Either you have to understand Kṛṣṇa from the Kṛṣṇa personally—that is not possible—or one who has got, received the favor of Kṛṣṇa, from him you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi. One who is favored with a little mercy of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he can understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). One who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, that means he is pure devotee. From him you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānu . . . prasāda-leśa, minute quantity of mercy, one who has received from Kṛṣṇa, he can understand.
Or here is Kṛṣṇa explaining Himself, that what He is. Ajaḥ, He has no birth and death. One who thinks that, "Kṛṣṇa appeared, and He is now dead. Now another Kṛṣṇa has appeared," that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇa is one. He can expand Himself in many forms. That is different thing. But Kṛṣṇa . . . advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta haya. He has multi, innumerable forms, but still, He's one, advaita. Advaitam acyutam: He does not fall. He, Kṛṣṇa . . . suppose īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61), because Kṛṣṇa has expanded Himself in many millions of form to stay within the heart of the living being, that does not mean Kṛṣṇa has fallen. Avyayātmā. He's the same Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference. Kṛṣṇa is existing in innumerable universes. Kṛṣṇa is existing everywhere, still, He's avyayātmā. From the original Kṛṣṇa, although He has expanded into millions and trillions, unlimited, still, He's avyaya, without any minus. It is not like that we have got some bank balance, and if it is taken away millions times, then it is finished. No. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate. This is Kṛṣṇa. This is the verdict of the Vedānta. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam idam, pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśo Invocation). Everything which is emanating from Kṛṣṇa, that is complete. There is no deficiency. Everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Absolute Truth . . . that is Absolute Truth.
So in all the Vedas, Upaniṣads, Saṁhitās, the same thing is described in different way. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13), in this way. Here Kṛṣṇa Himself describes Himself that ajo 'pi and avyayātmā. Avyayātmā. It does . . . Kṛṣṇa's body, mind, there is no difference—absolute. What is Kṛṣṇa's body, that is Kṛṣṇa's soul. What is Kṛṣṇa's mind, that is Kṛṣṇa's soul. Or what is Kṛṣṇa's soul, that is Kṛṣṇa's body, that is Kṛṣṇa. Avyayātmā. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaraḥ. Īśvaraḥ. He's not ordinary living being. Bhūtānām īśvaraḥ. That is the difference. He's īśvaraḥ. We are not īśvaraḥ. We may be īśvaraḥ. Īśvaraḥ means controller. But that, we are not the supreme īśvara. The supreme īśvara is called Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). We are not supreme īśvara.
The so-called incarnation of God, they declare that "I am God." But . . . He may be God, God means a subordinate god. Not the Supreme God. The Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. God means controller. You have . . . you may have some controlling power, admitted, but you are not Supreme Controller. The Supreme Controller is Īśvara. Therefore here Kṛṣṇa . . . therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi. Īśvaraḥ. All bhūta . . . bhūtānām means all living entities, or everything which has appeared within this material world. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1): He is the supreme source of everything. That is also described in the Tenth Chapter that aham ādir hi devānām (BG 10.2), mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Everything. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). These things are described.
So we have to accept Kṛṣṇa like that. And if we make our own interpretation, rascal-like, that will not help us to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Bhagavad-gītā. That is going on, generally. "Kṛṣṇa has no existence," "Kṛṣṇa, there was no Kṛṣṇa. It is story," "There was no Battlefield of Kurukṣetra." These things are going on by . . . spoken by so-called political leaders and scholars. But that is not the fact. They do not understand Kṛṣṇa; simply mislead people. Therefore the world is in chaotic condition. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then your life will be successful. Kṛṣṇa is explaining. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that . . . yadā yadā hi dharmasya (BG 4.7). He'll explain that, why He comes. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san sambhavāmi yuge yuge, why? Just to remind us what is Kṛṣṇa. Just to teach us. Because we misunderstand. We are so fools and rascals, we misunderstand Kṛṣṇa. We cannot understand. If we simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). The simple thing. Just try to understand Kṛṣṇa. This simple, one thing will make your life successful.
So Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro . . . prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. Prakṛtiṁ svām. Personal. Personal energy, or personal form. Kṛṣṇa is . . . He has got His personal form, that Śyāmasundara, with flute. That is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā: cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). He's very fond of tending cows. Surabhīr abhipālaya. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham . . . veṇuṁ kvaṇantam: He's very fond of playing on flute. Aravinda-dalāyatākṣam: His eyes are just like petals of the lotus flower. These are described in the Vedic literature. So Kṛṣṇa is not formless. It is not that the devotees of Kṛṣṇa, by imagination, they have . . . as the Māyāvādī rascals say, that Kṛ . . . "They have made a form by imagination." No. This is . . . this is described in the Vedas. So . . . and Kṛṣṇa, when appeared on this planet, the same thing was visible. Those who have seen, authorities . . . just like Vyāsadeva, Arjuna. He has seen personally. He has described in the Bhagavad-gītā: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12): "Your personality is unknown to the so-called scholars. But authorities like Vyāsa, Devala, Nārada, Asita, they accept Your this form." It is very difficult . . . these things are there. You'll find in the Tenth Chapter.
So Kṛṣṇa is not formless, but His . . . what kind of form He has got, He is describing Himself. Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. How we are . . . we are forced to take birth by the manipulation of the external, material energy.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Ahaṅkāra . . . we are under the clutches of the external energy, or material energy. Kṛṣṇa has got multi-energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (CC Madhya 13.65, purport). Māyā means energy also. Māyā means energy. And māyā means illusion also. And māyā means affection. There are different meanings of māyā. So here it is said prakṛtim . . . prakṛtim and māyā. Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. He has got multi-energies. That energies have been divided into three: external energy, internal energy and marginal energy.