Prabhupada Sexism Quotes

Prabhupada’s Purport, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.25.41:

Prabhupada: In this regard, the word vikhyatam is very significant. A man is always famous for his aggression toward a beautiful woman, and such aggression is sometimes considered rape. Although rape is not legally allowed, it is a fact that a woman likes a man who is very expert at rape.

Morning Walk, May 11, 1975, Perth, Australia:
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is law always. Rape means without consent, sex. Otherwise there is no rape. There was a rape case in Calcutta, and the lawyer was very intelligent. He some way or other made the woman admit, “Yes, I felt happiness.” So he was released. “Here is consent.” And that’s a fact. Because after all, sex, rape or no rape, they will feel some pleasure. So the lawyer by hook and crook made the woman agree, “Yes, I felt some pleasure.” “Now, there is consent.” So he was released. After all, it is an itching sensation. So either by force or by willingly, if there is itching, everyone feels relieved itching it. That’s a psychology. It is not that the woman do not like rape. They like sometimes. They willingly. That is the psychology. Outwardly they show some displeasure, but inwardly they do not. This is the psychology.
Devotee (1): So what this law means is that anybody can rape anybody.
Prabhupāda: There is no law; it is all lusty desire. All law or no law, these are all nonsense. The śāstra has… It is lusty desire, that’s all. Everyone wants to fulfill a lusty desires. So unless one is not in the modes of goodness or transcendental, everyone will like. That is the material world, rajas-tamaḥ. Rajas-tamo-bhāvaḥ kāma-lobhadayaś ca ye [SB 1.2.19]. It is all discussed in the śāstra. Just like I am hungry man. There is foodstuff. I want to eat it. So if I take by force, that is illegal, and if I pay for it, then it is legal. But I am the hungry man, I want it. This is going on. Everyone is lusty. Therefore they say “legalized prostitution.” They want it. So marriage is something legalized, that’s all. The passion and the desire is the same, either married or not married. So this Vedic law says, “Better married. Then you will be controlled.” Married life… So he will not be so lusty as without married life. So the gṛhastha life is a concession-same lusty desire under rules and regulation. That’s all. That is our higher… (?) Without married life he will commit rapes in so many ways, so better let him be satisfied with one, both the man and woman, and make progress in spiritual life. That is concession. Everyone in this material world has come with these lusty desires and greediness. Even demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā… The Lord Brahmā became lusty after his daughter. And Lord Śiva became so mad after Mohinī–murti. So what to speak of us insignificant creatures. So lusty desire is there. That is material world. Unless one is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, this lusty desire cannot be checked. It is not possible.

Conversation New York April 12, 1969:

Prabhupada: Yes. That is Tulasi dasa’s remark. So in many passages of his poetry he has not done very justice to woman. And another poetry, he writes, dhol gunar sudra nari. Dhol gunar sudra nari ihe sab sasan ke adhikari. (?) Dhol gunar pasu sudra nari, ihe sab sasan ke adhikari. Dhol, dhol means drum, mrdanga. Gunar, gunar means? What is called English? A fool, fool. Illiterate fool, what is one word?

Brahmananda: Buffoon?

Prabhupada: Maybe buffoon. Buffoon is sometimes troublesome. But gunar means he doesn’t understand very nicely.

Brahmananda: Dullard.

Prabhupada: Dull, dull. Dhol gunar, dhol means drum and guar means dull. Sudra, and the laborer class. Three. Dhol, gunar, sudra, and pasu, household animals, just like cows, dogs.

Brahmananda: Pet.

Prabhupada: Pet, like that. Dhol gunar sudra pasu and nari. Nari means woman. (laughs) Just see. He has classified the nari amongst these class, dhol, gunar, sudra, pasu, nari. Ihe sab sasan ke adhikari. Sasan ke adhikari means all these are subjected for punishment.

Room Conversation—April 12, 1969, New York ‒

Prabhupada: So sasan ke adhikari means they should be punished. (laughs) Punished means, just like dhol, when the, I mean to say, sound is not very hard, dag-dag, if you beat it on the border, then it comes to be nice tune. Similarly, pasu, animals, if you request “My dear dog, please do not go there.” Hut! (laughter) “No, my dear dog. Hut!” This is the way. Similarly, woman. If you become lenient, then she will be troublesome. So in India still, in villages, whenever there is some quarrel between husband wife, the husband beats and she is tamed.

BG 1.40, purport:
As children are very prone to be misled, women are similarly very prone to degradation. Therefore, both children and women require protection by the elder members of the family. By being engaged in various religious practices, women will not be misled into adultery. According to Chanakya Pandit, women are generally not very intelligent and therefore not trustworthy. So the different family traditions of religious activities should always engage them, and thus their chastity and devotion will give birth to a good population eligible for participating in the varnasrama system. On the failure of such varnasrama-dharma, naturally the women become free to act and mix with men, and thus adultery is indulged in at the risk of unwanted population. Irresponsible men also provoke adultery in society, and thus unwanted children flood the human race at the risk of war and pestilence.

BG 16.7, purport:
Now, in the Manu-samhita it is clearly stated that a woman should not be given freedom. That does not mean that women are to be kept as slaves, but they are like children. The demons have now neglected such injunctions, and they think that women should be given as much freedom as men.

SB 1.7.42, purport:
Women as a class are no better than boys, and therefore they have no discriminatory power like that of a man.

SB 3.23.2, purport:

Here two words are very significant. Devahuti served her husband in two ways, visrambhena and gauravena. These are two important processes in serving the husband or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Visrambhena means “with intimacy,” and gauravena means “with great reverence.” The husband is a very intimate friend; therefore, the wife must render service just like an intimate friend, and at the same time she must understand that the husband is superior in position, and thus she must offer him all respect. A man’s psychology and woman’s psychology are different. As constituted by bodily frame, a man always wants to be superior to his wife, and a woman, as bodily constituted, is naturally inferior to her husband. Thus the natural instinct is that the husband wants to post himself as superior to the wife, and this must be observed. Even if there is some wrong on the part of the husband, the wife must tolerate it, and thus there will be no misunderstanding between husband and wife. Visrambhena means “with intimacy,” but it must not be familiarity that breeds contempt. According to the Vedic civilization, a wife cannot call her husband by name. In the present civilization the wife calls her husband by name, but in Hindu civilization she does not. Thus the inferiority and superiority complexes are recognized. Damena ca: a wife has to learn to control herself even if there is a misunderstanding. Sauhrdena vaca madhuraya means always desiring good for the husband and speaking to him with sweet words. A person becomes agitated by so many material contacts in the outside world; therefore, in his home life he must be treated by his wife with sweet words.

SB 3.31.41, purport:
A woman’s attachment to her husband may elevate her to the body of a man in her next life, but a mans attachment to woman will degrade him, and in his next life he will get the body of a woman.

SB 4.4.3, purport:
Generally, separation between husband and wife is due to womanly behavior; divorce takes place due to womanly weakness. The best course for a woman is to abide by the orders of her husband.

SB 9.3.10, purport:
However great a woman may be, she must place herself before her husband in this way; that is to say, she must be ready to carry out her husband’s orders and please him in all circumstances. Then her life will be successful. When the wife becomes as irritable as the husband, their life at home is sure to be disturbed or ultimately completely broken. In the modern day, the wife is never submissive, and therefore home life is broken even by slight incidents. Either the wife or the husband may take advantage of the divorce laws. According to the Vedic law, however, there is no such thing as divorce laws, and a woman must be trained to be submissive to the will of her husband. Westerners contend that this is a slave mentality for the wife, but factually it is not; it is the tactic by which a woman can conquer the heart of her husband, however irritable or cruel he may be. In this case we clearly see that although Cyavana Muni was not young but indeed old enough to be Sukanya’s grandfather and was also very irritable, Sukanya, the beautiful young daughter of a king, submitted herself to her old husband and tried to please him in all respects. Thus she was a faithful and chaste wife.

SB 1.2.6, Montreal, August 3, 1968:
Yes. So psychology… I was student of psychology in my college life. Dr. Urquhart said, I remember still, that the brain substance has been found up to 64 ounce, while brain substance of woman has been found, highest, 34 ounce. Therefore woman class (laughs) is not so intelligent as man. There is no question of competition. It is actual, scientific fact.

SB, Sept. 13, 1969 ‒
In India still, the system is follow(ed) in conservative families that a widow cannot marry. There is no widow marriage in India. They, the… Manu-samhita, the law-givers, the saintly persons, Manu-samhita… Why widow marriage is prohibited? The idea is generally, everywhere, in all countries, the female population is greater than the male population. So the idea is that she has become widow. She was once married. Now if again she is married, another virgin girl, she does not get the chance of being married. Therefore there is no widow marriage according to Hindu scripture. And a man is allowed, if he is, I mean to say able man, he can marry more than one wife. Not that simply marry. To get more than one wife does not mean sense enjoyment. The wife must be maintained very respectfully. She must have good house, good ornaments, good food, good servants.

Lecture at Harvard University, Boston, December 24, 1969:
According to psychology, there is difference of brain substance. Not the brain substance equally, of equal weight, in every man’s brain. You know, you are all educated students, psychology students. In our boyhood when we were a student in psychology class, Dr. Urquhart explained this brain substance. The man has got the highest brain substance — not all — up to sixty-four ounce. And woman has got the highest up to thirty-six or thirty-four. Of course, we are not discussing that point. Our movement is a spiritual movement, Krishna consciousness. That is beyond brain.

Room Conversation — August 15, 1971, London:
Prabhupada: Yes. That is psychological. They develop… Sex life, sex urge is there as soon as twelve years, thirteen years old, especially women. So therefore early marriage was sanctioned in India. Early marriage. Boy fifteen years, sixteen years, and girl twelve years. Not twelve years, ten years. I was married, my wife was eleven years. I was 22 years. She did not know what is sex, eleven years’ girl. Because Indian girls, they have no such opportunity of mixing with others. But after the first menstruation, the husband is ready. This is the system, Indian system.
Syamasundara: So they are not spoiled.
Prabhupada: No. And the psychology is the girl, after first menstruation, she enjoys sex life with a boy, she will never forget that boy. Her love for that boy is fixed up for good. This is woman’s psychology. And she is allowed to have many, oh, she will never be chaste woman. These are the psychology.

SB 1.3.21, Los Angeles, September 26, 1972:

I was student of psychology, and our professor… He was a Scotman. He explained this brain substance, cerebular substance, Dr. Urquhart, that the more brain substance is there, more one becomes intelligent. And it has been found that a woman does not have more than thirty-six ounce of brain substance, whereas in man it has been found that he has got up to sixty-four ounce. Now, this is modern science. Therefore generally, generally, woman, less intelligent than man. You cannot find any big scientist, any big mathematician, any big philosopher amongst woman. That is not possible. Although in your country, you want equal status with man, freedom, but by nature you are less intelligent. What can be done? (laughter)

Bhagavad-gita 4.12, Vrindavana, August 4, 1974:

Svarupa Damodara: Cerebrum.

Prabhupada: Yes. I was student of psychology. Our professor, Dr. Urquhart said that the brain, the biggest brain is, by practical psychology it has been tested, sixty-four ounce. And that is the highest brain substance. But for woman it is never more than thirty-six ounce. So they have tested all these practical psychologies.

Bhagavad-gita 1.40, London, July 28, 1973:

Canakya Pandita says: visvasam naiva kartavyam strisu raja-kulesu ca. Visvasam naiva kartavyam. “Don’t trust women.” Visvasam naiva kartavyam strisu. Strisu means women. Raja-kula… And politicians. Yes. Visvasam naiva kartavyam strisu raja-kulesu ca. Never the trust the politician and woman. Of course, when woman comes to Krishna consciousness, that position is different. We are speaking of ordinary woman. Because Krishna says, in another place, striyo vaisyas tatha sudrah [BG 9.32]. They are considered, women, vaisya, the mercantile community, and sudra, and the worker class, they are less intelligent. Papa-yoni. When the progeny is defective, then they become less intelligent.

Bhagavad-gita 16.7, Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

Otherwise it doesn’t matter what he is, which family he’s born. It doesn’t matter. Krishna says, you’ll find, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ‘pi syuh papa-yonayah [BG 9.32]. Papa-yoni. To take birth low-grade family, or animal family, these are called papa-yoni. Krishna says that it doesn’t matter if one is born in the papa-yoni, low-grade family. It doesn’t matter. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ‘pi syuh papa-yonayah. In the human society, striyah sudras tatha vaisyah, even woman and sudra and vaisya, they are also taken in the category of papa-yoni. Papa-yoni means their intelligence is not very sharp. That is called papa-yoni. And a brahmana means to become very, very highly intellectual. That is called brahmana. Because he’ll understand Brahman.

Bhagavad-gita 16.7, Hawaii, February 3, 1975:

To understand Brahman is not the business of tiny brain. Alpha-medhasam. There are two Sanskrit words, alpa-medhasa and su-medhasa. Alpa-medhasameans having little brain substance. Physiologically, within the brain there are brain substance. It is found that the brain substance in man is found up to 64 ounce. They are very highly intellectual persons. And in woman the brain substance is not found more than 34 ounce. You’ll find, therefore, that there is no very great scientist, mathematician, philosopher, among women. You’ll never find because their brain substance cannot go. Artificially do not try to become equal with men. That is not allowed in the Vedic sastra. Na striyam svatantratam arhati. That is called sastra. You have to understand that woman is never given to be independence. Independence means just like child has to be taken care, similarly, woman has to be taken care. You cannot get your child go in the street alone. There will be danger. Similarly, according to Vedic civilization, Manu-samhita, woman should be given protection. In this way,acara, this is called acara. So the demons, they do not know. The demons, they do not know what is what, how one thing should be treated, how… They do not know. In the Western countries there is no such distinction between man and woman. But there is.

Television Interview, July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Female Reporter: We have talked to scientists who say that the size of the brain has nothing to do with intelligence. Do you believe that?

Prabhupada: I think that the scientists do not think like that. They keep the brain of a particular scientist to study. They keep the heart of a particular noble man. Why they try to study the heart and the brain if there is no difference?

Nitai: Sometimes they keep the brain of a great scientist to study because they think that he is so intelligent, there must be something we can learn from studying the brain. So if they are thinking like that, then there also must be a difference between a woman’s brain and a man’s brain.

Female Reporter: What they say is that there is difference, but it has nothing to do with the size.

Nitai: Then why do they keep great scientists’ brain to study?

Female Reporter: They keep many people’s brains to study.

Nitai: Especially great scientists, that they want to see what has made this man so intelligent.

Female Reporter: That’s not necessarily true.

Prabhupada: Then why they study the brain? What is the purpose of studying brain unless there is difference? You study different brains. Unless you feel that there is difference between this brain and that brain, why do you study. What is the meaning of study?

Female Reporter: To find differences among men. It’s not necessarily differences between men and woman.

Prabhupada: I don’t say man or woman. But I say you study different brains — why? Unless you think there is some difference?

Female Reporter: There is difference.

Prabhupada: Yes. So if there is difference, then what is the harm if there is difference between man and woman’s brain?

Female Reporter: They say there isn’t.

Prabhupada: They say, but the fact we have to study. As soon as you study the construction of different brain, then you must know that there is difference, different activities.

Female Reporter: In other words, you do not believe this, what they say.

Prabhupada: Then why do you study different brain?

Female Reporter: I don’t study them. I’m just telling you what the scientists say.

Prabhupada: So scientists, the psychologist… As I was a student of psychology and our professor, a big man, Dr. W. S. Urquhart, he said that “By studying the brains of man and woman, we have found the highest brain substance found in man, sixty-four ounce by weight.” You may deny. This is the statement of a big psychologist. You can shake your head, but this is the scientific words by big psychologist. You can note down his name, Dr. W.S. Urquhart, professor of psychology in the Scottish Churches College in 1918-20.

Female Reporter: Oh, dear, no wonder. 1918-1920, that means… O.K. I see now what you’re thinking about. That was many, many years ago.

Prabhupada: So can you give any proof since then that the woman’s… In 1920… She does not take it?

Nitai: She does not take it. Somehow they think that the brain is no longer small. If it was small, then, it is not small today.

Prabhupada: But where is the proof…

Female Reporter: You do not believe that there has been advancement of science since 1920?

Nitai: Well, if the brain has been ascertained as being half the size then why should it change by now? Should it change?

Female Reporter: Well, do you think that the Romans weren’t as tall as men are today?

Nitai: No, but the… But then, within fifty years there is not going to be any change in the brain.

Female Reporter: Not in the 1900’s. Why do you use the technology that you use? You didn’t have cars in those days, this television. Things have changed since 1920.

Prabhupada: So what change has become? Can you give any evidence that woman is more powerful in brain than the man during these years? Can you give any evidence?

Female Reporter: No, what I’m saying is that…

Prabhupada: Now, can you give any evidence that woman has become more powerful than the man during these fifty years?

Female Reporter: Yes.

Prabhupada: What is that? Give me some tacit example.

Female Reporter: That she and I wouldn’t be here if women weren’t more powerful than they were fifty years ago.

Harikesa: Now they are talking louder. (laughter)

Female Reporter: Than you. Thank you. (woman leaves)

Harikesa: The scientists have the theory that the brain, the intelligence is measured by creases in the brain, creases, not by size.

Prabhupada: Not size, but what is the proof that the brain of woman has increased? Where is the proof?

Harikesa: They think because the ego has increased, the brain has also increased.

Prabhupada: Oh, that’s nice. (laughter) That’s nice. (laughing) So to become angry means defeat. If two persons are in argument the man, the one party, he becomes angry, that means he is defeated. Why one should become angry? It is the argument, logic. They should continue. And to become angry and to go away, that means defeat.

Press Conference, July 9, 1975, Chicago:

Reporter (3): (a woman) Where… Do women fit into this social structure? You keep referring to man.

Prabhupada: Woman is not equally intelligent as a man.

Reporter (3): Equal in intelligence?

Prabhupada: Not equal intelligence. In the psychology, practical psychology, they have found that the man’s brain has been found up to sixty-four ounce, woman… Sixty-four ounce, man’s brain. And woman’s brain has been found, thirty-six ounce. So therefore woman is not equally intelligent like man.

Interview with Trans-India Magazine, July 17, 1976, New York ‒

So actually this varnasrama system is meant for bringing the man in the lower status of life to the higher status of life. It doesn’t matter one is born in a low-grade family. That is also said by Krishna: mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ‘pi syuh papa-yonayah. Papa-yoni, lower grade. Striyo vaisyas tatha sudrah [BG 9.32]. In the human society, woman, the vaisya and the sudra, they are considered in the lower status, not very intelligent.

Morning Walk, January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupada: I condemn everyone, that “You are all dogs and hogs.” And United Nations a pack of dogs barking. That’s a fact. And in Chicago I said, all women, “You cannot have freedom. You have got only thirty-four-ounce brain, and man has got sixty-four-ounce.” I told them. So I became a subject of very great criticism.
Trivikrama: Women’s liberation.
Prabhupada: I denied, “No, you cannot have.” I told them. One girl in the airship, she was seeing like (makes some gesture-laughter). I asked her, “Give me 7-Up.” “It is locked now.” So I frankly said that “No, no. You cannot have equal rights because your brain is thirty-four ounce.” Actually that’s a fact. Where is woman philosopher, mathematician, scientist? Not a single.
Dr. Patel: Apart from that, I mean, they are made for a particular mission.
Prabhupada: How they can have equal rights? Up to date in the history there is not a single woman who is a great scientist or great philosopher or great…
Dr. Patel: Madame Curie was a…
Prabhupada: All bogus. (laughter)
Dr. Patel: You are getting too harsh on them because…
Prabhupada: No, no. How can I give you equal rights, because your brain is less substance.
Dr. Patel: We cannot degrade our mothers that way.
Prabhupada: It is not degrading. It is accepting the actual fact.
Dr. Patel: These girls are misled, these American girls.
Prabhupada: There is no history. There is no history. Just like Kunti’s mother. She produced so many heroes, but she was not hero. She could produce heroes like Arjuna, like Bhima. But not that she becomes hero.
Dr. Patel: Mother can produce heroes…
Prabhupada: That’s all right. Still, nobody will say that Kunti is as good as Arjuna or Bhima.
Dr. Patel: How can anybody say?
Prabhupada: That is… How you’ll get the equal rights?
Dr. Patel: No woman smaller than Kunti could have produced an Arjuna.
Prabhupada: You can produce. That is another thing. A cook can produce foodstuff suitable for rich man, but that does not mean he is rich man.
Dr. Patel: You argue. (laughs)

Interview, March 5, 1975, New York:

Reporter: Are men regarded as superior to women?

Prabhupada: Yes, naturally. Naturally, woman requires protection by the man. In the childhood she is protected by the father, and youth time she is protected by the husband, and old age she is protected by elderly sons. That is natural.

Female Reporter: That goes against the thinking of a lot of people in America now. Do you know that?

Prabhupada: No… America, maybe, but this is the natural position. Women require protection.

Female Reporter: Who decides who’s natural? And what’s natural?

Prabhupada: Natural means just like in psychology it is said that woman, the highest brain substance of woman is thirty-six ounce, whereas the highest brain substance of man is sixty-four ounce. So there is difference by nature, of the brain.

Female Reporter: Well (laughter), to get to something else, what do you do for fun when you’re in New York?

Prabhupada: Huh? What is that? I…

Srutakirti: You have defeated her.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Female Reporter: (laughs) But I’m not going to pursue your line of logic. And what do you do for fun?

Prabhupada: No, that is natural defeat. You cannot avoid it. (laughter)

Television Interview, July 9, 1975, Chicago:
Female Reporter: But you say women are subordinate to men?
Prabhupada: Yes, that is also natural. Because when the husband and wife are there or the father and daughter is there, so the daughter is subordinate to the father and the wife is subordinate to the husband.
Female Reporter: What happens when women are not subordinate to men?
Prabhupada: Then there is disruption. There is disruption, social disruption. If the woman does not become subordinate to man, then there is social disruption. Therefore, in the western countries there are so many divorce cases because the woman does not agree to become subordinate to man. That is the cause.

SB 3.7.29, purport:
Mahabharata is also a division of the Vedas, but it is meant for women, sudras and dvija-bandhus, the worthless children of the higher section. The less intelligent section of society can avail themselves of the Vedic instructions simply by studying the Mahabharata.

Prabhupada’s purport, Srimad Bhagavatam  2.7.6:

Human life is meant for such tapasya, with the great vow of celibacy, or brahmacarya. In the rigid life of tapasya there is no place for the association of women. And because human life is meant for tapasya, for self-realization, factual human civilization, as conceived by the system of sanatan-dharma or the school of four castes and four orders of life, prescribes rigid dissociation from woman in three stages of life.  In the order of gradual cultural development, one’s life may be divided into four divisions: celibacy, household life, retirement, and renunciation. During the first stage of life, up to twenty-five years of age, a man may be trained as a bramhacari under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master just to understand that woman is the real binding force in material existence. If one wants to get freedom from the material bondage of conditional life, he must get free from the attraction for the form of woman. Woman, or the fair sex, is the enchanting principle for the living entities, and the male form, especially in the human being, is meant for self-realization. The whole world is moving under the spell of womanly attraction, and as soon as a man becomes united with a woman, he at once becomes a victim of material bondage under a tight knot. The desires for lording it over the material world, under the intoxication of a false sense of lordship, specifically begin just after the man’s unification with a woman. The desires for acquiring a house, possessing land, having children and becoming prominent in society, the affection for community and the place of birth, and the hankering for wealth, which are all like phantasmagoria or illusory dreams, encumber a human being, and he is thus impeded in his progress toward self-realization, the real aim of life. The bramhacari, or a boy from the age of five years, especially from the higher castes, namely from the scholarly parents (the brāhmaṇas), the administrative parents (the kṣatriyas), or the mercantile or productive parents (the vaiśyas), is trained until twenty-five years of age under the care of a bona fide guru or teacher, and under strict observance of discipline he comes to understand the values of life along with taking specific training for a livelihood. The bramhacari is then allowed to go home and enter householder life and get married to a suitable woman. But there are many brahmacārīs who do not go home to become householders but continue the life of naiṣṭhika-brahmacārīs, without any connection with women. They accept the order of sannyasa, or the renounced order of life, knowing well that combination with women is an unnecessary burden that checks self-realization. Since sex desire is very strong at a certain stage of life, the guru may allow the bramhacari  to marry; this license is given to a bramhacari who is unable to continue the way of naiṣṭhika-brahmacarya, and such discriminations are possible for the bona fide guru. A program of so-called family planning is needed. The householder who associates with woman under scriptural restrictions, after a thorough training of brahmacarya, cannot be a householder like cats and dogs. Such a householder, after fifty years of age, would retire from the association of woman as a vanaprastha to be trained to live alone without the association of woman. When the practice is complete, the same retired householder becomes a sannyasi, strictly separate from woman, even from his married wife. Studying the whole scheme of disassociation from women, it appears that a woman is a stumbling block for self-realization, and the Lord appeared as Narayana to teach the principle of womanly disassociation with a vow in life.

Lecture on SB 1.3.13 — Los Angeles, September 18, 1972:

Prabhupada: So dealing with woman… Especially instruction are given to men. All literatures, all Vedic literatures, they are especially meant for instruction to the men. Woman is to follow the husband. That’s all. The husband will give instruction to the wife. There is no such thing as the girl should go to school to take brahmacari asrama or go to spiritual master to take instruction. That is not Vedic system. Vedic system is a man is fully instructed, and woman, girl, must be married to a man. Even the man may have many wives, polygamy, still, every woman should be married. And she would get instruction from the husband. This is Vedic system. Woman is not allowed to go to school, college, or to the spiritual master. But husband and wife, they can be initiated. That is Vedic system.

Morning Conversation — April 29, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So far gurukula is concerned, that also, I have given program. They have given the name of “girls.” We are not going to do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is that?

Prabhupāda: Girls. Boys and girls. That is dangerous.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gurukula.

Prabhupāda: In that article.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, oh, oh.

Prabhupāda: Girls should be completely separated from the very beginning. They are very dangerous.

Tamala Krsna: So we’re… I thought there were girls in Vrindävana now. They said that they’re going to have the girls’ gurukula behind the boys’ gurukula. Gopäla was talking about that.

Prabhupada: No, no, no. No girls.

Tamala Krsna: It should be in another city or somewhere else.

Prabhupada: Yes. They should be taught how to sweep, how to stitch…

Tamala Krsna: Clean.

Prabhupada: …clean, cook, to be faithful to the husband.

Tamala Krsna: They don’t require a big school.

Prabhupada: No, no. That is mistake. They should be taught how to become obedient to the husband.

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, you won’t learn that in school.

Prabhupada: Little education, they can…

Tamala Krsna: Yeah. That they can get at home also.

Prabhupada: They should be stopped, this practice of prostitution. This is a very bad system in Europe and America. The boys and girls, they are educated-coeducation. From the very beginning of their life they become prostitutes. And they encourage.

Morning Walk — March 14, 1974, Vrindavan:

Satsvarupa: Srila Prabhupada, is this school for women also, or just for men?

Prabhupada: For men. Women should automatically learn how to cook, how to cleanse home.

Satsvarupa: So they don’t attend varnasrama college.

Prabhupada: No, no. Varnasrama college especially meant for the brahmana, ksatriya and vaisya. Those who are not fit for education, they are sudras. That’s all. Or those who are reluctant to take education, sudra means. That’s all. They should assist the higher class.

Morning Walk — July 10, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: No, no, it is not bad. It is good. Now our policy should be that at Dallas we shall create first-class men, and we shall teach the girls two things. One thing is how to become chaste and faithful to their husband and how to cook nicely. If these two qualifications they have, I will take guarantee to get for them good husband. I’ll personally… Yes. These two qualifications required. She must learn how to prepare first-class foodstuff, and she must learn how to become chaste and faithful to the husband. Only these two qualification required. Then her life is successful. So try to do that. (Car doors open, walk begins) Ordinary education is sufficient, ABCD. This is all nonsense, so big, big, sound education and later on become a prostitute. What is this education? (laughter) To make them prostitute, it doesn’t require education. [break] Yesterday we saw in the television how these rascals are wasting time, talking nonsense. There was nothing, valuable talk. Foot… No, no, hand… What is that? Handprint? And the addicted murder? That was the case? [break] Within two weeks, two divorces.

Devotees: Yes. [break]

Prabhupāda: In the Dallas there is no problem. Educate the girls how to become faithful, chaste wife and how to cook nicely. Let them learn varieties of cooking. Is very difficult? These two qualifications, apart from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, materially they should learn. There are many stories, Nala-Damayantī, then Pārvatī, Sītā, five chaste women in the history. They should read their life. And by fifteenth, sixteenth year they should be married. And if they are qualified, it will be not difficult to find out a nice husband. Here the boys, they do not want to marry because they are not very much inclined to marry unchaste wife. They know it, that “I shall marry a girl, she is unchaste.” What do you think?

Room conversation — January 31, 1977, Bhubaneshwar:

Satsvarüpa: Yes. (break) Mainly it’s about the girls who are over ten. They were in Vrndävana and discussed this with Jagadisa, but they couldn’t settle up, so they wanted to know what you think. Their idea is that… As of now, there is no plan for a school for the girls over ten, but just that they should return to their parents and not get any more schooling. But they’re thinking that there should be, and one reason is that you said in France that the girls could learn these sixty-four arts. So they were thinking that there should be a school for girls over ten, and that it should be situated in India. One reason is that in India our teachers can take help from Indian Life Member ladies who know these arts. Our Western devotees don’t know them, the cooking and painting and things like this, but the Indian women do. …

Prabhupada: My opinion is already there according to the… They should be chaste, faithful to husband. Little literary knowledge, they can read. That’s all. Not very much.

Prabhupada Racism Quotes

Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.11.36, 1964 Edition:

The cupid, therefore, throws his arrow upon the living being to become mad after his opposite sex never mind whether the party is actually beautiful or not. Such action of the cupid is going on even on the negroes and beastly societies who are all ugly looking in the estimation of the civilized nations. Thus cupid’s influence is exerted even in the ugliest forms (of living being) and-what to speak about the most perfectional stage of personal beauties.

Room Conversation, February 14, 1977, Mayapura:
Prabhupada: Sudra is to be controlled only. They are never given to be freedom. Just like in America. The blacks were slaves. They were under control. And since you have given them equal rights they are disturbing, most disturbing, always creating a fearful situation, uncultured and drunkards. What training they have got? They have got equal right. That is best, to keep them under control as slaves but give them sufficient food, sufficient cloth, not more than that. Then they will be satisfied.

Room Conversation, October 5, 1975, Mauritius:
Prabhupada: This is Vedic civilization: plain living, high thinking. And poor thinking, poor in thought, poor in behavior, and living with motorcar and this, that, nonsense. It is all nonsense civilization. A first-class Rolls Royce car, and who is sitting there? A third-class negro. This is going on. You’ll find these things in Europe and America. This is going on. A first-class car and a third-class negro. That’s all. Is it not?

Discussion with Syamasundara dasa about John Dewey, 1976:
Sudras have no brain. In America also, the whole America once belonged to the Red Indians. Why they could not improve? The land was there. Why these foreigners, the Europeans, came and improved? So sudras cannot do this. They cannot make any correction.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:
Prabhupada: So here, this man was cheating. Because here it is said: nrpa-linga-dharam. He was dressed like a king. Just like king is very gorgeously dressed. But his bodily feature, he was a black man. The black man means sudra.

Room Conversation, January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Ramesvara: That’s the trend, then, everywhere, because unemployment is increasing.
Prabhupada: And especially in your country it will be dangerous because these blacks, if they don’t get employment, they will create havoc, these blacks. And they are not civilized. They want money, and if they don’t get money, then they will create havoc.
Gargamuni: Money and liquor.
Hari-sauri: Yes. If they do get money, they just buy it.

Room Conversation, August 2, 1976, New Mayapur, Lucay le Male, France:
Prabhupada: Dravidian culture. Dravida. They are non-Aryans. Just like these Africans, they are not Aryans. Now they are mixing up with Europeans and Americans. In India, it was, one from the higher section, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, they will be fair complexion. Sudras, black. So if a brahmana becomes black, then he’s not accepted as brahmana. Kala bahu (?). And if a sudra becomes fair, then he’s to be know that he’s not pure sudra.

Letter to Satsvarupa from Prabhupada, San Francisco, 9 April, 1968:
Certainly we are not going to say these things about the negro people publicly; we have no distinction between black or white, or demon or demigod, but at the same time, so long as one is demon or demigod, we have to behave in the proper way. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu; He had no distinction between a tiger and a man. He was so powerful that He could convert even a tiger to dance. But so far as we are concerned, we should not imitate and go to some tiger and try to make him dance! But still, tiger is equally eligible like a man. So, you can understand that these talks are not for the public, as they have not got the ability to understand.

Prabhupada on Homosexuality and Gay Marriage

SB 3.20.26:

Lord Brahma, approaching the Lord, addressed Him thus: My Lord, please protect me from these sinful demons, who were created by me under Your order. They are infuriated by an appetite for sex and have come to attack me.
It appears here that the homosexual appetite of males for each other is created in this episode of the creation of the demons by Brahma. In other words, the homosexual appetite of a man for another man is demoniac and is not for any sane male in the ordinary course of life.

JSD 6.5 Slaughterhouse Civilization
Srila Prabhupada: The priests are after money. They are not first class; they are low-class men. This is the reason that Christianity has fallen down. The priests cannot speak straightforwardly. There is a straightforward commandment–“Thou shalt not kill.” But because people are already killing, the priests are afraid to present the commandment straightforwardly. Now they are even granting man-to-man marriage, what to speak of other things. The priests are sermonizing on this idea of man-to-man marriage. Just see how degraded they have become! Previously was there any conception like this, at least outside America? Nobody thought that a man could be married to another man. What is this? And the priests are supporting it. Do you know that? So what is their standard?
710725SB.NY Lectures
And what is the tapasya? That is also… Brahmacaryena. Brahmacaryena. Brahmacaryenameans restricted sex life. Real meaning is no sex life, no sex, celibacy, completely. This is tapasya. Therefore, according to Vedic culture, the first beginning of life is brahmacari. (break) But in the brahmacari life there is no sex life. Only in the grhastha life there is sex life, married life. I was reading the other day a magazine, Watch… What is that? Watchtower. So this paper was criticizing so many immoral activities in the Christian world. And one item I was surprised to read that a Christian priest has sanctioned marriage between man to man. That was written there. I do not wish to discuss all those things, but people are degrading for want of this tapasya. People are not taught how to execute tapasyalife, tapasvi life. Simply by criticizing will not do. Practically you have to be trained in the life of tapasya. Then it will be effective. Just like we are doing. Here, in our Krsna consciousness movement, in every center, everyone, at least who are living within this temple, must get up at four o’clock to perform the aratrika. This morning I was asking somebody that if you cannot rise, then you cannot live in this temple. Because this temple is meant for tapasya, not for extravagancy. Unless you follow the life of tapasya, you cannot make progress.

740611r2.par Conversations:
Prabhupada: Yes. They’re after money. So they are less than sudras. That is the cause that Christianity has fallen down, that they cannot speak straightly, or otherwise… It is straight commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” And because people are killing, they’re… Now they are give man-to-man marriage, what to speak of other things. The priests, they are sermonizing this man-to-man marriage. Just see how degraded they have become. Whether any conception… At least, outside America, nobody knows that a man can be married with another man. What is this? And they’re supporting it. You know that?

750521rc.mel Conversations:
Prabhupada: No. There is no question of high percentage. I said that even a small percentage, there must be some ideal men. At least people will see that here is the ideal man. Just like we are having. Because they are chanting and dancing, many outsiders are coming and they are also learning, they are also offering obeisances. And gradually they are offering their service: “Please accept me.” The example is better than precept. If you have an ideal group of men, then people will automatically learn. That is wanted. But don’t mind, I don’t find any ideal group of men. Even in the priests they are going to hospital for their drinking habit. I saw in some times before in a hospital, five thousand patients, alcoholic patients, priest. Priest should be ideal character. And they are advocating homosex. So where is the ideal character men? If the priestly class they are going to hospital for drinking habit, and they are allowing man-to-man marriage and homosexuality, then where is ideal character?

760108rc.nel Conversations:
Prabhupada: That they are doing. Still they are doing. Just like you said, some sprinkling water. They have no philosophy and they violate everything, what is stated there in Bible. Now you say that “Thou shall not kill;” they say, “Thou shall not murder.” They are molding. Now this homosexuality they are sanctioning, man-to-man marriage. They are sanctioning abortion.
Acyutananda: Yes. Two homosexuals were married by a priest.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Now they have a church where the priests are homosexuals and the attending people are homosexual.
Prabhupada: Hm?
Tamala Krsna: Now they have churches for homosexuals. That means the priest is a homosexual, and the persons who come are homosexuals. A special church for homosexuals.
Prabhupada: Just see. Is that religion?

770428rc.bom Conversations:
Prabhupada: No, they are drinking. They are having homosex. They are encouraging homosexuals, giving man-to-man marriage. You know that? This is going on. Doing everything nonsense.

N98:720928MW.LA conversations:
Prabhupada: …the injunction of the scripture, and still they say, “We do not know.” So many drunkards priest, they are going to hospital for treatment ,and they are eating, and they are getting married man to man, and still they say, “We do not know what we have done.” Just see how cheaters they are.
Jayatirtha: In the last six years…
Prabhupada: Hm?
Jayatirtha: In the last six years in the Catholic church, 25,000 priests have left and taken up…
Prabhupada: 25,000?
Jayatirtha: 25,000 in six years.
Prabhupada: What is that?
Jayatirtha: Have left the Catholic church, priests.
Prabhupada: Left.
Jayatirtha: Ordained priests, they have left and gone off to marry or whatever. Especially they are concerned that they can’t marry. Catholic priests are not allowed to marry.
Prabhupada: Marrying? They are marrying man to man ,what to speak of marrying. Sodomy.
Jayatirtha: So that’s the alternative. Either they’re leaving or they’re marrying man to man.
Prabhupada: Homosexuality. They are supporting homosexuality. So degraded, and still they say, “What we have done?” They do not know what is degradation, and they are priest. They are teaching others. They do not know what is the meaning of degradation.

740614rc.par Conversations:
Prabhupada: Yes. Some of our men, at least one, left our association. He thought that “This is denying the primary necessities of life.” Rayarama, Rayarama. He left for this reason, that we do not allow the bare necessities of life. Illicit sex, intoxication… He was first-class criminal on this account, but he could not give it up. Therefore he left.
Devotee: Yes, I spoke with him in San Francisco, and he said, “Swamiji will not be successful because he does not allow free love in his movement.” He says, “That is why I had to leave because there was no place for me and my boyfriend.” Even he was not attracted to having a girl, but he had a boy. That boy used to be also your typist. He was from Harvard University.
Prabhupada: That Neil.
Devotee: Yeah, Neil.
Prabhupada: Oh.
Devotee: And he told me that “Swamiji will not be successful in his movement because he will not allow free love.” I just saw him in San Francisco before I went to India two and a half years ago. We were trying to get him to come back to the temple.
Prabhupada: No, he cannot give up these bad habits.
Pusta-krsna: You said in Geneva that no one has died from giving up cigarettes or illicit sex. So it is not so hard to do.
Prabhupada: No, it is not hard. Now the Christian church is giving liberty, man to man marriage. Most unnatural.
Devotee: Previously they didn’t allow divorce. The first principle was there is no question of divorce. Then so many people began leaving the Catholic Church. So then they allowed divorce. And then they did not allow abortion. So again so many people left the religion. Now they allow abortion. And now they are allowing man to man marriage.
Prabhupada: Just see.
Devotee: They compromise just to keep their followers.
Bhagavan: It’s a matter of money.
Prabhupada: And that is freedom. So Raya Ramananda left because such freedom is not allowed here. So we have to allow this freedom like the church? (laughs)

Prabhupada On Hitler and Jews

Room Conversation, June 17, 1976, Toronto:
Prabhupada: Ah, yes. So these English people, they were very expert in making propaganda. They killed Hitler by propaganda. I don’t think Hitler was so bad man.

November 20, 1975, Bombay:

Ah, yes. So these English people, they were very expert in making propaganda. They killed Hitler by propaganda. I don’t think Hitler was so bad man.
No, no. Hitler knew it [the atom bomb]. . . . No, no. He knew it, everything, but he did not like to do it. He said. He said. He was gentleman. But these people are not gentlemen. He knew it perfectly well. He said that “I can smash the whole world, but I do not use that weapon.” The Germans already discovered. But out of humanity they did not use it. And all the, your American, other countries, they have stolen from German ideas.

January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Therefore Hitler killed these Jews. They were financing against Germany. Otherwise he had no enmity with the Jews. . . . And they were supplying. They want interest money — “Never mind against our country.” Therefore Hitler decided, “Kill all the Jews.”

Bhagavad-gita 9.3 — Melbourne, April 21, 1976:
So on the whole, the conclusion is that the Aryans spread in Europe also, and the Americans, they also spread from Europe. So the intelligent class of human being, they belong to the Aryans, Aryan family. Just like Hitler claimed that he belonged to the Aryan family. Of course, they belonged to the Aryan families.

Prabhupada On Violent Krishna Conscious Theocracy

Morning Walk January 21, 1976, Mayapura:
Prabhupada: Still, if you say, ‘You are mudha’, they become angry. Such mudhas, rascals, they are in the government service. And if you say that, ‘You are mudhas’, he becomes angry. Upadeso hi murkhanam prakopaya na santaye: If a mudha is advised nice instruction, he becomes angry. He does not take it. Payah-panam bhujanganam kevalam visa-vardhanam: If you give milk and banana to a snake, you simply increase his poison. One day he will come-(growls). You see I have given you milk and you? Yes, that is my nature. Yes. You give me milk, and I am prepared to kill you. This is mudha. We have to kill this civilization of mudhas. That is Krsna consciousness movement. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. Those who are actually human being, you have to give them Krsna. And those who are mudhas, we have to kill them. This is our business. Kill all the mudhas and give Krsna to the sane man. Yes. That will prove that you are really Krsna’s. We are not nonviolent. We are violent to the mudhas.

Room Conversation February 25, 1977, Mayapura:
Tamala Krsna: Gradually some of the people are beginning to understand what you’re up to, Srila Prabhupada. Some of these big demons in America especially, they are beginning to understand that you are the most dangerous personality in the world to them.

Prabhupada: To kill demon-crazy, LSD. (laughs) Yes, that is my mission. That is Krsna’s mission, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam BG 4.8 , to kill all these demons, crazy demons. I have no such power; otherwise I would have killed them. Either establish Krsna conscious government or kill them- bas, finish. I would have done that, violence.
Tamala Krsna: Yes, when good argument fails?
Prabhupada: Kill them. Finish. Just like Parasurama did. Kill all them, twenty-one times.

Morning Walk March 15, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupada: Arcye visnau [break] when it will teach military art, with tilaka, soldiers will, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna (laughter) We want that. Marching with military band, Hare Krsna. You maintain this idea. Is it not good?
Hrdayananda: Yes, Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: When there will be military march of Krsna conscious soldiers. Anyone who does not believe in Krsna, Blam! (laughter) Yes. The same process as the Mohammedans did, with sword and Koran, we’ll have to do that. Do you believe in Krsna or not? No, sir. Blam! Finished. (laughter, Prabhupada laughs) What do you think, Madhudvisa Maharaja? Is that all right?
Madhudvisa: Yes.
Prabhupada: (laughing) What these communists can do? We can do better than them. We can kill many communists like that. (laughter) Then it will be counteraction of communist movement. And you think like that. Why you are sitting idly, no employment? Come on to the field! Take this plow! Take this bull. Go on working. Why you are sitting idly? This is Krsna consciousness movement. Nobody should be allowed to sit down and sleep.

Geocentric Solar System

Mayapura, February 4, 1976 ‒
Prabhupada: Then, in the morning, it rises reddish. So why it does not look reddish always if it is fixed?
Harikesa: Well, the material scientists say it’s because of the atmospheric condition. It refracts the light in such a way that it becomes reddish. That’s what they say. Because it’s thicker atmosphere. You have to look through more atmos…
Prabhupada: Then how it comes so high? After few hours it goes so high.
Harikesa: Well, there is less atmosphere to look through. Why it goes up there?
Prabhupada: So that means move?
Harikesa: No, no. Because we’re moving this way. The earth is rotating.
Prabhupada: You are moving, but why you say sometimes this position and sometimes that position?
Harikesa: Because the earth also moves like this. It’s going around the sun, and then every day it rotates once.
Prabhupada: Hm?
Harikesa: It rotates on an axis like this. So therefore the sun seems to go around, but actually it’s the earth that goes around.
Prabhupada: Now, if you measure when this sun and when it comes meridian distance, so do you think the earth is moving so quickly? It is… According to their modern science, the earth is moving twenty-five thousand miles only throughout… No, within twenty-four hours.
Harikesa: That’s around the sun.
Prabhupada: Huh? Then is it possible…
Jagadisa: Twenty-four-hour day, twenty-five thousand miles circumference.
Prabhupada: So how earth has gone so quickly round that it is seen, the different position of the sun? This means sun is not fixed. Sun is moving. And in the Bhagavata it is said that it is moving at the rate of sixteen thousand miles per second. I think I have calculated that. Sixteen thousand miles.
Hrdayananda: Prabhupada? Does that mean that the sun is going around the earth?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Hrdayananda: Is the sun going around the earth?
Prabhupada: Sun is going around the whole planetary system.
Tamala Krsna: The scientists think the whole planetary system is going around the sun.
Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada, earth is also moving?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Bhavananda: Earth planet is also moving?
Prabhupada: Along with all other stars. That you can see at night.
Tamala Krsna: They are all moving around the polestar.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Hrdayananda: So that means that the more we learn material education, (we’re) just becoming more and more foolish.
Prabhupada: Yes. Material education means mudha. This is also material education, the movement of the sun. But they are not perfect.

VRNDAVAN, July 02, 1977, Bhu-mandala Diagram Discussion ‒
Prabhupāda: Then the sun… Above the sun there is moon.
Yaśodā-nandana: Yes, and above the sun there is the moon.