Prayers and Quotes; Srila Prabhupada
A Comprehensive Guide to Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma
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Quotes
His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada
Lectures
"...The Lord descends on this mortal world to show His pastimes in Våndävana full of happiness. When Lord Çré Kåñëa was in Våndävana, His activities with His cowherd boys friends, with His damsels, with His friends, damsel friends, and with the inhabitants of Våndävana and His occupation of cowherding in His childhood, and all these pastimes of Lord Kåñëa were full of happiness. The whole of Våndävana, the whole population of Våndävana, was after Him. They did not know except Kåñëa. Even Lord Kåñëa restricted His father, Nanda Mahäräja in worshiping the demigod Indra because He wanted to establish that people need not worship any other demigod except the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because the ultimate aim of life is to return to the abode of the Supreme Lord. The abode of Lord Kåñëa is described in the Bhagavad-gétä, 15th Chapter, 6th verse...." (earliest known lecture, on Bhagavad-gita Introduction)
"...For Kåñëa the gopés, the calf and the cows or anyone in Våndävana who has come to serve Him, they are all equal to Him. Somebody wants to serve Kåñëa as calf, somebody wants to serve Kåñëa as cow, somebody wants to serve Kåñëa as gopé, somebody wants to serve Kåñëa as cowherd boy, somebody wants to serve Kåñëa as His father, somebody wants to serve Kåñëa as His mother. These are the different mellows, different tastes. Every living entity has got his own taste, how to love Kåñëa. But the central point is to love Kåñëa. Kåñëa also reciprocates. He has no discrimination that "Here is gopé, beautiful girl. Therefore I shall love her more than the calf." No. Kåñëa is not so partial...." (B.Gita; verse 1.44; 7/31/73; London)
"...The philosophy of Lord Caitanya is that Kåñëa is the only object of worship. And as Kåñëa is object of worship, similarly, His place, Våndävana, Våndävana-dhäma. Those who have visited India. Våndävana-dhäma, still, if you go to Våndävana without knowing about Kåñëa, you will at once feel Kåñëa consciousness. It is such a nice place. So that Våndävana-dhäma is also worshipable..." (B.Gita; 4.12-13; 7/29/66; NY)
Conversations
"Kåñëa and the residents of Våndävana so affectionately connected, that there is no such conception that "Kåñëa is God, Kåñëa can play wonderful things." They simply love Kåñëa. And out of love they forget everything. "All right. That's all right. That's all right." So that ecstasy of love is only possible in Våndävana. "(Questions & Answers; 9/6/68; NY)
"The central object of love is Kåñëa. That is Våndävana. The animals love Kåñëa, the human beings love Kåñëa, the trees love Kåñëa, the water love Kåñëa, everyone loves Kåñëa-central point. That is the perfection of love. " ( Room Conversation; 6/24/76; New Vrindavana)
"Kåñëa, the oldest man, oldest living being, but nava-yauvana, always fresh, young... You can get that position. You can play also, play Kåñëa. But that path they will not take. Kåñëa, ever-existingly young man, He is displaying in Våndävana and inviting, "You can also come and join and live like this." (Morning Walk; 10/28/75; Nairobi)
Correspondence
" It has been the ancient custom that the man in the later years of his life, usually after the age of 50, prepares to leave home and takes the order of vanaprastha, taking pilgrimages to different holy lands. Then eventually he may take sannyasa, the renounced order of life, with no connection with family whatsoever. This is actually necessary as it is recommended by Sri Krsna Himself.
So you have asked my advise and I think the best thing is for you to either go to our Vrndavana center or our Mayapur center or our Bombay center and live there for the rest of your life, chanting Hare Krsna, feeling the bliss of being fully engaged in the service of Sri Krsna.
By association of devotees and eating Krsna prasadam, constantly engaged in the service of the Lord you will become purified from all unwanted things and it will be very easy for you to absorb yourself in thoughts of the Supreme Lord only. Then when it comes time to leave your body at the end of life you will go to Krsna." (Bombay; 12/23/74: Sri Srinivasan)
"Regarding your question about the term "unmanifest in the Bhagavad-gita 8/21, there are two words in Sanskrit—aprakata which means "unmanifest or "nonmanifest and prakata which means "manifest. Krsna's Lila in Vrndavana is prakata or manifest Lila, and the same is going on eternally in the spiritual realm which is known as aprakata or nonmanifest.
Actually Krsna's planet and Krsna's pastimes are going on eternally, and the same is manifested before the conditioned souls at certain intervals, that is to say once in one day of Brahma, exactly as the sun is visible for 12 hours once in a 24 hour cycle of day and night. When the sun is visible it is called prakata, and when the sun is not visible that is called aprakata or unmanifested.
Nonmanifested therefore does not mean there is no existence, but the terms are used in relation to the visibility or nonvisibility to the limited conditioned souls. Krsna by His causeless mercy manifests Himself along with His form, name, qualities, entourage, and pastimes in order to attract the conditioned souls to the eternal blissful life of knowledge.
Thus by understanding Krsna in His manifest Lila one is attracted to His eternal Lila, and that is the highest success of life which is explained in the latter part of the verse
yam prapya na nivartante tat dhama paramam mama
"Going, no one ever returns from that, My Supreme Abode.
(L.A.; 5/14/70; Shyamasundara dasa)