Woman: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what does it mean practically to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Surrender to Kṛṣṇa means you have to accept things which is favorable for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like we restrict our students, no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication. If you surrender to this process, that is surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Is it clear? If you don't surrender, there is no surrender. Then you are not surrendered soul. Chant sixteen rounds, and if you follow, that is surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. Don't take anything except kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That is surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. So many we have got. So if you surrender to these principles, that means you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Just like a good citizen surrenders to the state. What does it mean? He abides by the law. That's all. He does not do anything which is against the will of the state. That's all. So you surrender to the principles; then you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

(Lecture on Bhagavad-Gita--------London).

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses and not our own senses, that is the principle of renunciation. How can one develop and cultivate renunciation.

Prabhupāda: Renunciation means you must first stop your sense gratification. That is renunciation. If you engage in your sense gratification, how you can satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses? So you have to stop this nonsense sense gratification, you have to adopt the real sense gratification. That is renunciation. Renunciation does not mean you become idle. Renunciation means you have to stop nonsense things and then begin real thing. That is renunciation. The Māyāvādī philosophy is stop everything. Stop everything, what is the gain? Stop nonsense, do something sensible, that is wanted. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (B.G.18:66), give up everything. Does He say, "And then stop"? No. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, "Come here." That is wanted. Just like the dictaphone. Stop recording cinema songs, record kṛṣṇa-kathā, discussion of Kṛṣṇa. That is utilization properly. So everything has got utility. When it is used for Kṛṣṇa, that is proper utility. When it is used for other purpose, that is māyā.

(Lecture on Bhagavad-Gita-------New Mayapura).

Sudāmā: Śrīla Prabhupāda, then if I have Kṛṣṇa's name and I understand that it is Kṛṣṇa, then can I take it and go to the forest?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Sudāmā: Can I take Kṛṣṇa's name and go to the forest and be...

Prabhupāda: No, you can go to the forest. That is your interest. But if you try to distribute Kṛṣṇa's name, that is more, I mean, valuable work. Because if you go to the forest, you take interest of yourself. But Kṛṣṇa wants that you take interest for others also. That is greater service. Just like a soldier, he's also patriot, and another man is patriot. But the soldier who goes to fight forward for the state, his service is greater than this man. Because he has to face so many dangers for the country. Therefore during time of war, the government takes care of the soldiers first and the civilians, their eating, their supply is controlled. But the soldier's supply is never controlled because he is giving good, better service to the state. So you can go to the forest for your own interest. That is also good. But better work is to push forward Kṛṣṇa's name. That is better service.

(Lecture on Bhagavad-Gita--------Hawaii).