This Krsna Consciousness is just like sugar candy-wherever you bite into it is sweet !!–SP

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (18.3), yajña–dāna–tapaḥ–karma na tyājyam: the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, charity, austerity and all such prescribed duties are never to be given up. Yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām (18.5): even one who is very much advanced in spiritual realization must still execute the Vedic principles. Even in the lowest stage, the karmīs are advised to work for the sake of the Lord.yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra
loko ’yaṁ karma–bandhanaḥ“Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world.” (Bg. 3.9) The words yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ indicate that while performing all kinds of duties, one should remember that these duties should be performed to satisfy the Supreme Lord (sva–karmaṇā tam abhyarcya). According to Vedic principles, there must be divisions of human society (cātur–varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam [Bg. 4.13]). There should be brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras, and everyone should learn to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead (tam abhyarcya). This is real human society, and without this system we are left with animal society.The modern activities of human society are described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the activities of go-khara, cows and asses (sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]). Everyone is acting in a bodily concept of life involving society, friendship and love for the improvement of economic and political conditions, and thus all activities are enacted in ignorance. The Supreme Personality therefore comes to teach us how to act according to the Vedic principles. In this age of Kali, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as Śrī CaitanyaMahāprabhu and preached that in this age the Vedic activities cannot be systematically performed because people are so fallen. He gave this recommendation from the śāstras:harernāmaharernāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
[Adi17.21]“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.” …We should learn how to act from Bhagavad-gītā, which explains everything for human understanding. Thus we can become happy even in this age of Kali. Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/10/2/34

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     THE HEART OF KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
(Isana Dasa)

In the 18^th chapter of Srila Prabhupada’s Teachings of Lord Caitanya, we read about the conversation between Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Prakashananda Sarasvati.  Prakashananda was chief amongst the large following of Mayavadi sannyasis at Benares.  According to the sannyasis who followed the Mayavadi teachings of Shankaracharya, singing, dancing and playing musical instruments were regarded as sinful activities.  The Mayavadi sannyasis considered Lord Caitanya to be an uneducated sentimentalist; and Lord Caitanya avoided their association and continued His sankirtan movement.

Srila Prabhupada writes (TLC):  “ ……both Tapan Mishra and Chandra Sekhar Acharya were feeling very sorry about strong criticism against Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and they came together and prayed  for the Lord to meet the Mayavadi sannyasis.”  At that time, a brahmana came to Lord Caitanya and begged Him to participate in a meeting of the Mayavadi sannyasis at his home and Lord Caitanya accepted his invitation. 

Srila Prabhupada continues:  “The next day Lord Caitanya went to the house of the brahmin.  He saw that all the Mayavadi sannyasis were sitting there.  He offered His respects to all the sannyasis, as was usual, and then He went to wash His feet.  After washing His feet, He sat down at that spot, not amongst the Mayavadi sannyasis, but in a place where water was kept for washing the feet.  While He was sitting there, the other sannyasis saw a glaring effulgence emanating from His body.  All the Mayavadi sannyasis were attracted by this glaring effulgence, and they stood up and showed Him respects.”

Then Prakashanada Sarasvati very respecftfully invited Lord Caitanya to join the other sannyasis, and Prakashananda enquired as to why Lord Caitanya was not following the path of Shankaracharya, but was engaging in singing and dancing.  Lord Caitanya explained as follows: 

“My dear sir, I may inform you that my spiritual master saw me as a great fool, and therefore he more or less punished Me and said that, because I am such a fool, I have no jurisdiction in the study of Vedanta.  So he kindly gave me the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.  My spiritual master told Me:  ‘You go on chanting this Krishna mantra, and it will make You all-perfect.’”(TLC)

In the course of their discussion, Lord Caitanya pointed out many of the truths of Vedanta philosophy, uncompromised by the faulty explanations of Shakaracharya.  And finally Lord Caitanya explained:

“As a result of this chanting, sometimes I become impatient and cannot restrain Myself from dancing and laughing or crying or singing – just like a madman.  When I first wondered whether I had become a madman by chanting this Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, I approached my spiritual master and informed him that by chanting this Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, ‘I am becoming just like a madman, so what is My actual position?’”(TLC)

Srila Prabhupada continues, “Lord Caitanya informed Prakashananda that when His spiritual master understood Him, the spiritual master said:  “It is the transcendental nature of the Holy Name of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare to transport a man into spiritual madness.  Anyone who sincerely chants this Holy Name is actually elevated very soon onto the platform of love of God, and therefore he becomes mad after Him.”(TLC)

It is at this point, near the very end of chapter 18, that Srila Prabhupada discloses an essential key to understanding the mystery of how we invoke this benediction of love of Krishna through this chanting process.  Srila Prabhupada explains as follows: 

“The process is that a bonafide spiritual master chants the Holy Name, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and the transcendental sound vibration enters into the ear of the disciple.  If the disciple follows in the footsteps of his spiritual master and chants the Holy Name with equal respect, that becomes the worship of the transcendental Name.When the transcendental Name becomes worshiped by the devotee, the Name Himself spreads His glories within the heart of the devotee, and when he is perfectly qualified in chanting such transcendental vibration of the Holy Name, he is quite fit to become a spiritual master for delivering all the people of the world.”(TLC Ch 18)

(It is to be noted that the above quotes are taken from the 1968 copyright edition of TLC.  The same text as presented on the Prabhupadabooks.com web site, presents the words of this chapter in a way that distorts Srila Prabhupada’s presentation, even to the extent of changing Srila Prabhupada’s words “equal respect” to “similar respect”.  Upon questioning editor Dravida das regarding the reason for this change, he told me that Hayagriva concluded that it would not be possible for us to ever chant the Holy Name with “equal respect” and therefore decided to change Srila Prabhupada’s words in this way.  However, we will show, with reference to our body of Vaishnava teachings, that “equal respect” is Srila Prabhupada’s purposeful choice of words, and his exact meaning.)

Therefore as we are sincere to progress in this cultivation of Krishna consciousness, the following question arises in our mind: 

“How can we chant the Holy Name with equal respect?”

In our Vaishnava songbook we find the prayer of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur entitled Gurudeva. The second verse is translated as follows: 

                                                                      I offer you all respects,

                                          for thus I may have the energy to know you correctly. 

                                            Then by chanting the holy name in great ecstasy,

                                                                  all my offenses will cease.

Similarly, in the Thakur’s Kabe habe bolo, the same feelings of transcendental veneration are expressed in verse number 7: 

                                                       Oh enjoyer of the nectar of the name,

                                                           When will I touch your lotus feet

                                                                     Until the end of time?

                                                      When, oh when will that day be mine?

“Until the end of time” can only mean, “I have no other shelter, and my ardent aspiration is to hold your divine lotus feet within my heart without cessation.” 

Similarly, in our Sri Sri Gurv-asktaka prayer that we sing every morning, we have the following instruction in the 7^th verse: 

                                                     The spiritual master is to be honored

                                                            as much as the Supreme Lord,

                                         because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord. 

                                            This is acknowledged in all revealed scriptures

                                                          and followed by all authorities.

In his purport to Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 17.15, Srila Prabhupada gives us another flavor, or ingredient, of the over-all formula for how to associate with the pure devotee for receiving his mercy:

The word ‘snigdha” (very peaceful) and the word ‘su-snigdha’ (affectionate) are used in verses 14 and 15, and they are also found in Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.8: bruyah snigdhasya sisysasya guravo guhyam apyy uta

                                        ‘A disciple who has actual love for his spiritual master,

                                            is endowed by the blessings of his spiritual master

                                                          with all confidential knowledge’. 

Srila Sridhara Swami has commented that the word ‘snigdhasya’ means ‘prema-vatah’.  The word ‘prema-vatah’ indicates that one has great love for his spiritual master.

There are scores of such quotes.  But we do not wish to expand the volume of this short essay.  The understanding that we hope to bring into focus, for our mutual benefit, is that when our love and respect for Srila Prabhupad are sincere and nicely fixed-up, we will begin to be blessed with an  understanding of his his mood of devotion in chanting the Holy Name of the Lord.  Then we can begin to follow in his footsteps in this way. 

In a very straight-forward and beautifully poetic way, Srila Prabhupada elucidates the process by which we come to understand his devotional feelings so that we can begin to cultivate those same feelings through our own chanting.  In his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.5.25 we find the following: 

                                                    Pure devotion is as much infectious,

                                                                      in a good sense,

                                                                 as infectious diseases…..       

                                                               The neophyte devotee

                                                           becomes practically enriched

                                     with the transcendental qualities of the pure devotee,

                                                                         which means

              attraction for the Personality of Godhead’s name, fame, quality, pastimes, etc.

                                       Infection of the qualities of the pure devotee means

                                                   to imbibe the taste of pure devotion

                      always in the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead……..

                                    …..one can become attracted, one can have steadiness,

                         one can have perfect taste, one can have transcendental emotions,

                   and at last one can be situated on the plane of loving service of the Lord.

                                                                All these stages develop

                                                     by the association of pure devotees,

                                                    and that is the purport of this stanza. 

Again, to say the same in one line, we recite, from the prayer of Srila Narottama das Thakur: 

                                                    From him, Krishna prema emanates;

                                                          By him, ignorance is destroyed.

Contemplating these abhideya guidelines, the conclusion is that Krishna consciousness is not a mechanical process.  It is a process of invoking the blessings of His Divine Grace, bestowed in reciprocation for our steadfast veneration, combined with sincere feelings of love.  As these ingredients are cultivated everything is revealed. Srila Prabhupada discourages blind faith; but urges us to make the experiment for ourselves.  Not to understand the taste of honey by licking the outside of the bottle; but to enter within and acquire the actual taste.  Srila Prabhupada explains that we must imbibe that taste in his intimate transcendental association.  Hence the meaning of “Prabhupadanuga”,  not an official  slogan of political  membership, but a condition of the heart.  A heart condition, in which we savor love of Krishna,  relished by Krishna’s pure devotee as he chants the Holy Name.  In this way we receive Lord Caitanya’s mercy through the authorized acharya in disciplic succession.  “He lives forever by his divine instructions and the follower lives with him.”  Such are his divine instructions.   

Therefore guru must be authorized person, not that bhūmi-phala-guru(?). No. “I am guru,” no. You cannot become guru unless you are agent to draw out the mercy water from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. And therefore a guru is not an ordinary person. He is the representative, bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra: “Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, Kṛṣṇa is your property. If you like, you can give.” Vedeṣu durlabhaṁ adurlabhaṁ ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. You cannot get Kṛṣṇa by studying Vedas. That is not possible. There is Kṛṣṇa in the Vedas, but you cannot pick up. It is not possible. But if you go to the Kṛṣṇa’s favorite person… Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Kṛṣṇa’s very dear servant, confidential servant, is guru. Nobody can become guru unless he is in confidence of Kṛṣṇa.
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/sb/5/6/8/vrndavana/november/30/1976
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Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa-prāpti hoy yāhā haite. That is spiritual master, one who can give you Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa se tomāre, kṛṣṇa dite pāra, dhāi tava pāche pāche-Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. “Kṛṣṇa… I am seeking after Kṛṣṇa, Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, my spiritual master. So Kṛṣṇa is your property.” Kṛṣṇa is not independent. He is the property of the devotee. Kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra, dhāi tava pāche pāche: “I am just following you, sir. Because Kṛṣṇa is your property, if you like, you can deliver: ‘Take it immediately.’ ” So it is not flattering; it is in the śāstras. Vedeṣu durlabha adurlabha ātmā-bhaktau. You cannot get Kṛṣṇa by studying all the Vedas.Vedeṣu durlabha. Durlabha means it is not possible. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam [SB 10.14.29]. Prasāda-leśa. Prasāda-leśa. One who has got little favor of Kṛṣṇa, he knows Kṛṣṇa-tattva. Yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ gauram eva stumaḥ.Link to this page: prabhupadabooks.com/classes/cc/madhya/20/105/new_york/july/11/1976

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This is my guru’s qualifications-how about yours?

We have to select a guru by whose order we wont make mistakes

March 2 1966 NY—Now, to take such guidance means the spiritual master should also be a very perfect man. Otherwise, how can he guide? …Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whose order, carrying, you’ll not commit a mistake. You see? Now, suppose if you accept a wrong person as spiritual master, and if you, if he guides you wrongly, then your whole life is spoiled. So one has to accept a spiritual master whose guidance will make his life perfect. That is the relation between spiritual master and disciple. It is not a formality. It is a great responsibility both for the disciple and for the spiritual master.

SB 2.8.7 purport…In the process of devotional service, the first step is to take shelter of the spiritual master and then inquire from the spiritual master all about the process. This inquiry is essential for immunity to all kinds of offenses on the path of devotional service. Even if one is fixed in devotional service like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he must still inquire from the realized spiritual master all about this. In other words, the spiritual master must also be well versed and learned so that he may be able to answer all these inquiries from the devotees. Thus one who is not well versed in the authorized scriptures and not able to answer all such relevant inquiries should not pose as a spiritual master for the matter of material gain. It is illegal to become a spiritual master if one is unable to deliver the disciple.

“Unless one is under the shelter of a realized spiritual master, his understanding of the Supreme is simply foolishness” quote from TLC

Nov 30 1976…Therefore guru must be authorized person, not that bhūmi-phala-guru(?). No. “I am guru,” no. You cannot become guru unless you are agent to draw out the mercy water from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. And therefore a guru is not an ordinary person. He is the representative, bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra: “Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, Kṛṣṇa is your property. If you like, you can give.” Vedeṣu durlabhaṁ adurlabhaṁ ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. You cannot get Kṛṣṇa by studying Vedas. That is not possible. There is Kṛṣṇa in the Vedas, but you cannot pick up. It is not possible. But if you go to the Kṛṣṇa’s favorite person… Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Kṛṣṇa’s very dear servant, confidential servant, is guru. Nobody can become guru unless he is in confidence of Kṛṣṇa.

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“The Lord is all powerful, and by His grace His pure devotee can be as powerful as He may desire, and there is no limit to it.”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.13, Purport)

“Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has sung that the devotees of Lord Caitanya are so powerful that each one of them can deliver a universe.”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.24.58, Purport)

“Pure devotees of the Lord are more powerful than the waters of the sacred river Ganges. One can derive spiritual benefit out of prolonged use of the Ganges waters. But one can be sanctified at once by the mercy of a pure devotee of the Lord.”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.15, Purport)

“The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.”
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya, 22.54)

“Kṛṣṇa is yours; you have the power to give Him to me. I am simply running behind you shouting, ‘Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!'”
(Ohe Vaiṣṇava Thākura, Verse 4)

“It is said that a single pure devotee of the Lord can deliver all the fallen souls of the world…” (Bhagavatam 2.8.5, Purport.)—————————————————
Hare Krsna –many so called devotees think that practically anybody can become spiritual master or guru, but here above we see some of the massive qualifications of such a great Maha Bhagavat pure devotee of the Lord. These great personalities are even present in their pictures or murti-what conditioned soul can honestly say such a thing? Unless he is a madman nobody would dare to claim such a thing. The only “loophole” if you want to call it that for anybody to assume a title as “acarya” is this order given by Srila Prabhupada himself. And this order was never changed or altered by him.
“….A person who is liberated acharya and guru cannot commit any mistake, but there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated, but still can act as guru and acharya by strictly following the disciplic succession.”Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/letters/new_york/april/26/1968/janardana

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Here is one of the world’s major problems right now….

SB 10.1.17-Once when mother earth was overburdened by hundreds of thousands of military phalanxes of various conceited demons dressed like kings, she approached Lord Brahmā for relief.

PURPORT

When the world is overburdened by unnecessary military arrangements and when various demoniac kings are the executive heads of state, this burden causes the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (4.7):“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I appear Myself.” When the residents of this earth become atheistic and godless, they descend to the status of animals like dogs and hogs, and thus their only business is to bark among themselves. This is dharmasya glāni, deviation from the goal of life. Human life is meant for attaining the highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but when people are godless and the presidents or kings are unnecessarily puffed up with military power, their business is to fight and increase the military strength of their different states. Nowadays, therefore, it appears that every state is busy manufacturing atomic weapons to prepare for a third world war. Such preparations are certainly unnecessary; they reflect the false pride of the heads of state. The real business of a chief executive is to see to the happiness of the mass of people by training them in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in different divisions of life. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (Bg. 4.13). A leader should train the people as brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras and engage them in various occupational duties, thus helping them progress toward Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Instead, however, rogues and thieves in the guise of protectors arrange for a voting system, and in the name of democracy they come to power by hook or crook and exploit the citizens. Even long, long ago, asuras, persons devoid of God consciousness, became the heads of state, and now this is happening again. The various states of the world are preoccupied with arranging for military strength. Sometimes they spend sixty-five percent of the government’s revenue for this purpose. But why should people’s hard-earned money be spent in this way? Because of the present world situation, Kṛṣṇa has descended in the form of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is quite natural, for without the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement the world cannot be peaceful and happy.

And here is the solution to these problems according to Srimad Bhagavatam which is the literary incarnation of God-Krsna.

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SB 10.1.4-Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the paramparā system; that is, it is conveyed from spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death. Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher or one who is killing his own self?

PURPORT-In India it is the practice among the general populace to hear about Kṛṣṇa, either from Bhagavad-gītā or from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in order to gain relief from the disease of repeated birth and death. Although India is now fallen, when there is a message that someone will speak about Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, thousands of people still gather to hear. ….If we hear the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from liberated persons, this hearing will certainly free us from the bondage of material activities, but hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam spoken by a professional reciter cannot actually help us achieve liberation. “O Arjuna, there is no truth superior to Me.” (Bg. 7.7) Simply by understanding this fact—that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead—one can become a liberated person. But, especially in this age, because people are interested in hearing Bhagavad-gītā from unscrupulous persons who depart from the simple presentation of Bhagavad-gītā and distort it for their personal satisfaction, they fail to derive the real benefit. There are big scholars, politicians, philosophers and scientists who speak on Bhagavad-gītā in their own polluted way, and people in general hear from them, being uninterested in hearing the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from a devotee. A devotee is one who has no other motive for reciting Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam than to serve the Lord. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore advised us to hear the glories of the Lord from a realized person (bhāgavata paro diya bhāgavata sthane). Unless one is personally a realized soul in the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a neophyte should not approach him to hear about the Lord, for this is strictly forbidden by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, who quotes from the Padma Purāṇa:avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyaṁ sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ One should avoid hearing from a person not situated in Vaiṣṇava behavior. A Vaiṣṇava is nivṛtta-tṛṣṇa; that is, he has no material purpose, for his only purpose is to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So-called scholars, philosophers and politicians exploit the importance of Bhagavad-gītā by distorting its meaning for their own purposes. Therefore this verse warns that kṛṣṇa-kathā should be recited by a person who is nivṛtta-tṛṣṇa. Śukadeva Gosvāmī epitomizes the proper reciter for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and Parīkṣit Mahārāja, who purposefully left his kingdom and family prior to meeting death, epitomizes the person fit to hear it. .. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore trying to train qualified preachers to recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā throughout the entire world, so that people in general in all parts of the world may take advantage of this movement and thus be relieved of the threefold miseries of material existence.The instructions of Bhagavad-gītā and the descriptions of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are so pleasing that almost anyone suffering from the threefold miseries of material existence will desire to hear the glories of the Lord from these books and thus benefit on the path of liberation. Two classes of men, however, will never be interested in hearing the message of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—those who are determined to commit suicide and those determined to kill cows and other animals for the satisfaction of their own tongues. 

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