a portion of My creation, little portion." This unlimited number of universes and their unlimited number of planets, and in each planet, unlimited number of living entities, all taken together is only a fractional demonstration, manifestation of the potency of the Lord.

1:17:09The major manifestation is in the spiritual world. So they are all liberated, nitya-mukta. All right. Have kīrtana. Chant. [kīrtana] [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] Why we do not see Mr. Mukherjee? Akhila Kṛṣṇa. [end]