A Day in the Life of Srila Prabhupada - February 12

February 11 - February 13

Srila Prabhupada's letters, lectures and conversations throughout consecutive years

• Click on the year dates to go to the Timeline of Srila Prabhupada's Life for that year.

The Days in the Life of Srila Prabhupada presents 2200+ of his lectures; 905+ of his conversations; 490+ of his morning walks; 65+ of his interviews and 6,570+ of his letters.

This listing covers all available material and includes:

• 10,300+ links to Vanisource - our repository of all of Srila Prabhupada's words;
• 450+ short audio clips - Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada sprinkled throughout the months;
• 1,080 short video clips extracted from lectures, conversations, morning walks and interviews, with subtitles in up to 88 languages, sprinkled throughout the months;
• 13,350+ concise statements, drawn from Srila Prabhupada's lectures, conversations and letters, highlighted within quoteboxes;
• For further study on the different subjects addressed, each statement links to the various categories in our thematic section of Vanipedia named Vaniquotes.

These statements from the Days in the Life of Srila Prabhupada offer unparalleled insights into his devotional character; his vision to re-spiritualize human society; his dedication to translate, publish & distribute his books; his expertise to tirelessly lead & manage his worldwide movement; his empowered ability to encourage, care for, train & clearly communicate the disciplines he expects from all his disciples as he engages them in their pursuit of Krsna consciousness & performance of missionary activities. Through all these situations one can also experience how Srila Prahhupada consistently represents the pure teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates.

• See also: A Month in the Life of Srila Prabhupada.

1936 - February 12

Vyas Puja Homage to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda

1968 - February 12

Letter to Bhaktijana written from Los Angeles

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My instructions I have already given to you, how to chant the beads, and how to protect yourself from the offenses. I shall advise you again to chant always, increasing the counting, namely, 16 rounds is generally prescribed, but for the time being you can stop all other activities and increase the chanting to 64 rounds.

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You're intelligent young man, you can understand things as we say, and you follow and you will be benefited. Mistakes we may commit because it is not out of human activity, but at the same time, we must use our good consciousness how to achieve the goal of our life, Krishna. Please stick to this chanting process, sincerely, without any offense, and everything will be all right with you.

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Follow the rules and regulations strictly. If you want sex life, you are at liberty to get yourself married. But don't have illicit sex with some Maya's representative. That won't help you in your spiritual advancement. We don't forbid sex life, but we cannot allow illicit sex. For a young man it is very difficult to check sex desire, therefore best thing is for him to get himself married, and live like a responsible gentleman. Irresponsible man cannot make progress materially, or spiritually.

Letter to Gargamuni written from Los Angeles

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So far I am concerned I always take risk for Krishna. I came here in your country risking my life. And still although I am physically unfit, I am trying to execute the orders of my Guru Maharaja as far as possible. So to take risk for Krishna is very good.

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You know the history of my starting the society in 1966, it was all risky, and I was alone, but I took it depending on Krishna. So I think if you take the risk of $150, for Krishna's sake, Krishna will supply you the required money undoubtedly.

Letter to Mahapurusa written from Los Angeles

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To stick to the principles advised by the Spiritual Master and serve Krishna under the direction of the Spiritual Master is the only hope of our advancing in Krishna Consciousness. The Spiritual Master and Krishna are two parallel lines. You have to make your progress on these two parallel lines, you cannot avoid one in preference of the other. The train, on two tracks, moves forward. The Spiritual Master and Krishna are like these two tracks, they must be served simultaneously. Krishna helps one to find bona fide Spiritual Master, and bona fide Spiritual Master helps one to understand Krishna.

Letter to Sivananda written from Los Angeles

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We say there is no illicit sexlife, no intoxication, no meat eating, no gambling, so if Maharishi says there is no restrictions, naturally large number of people will follow him. That means they want to be cheated, and Krishna sends them a cheater. We cannot cheat people like him. We must say the truth, as they are prescribed; in the Bhagavad-gita there are 18 kinds of austerities, 13rd chapter. The restrictions which we are following are austerities. Without austerity, without celibacy, any amount of nonsense meditation will not help.

1969 - February 12

Lecture BG 05.26-29 - Los Angeles

Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada

"So first thing is that suppose somebody speaks of me very harshly. Naturally we become angry. Just like somebody calls me, "You are dog," or "You are hog." But if I am self-realized, if I know perfectly well that I am not this body, so you call me hog, dog or king, emperor, majesty, what is that? I am not this body. So either you call me "Your Majesty" or you call me a dog or a pig, what I have got to do? I am neither His Majesty nor a dog nor a cat—nothing of the sort. I am servant of Kṛṣṇa."

690212 - Lecture BG 05.26-29 - Los Angeles

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If I am realized then this material composition of this body is disbursed and I am the spirit soul, small particle, I am immediately promoted to the spiritual sky. That is the highest perfection. In the spiritual sky either you remain as a small spark of spirit soul, molecules. Just like there are millions of molecules of shining matter in the sunshine.

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All the yoga practice or philosophical speculation or anything—all practice targets to one point—that I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am Brahman. I am not this matter. This is perfection. A man who has made sufficient progress to this realization is more perfect. This is the way of perfection. And assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future.

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Self-discipline and constantly endeavoring for perfection. This is the perfection. Always be situated in self-realized condition that I am not this body. This is perfection. Actually it is. But due to my ignorance I am identifying with this body, therefore I am now self-realized. So constantly endeavoring. This cannot be attained all of a sudden. One has to practice. It is a fact. But one has to realize this fact by endeavoring. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice.

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The bhakti-yoga process is that if I do not like to see artificially the beauty of woman or man, if I try to see the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, naturally my, this propensity of seeing beautiful man or woman becomes extinguished. You do not require to shut your eyes. There are so many beautiful girls sitting. I do not require to shut my eyes. If my mind is concentrated on the beauty of Kṛṣṇa I can see these beautiful girls as Kṛṣṇa's gopīs.

Lecture Excerpt - Los Angeles

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People are harassed with so many problems. The politicians and the humanists, the socialists, the ambassadors, the presidents, they're all harassed with the problems. And a Kṛṣṇa conscious person has no problems. (laughter) Has no problems. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. The whole universe becomes happy to them.

Interview - Los Angeles

Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada

"Our process is... It is also meditation. But as you understand by meditation, that concentrating the mind upon some super subject matter, the same thing is there, but we don't try to concentrate the mind artificially. But our this chanting process immediately attracts the mind. Our process is... Just like Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, we chant it in melodious song. So mind is attracted, and we try to hear the sound. That means my mind and my ear is compact in that thought. Therefore it is practical meditation."

690212 - Interview - Los Angeles

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I first came in New York. Then I went to Pittsburgh, and for one year I was traveling, and I established this society in July 1, 1966.

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Interviewer: I assume that being an initiated member means that the individual has acquainted himself sufficiently with your teaching and gone through certain disciplines? Is that? Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Certainly. That is the first condition to accept one as my disciple, because there are some restriction. I don't allow illicit sex life. I don't allow intoxication. I don't allow meat-eating and gambling. So I build up their character. So naturally my followers are very restricted. (chuckles)

Letter to Charles McCollough written from Los Angeles

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Regarding your question about time, time is eternal, but in the spiritual world, there is no influence of time. In the material world there is the influence of past, present and future, and this past, present and future is a relative truth. This is because the past of one man is not the past of another; past, present and future are relative to the person, and there are different grades of persons.

Letter to Hayagriva written from Los Angeles

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Is there any snow-storm in New Vrindaban also? If not, I can go whenever you call me there because here I have no serious business just now.

Letter to Satsvarupa written from Los Angeles

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Regarding Jadurani's diet, let her take fruits, vegetables, milk, capatis, and also when she is hungry she may take a little rice and some thin mung dahl. Please keep me informed of her progress.

1970 - February 12

Letter to Vamanadeva written from Los Angeles

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By the grace of Krsna this mission of spreading Krishna Consciousness is being enthusiastically pushed on for the benefit of the whole world by the assistance of all my disciples, good souls like your self and your good wife.

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I am so happy to see that you have introduced our Bhakti Yoga or Krishna Consciousness classes in two universities, St. Louis University and Washington University. This is the real course of study for human beings and we should use such good opportunities to give the young collegiate boys and girls this education of spiritual science. So please conduct these courses diligently to influence the hearts of the students and encourage them to participate in your temple's activities as well as weekly classes at the universities.

1971 - February 12

Lecture Hindi - Gorakhpur

Lecture SB 06.03.18-19 - Gorakhpur

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Oṁkāra is Kṛṣṇa also. Kṛṣṇa is everything. Why not oṁkāra? So tat tvam asi means "You are the same." Tat tvam asi. That means you are spirit soul. So what is the objection? And for every Vedic mantra, the oṁkāra is there. Praṇāma. Every Vedic mantra. Just like we also chant oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramam. Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyam. So every Vedic mantra is preceded by the oṁkāra.

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We are giving equal rights to everyone. Either grhastha or brahmacari or sannyasi, the main center is Krsna. One who is advanced in Krsna consciousness is all right.

710212 - Lecture CC Madhya 06.149-50 - Gorakhpur

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You may be very big speaker, nice speaker, but that is not the process - simply by speaking very nicely you can understand the Absolute Truth. Neither you can understand the Absolute Truth because you have got a very nice brain, a great scientist.

Letter to Gunagrahi written from Gorakhpur

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The spreading of this Sankirtana Movement is the best service to the greater humanity and all living entities in general because it revives the divine nature of the soul in Krsna Consciousness. So your activities are now supposed to be on the pure spiritual platform and by continuation of this simple process faithfully you will increase your spiritual blissful strength and influence those who come in your contact to take part in this joyous revival of love of Krsna, the desired life of eternally liberated souls.

1972 - February 12

Conversation - Madras

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Govinda is absolute. Govinda and Govinda's organization the same. Govinda is absolute.

Letter to Govinda dasi written from Madras

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Devotion does not depend on the body, and in spite of all difficulties we can chant, so long we have got the tongue—and even we have got no tongue we can chant in our mind. So where is the question of not serving with devotion? On the contrary, I consider that you and your good husband, Gaurasundara, are two of my topmost disciples and the work you are doing greatly encourages and pleases me, therefore do not think that because you are sometimes sick or weak that you are not making any advancement and that you are disappointing me, no.

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I have just purchased for a very good price one large 20,000 sq. yard plot in Juhu, the wealthiest and most beautiful section of Bombay, very much like your Hawaii, and in the month of March I shall be lecturing there on the site in our pandal, in order to supervise the construction of our first "Hare Krishna City."

1973 - February 12

Lecture Arrival - Sydney

Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada

"If you serve Kṛṣṇa, then we are reflection. We are reflection. Kṛṣṇa being satisfied, immediately we become satisfied. So if you want peace, satisfaction, then you make Kṛṣṇa satisfied. That is the way. You cannot… Just like decorate the reflection in the mirror—that is not possible. You decorate the reality, person, and the reflection in the mirror will be decorated. This is the process. Kṛṣṇa is not hankering after your decoration, after your nice foodstuff, because He is full perfect, ātmārāma. He can create any kind of comforts, He is so powerful. But He is so kind that He comes to you in a form which you can handle to serve Him: this arcā-mūrti. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Because you cannot see at the present moment Kṛṣṇa in spiritual identity, therefore Kṛṣṇa comes before you as stone, as wood. But He is not stone; He is not wood."

730212 - Lecture Arrival - Sydney

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Sankirtana movement is so nice that it will increase blissful life more and more, more and more. Although you are getting some impediments from the authorities, you don’t mind for that. You go on with your business and nobody can check you. Krsna is there. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is there.

1974 - February 12

Lecture BG 04.04 - Vṛndāvana

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He knows everything, even within your heart, what you're thinking, what you are planning. It cannot be concealed to Kṛṣṇa. This is our foolishness, that we are doing something, concealing. You can conceal my eyes, other friend's eyes, but you cannot conceal the eyes of Kṛṣṇa. He is upadraṣṭānumantā (BG 13.23). That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Upadraṣṭā: He is seeing always what you are doing. You cannot play tricks with Kṛṣṇa; that is not possible.

Lecture Excerpt - Vṛndāvana

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One who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service with firm faith and devotion, it means he has already freed himself from all kinds of reactions of sinful activities. This is the test. Without being freed from all contamination of sinful activities, nobody can clinch his faith on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. If one hesitates, that means he is still sinful. That's all. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Duṣkṛtino. Duṣkṛta means sinful—he cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa. These are the plain things.

Letter to Ravendra Gupta written from Vṛndāvana

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I am very glad to hear you are following my instructions by chanting 16 rounds daily.

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You should know that the value of accepting a bona fide spiritual master is more than we can calculate. It is not a mere formality. Of course everyone is encouraged to chant Hare Krishna, but until one gives up sinful activities and becomes determined to serve Krishna through His representative then the firm fixing up of devotional service will not take hold, and there is every chance that one will fall prey to all sorts of material desires and have to come back again in the next life—and one cannot guarantee that he will be born in the form of life he may desire.

1975 - February 12

Lecture BG 02.12 - Mexico

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Kṛṣṇa began His teaching to Arjuna, chastising him that "You do not know anything; still, you are talking like a learned man." This is the fault of a person without any spiritual knowledge. Every man in this material world is almost without any spiritual knowledge. Still, they are proud of their learning, their knowledge, their degrees. This is going on.

Conversation - Mexico

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This Krsna consciousness movement is meant for making things very simplified. Accept God, accept your position as God's servant and serve God. That's all, three words.

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I came to give you. Some of you have taken, and some have not taken, so what can I do? I came to give you Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is my duty. My Guru Mahārāja ordered and I came. But some of you, you have taken, and most of, they have not taken. So that is another thing. But I came to deliver you the genuine thing. That's all.

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Why shall I force? That is not my business. I am Krsna's servant. I simply say, "Here is good thing. You take it."

Letter to Hanuman written from Mexico City

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You have my authorization to open centers as you see fit after considering twice and thrice. Do not whimsically open or establish any center and then close it down later on. Please report to me directly as to your whereabouts and your programs for preaching work. You must be very strict to follow all of the rules and regulations that I have given without even the slightest deviation. By a perfect example from your own conduct, others will be nicely trained up to be perfect Vaisnavas.

Letter to Manager, Central Bank of India written from Mexico City

1976 - February 12

Morning Walk - Mayapur

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People should clearly understand that we don't encourage laziness. We never encourage. According to your capacity, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), you must work.

Lecture SB 07.09.05 - Mayapur

Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada

"It is so easy to go back to home, back to Godhead. It is not very difficult task at all. If you cannot do anything—if you cannot read books, if you cannot understand philosophy, if your behavior is not on the standard—still, if you simply offer your obeisances before the Deity, you make progress. You make progress, undoubtedly."

760212 - Lecture SB 07.09.05 - Mayapur

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The foolish persons, they do not take care. They think they are very much advanced, they have no need to attend ārati or to play on the mṛdaṅga or cymbal. But that is not fact. So many items are there given by the ācāryas. If not this, you do this, you do that, you do that—hundreds of items. Take any one of them and you'll be benefited. This is arcana-mārga. There are many foolish person, they make propaganda, "There is no need of going to the temple." That is another rascaldom. Because if you come to the temple, you get so many facilities to make advance in spiritual life. This is our mission.

Letter to Caru Gupta written from Mayapur

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By your next letter I shall give my decision concerning your initiations. You are already worshiping Gaura Nitai so that is all right. And your wife is assisting you, so that is also all right. So you wait for a while for initiation and if possible come to India to Mayapur and I shall initiate you.

Letter to Dixit written from Mayapur

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Regarding your desire to preach in Hindi and English, that is very nice. My suggestion is that you purchase one or two rooms in our Vrindaban centre. The price is Rs. 50,000 for one room or 60,000 for two rooms and you may have your choice of commodes.

Letter to Gaura Govinda written from Mayapur

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If you publish some book in Oriyan language, that book will give you good support. So now you have an opportunity, you are there and Krishna will help. Gradually we will help. Krishna is so kind, He is always ready to help.

Letter to Saurabha written from Mayapur

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I am in receipt of one letter from Gaura Govinda Swami in Puri. In his letter he states that he is ready to submit plans to the municipal authorities. So I am herewith requesting you to send him a plan.

Letter to Ajit Kumar Chatterjee written from Mayapur

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The message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was to give the same message as Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita: "surrender to Krishna". The pastimes of Radha-Krishna relationship are confidential and are not for the distribution to the ordinary public. Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to discuss with Svarupa Damodara, Ramananda Ray, Sikhi Mahiti, but not publicly. Ordinarily he was chanting the Hare Krishna mantra with ordinary devotees at the Jagannatha temple. So I think you should not discuss Radha-Krishna pranyayavikritih openly among ordinary conditional souls.

1977 - February 12

Lecture SB 07.09.02 - Mayapur

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This has become a fashion, to equalize Nārāyaṇa with everyone. So in this way India's culture has been dismantled. Nārāyaṇa cannot be equal. Nārāyaṇa personally says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). The another word is used: asamaurdhva. Nobody can be equal with Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu-tattva. No.

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As soon as he (Rāvaṇa) separated Lakṣmī from Nārāyaṇa, he became vanquished with all his friends. So don't try to do that, to separate Lakṣmī from Nārāyaṇa. She cannot be separated. But if anyone attempts like that, he'll be ruined. He'll be ruined. The example is Rāvaṇa. So at the present moment people are very much fond of śrī, money. Śrī-aiśvaryā. Śrī-aiśvaryā. Śrī-aiśvaryā prajepsavaḥ. General people, they want śrī, money, or beauty, beautiful woman.

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Pāṣaṇḍi means devil, or nondevotee. Abhaktā hīna cara. Be careful not to mix with nondevotee who imagines about God. They do not believe in God actually. This pāṣaṇḍi means who do not believe in God. They think that there is no God, but they simply say, "Yes, there is God, but God has no head, no tail, no mouth, nothing." And then what is God then? But these rascals say nirākāra.

Conversation - Mayapur

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The other day you were asking me about the wages, labor. So our point is the devotees shall work. So there is no program to pay wages.

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