Srila Prabhupada: “A devil cannot cite scripture. Angel can cite scripture.”

Srila Prabhupada: “A devil cannot cite scripture. Angel can cite scripture.”

Room Conversation, London,  August 14, 1971.          

Srila Prabhupada: Yesam tv anta-gatam papam. One who has finished sinful activities; he can be engaged in God consciousness. One who is engaged in sinful activities, he cannot. Devil citing scripture.

A devil cannot cite scripture. Angel can cite scripture. And according to our acharyas, Sanatana Goswami, he says that “Don’t hear scriptures from the devil.” Avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam sravanam naiva kartavyam” If a devil’s preaching about God, don’t hear.  If you say, “God is pure, so let me hear about God. It doesn’t matter whether he is devil or angel. It doesn’t matter.” No. The argument is sarpocchistam payo yatha. Just like milk is very nourishing food, but if it is touched by the lips, by the tongue of a serpent, it becomes poison. Sarpocchistam payo yatha. You cannot bring the milk which is touched by the serpent’s tongue.

So we should receive knowledge of God, message of God, from a person who is not a devil. Then it will be effective. Otherwise, it will act as poison. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s principle is apani acari prabhu jiveri siksaya. He first of all behaves himself, and then he preaches. So if the preacher is sinful, how he can deliver other sinful men by his so-called preaching. That is not possible. He must be pure, he must be sinless. Then his preaching will be effective. But in all conditions, if we, with faith and love we chant the holy name of God, we shall become gradually purified. There is no, I mean to say, cause of anxiety. Anyone who will chant this holy name, he’ll be purified. (Room Conversation, London,  August 14, 1971)

Prabhupada: So write them immediately that “The rascal editors (Jayadvaita), they are doing havoc, and they are being maintained by Ramesvara and party.” (S.P.Conversation, “Rascal Editors,”June 22, 1977, Vrndavana)