Nutrition (Lectures)

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"nutrients" |"nutrition" |"nutritional" |"nutritionally" |"nutritious" |"nutritive"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Just like milk is very nutritious food, but if a little milk is touched by the tongue of a serpent, whole thing is spoiled.

Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969: Sarpocchiṣṭa-payo yathā. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgirṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathā, this message of Bhagavad-gītā is hari-kathā. Hari means the Supreme Lord. His word. Therefore it is warned that to "Do not try to hear this message of Hari or the Supreme Lord from rascal nondevotee. Do not try to hear." Why? Sarpocchiṣṭa-payo yathā. Just like milk is very nutritious food, but if a little milk is touched by the tongue of a serpent, whole thing is spoiled. A serpent, a very thin tongue, if he touches the milk, oh, the whole milk is spoiled. So if we take such milk, "Oh, milk is very nice," no. Because it is touched by the serpent's lip, it should not be taken. Similarly, any transcendental message, any Vedic literature, unless it is presented by a self-realized devotee, it is poison. You simply misunderstand the whole thing, and you do not get the benefit. Rather, you become a victim of misunderstanding.

Real life is that you keep your health nicely, save time, take ordinary very nutritious food within the jurisdiction of kṛṣṇa-prasāda.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974: Real life is that you keep your health nicely, save time, take ordinary very nutritious food within the jurisdiction of kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. So Kṛṣṇa eats all these things. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, vegetables, liquid things, water, milk, and so many other things, grains. So you offer to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is here. Kṛṣṇa, although He is very virāṭ, universal form, but Kṛṣṇa has accepted arcā-vigraha so that you can serve, you can see, you can touch, and your life becomes successful. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Whatever Kṛṣṇa gives, we should be satisfied. Just like in the hospital, one patient is eating very nutritious food and another patient, the physician has ordered, "He should not take anything." So why he should be envious? He should know that "Physician has prescribed like this, so it is the physician's desire for treatment."

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974: One should know, "If Kṛṣṇa is supplying food to the elephants in the jungle and to the ants in the hole of my room, what we have done that He will not supply food?" This is common sense. That is called yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ. But he must be satisfied, whatever Kṛṣṇa gives. If Kṛṣṇa gives luci, puri, that is also all right, and if he gives śuṣka cāpāṭi, that is also all right. Yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ. Because we are depending on Kṛṣṇa. Whatever Kṛṣṇa gives, we should be satisfied. We should never be dissatisfied, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, today is giving only śuṣka canna." No, whatever Kṛṣṇa gives.... That is devotee. Yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ.

Dvandvātītaḥ, no enviousness. Why I shall be envious? If somebody is eating very nicely, and I am not eating nicely, why I shall be envious? We should be satisfied. Kṛṣṇa has given him. Just like in the hospital, one patient is eating very nutritious food and another patient, the physician has ordered, "He should not take anything." So why he should be envious? He should know that "Physician has prescribed like this, that I shall not take anything, and he has prescribed to the other patient, next bed, nutritious food. So it is the physician's desire for treatment."

Similarly, we should not be disturbed by all these things, that "He is eating more, he is enjoying more." Nobody is enjoying more. Whatever Kṛṣṇa has given, he is enjoying.

If your stomach is supplied nice nutritious food, the stomach is cleared of all disturbances then you keep good health.

Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969: The Supreme Self is Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedas it is said, Kaṭhopaniṣad, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The Supreme Self is the chief eternal of all eternals. He is the chief living being of all living beings. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to fix up in self. To, the same example. If you fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa, then you can fix up your mind in everything. The same example again, if you take care of your stomach, then you take care of all the bodily limbs. If your stomach is supplied nice nutritious food, the stomach is cleared of all disturbances then you keep good health. So if you pour water in the root of the tree, then you take care of all the branches, leaves, flowers, twigs, everything, automatically.

Just like milk, everyone knows, a very nice food, most nutritious food, but if it is touched by the life of a serpent, immediately spoiled. Immediately.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972: So avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. And it is forbidden, "Don't hear." Why? Hari-kathāmṛta, kṛṣṇa-kathā, the message of God, the words of God, Bhagavad-gītā? He may be anything, but the kathā is the same; so what is the harm to hear from an avaiṣṇava? Sanātana Gosvāmī gives the example: sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Sarpocchiṣṭa... Just like milk, everyone knows, a very nice food, most nutritious food, but if it is touched by the life of a serpent, immediately spoiled. Immediately.

The mother's milk comes from the blood, but transformed in such a way that it becomes nutritious to the child, tasteful to the child. Similarly, cow's milk also, a most nutritious and valuable food.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968: The milk is nothing, but it is cow's blood transformed. Just like mother's milk. The mother's milk, wherefrom it comes? It comes from the blood, but transformed in such a way that it becomes nutritious to the child, tasteful to the child. Similarly, cow's milk also, a most nutritious and valuable food. So it is compared that this Bhagavad-gītā is the milk of the cow of Vedic literature. And the milkman is Kṛṣṇa Himself. And the drinker of the milk is..., we are, Arjuna, through Arjuna. So these things are there.

If actually nutritious foodstuff is given to you, when you eat, you understand, "Yes, I am getting strength. My hunger is being satisfied."

Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969: Just like you are suffering, you are hungry. If actually nutritious foodstuff is given to you, when you eat, you understand, "Yes, I am getting strength. My hunger is being satisfied." This is also like that. If you take to chanting, you will feel, "Yes, I am getting strength. My misgivings are being moved." In this way you go on, go on, go on. The perfect stage will come. It may take little more time or it may come quickly. That depends on my relative endeavor. But it will come. Be sure. And with this faith and conviction and understanding, you make progress. Everything will be all right.

If you are hungry and if you are given very nice, nutritious, palatable food, you haven't got to take any certificate from others. You'll understand yourself, "Yes, I am now feeling strength. I am now feeling energy."

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976: Or suppose you are hungry. You are... On account of your hunger you are feeling headache, you cannot see through your eyes properly, you cannot hear, you cannot work—so many things, problems, will arise. But as soon as you put some food stuff, nourishing foodstuff, immediately you'll feel strength and you'll happy, be happy. That is called pratyakṣa. Pratyakṣa means directly. Avagamaṁ dharmyam. If you are hungry and if you are given very nice, nutritious, palatable food, you haven't got to take any certificate from others. You'll understand yourself, "Yes, I am now feeling strength. I am now feeling energy." This is called pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. Similarly, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness—that is the process—then you'll feel automatically how you are satisfied. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam.

They are simply chanting and dancing. This is their business. And when they are hungry, they are taking very nutritious prasādam. This is called susukham. Very happy.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976: These boys, these American, European, they are all Western country, belong to the Western country. Why they are sticking to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because they are feeling directly happiness. There is no doubt about it. Ask any one of them. This is pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. And susukham. To execute this dharma, this transaction, it is very, very happy. Don't you see? What is their business? They are not going to the factories to work twelve hours. They are simply chanting and dancing. This is their business. And when they are hungry, they are taking very nutritious prasādam. This is called susukham. Very happy.

Cows, they are first-class animal, in the modes of goodness, supplying so valuable nutritious food, milk.

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973: Just like some trees, they're useless. Neither produce any nice fruit nor flower. That is third-class, in ignorance. In animals also. Just like cows, they are first-class animal, in the modes of goodness, supplying so valuable nutritious food, milk. But the cats and dogs, they are third-class animals. This is the calculation of the three modes of material nature.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

From the milk, you can make hundreds and thousands of nice, nutritious, full of vitamin foodstuff.

Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972: By nature, there is arrangement, foodstuff. The cows, the other animals, they are eating grass. There is profuse growth of grass. So they are not eating your nice foodstuff, sandeśa, rasagullā. You are making sandeśa, rasagullā from the milk which they deliver. They are eating grass and delivering you nice foodstuff, milk. And from the milk, you can make hundreds and thousands of nice, nutritious, full of vitamin foodstuff. But no. We are so fool that instead of utilizing the milk, we are utilizing the blood.

The cow is eating grass and supplying the most nutritious food—milk—and in exchange you are cutting throat. How you can be happy?

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969: Kṛṣṇa's laws or nature's law is so nice that a cow is eating grass and producing milk. Now, if you think that grass is the cause of milk, then you are mistaken. It is the laws of Kṛṣṇa that transforms grass into milk. If you eat..., you eat grass, then you'll die. But the cow, she is eating grass... That also not supplied by your factory. The grass is produced by nature's way. And she is eating that grass and supplying the most nutritious food—milk—and in exchange you are cutting throat. How you can be happy? Such an innocent animal. She is eating grass supplied by God, and instead of grass, if you think that "She is eating grass from the land, American land or my land. She must give me something," she's supplying milk. What reason there is?

If the cow is protected, given right nutritious food and protection, cow will supply you milk so long she lives.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973: Taking milk as much as possible from the cows, and then as soon as... Milk is not stopped, it will again come if the cow is protected, given right nutritious food and protection, cow will supply you milk so long she lives. As long as she lives. But as soon as they see that the cow... "Now they were giving thirty kilos. Now it has decreased, twenty kilos or ten kilos. Oh, economic development. Cut its throat." Economic development. Just see how rascal civilization it is.

You can make nice preparation, chānā. That is very nutritious, full of protein. And you can make rasagullā, sandeśa, so many other preparations from the casein of the cheese.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973: So without knowing, without sufficient knowledge, they are declaring themselves as civilized. That is mentioned here, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. And why they are doing that? Yad indriya-prītaye, simply for the satisfaction of the tongue. That is also false. If you have got enough milk production, you can take, break the milk, and you get cheese. And from cheese, if you... We are daily doing that. You can make nice preparation, chānā. That is very nutritious, full of protein. And you can make rasagullā, sandeśa, so many other preparations from the casein of the cheese. But they do not know. Crude civilization, and take a lump of flesh and boil it and give little salt and black pepper and eat like animal. This is civilization. This is civilization. Just try to understand.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Everyone knows milk is very nice and nutritious food, but if it is touched by the lips of a serpent, it is spoiled.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977: So that Sanātana Gosvāmī says, pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathāmṛtam is always pure. That's all right. But avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛta, śravaṇam... Why? Sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Everyone knows milk is very nice and nutritious food, but if it is touched by the lips of a serpent, it is spoiled, no more to be... So it is forbidden, that we should not try to understand about Kṛṣṇa from a person who is not Vaiṣṇava.

Festival Lectures

If you have got sufficient milk, then you can make so many nice nutritious, full of vitamin values preparation and grains.

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966: Formerly, according to Vedic civilization, a man was considered to be rich man in proportion of his stock of grains and livestock, cows. That's all. Dhānyena dhanavān. A man was considered to be rich man if he has sufficient quantity of grains in his possession. Similarly, if one has sufficient number of cows in his possession, he was considered rich man. Not that bank balance. There was no such bank, neither this paper money. They actually possessing the foodstuff and milk. And actually this is economic solution. If you have got sufficient milk, then you can make so many nice nutritious, full of vitamin values preparation and grains. There is no question of economic starvation if you have got simply grains and cows. So that was the standard of economic solution in days yore.

General Lectures

When you have got very nice foodstuff, and a very nutritious, palatable, sweet, why should you indulge in this unnecessary killing of animals?

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969: Just like in the desert, Arabian Desert, there is no food, no grain, for them animal-eating may be permissible. Because after all, we have to live. That is a different thing. But when you have got very nice foodstuff, and a very nutritious, palatable, sweet, why should you indulge in this unnecessary killing of animals? That is, will go against your purification. Therefore it is prohibited.

Milk product is sufficient to give them nutritious food.

Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974: So that milk product is sufficient for give them nutritious food. We are preparing ghee. Just like in India, they utilize milk so nicely. And vegetables we are growing. They are making sweetmeats, sandeṣa, rasagullā. There is enough milk product. And ghee, luci, purī. They are satisfied. So that is the basic principle.

Philosophy Discussions

The cow eats the dry grass and it gives so nutritious, full of vitamins milk.

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz: Prabhupāda: But one thing is that when rocks were thrown on the sea by Lord Rāmacandra's will, they began to float. Therefore the Supreme Will is the ultimate cause. Supreme Will wants that the rock may go down in the water, then it goes; if He does not wants, then the rock floats. Therefore rock is not independent. The Supreme Will of God is independent. There are so many other examples. The same example as I cited the other day, that the cow eats the dry grass and it gives so nutritious, full of vitamins milk. But the same dry grass, if a woman eats, she will die. Therefore the plan of the Supreme that the cow, by eating dry grass, she can deliver nicely. It is not on the dry grass she is producing milk; it is the will of God that is producing it. Similarly the stone falling. Because the will of God is there, therefore "You stone, go down in the water!" But when God wills that it floats, it will float. So that in that case the monad theory did not act.

If he wants to eat anything and everything up to stool, then he is given the body of a pig. If he wants to eat direct blood, sucking, then he gets the body of a tiger. And if he wants to eat first-class nutritious food, then he is given the body of a brāhmaṇa. In this way we are getting different types of bodies according to our desire.

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz: Prabhupāda: That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely, that the soul is in this material world, and he is influenced by the three modes of material nature. So according to his position under the influence of three different kinds of modes, he is getting this body. It is on account of his free will. Just like if he wants to eat anything and everything up to stool, then he is given the body of a pig. If he wants to eat direct blood, sucking, then he gets the body of a tiger. And if he wants to eat first-class nutritious food, then he is given the body of a brāhmaṇa. In this way we are getting different types of bodies according to our desire. We are creating different types of desires, that "We shall be happy in this way, we shall be happy in this way." Just like we see practically, somebody is going to the restaurant, he thinks, "By eating here in restaurant I shall be happy." And somebody is going to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness temple, he is thinking that "I shall be happy by eating here." So Kṛṣṇa has given everyone the chance, but he is trying to be happy but he is not becoming happy, because he is misusing his intelligence, cent percent abiding by the orders of God; therefore he is suffering. As such, Kṛṣṇa comes personally and induces him that "You don't desire in this way. You give up all this material desire. You simply desire to act according My order, you surrender unto Me, and I will give you all happiness."