View source for Om ajnana-timirandhasya... cited

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{{terms|"Ajnana-timirandhasya"|"I was born in the darkest ignorance"|"Jnananjana salakaya"|"caksur unmilitam yena"|"jnananjana-salakaya"|"om ajnana-timirandhasya"|"tasmai sri-gurave namah"|"torchlight of knowledge"|"which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance"|"who has opened my eyes"}}
{{notes|VedaBase query: "I was born in the darkest ignorance" or "caksur unmilitam yena" or "jnananjana-salakaya" or "ajnana-timirandhasya" or "tasmai sri-gurave namah" or "torchlight of knowledge" or "which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance" or "who has opened my eyes"}}
{{compiler|MadhuGopaldas|JayaNitaiGaura|Labangalatika}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|01Jun11}}
{{last|09Aug11}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=1|SB=3|CC=0|OB=0|Lec=70|Con=9|Let=2}}
{{total|85}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:Auspicious Invocation Mantras - Cited Verses]]
</div>
<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is" class="section" sec_index="0" parent="compilation" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is"><h2>Bhagavad-gita As It Is</h2>
</div>
<div id="BG_Preface_and_Introduction" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is" text="BG Preface and Introduction"><h3>BG Preface and Introduction</h3>
</div>
<div id="BGIntroduction_0" class="quote" parent="BG_Preface_and_Introduction" book="BG" index="3" link="BG Introduction" link_text="BG Introduction">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:BG (1972) Introduction|BG Introduction]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Introduction</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him. When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?</p>
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</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="SB_Canto_4" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 4"><h3>SB Canto 4</h3>
</div>
<div id="SB42452_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_4" book="SB" index="1030" link="SB 4.24.52" link_text="SB 4.24.52">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 4.24.52|SB 4.24.52, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Lord Śiva therefore advises everyone to practice bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. As will be clear in the following verses, by doing so one can become really liberated and enjoy spiritual bliss.</p>
<p>It is also stated:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>The Lord is the supreme spiritual master, and the bona fide representative of the Supreme Lord is also a spiritual master. The Lord from within enlightens the devotees by the effulgence of the nails of His lotus feet, and His representative, the spiritual master, enlightens from without.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="SB_Canto_6" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 6"><h3>SB Canto 6</h3>
</div>
<div id="SB61516_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_6" book="SB" index="569" link="SB 6.15.16" link_text="SB 6.15.16">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 6.15.16|SB 6.15.16, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Unfortunately, in this age of Kali there are many bogus gurus who display magic to their disciples, and many foolish disciples want to see such magic for material benefits. These disciples are not interested in pursuing spiritual life to save themselves from the darkness of ignorance. It is said:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>"I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him." This gives the definition of the guru. Everyone is in the darkness of ignorance. Therefore everyone needs to be enlightened with transcendental knowledge. One who enlightens his disciple and saves him from rotting in the darkness of ignorance in this material world is a true guru.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="SB_Canto_8" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 8"><h3>SB Canto 8</h3>
</div>
<div id="SB8111_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_8" book="SB" index="12" link="SB 8.1.11" link_text="SB 8.1.11">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 8.1.11|SB 8.1.11, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">Offering prayers to Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī, the mother of the Pāṇḍavas, said, alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthitam: ([[Vanisource:SB 1.8.18|SB 1.8.18]]) "Kṛṣṇa, You reside both inside and outside of everything, yet the unintelligent conditioned souls cannot see You." In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that one can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead through jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ, eyes of knowledge. He who opens these eyes of knowledge is called a spiritual master. Thus we offer our prayers to the spiritual master with the following śloka:</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>"I 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." (Gautamīya Tantra) The guru's task is to open the disciple's eyes of knowledge. When the disciple is awakened from ignorance to knowledge, he can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead everywhere because the Lord actually is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35).</p>
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</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBGIntroductionNewYorkFebruary19201966_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="1" link="Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966|Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
:vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
:śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
:sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
:śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca
<p>(I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG12425LondonJuly201973_1" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="16" link="Lecture on BG 1.24-25 -- London, July 20, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 1.24-25 -- London, July 20, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 1.24-25 -- London, July 20, 1973|Lecture on BG 1.24-25 -- London, July 20, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So śāstra-cakṣusā. Everything we have to take from the śāstra. Because we are blind now. śāstra-cakṣusā. Our, the śāstra-jñāna, because the spiritual master enlightens the disciple with śāstra-jñāna, therefore he is spiritual master. If the spiritual master bluffs the disciple, then he is not spiritual master. Bluffing. No.</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-guruve namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
<p>This is guru. Guru means he'll always enlighten the disciple with the light of śāstra. Not that he will say, "There is no need of śāstra. I am incarnation. I, whatever speak, you take it." No. This is rascal. You should immediately, who has no reference to the śāstra, immediately take him as a rascal number one. This is the conclusion.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG2110andTalkLosAngelesNovember251968_2" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="32" link="Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968|Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So he gave him one feather, that "You try to see within the feather who is a human being and who is not." So when he began to see within the feather, he saw, "There is no human being." Similarly,</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG29LondonAugust151973_3" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="44" link="Lecture on BG 2.9 -- London, August 15, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.9 -- London, August 15, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.9 -- London, August 15, 1973|Lecture on BG 2.9 -- London, August 15, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So hṛṣīkeśam, I have several times explained. Hṛṣīka means the senses, and īśa means the master. Hṛṣīka-īśa, and they join together: Hṛṣīkeśa. Similarly, Arjuna also. Guḍākeśa. Guḍāka means darkness, and īśa... Darkness means ignorance.</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-guruve namaḥ
<p>Guru's duty is... A śiṣya, a disciple, comes to the guru for enlightenment. Everyone is born foolish. Everyone. Even the human beings, because they are coming from the animal kingdom by evolution, so the birth is the same, ignorance, like animals. Therefore, even though one is human being, he requires education.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG212HyderabadNovember171972_4" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="54" link="Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972|Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Otherwise, why there is so much fighting? Everyone is thinking, "I am this body." This bodily concept of life is māyā, illusion, or ignorance. So the whole process is to drive away the ignorance. Drive away. That is called jñāna. We are in the ajñāna.</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>Every one of us is covered by the darkness of ajñāna. What is that ajñāna? "I am this body." "I am Indian." "I am American." "I am Andhra," "I am Bengali." "I am this, I am that." So there is fighting, due to ajñāna.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG48MontrealJune141968_5" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="148" link="Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968" link_text="Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968|Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Why he is standing there? Come. Come here.</p>
<p>Om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā, cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena... Sit down. Tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ.</p>
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
:paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
:vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
:dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
:sambhavāmi yuge yuge
:([[Vanisource:BG 4.8 (1972)|BG 4.8]])
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG49MontrealJune191968_6" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="150" link="Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968" link_text="Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968|Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
:vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
:śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
:sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
:śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca
<p>(I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG71AhmedabadDecember131972_7" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="235" link="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972|Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: ...We have discussed. But gāyatrī-mantra is the beginning of brahminical culture because without attaining the brahminical qualification, nobody can understand Vedic literature. Therefore a brāhmaṇa, initiated, he's given the gāyatrī-mantra. So that is required. (break)</p>
<p>Indian: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Your Divine Grace, in order to understand Śrī Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, we have to take your help, as you said you have explained what are the words of Kṛṣṇa. And in order to understand yourself we have, or we had to take the help of so many other persons. You speak in English and Sanskrit or Hindi, and at college, and at school, so many teachers taught us Sanskrit, Hindi, and history, geography, because there are so many illustrations in your speech also. Then guru has been defined like this:</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>Ajñāna timirāndhasya. About jñāna, nothing has been said whether it is spiritual jñāna or material jñāna. So in order to understanding you and, through yourself, also Kṛṣṇa, all these so-called gurus, or, I may say, teachers, they have contributed towards understanding or developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now, leaving aside these material teachers I am taking the, taking one spiritual guru who gave me Kṛṣṇa consciousness first and who taught me to worship God, Kṛṣṇa, and to maintain a temple at my own house and to learn the ślokas from Gītā or the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. And I have learned by rote the grandness of adhyāyas of Bhāgavatam and the Gītā.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG71AhmedabadDecember131972_8" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="235" link="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972|Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Hmmm. Guru is only one. Guru means, as you explained,</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>One who eradicates the ajñāna, andhakāra, darkness. In the darkness, if somebody brings lamp, ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā... The jñāna-rūpa, torchlight, he's guru. So maybe of different degrees, but anyone who opens the spiritual eyes, he's guru. So... But in the śāstra it is said, gurur api kāryākāryakam ajānataḥ. If I accept some guru, but if later on it appears that he did not know what is to be done, what is to be not to be done, then Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that such guru: parityāgo vidhīyate. Such guru should be rejected. But it doesn't matter that degree. Actually, if the guru teaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he may be in lesser degree, but he's accepted as guru.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG712BombayMarch281971_9" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="250" link="Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971|Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Haṁsadūta: Śrīla Prabhupāda will lecture from Kṛṣṇa book.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda:</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG713LondonAugust41971_10" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="251" link="Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971|Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG73BombayMarch291971_11" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="260" link="Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971|Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So in Europe and America I am especially creating more gṛhasthas, families, so that they can take up this movement very seriously and preach, and I am glad to inform you that this process has become very successful. Thank you very much. (applause)</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG745BombayMarch301971_12" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="269" link="Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971|Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam (break)
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG77BombayApril11971_13" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="273" link="Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971|Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG85NewYorkOctober261966_14" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="289" link="Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966|Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Brahmānanda: I think two days ago.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Oh. Then they might have received.</p>
<p>Brahmānanda: Yes.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: (starting to play karatālas) Jaya oṁ viṣṇu-pāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata śrī śrīmad bhaktisiddhānta sarasvatī gosvāmī... (chants gurvaṣṭaka, kīrtana, prema-dhvani)</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB111CaracasFebruary201975_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="4" link="Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975|Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Just like if my body is alive, the finger is alive, because finger is part and parcel of my body, similarly, if God is alive, we are alive. And because we are now in material condition of life, therefore we do not understand what is God and what is our aim. Therefore it is called ajñāna, ignorance. Therefore one who dissipates this ignorance, he is called guru.</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>The guru means he gives light to the persons who are living in darkness. So that is the motto in our Back to Godhead paper, that "Godhead is light, and nescience is darkness. Where there is God, there is no nescience." So Kṛṣṇa or God or light, the same thing. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there will be no more ignorance. Just like here there is light, electric light. There is no darkness.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB126MontrealAugust31968_1" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="32" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968|Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:dhyeyaṁ sadā paribhava-ghnam abhīṣṭa-dohaṁ
:tīrthāspadaṁ śiva-viriñci-nutaṁ śaraṇyam
:bhṛtyārti-haṁ praṇata-pāla bhavābdhi-potaṁ
:vande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindam
:([[Vanisource:SB 11.5.33|SB 11.5.33]])
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1225LosAngelesAugust281972_2" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="93" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Los Angeles, August 28, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Los Angeles, August 28, 1972">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Los Angeles, August 28, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Los Angeles, August 28, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">I'll go to the moon planet, I'll go to the Mars," and taking money and wasting. And because we are rascals, we are also: "Oh, they are making so much advancement, yes." Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]). We are following blind leaders. Because we are blind, we do not know. This is the position. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. So we have to open our eyes. How these eyes are opened?</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>We are blind. We can have our eyes through the medium of bona fide spiritual master. That is required. Ādau gurvāśrayam.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1425MontrealJune201968_3" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="128" link="Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968|Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śri-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano 'bhīṣṭaṁ
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1518NewVrindabanMay231969_4" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="130" link="Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969|Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:...cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
:śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
:śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
<p>(I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.)</p>
:Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
:Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
<p>(My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1589NewVrindabanMay241969_5" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="133" link="Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969|Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: ...you have no tilaka.</p>
<p>Devotee: Oh. Sorry, Prabhupāda.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda:</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB15911NewVrindabanJune61969_6" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="134" link="Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969|Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB151213NewVrindabanJune111969_7" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="137" link="Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969|Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1515NewVrindabanJune191969_8" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="141" link="Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969|Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: ...is not our Vaiṣṇava. If you say, you have to say this also. Yes.</p>
<p>Kīrtanānanda: Whole thing?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise keep everything.</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB181819BombayApril91971_9" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="201" link="Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971|Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB1833MayapuraOctober131974_10" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="229" link="Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974|Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Now these American and the European boys, they are after me. They are after this for the last six, seven years. Had it been an artificial thing, they could not stay. That is not possible. It is not artificial. It is already there, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti nitya-siddha. It is already there. By the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, I am simply trying to awaken that kṛṣṇa-bhakti. That's all. That is the duty of guru. Cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena. He opens the eyes, that "Why you have forgotten Kṛṣṇa? Here is Kṛṣṇa. You love Him. You'll be happy." This is guru's business. Not that he is giving artificially something which is known as kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti's already there. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya, śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB11536LosAngelesDecember141973_11" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="304" link="Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973|Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Therefore, if you want real happiness, you must take the leadership of a man who has got eyes to see. Then it will be all right. So whose eyes are open? And that is in the Vedic literature said,</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>It is the business of the guru... Because everyone is blind or in darkness, cannot see, so it is the guru's business to open his eyes, or to help him to see things as they are. That is guru's business. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Everyone is covered by the darkness of ignorance. So how darkness can be moved? If there is light. Immediately, if you make the switch off of electricity, this room will be dark. And again you make the switch on, there will be light. Just like at night, we cannot see.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB2125MontrealOctober231968_12" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="360" link="Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968" link_text="Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968|Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">They have come here to become technologist. They have lost all interest of this, in original Vedic culture. (pause)</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB32510BombayNovember101974_13" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="431" link="Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">"Why shall I fight with my relatives, the other side?" So this was darkness, aham mameti ([[Vanisource:SB 5.5.8|SB 5.5.8]]). Because either you maintain or..., or you love this illusory position, that is sammoham. This very word is used here: atha me deva sammoham apākraṣṭuṁ tvam arhasi. Sammoha. Samyag-rūpeṇa moham. Sammoha. The, the material life, ahaṁ mameti ([[Vanisource:SB 5.5.8|SB 5.5.8]]), we have created some situation, "my" and "mine," all this is false, illusion. "Although it is false, we are so much attached to it. So You require to dissipate that." Apākraṣṭum. This misconception.</p>
:That is the business of guru.
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>This is guru. Guru's business is that we are in the darkness of this illusion, "my" and "mine." The whole world is going on. They fight between nation and nation, between society and society, community and community, brother and brother, father and mother, or so many... Simply this ahaṁ mameti ([[Vanisource:SB 5.5.8|SB 5.5.8]]). "This much mine. Why (they) are interfering in my business? There must be fight."</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB32510BombayNovember101974_14" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="431" link="Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So otherwise, we are in the moha, illusion. So it is the business of guru to dissipate this illusion, darkness, and enlighten the student to the real life.</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
:He is guru.
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB32519BombayNovember191974_15" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="441" link="Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So that light is given by guru. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. That light is given not by bringing one torchlight, but jñānāñjana-śalākayā, the light of knowledge. The light of... Jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. Guru's business is to give you light by knowledge. Then you understand. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]). How the jñāna, knowledge, light is given? Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. This is the guru's system, guru's symptom, what is guru. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. He has completely assimilated the Vedic essence of life. That is called guru.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB3263BombayDecember151974_16" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="467" link="Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974|Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">I am not body. That's a fact. I am spirit soul. But I have become bodily conscious on account of loss of knowledge, ajñāna, ajñāna. Therefore guru means,</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>It is the guru's business to operate the blind cataractic eye..., eyeball, giving eyesight. So how it is done? Now, jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Just like in the darkness you cannot see. But if there is lamp, you can see. So jñāna means knowledge. You must know what is your position. There are śāstra. You read Bhagavad-gītā, try to understand your position. That is ātma-darśanam. Ātma-darśanam. Everything is there. Ātma-darśanam.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB32821NairobiNovember11975_17" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="509" link="Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975|Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So anyone's heart is always clouded with ignorance and rubbish knowledge. If you want to drive away this knowledge... Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. This ignorance... This material world is tama. A Vedic injunction is tamasi mā: "Don't remain in this darkness." If there is light, why we shall remain in the darkness? That is intelligence. If there is light, why should we rot in the darkness? So there is light. Jyotir gamaḥ, brahma-jyotir. Jyotir gamaḥ, Brahman.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB612627PhiladelphiaJuly121975_18" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="643" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975|Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Therefore we have to take the knowledge from the guru who knows things. Therefore guru is worshiped,</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>The politician or, what is called, leaders, andha, they will promise you that "You will be happy in this way. You give me vote, and I shall bring heaven for you, and let me become minister. That is... You simply wait, and as soon as I become a minister and president, I will give you such and such benefit."</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB6140SanFranciscoJuly211975_19" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="666" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975|Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So these material eyes has to be purified. Then spiritual eyes begins. Therefore it is said,</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>All of our eyes are covered with darkness; we cannot see. Then how we can see in the darkness? Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Śalākayā means torch. So the torch, what is that torch? Jñānāñjana, smearing with the ointment of knowledge, that is the torch. So knowledge means not to see but to hear.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB6155LondonAugust131975_20" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="691" link="Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975" link_text="Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975|Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Īśa-saṅga. "So where is Īśa? I cannot see Īśa. I cannot see... Even Kṛṣṇa is Īśa, the Supreme, but I cannot see Him." Now, Kṛṣṇa is there. You are blind. Why don't you see Him? Therefore you cannot see. So you have to open your eyes, not close. That is the business of guru. The guru opens the eyes.</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>So how Kṛṣṇa opens the eyes? By jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Just like in the darkness we cannot see anything. But if there is matches or candle, if the candle is ignited, then we can see. Similarly, guru's business is to open the eyes. To open the eyes means to give him knowledge that "You are not puruṣa. You are prakṛti. Change your views."</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB761SanFranciscoMarch151968_21" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="735" link="Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1968" link_text="Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1968|Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1968]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Yamunā?</p>
<p>Yamunā: Swamiji?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: It is not working, I think. (break)</p>
:...ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Lectures" text="Nectar of Devotion Lectures"><h3>Nectar of Devotion Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="TheNectarofDevotionBombayJanuary61973_0" class="quote" parent="Nectar_of_Devotion_Lectures" book="Lec" index="17" link="The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973" link_text="The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973|The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">There is no education. Then what is the value of this education? To keep them andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 7.5.31|SB 7.5.31]]), to keep them in the darkness. That is going on. This is the only institution which is giving people real life.</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>So our request is, therefore, that try to understand this Kṛṣṇa philosophy and take to it seriously. Then your life will be successful. Otherwise you are simply wasting your time. This is our message. And if you want to talk, if you want to argue, then also we are prepared. We have prepared so many books for this purpose.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Lectures" text="Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures"><h3>Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonCCAdilila113MayapurApril61975_0" class="quote" parent="Sri_Caitanya-caritamrta_Lectures" book="Lec" index="13" link="Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.13 -- Mayapur, April 6, 1975" link_text="Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.13 -- Mayapur, April 6, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.13 -- Mayapur, April 6, 1975|Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.13 -- Mayapur, April 6, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">You must go through. Because Kṛṣṇa says, ācāryam māṁ vijānī... Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: ([[Vanisource:SB 11.3.21|SB 11.3.21]]) "Actually one who is serious to understand higher transcendental subject matter, he must approach guru." Tasmād gurum, prapadyeta. These are Vedic injunctions. Cakṣudāna dilo yei, janme janme pitā sei. So anyone who opens... Guru means who opens the eyes of the ignorant person. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Opening the eyes by giving real knowledge... Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. So bhakti-latā, the devotional service, the seed of devotional service, can be received by the paramparā system through bona fide spiritual master. And if we abide by the orders of spiritual master faithfully, then Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased. That is stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Festival_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Lectures" text="Festival Lectures"><h3>Festival Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="JanmastamiLordSriKrsnasAppearanceDayMontrealAugust161968_0" class="quote" parent="Festival_Lectures" book="Lec" index="19" link="Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968" link_text="Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968|Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Gaurasundara?</p>
<p>Gaurasundara:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
<p>So this mantra is another form of obeisance to the spiritual master, and the meaning is that I, who was standing in darkness with my eyes sealed, now offer my obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has forced me to open my eyes. He has forced me to open my eyes with this torchlight of knowledge which he is bearing. So therefore my spiritual master is my master. He can give me this actual knowledge of my position, my position as an existing entity. And that perfection of understanding my position is understanding Kṛṣṇa, or the supremely perfect entity.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="SriSriKaliyaKrsnaDeityInstallationLautokaFijiMay21976_1" class="quote" parent="Festival_Lectures" book="Lec" index="51" link="Sri Sri Kaliya Krsna Deity Installation -- Lautoka, Fiji, May 2, 1976" link_text="Sri Sri Kaliya Krsna Deity Installation -- Lautoka, Fiji, May 2, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Sri Sri Kaliya Krsna Deity Installation -- Lautoka, Fiji, May 2, 1976|Sri Sri Kaliya Krsna Deity Installation -- Lautoka, Fiji, May 2, 1976]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Arrival_Addresses_and_Talks" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Lectures" text="Arrival Addresses and Talks"><h3>Arrival Addresses and Talks</h3>
</div>
<div id="ArrivalAddressMauritiusOctober11975_0" class="quote" parent="Arrival_Addresses_and_Talks" book="Lec" index="32" link="Arrival Address -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975" link_text="Arrival Address -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Arrival Address -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975|Arrival Address -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">...jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is little different from... Why little? Completely different from ordinary movement. This is spiritual movement. This movement begins when one understands that he is not this body. (break) We are under the bodily concept of life. Ninety-nine percent people think that one is this material body. But that is not the fact. The fact is that within this body there is the spirit soul. The example is given in the Bhagavad-gītā that because the spirit soul is there within the body, therefore the body is changing from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youthhood, then middle-aged, then old man. This body is changing.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="ArrivalLectureMelbourneApril191976_1" class="quote" parent="Arrival_Addresses_and_Talks" book="Lec" index="34" link="Arrival Lecture -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976" link_text="Arrival Lecture -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Arrival Lecture -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976|Arrival Lecture -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>Now the time is too late. I wish to take my bath. I'll not speak very much now. When the time is fixed up for...?</p>
<p>Devotee (1): Evening.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Evening.</p>
<p>Gurukṛpa: Seven.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Initiation_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Lectures" text="Initiation Lectures"><h3>Initiation Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="InitiationLectureandBhagavandasasMarriageCeremonyNewVrindabanJune41969_0" class="quote" parent="Initiation_Lectures" book="Lec" index="18" link="Initiation Lecture and Bhagavan dasa's Marriage Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, June 4, 1969" link_text="Initiation Lecture and Bhagavan dasa's Marriage Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, June 4, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Initiation Lecture and Bhagavan dasa's Marriage Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, June 4, 1969|Initiation Lecture and Bhagavan dasa's Marriage Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, June 4, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
<p>So there is a problem in our life. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says,</p>
:nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma
:yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti
:na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam
:asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ
:([[Vanisource:SB 5.5.4|SB 5.5.4]])
</div>
</div>
<div id="Wedding_Ceremonies" class="sub_section" sec_index="10" parent="Lectures" text="Wedding Ceremonies"><h3>Wedding Ceremonies</h3>
</div>
<div id="AddressatWeddingofBalimardanaLosAngelesDecember41973_0" class="quote" parent="Wedding_Ceremonies" book="Lec" index="6" link="Address at Wedding of Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973" link_text="Address at Wedding of Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Address at Wedding of Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973|Address at Wedding of Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we have got four orders: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Whichever position one can find himself suitable, he can accept that, and... But the main business is kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, and preach the cult all over the world, sei guru haya. Guru means preacher, to enlighten. One who can enlighten, he is guru.</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>Guru means one who can open the eyes of the ignorant by the light of knowledge. He is guru.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="General_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="11" parent="Lectures" text="General Lectures"><h3>General Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LecturetoTechnologyStudentsMITBostonMay51968_0" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="5" link="Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968" link_text="Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968|Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
<p>This prayer is offering respectful obeisances to the spiritual master. Why? Because the spiritual master is the person who opens our eyes, complicated in ignorance, with the torch of transcendental knowledge. Timirāndhasya. Every one of us born ignorant, and we require specific education and training for seeing things as they are. Today I am very glad to meet you.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LecturetoCollegeStudentsSeattleOctober201968IntroductionbyTamalaKrsna_1" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="26" link="Lecture to College Students -- Seattle, October 20, 1968, Introduction by Tamala Krsna" link_text="Lecture to College Students -- Seattle, October 20, 1968, Introduction by Tamala Krsna">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture to College Students -- Seattle, October 20, 1968, Introduction by Tamala Krsna|Lecture to College Students -- Seattle, October 20, 1968, Introduction by Tamala Krsna]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We ask you today, please listen closely and just try to understand his divine teaching. Just listen. Test with your reasoning ability, your intellect. All the knowledge you have gained, test and see whether this is not the bona fide way. Test and see whether this is not Absolute Truth. Now let His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda speak.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
<p>This prayer is to the spiritual master. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Everyone born in this material world is in ignorance, born ignorant. We should take it for granted, this material world is called tama. The Vedic injunction is tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in this darkness; come to the light." Actually, this material world is dark. It is lighted with sunlight, moonlight, electric light, this light, that light. Its nature is darkness. That is a scientific fact. So anyone born in this material world, beginning from Brahma, the chief personality in the topmost planet of this universe, down to the ant—everyone is in darkness. Therefore this prayer, ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Everyone is put into the darkness, and one who opens the eyes by the torch of knowledge... Darkness means without knowledge. So it is the duty of the spiritual master to open the eyes of the person in darkness with torch of knowledge. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena. The person who opens our eyes in that way, he is the spiritual master. And one may offer his respectful obeisances unto such personality.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="RecordedSpeechtoMembersofISKCONLondonLosAngelesDecember231968_2" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="33" link="Recorded Speech to Members of ISKCON London -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968" link_text="Recorded Speech to Members of ISKCON London -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Recorded Speech to Members of ISKCON London -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968|Recorded Speech to Members of ISKCON London -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmilitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual master, who has opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge in my material existence of darkness. Ladies and Gentlemen, please accept my greetings in the happy new year of 1969, and blessings of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for your kindly participating in this happy meeting of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa appeared on this earthly planet five thousand years ago and gave us the unique philosophy and religious principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the shape of the Bhagavad-gītā.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureExcerptLosAngelesJanuary131969_3" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="34" link="Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, January 13, 1969" link_text="Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, January 13, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, January 13, 1969|Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, January 13, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">We are all in ignorance, in the darkness of ignorance. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. So the disciple is praying that "I am... I was in the darkness of ignorance," but jñānāñjana-śalākayā, "but you have opened my eyes by the torture of knowledge..." Not... What is called? "Torch," "torch of knowledge." Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā, cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena: "One who has opened my eyes in that way," tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ, "I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master."</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="EngagementLectureBuffaloApril231969_4" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="47" link="Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969" link_text="Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969|Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">...cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ.</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
<p>The meaning of this verse... It is offering obeisances to the spiritual master. The spiritual master opens the eyes of the ignorant disciple in the matter of transcendental knowledge. Therefore it is the duty of the disciple, before speaking, to offer obeisances to the lotus feet of the spiritual master.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="EngagementLectureBuffaloApril231969_5" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="47" link="Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969" link_text="Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969|Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So I shall try to speak before you this evening one of the instruction of Vedic literature spoken by Ṛṣabhadeva. So our offering of obeisances to the spiritual master is in accordance with the disciplic succession. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā, cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena: "The personality who opens the eyes by the torch of knowledge." Tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual master." So here is a speech by Ṛṣabhadeva. Ṛṣabhadeva is accepted as incarnation of Godhead. And long, long years ago He appeared on this earth, and He was father of the King Bhārata, under whose name this planet is called Bhārata-varsa. He had one hundred sons, and out of them, Bhārata was the eldest.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="BrandeisUniversityLectureBostonApril291969_6" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="50" link="Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969" link_text="Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969|Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes of ignorance with the torch of knowledge."</p>
<p>My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for participating in our saṅkīrtana. It is very simple, chanting the sixteen words Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureatEngagementColumbusmay191969_7" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="55" link="Lecture at Engagement -- Columbus, may 19, 1969" link_text="Lecture at Engagement -- Columbus, may 19, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture at Engagement -- Columbus, may 19, 1969|Lecture at Engagement -- Columbus, may 19, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhusya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>My dear boys and girls. I thank you very much for your participating in this great saṅkīrtana movement. This saṅkīrtana movement is recommended for self-realization in this age. This age is called, according to Vedic understanding, it is called Kali-yuga, the age of quarrel and disagreement, this age. So, besides that, there are many other symptoms of this age. They are described in the Vedic literatures, and they are coming exactly true. That is scripture.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LecturewithAllenGinsbergatOhioStateUniversityColumbusMay121969_8" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="57" link="Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969" link_text="Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969|Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Hayagrīva: Mention we'll have more chanting.</p>
<p>Allen Ginsberg: Yes, I will. So the rest of the evening will be, Swami Bhaktivedanta will explain his divine self. Then we will continue chanting. Swamijī. (applause)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
<p>My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating with this saṅkīrtana function. The saṅkīrtana function, or... It is called saṅkīrtana-yajña, sacrifice. There is a statement in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that saṅkīrtanair yajñaiḥ prayair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ ([[Vanisource:SB 11.5.32|SB 11.5.32]]). In this age... As poet Ginsberg has explained to you, this is called Kali-yuga, or very degraded age.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureatHarvardUniversityBostonDecember241969_9" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="66" link="Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969" link_text="Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969|Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: I shall speak or you shall speak? I shall speak?</p>
<p>Satsvarūpa: I shall speak?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: What do you want? I shall speak or you?</p>
<p>Satsvarūpa: I think there's enough people. You could speak.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
<p>You can... Because I have not seen this ordinary.(?) Bring it. Yes. Yes.</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhistam
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureDetroitJuly161971_10" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="91" link="Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971" link_text="Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971|Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: So the window doors are open or not?</p>
<p>Devotee: Yes, they're open.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Then open... There are so many men. It must be... Ventilation must be there.</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Ajñāna means ignorance, darkness. Timi. Timi means darkness. So ajñāna-timirāndhasya: one who is in ignorance and in the darkness, such a person, every one of us... This material advancement of civilization is not knowledge. People may not agree with us, but actually this is the fact. This is ignorance. Suppose I have come here in your city. I have got some business.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureDetroitJuly161971_11" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="91" link="Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971" link_text="Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971|Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Every one of us suffering more or less, because this is a place where suffering is the condition of life. But we forget. That is called ajñāna. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Ajñāna means that we living entities, being part and parcel of God, our position is as good as God. We may be little God, but our position qualitatively is as good as God. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they take it that we are as good as God in full strength. No. That is not. Just like part and parcel, anyone can understand, a little part of any good thing... Suppose gold. A little particle of gold, it is gold.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureatBharataChamberofCommerceCultureandBusinessCalcuttaJanuary301973_12" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="127" link="Lecture at Bharata Chamber of Commerce 'Culture and Business' -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973" link_text="Lecture at Bharata Chamber of Commerce 'Culture and Business' -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture at Bharata Chamber of Commerce 'Culture and Business' -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973|Lecture at Bharata Chamber of Commerce 'Culture and Business' -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
<p>Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for kindly inviting me. I'll serve you to my capacity. Today's subject matter is "Culture and Business. So business, we mean business means the occupational duty. According to our Vedic culture, there are different types of businesses.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureWhatisaGuruLondonAugust221973_13" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="137" link="Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973" link_text="Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973|Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rupaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureWhatisaGuruLondonAugust221973_14" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="137" link="Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973" link_text="Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973|Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Haṁsadūta: Yes.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: So, guru, there are many descriptions. Subject matter is the same, but different way, guru has been described by different ācāryas. Their aim is the same, but language or presentation may be little different. So generally guru means,</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākaya
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>Just like in darkness, ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Ajñāna means ignorance, without knowledge. That is called ajñāna. So ajñāna is compared..., ignorance, stupidity, is compared with darkness. Just like if you are, if this room, immediately, all lights are off, then it becomes dark. We cannot see where I am sitting, where others are sitting. It becomes a confusion. Similarly, in this material world, we are all in the darkness. This material world is called darkness. It is called tamaḥ.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureWhatisaGuruLondonAugust221973_15" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="137" link="Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973" link_text="Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973|Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Due to ignorance. I do not know. I am committing sinful life, I am committing mistakes; therefore I am suffering. Therefore guru's business is first to rescue his disciple from ignorance, ignorance. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Everyone is suffering out of ignorance; therefore guru's business is to... Just like we go to a school. We go to a school, we send our children to a school. Why? To save him from suffering; to get education. "If my son does not get education, he'll suffer in the future." The same process: to get him out of ignorance, to get him relieved from the suffering. Therefore, guru's business is ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākaya. So sufferings is due to ignorance. Ignorance is compared with darkness. So in the darkness how you can save one? By some light. So guru's business is to take the torchlight of knowledge and present before the ignorant or the disciple in darkness and that gives him, relieves him from the sufferings of darkness or ignorance. This is guru's business.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureWhatisaGuruLondonAugust221973_16" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="137" link="Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973" link_text="Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973|Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">This is the way of making relationship between guru and disciple. Everything is there provided we take them seriously. Then we can train up how to become bona fide disciple, how to find out bona fide guru, how to establish our relationship with guru and act accordingly and make our life successful. Because guru's business is ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Guru's business is to enlighten the disciple, because he's in darkness. In another place in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Parābhavaḥ, parābhavaḥ means defeat. Defeat. So whose defeat? Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto: one who is born rascal and fool. Everyone is born rascal and fool.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LectureonManipurDancingMayapurMarch291975_17" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="155" link="Lecture on Manipur Dancing -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975" link_text="Lecture on Manipur Dancing -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on Manipur Dancing -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975|Lecture on Manipur Dancing -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano 'bhīṣṭaṁ
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="SpeechVrndavanaApril271975_18" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="160" link="Speech -- Vrndavana, April 27, 1975" link_text="Speech -- Vrndavana, April 27, 1975">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Speech -- Vrndavana, April 27, 1975|Speech -- Vrndavana, April 27, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">...cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. I could have spoken in Hindi, but with the permission of Śrīpāda Nṛsiṁha-vallabha Gosvāmī, because most of my students here present, they could not understand the Hindi speaking, so it is my duty to inform them the substance of his speech in English so that you can appreciate how much he has eulogized our movement.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="SubhaVilasaHomeEngagementTorontoJune191976_19" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="170" link="Subha Vilasa Home Engagement -- Toronto, June 19, 1976" link_text="Subha Vilasa Home Engagement -- Toronto, June 19, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Subha Vilasa Home Engagement -- Toronto, June 19, 1976|Subha Vilasa Home Engagement -- Toronto, June 19, 1976]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Jagadīśa, you can.</p>
<p>Jagadīśa:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
<p>In the world, in the material world, there are two kinds of persons: devotees and the demons. Devotees are those who have understood the existence of the Supreme Lord and are engaged somehow or other in His service, and the demons are those who reject the service of the Lord. In the Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā this is described: catur-vidhā bhajante mām.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="TenthAnniversaryAddressWashingtonDCJuly61976_20" class="quote" parent="General_Lectures" book="Lec" index="171" link="Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976" link_text="Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976|Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">"How many devotees do you think, full-time devotees, do you think we have?" (indistinct) "All right. Two million?" (indistinct) ...barely a thousand at that time, but because of their energy, because Śrīla Prabhupāda's energy is (indistinct) all his disciples, it appears that there are millions. Because people see us all over the world. Actually we are simply distributing Śrīla Prabhupāda's books. (rest of Rūpānuga's speech is indistinct, followed by another speech, also indistinct.)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
:śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ
:sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
:svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
:dadāti sva-padāntikam
<p>(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Philosophy_Discussions" class="sub_section" sec_index="13" parent="Lectures" text="Philosophy Discussions"><h3>Philosophy Discussions</h3>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononCarlGustavJung_0" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="18" link="Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung|Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Śyāmasundara: ...but that we show a picture of ourself...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That we call ignorance, ajñāna. And that ajñāna is moved by the spiritual master. Therefore the spiritual master is worshiped, ajñāna timirāndhasya jñānāñjana śalākayā. "I was covered by the darkness of ignorance and the spiritual master has moved that darkness by giving me knowledge, jñānāñjana."</p>
<p>Śyāmasundara: So this persona, or this mask that someone wears, or show it to their family or their friends, is not the whole self. He says that the, behind that mask there is what's called the shadow, or those repressed dispositions which a person has but does not show.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononBertrandRussell_1" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="20" link="Philosophy Discussion on Bertrand Russell" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Bertrand Russell">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Bertrand Russell|Philosophy Discussion on Bertrand Russell]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: That I have already explained. Just like child does not know. He simply sees the fan is running-superficially. But he does not know that there is electricity power, and there is a powerhouse. So that is lack of knowledge. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante ([[Vanisource:BG 7.19 (1972)|BG 7.19]]). After many, many births, one comes to the real knowledge, and that is vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti ([[Vanisource:BG 7.19 (1972)|BG 7.19]]). Then he knows that Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is the original (indistinct). It is a question of knowing, and knowing through the direct current via media-guru. Otherwise he remains in darkness. Therefore guru-namastaya. Ajñāna timirāndasya. Everyone is blind by the darkness of ignorance. Jñānāñjana śalākayā. And the guru's business is to lighten ignorance, the śalāka. What is called, śalāka?</p>
<p>Devotee: Lamp.</p>
<p>Śyāmasundara: Torch.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Torch. Yes. Torchlight. The torchlight. Guru gives the torchlight, jñānāñjana śalākayā. What is that torchlight? By awakening his dormant knowledge. That is torch. Then he can see what is world.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononSocrates_2" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="26" link="Philosophy Discussion on Socrates" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on Socrates">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on Socrates|Philosophy Discussion on Socrates]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: But that means darkness.</p>
<p>Hayagrīva: Uh huh.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Darkness, you are saying, "Prabhupāda, I am here," and I am looking here: "Where you are?" So that is the position of darkness. Everything you see, it is not clear. That is darkness. Therefore Vedic version is, "Don't remain in darkness. Come to the light." That light is guru. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. This is guru's description. When we are in darkness of ignorance the guru, spiritual master, ignites the torch of knowledge. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalakā. Śalākayā means torch. Then he sees, "Oh, things are like this." In this way, when he becomes self-realized, brahma-bhū, then he becomes happy, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati ([[Vanisource:BG 18.54 (1972)|BG 18.54]]). That is civilization, to get the light.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PhilosophyDiscussiononGeorgeWilhelmFriedrichHegel_3" class="quote" parent="Philosophy_Discussions" book="Lec" index="43" link="Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel" link_text="Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel|Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Hayagrīva: Everybody wants to speculate.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That's all. We are, I have stopped it. They cannot speculate on the words of Bhagavad-gītā. That is our mission. Won't allow you to speculate. You are finite, imperfect. How you can by speculation give the unlimited, infinite? How it is possible? That is reasonable. Waste of time, misleading others. Aṇḍhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. You are blind; how you can show others, blind men? They are already blind. You open your eyes, then take the leadership of the blind. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. That is our process. That's all right.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
</div>
<div id="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1974 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1974 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationFebruary131974Vrndavana_0" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="20" link="Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana" link_text="Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana|Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Everything is mystery.</p>
<p>Guest (1): Is that your... Is that a mystery?</p>
<p>Guru dāsa: No.</p>
<p>Guest (1): You understand. Well, that's good.</p>
<p>Guru dāsa: (indistinct). Śrīla Prabhupāda. He has made us, oṁ ajñāna timirāndasya, that by the torchlight of knowledge, he has opened my eyes. There's one Sanskrit poem,</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ
:By the torchlight of knowledge he has opened my darkened eyes.
<p>Śyāmasundara: Everything is a mystery, but if someone who knows that mystery tells you the answer then you can know, then it ceases to be a mystery. But you can't find out on your own.</p>
<p>Guest (1): No, you can't.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkMarch21974Mayapura_1" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="27" link="Morning Walk -- March 2, 1974, Mayapura" link_text="Morning Walk -- March 2, 1974, Mayapura">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- March 2, 1974, Mayapura|Morning Walk -- March 2, 1974, Mayapura]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is all respectively. You are all Vaiṣṇavas. To take bath along with you is a great opportunity.</p>
<p>Gurukṛpā: A great opportunity to be purified. (break)</p>
<p>Bhavānanda: ...spiritual master. Then when he reaches a certain point, he lets go. What is...? What becomes of Him? He is also Māyāvādī.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. That is Māyāvādī philosophy. (break) ...philosophy, cakhudāna dilo yei janme janme prabhu sei. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings that, "One who has opened my eyes, my spiritual master, he's my father, life after life." So how he can, he can say, "Go away now"? That is Māyāvāda philosophy.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1975 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1975 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkJuly81975Chicago_0" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="131" link="Morning Walk -- July 8, 1975, Chicago" link_text="Morning Walk -- July 8, 1975, Chicago">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- July 8, 1975, Chicago|Morning Walk -- July 8, 1975, Chicago]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Take photos.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: And if possible, send them ideas and direction. Bhavānanda has gone. (break) ...convince them that they are doing very nice, to their best capacity, but they are doing it blindly. You are very good driver, but if you are a blind man, then how you will drive? You will create disaster. So we can open their eyes so that their good driving capacity will be properly utilized. A good driver, blind, what he will do? Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Darkness, it will not help. The western method of seeing things—blind eyes. Actually, they are blind. They are trying to see things with microscope. First of all you are blind. What you will see? Microscope, this machine or that machine, but you are blind. That they do not know. (break)</p>
<p>Devotee: What should I do if I'd like to preach more and become free from my family entanglements?</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="PressConferenceJuly91975Chicago_1" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="135" link="Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago" link_text="Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago|Press Conference -- July 9, 1975, Chicago]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda:</p>
:oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
<p>Ladies and gentlemen, regarding Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... (about microphone:) It is working? We are talking about the spiritual existence of the living being. By evolutionary process we come to the human form of life, and here we have got developed consciousness.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkNovember11975Nairobi_2" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="230" link="Morning Walk -- November 1, 1975, Nairobi" link_text="Morning Walk -- November 1, 1975, Nairobi">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- November 1, 1975, Nairobi|Morning Walk -- November 1, 1975, Nairobi]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So how do you argue, keeping yourself in darkness? In darkness you cannot see anything. "Oh, I do not see anything; therefore there is nothing." Is that very good reason? You are blind, you cannot see the darkness. That is another thing. But things are there. You make your eyes operated and manifest your vision. Then you'll see. Therefore, ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. Everyone is blind, in darkness. He cannot see anything. So one who opens the eyes, jñānāñjana-śalākayā, by the torch of knowledge, he is guru. This is description of guru. If you are blind and have a blind guru, that is no use. Guru means who is not blind. I may be blind. Then that will be effective. This is no reason, "I cannot see." What you are? You can see? You cannot see even the president, and you want to see God without being qualified? This is laymans', rascal's reason, "I cannot see. I do not see." What you are? What you can see? You do not first of all evaluate what is your position, and you want to see something.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1976 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkFebruary61976Mayapura_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="26" link="Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura" link_text="Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura|Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Hṛdayānanda: Sometimes, Prabhupāda, when we expose them, their argument is, "Oh, you are a saintly person. Why are you criticizing me?"</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, it is not criticizing. It is opening your eyes. You are blind, you are thinking yourself as very big, so we are opening eyes. You are not big. You are not even pig or fig. That is... ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. You are blind with ignorance, so we are trying to open your eyes. See things as they are. It is favoring you. It is not criticizing you. (break)...words, vibhu, the great, and aṇu, the small. So these rascals, they do not understand these two important words, "God is great; I am small." They think, "I am as good as God." This is the folly. (break) ...English proverb? "Where angels dare not, the fools rush in." Eh?</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="MorningWalkApril241976Melbourne_1" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="86" link="Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne" link_text="Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne|Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Available in every species of life also.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. That is ajñāna. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. This big house, (break) ...so that you will work hard. And he used to do that. You bring money and he'll spend. And if you say, "Sir, we collected this money for this purpose." "Yes, he spent. You again collect." Somebody has paid that constructing temple, and he has spent for other purpose. Then, when the devotee will say, "Oh, what this man will say?" "That's all right. You collect again." (break) ...he'll get some money, he'll make some arrangement for doll exhibition and spend the all money.</p>
<p>Guru-kṛpā: Are they going to start on Māyāpur building this year?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationAfterFilmJune281976NewVrindaban_2" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="172" link="Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban" link_text="Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban|Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: They'll never be able. Challenge. "That we cannot say." As soon as you say "Make an egg," "That we cannot say." And they'll chant "Chemical evolution, chemical evolution" and get Nobel Prize. Rascals. But how the people are so foolish that they believe in this?</p>
<p>Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Without spiritual master there is nothing they can say.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: This is very simple. You see everything, white and yellow. Produce. Chemicals are white. Some chemicals are yellow also. Just like hydroform(?). It is yellow. And soda bicarb, white, or potash cyanide is white. So you have got so many chemicals, combine and pack it in a cell, and put underneath the incubator. Why rascal do not do this? Beat them with shoes. "Rascal, you are cheating in this way." Beat them with shoes. That's all. That is the only punishment.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="LifeComesFromLifeSlideshowDiscussionsJuly31976WashingtonDC_3" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="180" link="'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C." link_text="'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.|'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Some talking? There is no talking? This slide's without talking?</p>
<p>Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, we will make little... We are just testing.</p>
:om ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>(I 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.)</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Correspondence" class="section" sec_index="6" parent="compilation" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2>
</div>
<div id="1968_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="3" parent="Correspondence" text="1968 Correspondence"><h3>1968 Correspondence</h3>
</div>
<div id="LettertoMadhusudanaLosAngeles24January1968_0" class="quote" parent="1968_Correspondence" book="Let" index="32" link="Letter to Madhusudana -- Los Angeles 24 January, 1968" link_text="Letter to Madhusudana -- Los Angeles 24 January, 1968">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Madhusudana -- Los Angeles 24 January, 1968|Letter to Madhusudana -- Los Angeles 24 January, 1968]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The prayer means: I offer my respectful obeisances to my Spiritual Master who has opened my eyes by the torch of knowledge, while I was in the darkness of ignorance.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1969_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Correspondence" text="1969 Correspondence"><h3>1969 Correspondence</h3>
</div>
<div id="LettertoSyamaLosAngeles21February1969_0" class="quote" parent="1969_Correspondence" book="Let" index="141" link="Letter to Syama -- Los Angeles 21 February, 1969" link_text="Letter to Syama -- Los Angeles 21 February, 1969">
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Syama -- Los Angeles 21 February, 1969|Letter to Syama -- Los Angeles 21 February, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">The translation of the Om Ajnana prayer is "I offer my respectful obeisances unto my Spiritual Master who has opened my eyes from the darkness of ignorance with the torchlight of knowledge."</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>