(Click to enlarge photo of Krishna's Lotus Feet—the shelter for all devotees)
samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām
"For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murāri, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is paraṁ padam, Vaikuṇṭha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step."
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.58)
"This material world is full of dangers at every step, but a devotee has no fear because devotional service is so auspicious that it automatically counteracts all kinds of bad luck."
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.23.34, Purport)
"If we are actually situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then guruṇāpi duḥkhena, very heaviest type of danger may be before me—I shall not be disturbed. Or anyone who has taken the shelter like that, he will never be disturbed. He will never be disturbed."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, New York, September 9, 1966)
"Lord Jesus Christ, his only fault was that he was preaching God's message. He was crucified. You see? So these things are... This place is like that. Even if you are innocent, still, you'll be put into danger. Therefore this place should be avoided. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām: 'Every step there is danger.' So one who takes to spiritual culture, for them, this place is unfit. Unfit. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that 'This place is not fit for any gentleman's living.' He was to say like that, 'This place is unfit for any gentleman's living.' "
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, New York, September 18, 1966)
"In every step of our life there are difficulties. The material life is like that. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). In every step there is danger. It is a place like that. Even if you are comfortable in a nice car, you are going, oh, there may be any moment accident. Even you are sitting here, there may be accident. So difficulties, this world is full of difficulties. One who does not understand this difficult position, he's a fool. If one thinks that 'I am very comfortable,' then he's a fool. This is animal life, just as animal thinks, 'Oh, I am very comfortable. I am very nice.' And dissatisfaction is human life. He's not happy unless he gets the greatest happiness. That is human life. And if he thinks, 'Yes, I am well off. I am very happy,' then he is animal. Because there is no happiness here. Full of distress. Full of miseries. How he says that 'I am happy'? That means he is ignorant. So difficulties are there. You have to work out. That is the problem."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, New York, October 26, 1966)
"Take, for example, just like I am coming from Boston here by aeroplane. It is very nice discovery. But as soon as you get on the aeroplane, every second there is danger—because there is no guarantee. There is no guarantee. So similarly, we may crossing over the street... Oh, there is danger. Recently in Delhi one of our Godnephew, oh, he was crushed by motor accident, completely crushed. He fell down, and the motor car passed over him, and all the bones were crushed. I have received that letter. So we should know that this place is not at all safe. At any moment there is danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Therefore in the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's version it is said that if you want to have spiritual realization, then you should always think that 'Death is coming, and danger is coming immediately.' That should be our attitude."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Montreal, June 3, 1968)
"Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us: tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā (CC Adi 17.31). One should be tolerant than the trees and humbler than the grass to make progress in spiritual life. Because there will be so many disturbances. Because māyā... We are living... Just like if we are in the ocean. So you cannot expect very peaceful situation in the ocean. It must be always tilt..., what is called, tiltering, tilting. Even, even a big ship, it is also not very fixed-up position. At any moment there may be tumultuous waves. So in this material world you should always expect danger. You cannot expect very peaceful life within this material world. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Śāstra says in every step there is danger. But if you become a devotee, then you escape."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, New York, April 12, 1973)
"Here in the material world, padaṁ padaṁ vipadām. Every step there is vipada; there is danger. So don't think that 'She is dying' or 'He is dying, and I shall not die.' Everyone will have to die. Every step, there is danger of dying. It is not that... The bhute pare gobar hasi... Everyone has to die. So before that death we must become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious so that ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). The end will come today or tomorrow or day after tomorrow. Nobody will live here. But the success is if we can remember Nārāyaṇa at the end of life. That is success. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ. We should practice that. Don't bother about that 'I shall die tomorrow. You are dying today, so I am better than you.' Nobody will live here. Everyone will die, and we must be prepared for death. And the devotee has no fear for dying because if he is completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, then he is going back to Him. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9), simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa."
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Vrndavan, November 12, 1976)
"This world is full of dangers in every step. Just like in the ocean there is danger in every step but if we take shelter of boat which is known as the Lotus Feet of Lord Krishna, then this great ocean of danger becomes as harmless as a small pit. We shall be able to cross hundreds of such pits simply by chanting the Holy Names of the Lord, the Hare Krishna Mantra."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, December 21, 1968)
"You are all very nice, sincere boys and girls, and Krishna has been very kind to send you all to help me in this great task of trying to save all the fallen souls from such a dangerous position. At every step there is danger, but under the strong grip of maya, we forget this. So the task is very great to give real knowledge, Krishna consciousness, to everyone, and I am so much encouraged by your determined efforts. Please increase more and more, and Krishna will help you."
(Srila Prabhupada Letter, April 22, 1972)
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