Those persons who do not indulge in sense gratification but utilize this body or this life for God realization, Krsna realization, they are called gods

Expressions researched:
"those persons who do not indulge in sense gratification but utilize this body or this life for God realization, Krsna realization, they are called gods"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

That, Prahlāda Mahārāja said, a great devotee, that... His father asked him, "My dear boy, what best thing you have learned?" He said, "My dear father..." He did not say, "father." His father was first-class materialist. So he addressed him, "the best of the demons," because anyone who is very much sensuous, very much attached to sense gratification, they are called demon. And those persons who do not indulge in sense gratification but utilize this body or this life for God realization, Kṛṣṇa realization, they are called gods.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

So actually we are suffering, but we are accepting it as enjoying. This is called illusion. So whatever we are doing in certain type of body in this material world, that is suffering. That is not enjoying. Because why you are placed? Because I wanted to enjoy life like that. So puruṣa prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān (BG 13.22). And this profit is nothing but acceptance of the quality of material nature. And that is very practical. We can understand. Just like we are getting... I get, say, fifty-thousand dollars in a check. So I think that "I have got fifty thousand dollars." But what is this fifty thousand dollars? It is a piece of paper. You see? This is called illusion. In this way you study your life, you will see. If you are sober, if you are actually thoughtful, you will find that "This is not my life. This is not my life. But I am falsely thinking that I am enjoying life." Therefore frustration. Next stage is frustration. Everyone, we are frustrated because we are in this material world.

That, Prahlāda Mahārāja said, a great devotee, that... His father asked him, "My dear boy, what best thing you have learned?" He said, "My dear father..." He did not say, "father." His father was first-class materialist. So he addressed him, "the best of the demons," because anyone who is very much sensuous, very much attached to sense gratification, they are called demon. And those persons who do not indulge in sense gratification but utilize this body or this life for God realization, Kṛṣṇa realization, they are called gods.

There are two classes of men, demon and god. Those who are engaged in God consciousness they are not God but godly. And those who are not... Because this human life is meant for this purpose. Forgetting our father, forgetting our God, we are criminal within this material world. Therefore our only business is how to get out of this prison house and go back to home, back to Godhead.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to liberate these foolish persons who are entangled in this material world and changing one body after another, sometimes very happy and sometimes very distressed. This is going on.

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām: "My dear father, or the best of the demons, you are asking me, so I say, I have learned this. What is that? That these people who are always full of anxiety," asad-grahāt, "because they have accepted this material world," tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5), "these persons, either in human being or animal or bird and beasts—full of anxieties."

If you bring one bird... He is free. You give some grains, he will come to eat, but he will look like this: "Nobody is coming to kill me. Nobody comes to kill me." Similarly, our position is... Even President Nixon, he is also full of anxieties: "When I shall be dethroned? When I shall be dethroned? Let me take protection. Let me take..." Anyone, beginning from Lord Brahmā down to the small ant... You... There is ant is going. You stop it by your finger. He will struggle: "Why you are stopping? Why you are stopping, stopping?" This is the way. You will see the ants. When there is water, they carry their eggs on the head and they go on the wall, up. They have also got the same feeling, affection, and anxiety, everything. And the human being or the best human being is Lord Brahmā in the topmost planet, whose life is millions and millions of years, he is also full of anxiety.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja said rightly that "My dear best of the demons, so far I have learned that these living entities in different grades of life," sadā samudvigna-dhiyām, "always full of anxiety." Why? Asad-grahāt: "Because he has accepted this material body, therefore he must be full of anxiety." Then what is the remedy? Now, hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta: (SB 7.5.5) "He should give up this material encagement, material home and material thing. He should approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Vṛndāvana or forest and surrender unto Him." That is the only way.