A Day in the Life of Srila Prabhupada - November 21

November 20 - November 22

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.

1956 - November 21

Letter to Dr. Rajendra Prasad President of Indian Union written from Delhi

vanipedia.org

I beg to submit herewith that by the Grace of Sri Krishna through His mercy personified—my spiritual master, I have realized it most thoroughly that going "Back to Godhead" is the highest privilege of mankind and that is the supreme perfection of human life.

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I am feeling as sure of going "Back to Godhead" as I feel without any doubt after taking my dinner that I have eaten to my satisfaction. This feeling is a necessary concomitant factor of the great science of devotional service in the approved line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I am therefore very eager to broadcast the secret of my success to all men and women of the world as a natural consequence and I am seeking your excellency's help and co-operation in this great attempt of transcendental service.

vanipedia.org

Believe me or not, I have got the clue of going "Back to Godhead" just after leaving my present material body and in order to take along with me all my contemporary men and women of the world, I have started my paper "Back to Godhead" as one of the means to the way.

vanipedia.org

Please do not think of me as a wonderful or a mad man when I say that I shall go "Back to Godhead" after leaving my present material body! It is quite possible for everyone and all of us.

1966 - November 21

Lecture BG 08.28-09.02 - New York

Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada

"Any scripture of any country, not only of this Bhagavad-gītā, but any scripture, they are aiming simply how to get us back to Godhead. That is the purpose."

661121 - Lecture BG 08.28-09.02 - New York

vanipedia.org

Mahātmā is a designation of a person who is a surrendered soul to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's called mahātmā. He's not... Mahātmā means "great," "expanding, expanded." Ha. So one who becomes a devotee of the Lord, automatically he becomes expanded. Therefore mahātmā means one whose heart is expanded.

Lecture CC Madhya 20.66-96 - New York

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The spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master, he thinks that "I am your disciple. I am your disciple." And practical example I have seen: our Guru Mahārāja, when we offered obeisances, he used to return me, dāso 'smi: "I am your servant." He used to return me this way, "I am your servant."

1967 - November 21

Letter to Mukunda written from Calcutta

Letter to Pradyumna, Satsvarupa and Jadurani written from Calcutta

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Killing proposal is not good. We have to kill them with arguments and reasons not with sticks and weapons. Jadurani, I am very glad that you want to kill the non-devotees. You should, however, leave the matter to your good God-brothers who will take care of it. I am pleased to learn of your spirit of protest, but sometimes we have to tolerate.

1968 - November 21

Letter to Joy Fulcher written from Los Angeles

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All devotees are more or less poets. Out of 26 qualifications of a perfect devotee, one is poetic sense. So we can write so many poetries in praise of the Lord, or about His pastimes. Similarly we can draw so many nice pictures about His different activities, and such engagements will give us chance to elevate ourself to the perfectional platform of spiritual understanding.

1970 - November 21

Letter to Upendra written from Bombay

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Do not be worried about the future. If you will simply work on very strenuously in humble state of mind as the sincere servant of the servant of the Lord, then Krsna will give you all facilities.

1971 - November 21

Lecture Pandal - Delhi

Letter A to Satsvarupa written from Delhi

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I am very much anxious to open schools for educating children of responsible leaders in our Krishna Consciousness way of life, especially also in India. If these leaders simply become a little convinced about the real purpose of human life, there is tremendous potency for improving the world.

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Last night the topic of my lecture at our Delhi pandal was the necessity for teaching Krishna Consciousness in all our schools and colleges. This is a revolutionary thought.

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Preaching is more important than managing. Just because you are preaching nicely and distributing so much prasadam, the management will follow like a shadow and Krishna will send you no end of help.

Letter B to Satsvarupa written from Delhi

Letter to Mathuresh, Raghavendu and Vijay Laksmi written from Delhi

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I can understand that all of you are very sincere and are very eligible candidates for going back to home, back to Godhead. And the process is simple. Follow the regulative principles, chant at least 16 rounds of beads daily, read our literatures, go for street Sankirtana, etc. In this way keep yourselves engaged in Krishna's business 24 hours and you all will be really happy in this life and in the end reach the Supreme destination.

Letter to Rsi Kumara written from Delhi

1972 - November 21

Lecture BG 02.15 - Hyderabad

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Now, everyone is trying not to die, everyone is trying not to become old, everyone is trying not to be dead, meet death. This is natural. Because, by nature, we are not subjected to these things, therefore our endeavor, our activity, is struggling, how to become deathless, birthless, diseaseless. That is struggle for existence.

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Here is the recommendation. Try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. And then you'll not be disturbed with all these external, ephemeral changes of the material world. Not only of this body, practically..., practically one who is advanced in spiritual life, he's not agitated by the so-called political upheavals or social disturbances. No.

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Vaiṣṇava is very kind-hearted, merciful, because he feels for others. He feels for others in this sense that he knows what he is. He sees every living entity as part and parcel of God: "Now, here is a part and parcel of God. He would have gone back to home, back to Godhead, and danced with Him, and lived very nicely, eternally, blissfully. Now he's rotting here as a hog, or as a human being, or as a king.

vanipedia.org

Tattva-darśibhiḥ, those who are, who have seen the Absolute Truth, or those who have realized the Absolute Truth, they have concluded that the matter has no permanent existence and spirit soul has no annihilation. These two things would be understood. Asataḥ. Asataḥ means material. Nāsato vidyate bhāvaḥ.

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Dehī means the proprietor of the body. So everyone is dehī, either animal or human being or tree or anyone. Every living entity has accepted a material body. Therefore they are called dehī. So dehinām, every dehī, because he has accepted this material body, he's always full of anxiety.

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Real renunciation means you have to give up the andha-kūpa life and take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, harim āśrayeta. If you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, then you can give up this, all this "ism" life. Otherwise, it is not possible; you'll be entrapped by this "ism" life.

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This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to educate people to understand the value of life, the value of spiritual life especially, Bhāgavata. Dharmān bhāgavatān iha. So, by understanding spiritual life, by understanding one's actual constitutional position, he may be enlightened, what is the aim of life, what is the duty of life, what is the purpose of life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

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Asat means will not exist, temporary. So you cannot expect permanent happiness in temporary world. That is not possible. But they are trying to become happy. So many plan-making commissions, utopian. But actually there is no happiness.one has seen or has realized the Absolute Truth, he knows that in the material world there cannot be any happiness. This conclusion should be made. This is simply phantasmagoria, if you want to become happy in this material world.

Letter to Joshiji written from Hyderabad

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If we get chance to meet again, I want to discuss frankly how we may co-operatively push on this Krishna Consciousness movement, especially in India. Let us see what Krishna desires.

Letter to Niranjana written from Hyderabad

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If you are serious to be an important assistant in our Society you should fully engage yourself in translation work, and do not mix yourself with my so-called god-brothers.

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If you are serious to be an important assistant in our Society you should fully engage yourself in translation work, and do not mix yourself with my so-called god-brothers. As there are in Vrindaban some residents like monkeys and hogs, similarly there are many rascals in the name of Vaisnavas, be careful of them. And do not dare to question imprudently before your Spiritual Master. Further talks we may discuss when we meet.

1974 - November 21

Lecture SB 03.25.21 - Bombay

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If you have the qualities of a ksatriya and if you work as a ksatriya, then you are ksatriya. If you have the qualification of a mercantile man, businessman, and if you work as a businessman or cultivator, then you become vaisya. This is very scientific. Not that one is classified according to the birth. No. According to qualification.

Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada

"If you acquire the qualities of a brāhmaṇa, then, and if you work as a brāhmaṇa, then guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, you become a brāhmaṇa. If you have the qualities of a kṣatriya and if you work as a kṣatriya, then you are kṣatriya. If you have the qualification of a mercantile man, businessman, and if you work as a businessman or cultivator, then you become vaiśya. This is very scientific. Not that one is classified according to the birth. No. According to qualification."

741121 - Lecture SB 03.25.21 - Bombay

Letter to Haihaya written from Bombay