From: Tames Moterani
To: BVKS Sanga
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2025 10:06:08 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: I seek references for the following statements
Please accept my obeisances at the dust of Your Lotus Feet
SEXUAL ACTIVITY ONLY FOR BEGETTING CHILDREN
>Bg. 16.1-3 - from the Purport
Then as far as dama (self-control) is concerned, it is not only meant for other orders of religious society, but is especially meant for the householder. Although he has a wife, a householder should not use his senses for sex life unnecessarily. There are restrictions for the householders even in sex life, which should only be engaged in for the propagation of children. If he does not require children, he should not enjoy sex life with his wife. Modern society enjoys sex life with contraceptive methods or more abominable methods to avoid the responsibility of children. This is not in the transcendental quality, but is demoniac.
>Nectar of instruction 1 - from the purport
In a similar manner, the urges of the genitals, the sex impulse, can be controlled when not used unnecessarily. The genitals should be used to beget a Kṛṣṇa conscious child, otherwise they should not be used. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement encourages marriage not for the satisfaction of the genitals but for the begetting of Kṛṣṇa conscious children(…) As far as the urges of the genitals are concerned, there are two – proper and improper, or legal and illicit sex. When a man is properly mature, he can marry according to the rules and regulations of the śāstras and use his genitals for begetting nice children. That is legal and religious. Otherwise, he may adopt many artificial means to satisfy the demands of the genitals, and he may not use any restraint. When one indulges in illicit sex life, as defined by the śāstras, either by thinking, planning, talking about or actually having sexual intercourse, or by satisfying the genitals by artificial means, he is caught in the clutches of māyā. These instructions apply not only to householders but also to tyāgīs, or those who are in the renounced order of life.
>ŚB 3.14.11 - From the purport
In Bhagavad-gītā sexual intercourse for begetting children is accepted as righteous. A person sexually inclined for simple sense gratification, however, is unrighteous.
>ŚB 3.30.28 - from the purport
Therefore, in the Vedic civilization sex life is allowed only in a restricted way: it is for the married couple and only for begetting children.
>ŚB 3.31.39 - from the purport
Out of the four social divisions, the brahmacārī, vānaprastha and the sannyāsī — three orders — are strictly prohibited from the association of women; only the gṛhasthas, or householders, are given license to have an intimate relationship with a woman, and that relationship is also restricted for begetting nice children.
>ŚB 3.33.26 - from the purport
In short, the goal is spiritual advancement, not sense gratification. Similarly, sex life must be reduced. Sex life is meant only for begetting Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Otherwise, there is no necessity for sex life. Nothing is prohibited, but everything is made yukta, regulated, with the higher purpose always in mind.
> ŚB 4.8.1 - from the purport
Semen is meant to be discharged when one has a home, a wife and the intention to beget children; otherwise there is no injunction for discharging semen.
>ŚB 5.14.9 - From the purport
In Bhagavad-gītā (7.11) it is said: dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo ’smi bharatarṣabha. Sex is allowed only for the begetting of children, not for enjoyment. One can indulge in sex to beget a good child for the benefit of the family, society and world. Otherwise, sex is against the rules and regulations of religious life.
>ŚB 6.4.52 - From the purport
The Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (7.11), dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo ’smi: “I am sex that is not contrary to religious principles.” Sexual intercourse ordained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is dharma, a religious principle, but it is not intended for sense enjoyment. Indulgence in sense enjoyment through sexual intercourse is not allowed by the Vedic principles. One may follow the natural tendency for sex life only to beget children. (…) In this connection it may be noted that if the American boys and girls engaged in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement want to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to achieve the supreme benefit of loving service to the Lord, they should refrain from indulging in this facility for sex life. Therefore we advise that one should at least refrain from illicit sex. Even if there are opportunities for sex life, one should voluntarily accept the limitation of having sex only for progeny, not for any other purpose.
>ŚB 7.12.11 - from the purport
The gṛhastha is allowed to indulge in sex life during the period favorable for procreation and in accordance with the spiritual master’s order. If the spiritual master’s orders allow a gṛhastha to engage in sex life at a particular time, then the gṛhastha may do so; otherwise, if the spiritual master orders against it, the gṛhastha should abstain. The gṛhastha must obtain permission from the spiritual master to observe the ritualistic ceremony of garbhādhāna-saṁskāra.
>ŚB 11.5.11 - From the purport
In the Kriyā-vidhāna it is explained that sex is permitted only during the vāmadeva sacrifice, or the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra for begetting of religious children.
>ŚB 11.5.13 - Verse
According to the Vedic injunctions, when wine is offered in sacrificial ceremonies it is later to be consumed by smelling, and not by drinking. Similarly, the sacrificial offering of animals is permitted, but there is no provision for wide-scale animal slaughter. Religious sex life is also permitted, but only in marriage for begetting children, and not for sensuous exploitation of the body. Unfortunately, however, the less intelligent materialists cannot understand that their duties in life should be performed purely on the spiritual platform.
>ŚB 11.18.43 - Verse
A householder may approach his wife for sex only at the time prescribed for begetting children. Otherwise, the householder should practice celibacy, austerity, cleanliness of mind and body, satisfaction in his natural position, and friendship toward all living entities. Worship of Me is to be practiced by all human beings, regardless of social or occupational divisions.
>ŚB 11.18.43 - from the purport
A religious householder should approach his wife at the prescribed time and place and beget a saintly child for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. Otherwise, it is specifically mentioned here that a householder must practice celibacyalong with all of the other members of advanced human civilization.
>From: Civilization and transcendence - Chapter 8
After brahmacārī life, one may marry. This means he enters gṛhastha life, household life. That is also tapasya. He cannot have sex whenever he likes. No. The śāstra says, “You must have sex like this: once in a month and only for begetting children.” So that is also tapasya.
>From: On the way to Krsna - Chapter 3
What is this lust? Lust generally means sex life, but here kāma refers to sex life which is not against religious principles – that is to say, sex for the begetting of good children. If one can beget good Kṛṣṇa conscious children, he can have sex thousands of times, but if he can only beget children who are raised in the consciousness of cats and dogs, his sex life is to be considered irreligious. In religious and civilized societies, marriage is intended as an indication that a couple is to engage in sex for begetting good children. Therefore married sex life is considered religious, and unmarried sex life is considered irreligious.
>From: The path of perfection - Chapter 4
If you want to do something with determination, you have to refrain from sex. Regardless of the process – be it haṭha-yoga, bhakti-yoga, jñāna-yoga, or whatever – sex indulgence is not allowed. Sex is allowed only for householders who want to beget good children and raise them in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sex is not meant for sense enjoyment, although enjoyment is there by nature.
>From: Perfect questions, perfect answers - Chapter 2
But according to Vedic culture, we are interested in sex only for begetting children, that’s all.
>From: A second chance - Chapter 1
To benefit fully from chanting the holy name of the Lord, one needs to chant offenselessly. And to guarantee offenseless chanting, some austerity is required. First of all, one should not indulge in illicit sex. Sex is one of the bodily needs, so it is sanctioned in the śāstras to some degree: one is allowed to live peacefully with one’s wife and have sex for begetting children.
>From: A second chance - Chapter 13
As sense control is the beginning of pious life, illicit sex is the beginning of sinful life. One should not engage in illicit sex, or sex for any reason except having a child with one’s wife. Marriage is meant for begetting children, and in that sense it is a religious institution.
>From a lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.16 - November 4th 1976, Vrndavana
So legal sex life is still allowed. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, dharmāviruddho-kāmo 'smi [Bg. 7.11]. If there is legal sex, one man and woman, married, and only for progeny they get into sex life, that is allowed in the śāstra. But illegal, illicit sex is most abominable. But either illicit or legal, there are so many sufferings. So many sufferings. Illegal---now they are giving opportunity abortion, killing the child, and so on, go to the hospital. That is also. And behind that, the killing the child, a very sinful, he has to suffer.
>From a letter to Hayagriva - February 20th 1969, Los Angeles
The summary is sex life should be utilized only for begetting Krishna Conscious children—that's all.
>For more similar letters - see also:
-letter to Syama - January 18th 1969, Los Angeles
-letter to David B. Richeter Hughes - September 8th 1976, Vrndavana
-letter to Karandhara - April 22nd 1971 - Bombay
-letter a letter to Dayananda/Nandarani - August 24th 1968, Montreal
-letter to Vibhavati - July 15th 1969, Los Angeles
-letter to Pradyumna - September 28th 1969, Tittenhurst
>Interview with Mr. Koshi (Asst. Editor of The Current Weekly) - April 5th 1977, Bombay
Mr. Koshi: What exactly do you mean?
Prabhupāda: Illicit sex, do you think it is...?
Mr. Koshi: Outside marriage, you mean?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Not only outside marriage. Even in marriage, you cannot have sex as you like. You must have sex according to the regulative principle or religious principle.
Mr. Koshi: Could you explain?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like only for begetting nice children.
>Room Conversation with Reverend Gordon Powell - June 28th 1974, Melbourne
Reverend Powell: Thank you. I take it from what you've just been saying, Your Grace, that this explains what was said here in the..., referring to illicit sex as being anything that's not in marriage and not for procreation within marriage.
Prabhupāda: Only the sex allowed only for begetting nice children.
Reverend Powell: Yes. You don't feel that...
Prabhupāda: And beyond that, sex, that is illicit sex.
CONTRACEPTIVES
>ŚB 2.6.8 - From the purport
Therefore, the sex life in the material world should not be encouraged beyond the necessity. There is a necessity for generating progeny even in the material world, but such generation of children must be carried out with full responsibility for spiritual values. The spiritual values of life can be realized in the human form of material existence, and the human being must adopt family planning with reference to the context of spiritual values, and not otherwise. The degraded form of family restriction by use of contraceptives, etc., is the grossest type of material contamination.Materialists who use these devices want to fully utilize the pleasure potency of the coating on the genitals by artificial means, without knowing the spiritual importance. And without knowledge of spiritual values, the less intelligent man tries to utilize only the material sense pleasure of the genitals.
>ŚB 4.27.6 - From the purport
We do not find in Vedic literatures that they ever used contraceptive methods, although they were begetting hundreds of children. Checking population by contraceptive method is another sinful activity, but in this Age of Kali people have become so sinful that they do not care for the resultant reactions of their sinful lives. King Purañjana lay down with his wife, Purañjanī, and begot a large number of children, and there is no mention in these verses that he used contraceptive methods. According to the Vedic scriptures the contraceptive method should be restraint in sex life. It is not that one should indulge in unrestricted sex life and avoid children by using some method to check pregnancy.
>Morning Walk - April 21st 1973,Los Angeles
Prabhupāda: (…) According to our śāstra, within the semina of the father, the living body, living entity, takes shelter. And it is injected to the mother's womb, and the two matters mixes and the body forms. This is our śāstric explanation. Not that the semina discharged by the father, that is life. No. Within that semina, the living entity takes shelter. And it is put into favorable condition; then it develops the body. This is... We, we find in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That putting of the living entity in a particular type of semina depends on higher authorities. The higher authorities will judge what kind of body this living entity, after leaving this body, will get. So by higher authority it will be directed to enter into the semina of such father, and it will be injected in the womb of the mother. Then you'll get..., develop a particular type of body and come out and suffer or enjoy. This is the process.
Brahmānanda: If that semina is misused or wasted, then that disrupts the plan of the authorities.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Brahmānanda: It's a serious matter.
Prabhupāda: Therefore this contraceptive method is sinful activity. Abortion, contraceptive method, this is against the, I mean to say, plan of the Supreme. Just like the government is making some plan, and if you spoil it, you are criminal.
>"Life Comes From Life" Slideshow Discussions - Conversation, July 3rd 1976, Washington, DC
Prabhupāda: That is also Vedic conception, that sex between man and woman is not the cause of life. Unless the living soul comes in the proper situation, the man's secretion, woman's secretion combined together emulsifies, and it creates a proper situation for the rest of the soul. So contraceptive method means that emulsification is disturbed. It does not create the proper situation; therefore pregnancy does not happen. Or imperfect discharge. The main point is that the two discharges, they create a situation wherein the living entity comes and rests. Then it grows. Not that that is the cause of life. The mixture of two secretions is not the cause of life. That creates a proper situation, and the life comes. And if the situation is not favorable, the soul cannot stay. It has to go to somewhere else. So by the order of Kṛṣṇa, he was to come to take shelter there, but this man and woman checked it. Therefore it is sinful; he is to be punished. Just like one apartment is fixed up for me, and if somebody checks, does not allow me to enter, that is criminal. That is criminal; he is to be punished. Unlawful detention. But they do not know the laws of nature, how it is working. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. The law of nature is working very silently, subtle. But they do not know.
>An Open Letter to Pope Paul VI - August 3rd 1968, Quebec
I understand it from reliable sources that people are trying to get Your Holiness’ sanction for the contraceptive method, which is certainly against any religion of the world. In the Hindu religion, such contraceptive method and abortion are considered equivalent to murder.
>From a letter to Mr. Suresh Candra - June 18th 1973 - Mayapur
You have asked what is meant by illicit sex. Sex should be used only in marriage for begetting nice children to raise in Krsna Consciousness. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that I am sex life performed according to religious principles. Sex life for any other purpose means illicit sex. The use of contraceptive method for sex enjoyment is very sinful.
MASTURBATION
>Morning walk, March 15th 1976, Mayapur
Prabhupāda: Chinese people?
Siddha-svarūpānanda: Yes. And they're very strong on celibacy because he said that the... If a person loses semen or if they masturbate or if they unnecessarily use their sexual energy, they'll go insane, that their brains will become very weak, and physically they'll become very weak.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is a fact.
STERILIZATION
>From a letter to Tikandas Batra, January 3rd 1977, Bombay
In answer to your questions, sastra says that only for progeny there should be sex, otherwise no sex,"dharmaviruddho bhutesu kamo 'smi." No "indriyartha," for sense gratification there should be no sex. But, this sterilization is for sense gratification. That is most sinful. The Indian government is becoming demonic because those who elect the government are becoming demonic.
ABORTION
>ŚB 3.30.21 - from the purport
While we live in the gross body, such activities of sense gratification are encouraged even by modern government regulations. In every state all over the world, such activities are encouraged by the government in the form of birth control. Women are supplied pills, and they are allowed to go to a clinical laboratory to get assistance for abortions. This is going on as a result of sense gratification. Actually sex life is meant for begetting a good child, but because people have no control over the senses and there is no institution to train them to control the senses, the poor fellows fall victim to the criminal offenses of sense gratification, and they are punished after death as described in these pages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
>ŚB 5.14.9 - From the purport
Presently in Kali-yuga there are many pregnancies due to illicit sex, and sometimes abortions ensue. These sinfulactivities are witnessed by the agents of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and a man and woman who create such a situation are punished in the future by the stringent laws of material nature (daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā). Illicit sex is never excused, and those who indulge in it are punished life after life(…) The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not allow anyone to act against the stringent laws of material nature; therefore illicit sex is punished life after life. Illicit sex creates pregnancies, and these unwanted pregnancies lead to abortion. Those involved become implicated in these sins, so much so that they are punished in the same way the next life. Thus in the next life they also enter the womb of a mother and are killed in the same way. All these things can be avoided by remaining on the transcendental platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this way one does not commit sinful activity.
>ŚB 6.16.14 - from the Purport
The practice of killing children has existed in human society for a long time — since time immemorial — but in the days of yore it was very rarely performed. At the present moment, however, in this Age of Kali, abortion — killing of the child within the womb — has become very common, and sometimes a child is even killed after birth. If a woman performs such an abominable act, she gradually loses all her bodily luster (bāla-hatyā-hata-prabhāḥ). It is also to be noted that the ladies who had committed the sinful act of administering poison to the child were very much ashamed, and according to the directions of the brāhmaṇas, they had to undergo atonement for killing the child. Any woman who has ever performed such an infamously sinful act must atone for it, but no one now is doing that. Under the circumstances, the women responsible must suffer in this life and the next. Those who are sincere souls, after hearing this incident, should refrain from such child-killing and should atone for their sinful activities by taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously. If one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without offenses, all of one’s sinful actions are surely atoned for immediately, but one should not commit such deeds again, for that is an offense.
>Teachings of Lord Kapila - Chapter 17 - Text 41 - Purport
There is no possibility of being liberated from suffering without taking shelter at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. People are thinking that they can relieve suffering through abortion, by killing the child within the womb. In this way they are committing one sin after another and becoming more and more entangled. Consequently the aborted living entity will have to enter into the womb of another mother in order to undergo the birth that he is destined to take. Then, when he enters the womb of another mother, he may again be killed, and for many years he may not be allowed to see the light of the sun.
>Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā Lecture - August 19th 1976, Hyderabad
If a person is unable to save his child from the clutches of birth and death, he should not become a father. This is real contraceptive method. Not that have sex like cats and dogs, and when the child is there, kill it and abortion. No. That is greatest sinful activities.
>"Life Comes From Life" Slideshow Discussions - Conversation, July 3rd 1976, Washington, DC
Rūpānuga: That is like abortion.
Prabhupāda: Everything is on that principle, that if you violating the laws of nature, therefore you are criminal, you have to be punished. You cannot do it. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā.
Rūpānuga: Like if you are situated in your apartment and someone comes and forces you out of your apartment, that is like abortion.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is abortion. By force you are destroying the shelter. Therefore you are criminal.
(…)
Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, what happens to the soul when you have an abortion, though? Where does it go?
Prabhupāda: Goes to another body. Dehāntara. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]. If you do not allow him to this body, he goes to another body. Just like if you drive me from this apartment, I must go somewhere. I must find out another apartment. It is not that I am finished. You force me to go out of this apartment. So I go to a friend's house or anywhere, I must go.
Devotee (1): Would that also be due to that soul's karma, that he has gone from being aborted on to another body?
Prabhupāda: Not necessarily, but you create a karma. You are responsible for that.
>Room Conversation - October 4th 1975, Mauritius
Cyavana: They are afraid of death. They are afraid of death. No one wants to die.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They are afraid someone will take them off the machine, too.
Cyavana: We want to live as long as we can.
Prabhupāda: Then you have to accept that your killing child, abortion, that is sinful.
>From a lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.3.9 - May 26th 1972, Los Angeles
Kṛṣṇa says the sufferings of birth... They do not understand, such fool, that what is the suffering of birth. Even if you are not killed, you have to remain compact in a vat, airtight. And the worms, they are biting. So many things. Suffocated. That is one. But if he can live at least for ten months, the mother does not kill, abortion, then it has got a chance to come out. Otherwise, there is no chance to come out even. He dies within the womb, again transferred to another womb, and again it is killed. So those who are too much sinful, those who are causing these abortion, they will get this sort of life. They will never see light. One womb, killed; another womb, killed; another womb, killed; another womb, killed. This is so sinful, this abortion. And the modern civilization and the priestly order, they are passing = "If the mother selects. Otherwise, there is no objection, abortion." Such foolish world is going on. You see? There are so many subtle laws of nature. They do not know anything. And they are claiming to be educated scientist and Vedāntist, philosopher. All nonsense.
>Television Interview - July 9th 1975, Chicago
Woman reporter: What about women who do not have children?
Prabhupāda: Well, that is also another unnatural thing. Sometimes they use contraceptives. They kill children, abortion. That is also not very good. These are all sinful activities. These are sinful activities, to kill child in the womb and take shelter of abortion. These are all sinful activities. One has to suffer for that.
Woman reporter: Is the social unrest in this country caused because...
Prabhupāda: Because of these things. They do not know that.
>From a lecture on Bhagavad-gītā 2.12 - August 18th 1973, London
They sterilize = "Now it is sterilized." That is all nonsense. Sterilized means the body is killed, but not this... There is abortion = the body is killed. Contraception = the body is killed. But the soul, he's not killed. If you make some inconvenience to the soul who has taken shelter in the womb, and you kill the body, then he'll have to search out another body. This is going on. Just see how much rascal civilization is going on. They're thinking they're killing---this way killed, that way killed. No. You..., it is sinful, because you create inconvenience to that particular soul. He was taking shelter, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa dehopapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. By his karma he has been given shelter to develop a body, and if you kill that body, that means you go against the order of the Supreme, daiva-netreṇa.Suppose you are destined to occupy some room, and somebody does not allow you to enter that room, is it not criminal? It is criminal, unlawful detention, unlawful... It is unlawful, even in the state. Similarly, a living entity is developing one body, and if you kill that, you become immediately criminal, punishable.
>Morning Walk - March 25th 1976, Delhi
Prabhupāda: Children will be born... If you are... If the child is sinful, then it will go to the womb of a mother who will kill him. That's all. By the will. By the..., that he should be punished. One who has used contraceptive and abortion method, by the will of God he will enter another mother, and the mother will kill him.
Cyavana: But the Bible, it indicates...
Prabhupāda: Now, now, you see, try, understand. You are very good Bible quoter, but try to understand each and everything. Simply you go on quoting, but understand what is that quotation. It is by the will of God. You have committed sinful life by contraceptive method. Now you enter in the womb of another mother and be killed. That is Bible.
>From a lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.4 - November 7th 1973, Delhi
People are indulging in killing even his own son, abortion. Because people are degrading, they are killing live thing. So that will be reacted. In the womb the man, the person, will be killed. Reaction. Why so many abortions are taking place nowadays? Because the child which has come into the womb of the mother, he is sinful. He has done previous life so many killing. Now he has to be killed so many times. He has to be killed so many times, as many times he has killed other poor animals. This is the law of nature. Just like in the state laws, if you kill somebody, the state law will kill him. Life for life. Similarly, God's law, how even if you kill one ant even, you will be responsible for this, and it will have to be punished.