Comfortable home

Expressions researched:
"comfortable at home" |"comfortable home" |"comfortable homes" |"comfortable life at home" |"comfortably at home" |"comfortably at our home" |"home comfortable" |"home comfortably"

SB Canto 1

All of them belonged to the most enlightened and cultured rich families of the higher castes, but for the benefit of the mass of population they left their comfortable homes and became mendicants.

SB 1.8.41, Purport:

A pure devotee cuts off the limited ties of affection for his family and widens his activities of devotional service for all forgotten souls. The typical example is the band of six Gosvāmīs, who followed the path of Lord Caitanya. All of them belonged to the most enlightened and cultured rich families of the higher castes, but for the benefit of the mass of population they left their comfortable homes and became mendicants. To cut off all family affection means to broaden the field of activities. Without doing this, no one can be qualified as a brāhmaṇa, a king, a public leader or a devotee of the Lord. The Personality of Godhead, as an ideal king, showed this by example. Śrī Rāmacandra cut off the tie of affection for His beloved wife to manifest the qualities of an ideal king.

Such personalities as a brāhmaṇa, a devotee, a king or a public leader must be very broadminded in discharging their respective duties. Śrīmatī Kuntīdevī was conscious of this fact, and being weak she prayed to be free from such bondage of family affection. The Lord is addressed as the Lord of the universe, or the Lord of the universal mind, indicating His all-powerful ability to cut the hard knot of family affection. Therefore, it is sometimes experienced that the Lord, out of His special affinity towards a weak devotee, breaks the family affection by force of circumstances arranged by His all-powerful energy. By doing so He causes the devotee to become completely dependent on Him and thus clears the path for his going back to Godhead.

SB Canto 2

Modern civilization is based on family comforts, the highest standard of amenities, and therefore after retirement everyone expects to live a very comfortable life in a well-furnished home decorated with fine ladies and children, without any desire to get out of such a comfortable home.

SB 2.1.16, Purport:

To prepare oneself for the better next life, one must get out of one's so-called home. The system of varṇāśrama-dharma, or sanātana-dharma, prescribes retirement from family encumbrances as early as possible after one has passed fifty years of age. Modern civilization is based on family comforts, the highest standard of amenities, and therefore after retirement everyone expects to live a very comfortable life in a well-furnished home decorated with fine ladies and children, without any desire to get out of such a comfortable home. High government officers and ministers stick to their prize posts until death, and they neither dream nor desire to get out of homely comforts. Bound by such hallucinations, materialistic men prepare various plans for a still more comfortable life, but suddenly cruel death comes without mercy and takes away the great planmaker against his desire, forcing him to give up the present body for another body. Such a planmaker is thus forced to accept another body in one of the 8,400,000 species of life according to the fruits of the work he has performed. In the next life, persons who are too much attached to family comforts are generally awarded lower species of life on account of sinful acts performed during a long duration of sinful life, and thus all the energy of the human life is spoiled. In order to be saved from the danger of spoiling the human form of life and being attached to unreal things, one must take warning of death at the age of fifty, if not earlier.

SB Canto 4

She never desired that her son remain at home comfortably without ever undertaking austerities and penances to achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 4.12.34, Purport:

It should be noted also that while Sunīti was going to Vaikuṇṭhaloka she also changed her body into spiritual form. Like Śrī Sunīti, every mother should train her child to become a devotee like Dhruva Mahārāja. Sunīti instructed her son, even at the age of five years, to be unattached to worldly affairs and to go to the forest to search out the Supreme Lord. She never desired that her son remain at home comfortably without ever undertaking austerities and penances to achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Every mother, like Sunīti, must take care of her son and train him to become a brahmacārī from the age of five years and to undergo austerities and penances for spiritual realization. The benefit will be that if her son becomes a strong devotee like Dhruva, certainly not only will he be transferred back home, back to Godhead, but she will also be transferred with him to the spiritual world, even though she may be unable to undergo austerities and penances in executing devotional service.

If a king, being afraid to meet rogues and thieves, kills poor animals and eats their flesh comfortably at home, he must lose his position.

SB 4.26.6, Purport:

Regulations are meant for human beings, not for animals. The traffic regulations on the street, telling people to keep to the right or the left, are meant for human beings, not for animals. If an animal violates such a law, he is never punished, but a human being is punished. The Vedas are not meant for the animals, but for the understanding of human society. A person who indiscriminately violates the rules and regulations given by the Vedas is liable to be punished. One should therefore not enjoy his senses according to his lusty desires, but should restrict himself according to the regulative principles given in the Vedas. If a king is allowed to hunt in a forest, it is not for his sense gratification. We cannot simply experiment in the art of killing. If a king, being afraid to meet rogues and thieves, kills poor animals and eats their flesh comfortably at home, he must lose his position. Because in this age kings have such demoniac propensities, monarchy is abolished by the laws of nature in every country.

People have become so degraded in this age that on the one hand they restrict polygamy and on the other hand they hunt for women in so many ways. Many business concerns publicly advertise that topless girls are available in this club or in that shop. Thus women have become instruments of sense enjoyment in modern society. The Vedas enjoin, however, that if a man has the propensity to enjoy more than one wife—as is sometimes the propensity for men in the higher social order, such as the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, and even sometimes the śūdras—he is allowed to marry more than one wife. Marriage means taking complete charge of a woman and living peacefully without debauchery. At the present moment, however, debauchery is unrestricted. Nonetheless, society makes a law that one should not marry more than one wife. This is typical of a demoniac society.

Giving up a comfortable home life is absolutely necessary for human beings and is advised by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam: to finish the materialistic way of life, one should leave his so-called comfortable home life, which is simply a means for killing the soul (ātma-pātam).

SB 4.31.1, Purport:

Unless one practices penances and austerities in his student life, he cannot understand the existence of God. Without realizing Kṛṣṇa, one cannot make his life perfect. The conclusion is that when the children are grown, the wife should be put in the children's charge. The husband may then leave home to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything depends on the development of mature knowledge. King Prācīnabarhiṣat, the father of the Pracetās, left home before the arrival of his sons, who were engaged in austerity within the water. As soon as the time is ripe, or as soon as one has developed perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he should leave home, even though all his duties may not be fulfilled. Prācīnabarhiṣat was waiting for the arrival of his sons, but following the instructions of Nārada, as soon as his intelligence was properly developed, he simply left instructions for his ministers to impart to his sons. Thus without waiting for their arrival, he left home.

Giving up a comfortable home life is absolutely necessary for human beings and is advised by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam: to finish the materialistic way of life, one should leave his so-called comfortable home life, which is simply a means for killing the soul (ātma-pātam). The home is considered to be a dark well covered by grass, and if one falls within this well, he simply dies without anyone's caring. One should therefore not be too much attached to family life, for it will spoil one's development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB Canto 5

The words prasanna-nipuṇena tapasā indicate that the King accepted all kinds of austerity very expertly and jubilantly. He did not at all mind leaving his comfortable life at home, although he was the emperor.

SB 5.4.5, Purport:

In addition, he wanted to entrust his son into the hands of the learned brāhmaṇas. This means that a monarch was supposed to govern strictly according to Vedic principles under the guidance of learned brāhmaṇas, who could advise Him according to the standard Vedic scriptures like Manu-smṛti and similar śāstras. It is the duty of the king to rule the citizens according to Vedic principles. According to Vedic principles, society is divided into four categories—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). After dividing society in this way, it is the king's duty to see that everyone executes Vedic principles according to his caste. A brāhmaṇa must perform the duty of a brāhmaṇa without cheating the public. It is not that one attains the name of a brāhmaṇa without the qualifications. It is the king's duty to see that everyone engages in his occupational duty according to Vedic principles. In addition, retirement at the end of life is compulsory. Mahārāja Nābhi, although still a king. retired from family life and went with his wife to a place called Badarikāśrama in the Himalayas, where the Deity Nara-Nārāyaṇa is worshiped. The words prasanna-nipuṇena tapasā indicate that the King accepted all kinds of austerity very expertly and jubilantly. He did not at all mind leaving his comfortable life at home, although he was the emperor. Despite undergoing severe austerities and penances, he felt very pleased at Badarikāśrama, and he did everything there expertly. In this way, being fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness (samādhi-yoga). always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, Mahārāja Nābhi attained success at the end of his life and was promoted to the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭhaloka.

SB Canto 7

As soon as possible, one should give up his so-called comfortable life at home and prepare to undergo austerity, or tapasya.

SB 7.14.1, Purport:

In the previous chapters the great sage Nārada has explained how a brahmacārī, a vānaprastha and a sannyāsī should act. He first explained the dealings of a brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsī because these three āśramas, or statuses of life, are extremely important for fulfillment of the goal of life. One should note that in the brahmacārī-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama and sannyāsa-āśrama there is no scope for sex life, whereas sex is allowed in gṛhastha life under regulations. Nārada Muni, therefore, first described brahmacarya, vānaprastha and sannyāsa because he wanted to stress that sex is not at all necessary, although one who absolutely requires it is allowed to enter gṛhastha life, or household life, which is also regulated by the śāstras and guru. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja could understand all this. Therefore, as a gṛhastha, he presented himself as gṛha-mūḍha-dhīḥ, one who is completely ignorant of the goal of life. A person who remains a householder in family life is certainly ignorant of life's goal; he is not very much advanced in intelligence. As soon as possible, one should give up his so-called comfortable life at home and prepare to undergo austerity, or tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā (SB 5.5.1). According to the instructions given by Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons, we should not create a so-called comfortable situation, but must prepare to undergo austerity. This is how a human being should actually live to fulfill life's ultimate goal.

CC Antya-lila

A gṛha-vrata, one who has decided to live in a comfortable home although it is actually miserable, is in a condemned position.

CC Antya 6.193, Purport:

According to the law of karma, everyone is destined to suffer or enjoy according to a certain material standard, but the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that the Lord can change all the reactions of one's past karma, or fruitive activities. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu specifically drew attention to the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa. That mercy is more powerful than anything else, for it had saved Raghunātha dāsa from the strong bondage of materialistic life, which the Lord compared to a hole where people pass stool. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave His verdict that those addicted to the materialistic way of life are like worms that are living in stool but cannot give it up. A gṛha-vrata, one who has decided to live in a comfortable home although it is actually miserable, is in a condemned position. Only the mercy of Kṛṣṇa can save one from such misery. Without Kṛṣṇa's mercy, one cannot get out of the filthy entanglement of materialistic life. The poor living entity cannot give up his materialistic position on his own; only when granted the special mercy of Kṛṣṇa can he give it up. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew very well that Raghunātha dāsa was already liberated. Nevertheless He emphasized that Raghunātha dāsa's life of material comfort as a very rich man's son with a very beautiful wife and many servants to attend him was like a ditch of stool. The Lord thus specifically indicated that ordinary men who are very happy with material comforts and family life are in no better position than worms in stool.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Dear black cloud, we must admit frankly that to establish an intimate relationship with Śyāmasundara means to purchase unnecessary anxieties while we are otherwise comfortable at home.

Krsna Book 90:

"Dear beautiful cloud, the color of your beautiful body exactly resembles the bodily hue of our dearmost Śyāmasundara. We think, therefore, that you are very dear to our Lord, the chief of the dynasty of the Yadus, and because you are so dear to Him, you are absorbed in meditation, exactly as we are. We can appreciate that your heart is full of anxiety for Śyāmasundara. You appear excessively eager to see Him, and we see that for this reason only, drops of tears are gliding down from your eyes, just as they are from ours. Dear black cloud, we must admit frankly that to establish an intimate relationship with Śyāmasundara means to purchase unnecessary anxieties while we are otherwise comfortable at home."

Generally the cuckoo sounds its cooing vibration at the end of night or early in the morning. When the queens heard the cooing of the cuckoo at the end of night, they said, "Dear cuckoo, your voice is very sweet. As soon as you vibrate your sweet voice, we immediately remember Śyāmasundara because your voice exactly resembles His. We must frankly admit that your voice is imbued with nectar, and it is so invigorating that it is competent to bring back life to those who are almost dead in separation from their dearmost friend. So we are very much obliged to you. Please let us know how we can welcome you or how we can do something for you."

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Especially the king, the royal order, they should come forward. Not that the politicians are sitting very comfortably at home, and poor people, they are given to fight in front of the enemy.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

The warfare of the kṣatriyas and the warfare at the present moment of the whimsical politicians, it is, they are different. Formerly it was not democracy. Only the kṣatriyas would fight. Especially the king, the royal order, they should come forward. Not that the politicians are sitting very comfortably at home, and poor people, they are given to fight in front of the enemy. No. That was not the system. The king must come forward. The other side, the king also come. And the opposite side, they also, he also should come forward and fight. It was duty. And as soon as the king is killed by the other party, then the other party becomes victorious. There was no more fighting. It is not the so-called king and president is sitting very comfortably and the poor soldiers, they are fighting unlimitedly, and the war is going on for many years. Just like last war we saw at least eight years it continued. Eight years, six years, no. The Battle of Kurukṣetra, it was finished within eighteen days. There is no use of prolonging the war unnecessarily. If the chief man is killed, then war is finished. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna that "Suppose your grandfather on the other side dies, so where is the cause of lamentation? He's old man. He will get another, new body. So you should be rather happy that your old grandfather is going to have a new body."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Nirgataḥ means went out of home, not simply enjoying comfortably at home. Similarly, for a preacher also, that is digvijaya.

Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:

So here the same digvijaya. Digvijaya, for learned scholar, by arguing on śāstra, that is another kind of digvijaya. And digvijaya for kṣatriya, by subduing others who do not accept the authority. So here Parīkṣit Mahārāja went for digvijaya just to challenge all over the world, "Now I have been selected by my grandfather as the emperor of the world. If you do not accept my authority, then here is fight. Come on. Here is fight. Let us fight." So if by fight he becomes victorious... Just like in modern sporting also, there are rival parties, and ultimately, the party which defeats all other sportsmen, they get some reward, seal, or some cup. Similarly, this is also another type of digvijaya. Parīkṣit Mahārāja went out of home not king, simply drinking and enjoying the dancing of the young girls just like the Muhammadan kings when they deteriorated. Still there are so many fools. No. King's duty is to subdue the miscreants who will create disturbance. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was such a nice, what is called, hero, that he got out of his home. Sva-senayā digvijayāya nirgataḥ. Nirgataḥ means went out of home, not simply enjoying comfortably at home. Similarly, for a preacher also, that is digvijaya. Go from country and country, from village to village, town to town, and make digvijaya: "Here is our philosophy. There is God. We can prove there is God. Who are you, you deny God? Come on." That is digvijaya.

Everyone is thinking, "I am very comfortable at home. I have got my wife. I have got my children. I have got my bank balance. I have got so many things. I have got my nation, community. I am secure. I am secure."

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

This is the disease, material disease. Everyone will be forced. You cannot live here forever. They are making very nice arrangement, nice house, nice kingdom, nice city, nice bank balance, nice society, nice community, nice nation. But they are missing one point, that "Any moment I shall be kicked out. Any moment." There is no guarantee. Parīkṣit Mahārāja got seven days' time, that "You shall die within seven days." We have no even one second's guarantee. This is our position. But still, we are so much attached. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu ātma-sainyeṣu (SB 2.1.4). Everyone is thinking, "I am very comfortable at home. I have got my wife. I have got my children. I have got my bank balance. I have got so many things. I have got my nation, community. I am secure. I am secure." Why he is thinking like that? Pramatta, mad, madman. That is described.

piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya

māyā-grasta jīvera haya se bhāva udaya

Ghostly haunted, every one of us. This māyā-grasta, one who is under the influence of this material energy, just like, exactly like a man who is ghostly haunted. Ghostly haunted. Perhaps some of you have seen a man ghostly haunted. He talks all nonsense. Similarly, the māyā-grasta jīva, those who are in this material-too much absorbed in the bodily concept of life, without any self-realization... Everyone is thinking like madman, that "These things will give me protection." Because he has become mad, pramatta. Pramatta. Teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanam. You are fighting with soldiers. That's all right. But if you know, "All my soldiers will die," then what is the use of your fighting? Or you take some means that your fighting will be victorious. No. They do not know. Teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ pramattaḥ, teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati.

If it is mentioned in the Vedas, what is dharma, what is adharma, then it is acceptable. I have several times explained that you cannot make law in your comfortable home. No.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976:

Here is the statement, śruti-pramāṇam. According to Vedic civilization, evidence, is śruti, Vedas. If you say something and if you give evidence, proof from the Vedic literature, then it is perfect. No such nonsense things: "I believe," "We believe," "Perhaps," "Maybe." No. Such foolish things are not accepted. Then everyone will say something. There are thousands and millions of people, everyone will imagine something and say something. Then where is the correct thing? This is not good. Veda-pramāṇam. That will be described in the next verse. Veda-praṇihito dharmo. Veda-praṇihito. What is explained in the Veda, that is dharma. You cannot manufacture dharma. If it is mentioned in the Vedas, what is dharma, what is adharma, then it is acceptable. I have several times explained that you cannot make law in your comfortable home. No. Law is made by the government. And you have to accept it. You cannot say that "I believe this will be law." Who will care for your law? You may believe. You believe at your home. That will not be accepted. The law given by the government, "Keep to the right," that you must have. You cannot say, "I believe left thing" or... No. That is not. Similarly, dharmaś ca, it will be explained further.

So what is dharma, religion? In the dictionary, English dictionary it is explained: "a kind of faith." But we do not take in that way. Faith, you have got different faith, I have got different faith, how it will be dharma? The same example: if you have different faith that you do not accept this government law, that will not do. You may have faith or no faith, but you have to accept. That is dharma. That is dharma. So they very particularly analyzed dharma. Dharma means... I have given translation in many places: "occupational duty." Everyone is fit for a certain occupation.

Festival Lectures

The king was so powerful. And it is not that if there was some war, it is not that the president or the king shall sit down comfortably at home and ordinary soldiers will go and lay down their life.

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day -- Hawaii, March 27, 1969:

Therefore brāhmaṇas were taken to so much respect because they're ideal character, learned, and godly, knows the science, spiritual science. Therefore they're held in high estimation and topmost of the society. The next, the administrator, administrative class, kṣatriyas. They are trained how to kill. The kṣatriyas were allowed to hunt in the forest to learn the art of killing because that was necessity for the kṣatriyas. Kṣatriya, if he... If the king, if he finds somebody is doing wrong, he can immediately chop off his head if he likes. The king was so powerful. And it is not that if there was some war, it is not that the president or the king shall sit down comfortably at home and ordinary soldiers will go and lay down their life. No. Formerly, the king or the head of the state, he should first of all go there in the fight. You see in the picture, the chief men of the fighting in the Kurukṣetra, both sides, they were arrayed, this side, that side, with their chariot. Not that the head man, the chief man, or the commander is taking shelter back side, protecting himself, and poor soldiers are (chuckles) thrown into the fighting. No. These were kṣatriya spirit. And it is necessary that a class of men should be trained up in that way, kṣatriya, fighting men. In India, because this training was there since a very long time, so there is no difficulty in recruiting soldiers there. There is a class of men, they are very much forward in fighting still.

He says that gṛha-vratānām, "If one makes it his point to remain in a comfortable home life, for him, either by speculation or by teaching or by meeting, he'll never develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

"My dear father, don't be afraid. It is not a thing to be taught." Matir na kṛṣṇe. "Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa conscious," matir na kṛṣṇe parato, "being taught by others," matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā, "or by mental speculation or thinking oneself," mitho 'bhipadyeta, "or by making conference meeting, religious meeting, conference." No. Three things. One thing is to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness by speculative method, self-realization. Just like so many people are very much interested that "Why shall I go to a guru? I can realize myself. I shall meditate." So that is called svataḥ. And parataḥ means by others' instruction. And mitho, mitho means by assembly. So who? Now, gṛha-vratānām. If one is gṛha-vratā... There are two things: gṛhastha and gṛha-vratā, or gṛhamedhi. "So those who are gṛha-vratā..." because he is pointing out his father's position, that he's gṛha-vratā. He has no other business. He simply wants to get money, hiraṇya. Hiraṇya means gold, and kaśipu, a nice apartment. That's all. So he says that gṛha-vratānām, "If one makes it his point to remain in a comfortable home life, for him, either by speculation or by teaching or by meeting, he'll never develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Gṛha-vratānām. Then what is their position? Now, adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamiṣram: "They are unable to control their senses, and as such, they are entering into the darkest region of material existence." Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām: (SB 7.5.30) "Their only business is chewing the chewed." They have no other ways. Gṛha-vratānām, those who want to be happy materially, actually they are chewing the chewed. Material happiness means sex life, ultimate, utmost, topmost happiness.

General Lectures

I do not like to go out of my home, very comfortable home, happy home, but śāstra says, "You must." So I have to accept inconveniences. If I leave my home, comfortable home, I do not know where to live, how to eat, where to stay. These are experienced.

Lecture -- London, September 16, 1969:

You'll never hear that "A cloud is on London; therefore the cloud is all over the world." No. Similarly, the knowledge is covered of the small particle Brahman, not of the Supreme Brahman. There are many instances. So some way or other, our knowledge is now covered in this material existence, so we have to get out of this ignorance. For that purpose we require tapasya, tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some inconveniences. Voluntarily... Just like a man is very happy in his family life... He has good house, good wife, good children, and good bank balance, enjoying life, but śāstra says, "No. You are fifty years old; you must get out." So he has to get out. He cannot say that "I am so happy in my family life. My wife is so nice. My children are so obedient. I have got nice money, income. Why shall I go out?" But śāstra says, "No. Vanaṁ vrajet." Vrajet means must. You must go to the forest. But if you disobey, then you will be in trouble. Just like you disobey the laws, you will be in trouble. So this is called tapasya. I do not like to go out of my home, very comfortable home, happy home, but śāstra says, "You must." So I have to accept inconveniences. If I leave my home, comfortable home, I do not know where to live, how to eat, where to stay. These are experienced. When we took sannyāsa, in the beginning, we thought like that, but by the grace of God, Kṛṣṇa, we are not uncomfortable. We have got... We left only three or four children; now we have got hundreds of children, without any botheration of wife. (laughter) And they are so obedient and so beautiful, so nice, that I could not expect even the children which I begot at home. So by Kṛṣṇa's grace, by God's grace, everything is there, provided you depend on Him. There is no fear.

He does not recommend, although He was a sannyāsī, He was in renounced order of life. He gave up His family, beautiful wife, very affectionate mother, very comfortable home, very prestige, too much prestige of His personality in the society.

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are giving up this world as false, māyā. Prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Just like sometimes we are criticized because we are using the advantages offered by the material science. Just like I am using this microphone. So the people may criticize, "If this world is false, the material world is false, then why should I take advantage of this material product?" They expect that those who are spiritualists, they should go to Himalayas, giving up, giving up everything material and meditate in a solitary place, in snow-covered area. But Vaiṣṇava philosophy does not think like that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. He does not recommend, although He was a sannyāsī, He was in renounced order of life. He gave up His family, beautiful wife, very affectionate mother, very comfortable home, very prestige, too much prestige of His personality in the society. He gave up everything. He was in the prime age of His youthful life, twenty-four years only, but He gave up everything.

tyaktvā su-dustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ

dharmiṣṭha-ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam

māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvad

vande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindam

(SB 11.5.34)

This prayer is offered to Lord Caitanya in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But although He renounced this material world, He is never unmindful of the conditioned souls.

Philosophy Discussions

Generally, women are interested in comfortable home life. That is woman's nature. They are not spiritually very much advanced or interested.

Philosophy Discussion on Auguste Comte:

Prabhupāda: Generally, women are interested in comfortable home life. That is woman's nature. They are not spiritually very much advanced or interested. But the..., if man is interested, and the woman helps the man, either as mother or wife or daughter, then both of them, if the woman remains subordinate and the man is making spiritual progress and the woman is helping the man, then both of them will make spiritual progress. Or the woman, without working for spiritual elevation, because (s)he is helping the man (s)he will share the profit, spiritual benefit.

Hayagrīva: The role of woman he envisioned as that of man's companion. He says, "The first aspect, then, under which positivism considers women is simply as the companion of man, irrespective of her maternal duties," and that this friendship or companionship has as its basis sex. He says, "Conjugal union becomes a perfect ideal of friendship, yet still more beautiful than friendship, because each possesses and is possessed by the other. For perfect friendship, difference of sex is essential as excluding the possibility of rivalry." So he felt that sex, there can actually be very little friendship between men, because there's no sexual basis, that sex is the basis for the friendship between the sexes.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. So woman, sex, there is sex, sexual necessity and the bodily demand. So woman not only give the sex pleasure to the man, but woman should prepare good foodstuff also for the man. The man is working very hard. When he comes home, if the wife supplies him good foodstuff and nice comfort and sex, then the home becomes very happy. That is practical experience. So after hard working, when man comes home, if he finds out good foodstuff and nicely satisfied by eating, and then the woman gives satisfaction by sex, then both of them remain fully satisfied, and then they can improve their real business, spiritual understanding, because human life is meant for making progress in spiritual understanding.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

So you are increasing this cancer. Very comfortable at home, but there is cancer.

Morning Walk -- May 15, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Then go on struggling. That is struggling. There is no question of decreasing. Proportionate. Proportionately, you increase the amenities, and proportionately the distress increases.

Paramahaṁsa: It's just like in some countries the diseased men, they suffer in the street, but here we give them a nice place to suffer.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Paramahaṁsa: They can suffer in a nice warm hospital...

Prabhupāda: So you are increasing this cancer. Very comfortable at home, but there is cancer.

Paramahaṁsa: But now we have almost got the cure.

Prabhupāda: You have, all right. My point is that you have so many things, but the suffering is going on. That is my point. You increase your means of diminishing suffering, but they are coming in a different way. So the sufferings cannot be stopped. That is not possible. This is the conclusion.

Śrutakīrti: But we're learning how to enjoy even the suffering, make the best of it.

Paramahaṁsa: Best use of a bad bargain.

Prabhupāda: That is another bluff. That is another bluff. But then don't say that "We shall stop suffering." You can say that...

Amogha: No, we don't say we can stop it, but we can almost stop it.

Śrutakīrti: Minimize.

Prabhupāda: Not minimize. If you are increasing hospital, where is the minimizing? Every state is increasing hospitals.

Śrutakīrti: Yeah, well that's part of the minimization.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) Fools cannot be convinced. We are helpless to convince. That is the difficulty.

The kṣatriya or the president or the secretary, they are sitting very comfortably at our home and some poor young men—"Come on. Go and fight." What is this? What they will fight? They will die there, that's all.

Garden Conversation with Professors -- June 24, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: They, those who are the kṣatriyas, they were sometimes going to the forest, killing the deer. They are allowed. Because they have to learn how to kill. So by killing animals, they used to practice. Just like doctors, medical practitioners, they first of all ply their knife on the dead body and find out where are the nerves, where are the..., not a living man. When they are fully practiced, then they are allowed to practice surgical operation. Similarly, kṣatriyas are meant for sometimes killing. Just like Arjuna, he's a kṣatriya. So Kṛṣṇa is criticizing him that "You are a kṣatriya. You have learned how to kill, and now you are hesitating? What is the nonsense?" So kṣatriyas are taught. So they have to rule over. So if required, the demons and the culprit, should immediately cut off his head, duty of the government. So all of a sudden you cannot do that. Just like in your country a young man, he has never learned how to kill and he is drawn in the draft board, "Come on. Go and kill." What he will do? He will hesitate. This is not perfect system. If you want a kṣatriya, you must train them. You must train a class of men as brāhmaṇas. You must train a class of men as kṣatriya and a class of men as agriculturist and cow protection, and balance are workers. That is cātur-varṇyam: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. But the kṣatriya or the president or the secretary, they are sitting very comfortably at our home and some poor young men—"Come on. Go and fight." What is this? What they will fight? They will die there, that's all. If he does not know how to fight, that energy is lacking, what he will do there?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

The mouse makes very comfortable home by digging, and the snake comes, he enters without any labor, and the mouse is there and he eats it.

Morning Walk -- April 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is our ājagara-vṛtti. Ājagara-vṛtti means we haven't got to work for anything. Everything should be done by others, and we shall take possession of it. (laughter) Just like the Americans. They have earned so much money, and I have gone there and taking possession. I am not more clever than the Americans? (laughs) "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and give money. I'll take to India." What do you think?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You once gave the example of a mouse. The mouse digs a hole, and then the snake comes along and takes the house away from the mouse.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And eats him. The mouse makes very comfortable home by digging, and the snake comes, he enters without any labor, and the mouse is there and he eats it.

Jayādvaita: Free food and free home.

Prabhupāda: Yes, ājagara-vṛtti. What is that? Python. Ājagara-vṛtti and madhukāra-vṛtti. For your necessities of life either you take ājagara-vṛtti or madhukāra-vṛtti. Madhukāra means the fly, honeybee, bees. They take little from this flower, little from this flower, and they stock it, and somebody comes and takes it away. Don't stock. Therefore we have to follow this, that whatever money is coming, spend it for publication or for constructing temple. No account in the bank. Finish.

Indian families, they are living for two, three generation. (break) ...teaching them how to make home comfortable, they'll be trained up to become prostitutes. How to kill time.

Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Generally, they are engaged in education.

Hari-śauri: I know in England they all have responsible jobs. Doctors and like that.

Prabhupāda: There are many medical practitioners. I have, I learned that British people, they like Indian physicians.

Hari-śauri: Oh, yes, they're very popular.

Prabhupāda: They have got faith that these people treat carefully. One civil surgeon(?) is a Bengali in London. Civil surgeon(?). You have heard this Aurabindo? His father was a medical practitioner in England, and he was born there.

Hari-śauri: His mother was Indian also or...? No. (break)

Prabhupāda: Indian families, they are living for two, three generation. (break) ...teaching them how to make home comfortable, they'll be trained up to become prostitutes. How to kill time. (break)

Hari-śauri: I think Tamāla was saying in New York they need good cooks there. Tamāla was saying that in New York they don't have very good cooks there.

Prabhupāda: Nowhere there is good cook except here. (laughter) Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja is good cook.

Hari-śauri: He's trained everybody up very nicely.

Kīrtanānanda: Prabhupāda knows how to flatter. Well, I think even we could not cook so good in Boston or New York. Without being in Vṛndāvana and the natural ingredients, it is not so...

Prabhupāda: You can supply them ghee.