Wedding of Prabhāvatī and Hari-nāma – July 9, 1971, Los Angeles

Don't bring in cats and dogs

Prabhupada: So you are now married, and you happily go on with Krsna consciousness and have Krsna conscious children. If you cannot produce Krsna conscious children, then don't indulge in sex life; don't bring in cats and dogs. [laughter] All Krsna conscious. And if you can bring Krsna conscious children, you produce one hundred children.

[break] ...Vedic sastra, the Vedic, I mean, scripture, we find that Krsna is supporting all living entities: eko yo bahūnam vidadhati kaman [Katha Upanisad 2.2.13]. What is God and what is living entities? That difference is there in the Vedas: nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He is the chief amongst the living entities. There are eka.

He is the one, single, and we are many millions and trillions, unlimited-there is no counting how many living entities are there. But He is maintaining everyone, eko yo bahūnam vidadhati kaman. So there is no question of population..., increase of population. This is a nonsense theory. Krsna can feed any number of population, but when they are rascals there is trouble.

[break] You can understand it very easily. Just like if you are a nice citizen, so there is no restriction of your activities. But as soon as you become criminal, oh, immediately there is trouble. So at the present moment we are all criminals; therefore there is so much crisis in the world. But if we live simple life, there is no crisis. If we abide by the laws of God, there is no question of poverty or distress or famine or disease-nothing. There is nothing.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is aiming to that perfectional stage of human society, that everyone will live happily during this life, and after this body he goes directly to Krsna, That's all.

Devotees: Hare Krsna!

Prabhupada: This is our program. So don't miss this opportunity. Now next, Hari-nama. No guardian present?

Devotee: No.

Prabhupada: So, all right. So any. You can. You can…

Tamala Krsna: Hari-nama, this is my Godsister Prabhavati, and I give her to you in charity because she is my sister, and I ask you that you must take very good care of her and always protect her. Do you accept her in charity?

Hari-nama: I accept Prabhavati as my wife, and I will protect her...

Prabhupada: Yes. That is the…

Hari-nama: ...help her in Krsna consciousness.

Prabhupada: The whole idea is that woman require protection. They are very innocent, weaker sex. They should not be given freedom. No. That is not…, very dangerous. Just like a child cannot be given freedom. It is dangerous. If I give one child freedom, "All right, you cross this road," that means his life is at risk. Similarly women, they are weaker sex.

Artificially don't try to become one with man; that is not possible. That is not possible. Better to remain protected by man. In the childhood a girl is protected by the father; in youth she is protected by the husband; and in the old-age she is protected by the elderly sons. This is the three stages of woman. There is no fourth stage. That is nice.

So this system-the husband taking charge of the young girl, husband and wife in Krsna consciousness-it is very nice life. Introduce this. Everyone will be happy. There will be no unhappiness in the society. So I am very glad that Hari-nama, a Krsna conscious boy, is taking charge of you, and you also promise that "I shall serve you throughout my whole life." Say like that.

Prabhavati: I promise to serve Hari-nama for my whole life.

Prabhupada: Ah. And there is no question of separation in any condition of life. Not that, "Oh, the husband is a little poor. I am giving…, give him up." No. There is no question. [laughter] [chuckles] In any condition of life you should remain together. Even if you have to live underneath a tree, don't be separated-you'll be happy. And chant Hare Krsna. [break] [Prabhupada and devotees chant japa] [break]

Diksa means… Di means divya. Divya means "transcendental." And ksa, ksapayati-ksapayati means "explains" or "reveals," or "becomes enlightened." So diksa means beginning of enlightenment, transcendental enlightenment. Diksa. And initiation is beginning. That you know[?].

So, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [Munḍaka Upanisad 1.2.12]. In the Vedic injunction it is stated that in order to learn that transcendental science one must approach a guru, or the spiritual master. Without approaching a spiritual master there is no possibility of attaining transcendental knowledge. So diksa, divyam jnanam ksapayati-the beginning.

So those who are being initiated today, they should learn how to make advance in Krsna consciousness. Adau gurvasrayam [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.74]. In the Krsna consciousness movement the first thing is to accept a bona fide spiritual master.

In any science, if you want to advance in that science, you have to accept a bona fide teacher, without which, in any field of knowledge, you cannot make any advance. Especially in the transcendental science one has… Adau gurvasrayam. Adau means in the beginning; gurvasrayam-accepting a bona fide spiritual master. Sad-dharma-prccha [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.74].

Then simply by accepting formally a spiritual master is no use. One must be very inquisitive. One must enquire about the transcendental science. The student who is inquisitive for transcendental science, he should accept a spiritual master. A spiritual master is not accepted for any material gain.

For material gain you have got so many universities, colleges, schools-that's all right. But for spiritual gain you must accept a spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession and self-realized soul. Then your path is clear. To accept a spiritual master-bona fide spiritual master-and follow his instructions means your path to liberation is open.

In many places of the authoritative scripture these things are stated. Mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes [SB 5.5.2]. Vimukteḥ. Vimukteḥ means liberation from this material bondage. If anyone wants liberation from the material bondage… Unfortunately, we do not know what is material bondage. They are so much callous that we have no knowledge. The material bondage is birth, death, old age and disease. This is called material bondage.

We want freedom-that is our natural inclination. Every one of us wants freedom. But freedom from what? This so-called freedom has no meaning. Real freedom is when you are free from the nature's law, which is forcing you to take birth, which is forcing you to die, which is forcing you to become diseased and which is forcing you to become old. So if one wants freedom… [break] [end]