When you work, intentionally or unintentionally, we are committing so many sinful activities. Take, for example, that we are not in favor of animal killing; but when we walk on the street, unintentionally we are killing so many animals. You cannot get out of this entanglement.

When you are drinking water, you are killing so many animals. When we are exhaling, inhaling, we are killing so many. When we are igniting fire, so many animals are killed. So we cannot avoid it. So if you do not devote your life for Krsna’s service, you’ll be responsible for all these minor killings also — intentionally or unintentionally.

Ignorance is not excused. If you drive unintentionally to the left side of the road, you are immediately prosecuted. You cannot say, “Oh, I was little inattentive.” No. The law of state is so strict; and how much the law of God is strict you should understand. Don’t take it trifle.

You can avoid the vigilance of police, but you cannot avoid the vigilance of God. The day is witness, the night is witness, the air is witness, the sun is witness, the moon is witness. How we can avoid the sinful activities? Therefore if you want to save yourself, then you have to take to this Krsna consciousness. Otherwise you are doomed.

Srila Prabhupada — May 5, 1970, Los Angeles