BG 10.12-13 param brahma param dhama... cited

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 21:

āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve

devarṣir nāradas tathā

asito devalo vyāsaḥ

svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

(BG 10.13)

Arjuna summarized the purpose of the Bhagavad-gītā by his realization of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and thus said, "My dear Personality of Godhead, You are the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Original Person in the eternal form of bliss and knowledge, and this is confirmed by Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsadeva, and, above all, Your personal self has also confirmed it." (Bg. 10.12-13)

SB Canto 4

SB 4.16.17, Purport:

The word brahma-vādinām is very significant. Brahma-vādī refers to the devotees of the Lord. Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān are different terms for the Supreme Brahman, and the Supreme Brahman is Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is accepted in Bhagavad-gītā (10.12) by Arjuna (paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma). Thus the word brahma-vādinām refers to the devotees of the Lord. The state should always serve the devotees of the Lord, and the ideal state should conduct itself according to the instructions of the devotee. Because King Pṛthu followed this principle, he is highly praised.

SB 4.27.5, Purport:

One who is engaged in sinful activities cannot change his consciousness. Our real function is to change our consciousness from kaśmala, sinful consciousness, to Kṛṣṇa, the supreme pure. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)), Kṛṣṇa is the supreme pure, and if we change our consciousness from material enjoyment to Kṛṣṇa, we become purified. This is the process recommended by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the process of ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), cleansing the mirror of the heart.

SB 4.30.7, Purport:

The word ādyaḥ in this verse is very significant. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin even of Paramātmā and Brahman. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (14.27), brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham: the Absolute Truth begins not with the impersonal Brahman but with the original Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. When Arjuna realized Kṛṣṇa's greatness, he addressed Him in this way:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

"You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty." (BG 10.12)

SB Canto 5

SB 5.18.19, Purport:

Kṛṣṇa is the real husband not only of the gopīs, but of every living entity. Everyone should perfectly understand that Kṛṣṇa is the real husband of all living entities, who are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti (female), not puruṣa (male). In Bhagavad-gītā (10.12), only Kṛṣṇa is addressed as puruṣa:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

"You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty."

SB Canto 6

SB 6.4.31, Purport:

Now, one might ask why there are so many philosophers if the ultimate goal of philosophy is one. Undoubtedly the ultimate cause is one—the Supreme Brahman. As Arjuna told Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā (10.12):

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

"You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty." Nondevotee speculators, however, do not accept an ultimate cause (sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1)).

SB 6.16.36, Purport:

The permanent reality is Kṛṣṇa, not this cosmic manifestation. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, aham ādir hi devānām (BG 10.2) and mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: Kṛṣṇa is the original cause of everything. Arjuna recognized Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the original person (puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum), and the Brahma-saṁhitā describes Him as the original person (govindam ādi-puruṣam). He is the cause of all causes, whether at the beginning, at the end or in the middle.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.1.9, Purport:

This is due to their misfortune or incapability, which is caused by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, the modes of passion and ignorance. It is because of these modes that they cannot even understand Kṛṣṇa, whereas an advanced devotee like Arjuna understands Him and glorifies Him, saying, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode and purifier." Kṛṣṇa is open to everyone, but one needs the capability to understand Him.

SB 7.1.20, Purport:

Kṛṣṇa is described by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā (10.12) as follows: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. "You are the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode and purifier." Herein this is confirmed. Viṣṇuṁ yad brahma param avyayam. The Supreme Viṣṇu is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the cause of Viṣṇu, not vice versa. Similarly, Brahman is not the cause of Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa is the cause of Brahman. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Parabrahman (yad brahma param avyayam).

SB 7.9.36, Purport:

This process is called self-realization. Genuine self-realization consists not of perceiving the impersonal effulgence of the Lord, but seeing face to face the transcendental form of the Lord. As distinctly mentioned here, Lord Brahmā saw the Supreme Lord as mahā-puruṣa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna also saw Kṛṣṇa in this same way. Therefore he told the Lord, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person." The Lord is parama-puruṣa, the supreme form.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.7.24, Purport:

This prayer is offered to the impersonal Brahman, which consists of the effulgent rays of Parabrahman. Parabrahman is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)). When Lord Śiva is worshiped as Parabrahman, the worship is meant for Lord Viṣṇu.

SB 8.24.38, Purport:

The Lord is the supreme purifier (paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)). The more one is purified and the more he wants to know about the Supreme, the more the Lord reveals to him. Full knowledge of Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān is revealed to the pure devotees.

SB 8.24.53, Purport:

The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." Lord Kṛṣṇa directly instructed Arjuna. Arjuna is therefore tattva-darśī or guru. Arjuna accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead (paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)). Similarly, following in the footsteps of Śrī Arjuna, who is a personal devotee of the Lord, one should accept the supremacy of Lord Kṛṣṇa, as supported by Vyāsa, Devala, Asita, Nārada and later by the ācāryas Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka and Viṣṇu Svāmī and still later by the greatest ācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.9.29, Purport:

"Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness-these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work." (BG 18.42) Not only must a brāhmaṇa be qualified, but he must also engage in actual brahminical activities. Simply to be qualified is not enough; one must engage in a brāhmaṇa's duties. The duty of a brāhmaṇa is to know the paraṁ brahma, Kṛṣṇa (paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)). Because this brāhmaṇa was actually qualified and was also engaged in brahminical activities (brahma-karma (BG 18.42)), killing him would be a greatly sinful act, and the brāhmaṇa's wife requested that he not be killed.

SB 9.9.49, Purport:

But when one comes to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead (vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti), when one realizes that Vāsudeva is both Paramātmā and the impersonal Brahman, he is then in perfect knowledge. Kṛṣṇa is therefore described by Arjuna as paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). The words paraṁ brahma refer to the shelter of the impersonal Brahman and also of the all-pervading Supersoul. When Kṛṣṇa says tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9), this means that the perfect devotee, after perfect realization, returns home, back to Godhead. Mahārāja Khaṭvāṅga accepted the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and because of his full surrender he achieved perfection.

SB 9.19.19, Purport:

As expressed here by the words brahmaṇy adhyāya, one should concentrate one's mind upon the Supreme Lord, Parabrahman. This Parabrahman is Kṛṣṇa, as confirmed by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā (paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)). Kṛṣṇa and His abode, Vṛndāvana, are not different. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. Vṛndāvana is as good as Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, if one somehow or other gets the opportunity to live in Vṛndāvana, and if one is not a pretender but simply lives in Vṛndāvana and concentrates his mind upon Kṛṣṇa, one is liberated from material bondage. One's mind is not purified, however, even in Vṛndāvana, if one is agitated by lusty desires.

SB 9.24.66, Purport:

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.8), paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: the Lord appears in order to protect the devotees and kill the demons. This was fully exhibited by His personal behavior. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord is understood by Arjuna to be puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam—the eternal, transcendental Supreme Person. Here also we find the words utpādya teṣu puruṣaḥ. Therefore it is to be concluded that the Absolute Truth is puruṣa, a person. The impersonal feature is but one of the features of His personality. Ultimately, He is a person; He is not impersonal. And not only is He puruṣa, a person, but He is the līlā-puruṣottama, the best of all persons.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.1.20, Purport:

No one is equal to or greater than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore He is described here by many words: jagannātha, deva-deva, vṛṣākapi and puruṣa. The supremacy of Lord Viṣṇu is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (10.12) in this statement by Arjuna:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

"You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty." Kṛṣṇa is ādi-puruṣa, the original Personality of Godhead (govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi). Viṣṇu is a plenary expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and all the viṣṇu-tattvas are parameśvara, deva-deva.

SB 10.3.24, Purport:

Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhu-ti-bhinnam: (Bs. 5.40) Brahman is also not independent of Him. Therefore whatever a philosopher may describe is ultimately Kṛṣṇa, or Lord Viṣṇu (sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)). According to different phases of understanding, Lord Viṣṇu is differently described, but in fact He is the origin of everything.

SB 10.8.45, Purport:

When a human being enters into the study of the Vedas to obtain vidyā, knowledge, he begins to take part in human civilization. Then he advances further to study the Upaniṣads and gain brahma jñāna, impersonal realization of the Absolute Truth, and then he advances still further, to sāṅkhya-yoga, in order to understand the supreme controller, who is indicated in Bhagavad-gītā (paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān/puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12)). When one understands that puruṣa, the supreme controller, to be Paramātmā, one is engaged in the method of yoga (dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1)).

SB 10.9.13-14, Purport:

In Bhagavad-gītā (10.12), Kṛṣṇa is described as the Supreme Brahman (paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma). The word brahma means "the greatest." Kṛṣṇa is greater than the greatest, being unlimited and all-pervading. How can it be possible for the all-pervading to be measured or bound? Then again, Kṛṣṇa is the time factor.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 6.140, Purport:

Brahman means bṛhattva, the greatest of all. The greatest of all is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He possesses all potencies and opulence in full; therefore the Absolute Truth, the greatest of all, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whether one says "Brahman" or "the Supreme Personality of Godhead," the fact is the same, for they are identical. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Although the living entities or material nature are sometimes described as Brahman, Parabrahman—the Supreme, the greatest of all Brahmans—is still Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is full with all opulences, and as such He possesses all riches, all strength, all reputation, all knowledge, all beauty and all renunciation. He is eternally a person and eternally supreme. If one tries to explain the Supreme impersonally, one distorts the real meaning of Brahman.

CC Madhya 20.151, Purport:

This is a quotation from the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā, Śrīdhara Svāmī’s commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.1.1). In the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a description of the āśraya-tattva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. There are two tattvas—āśraya-tattva and āśrita-tattva. Āśraya-tattva is the objective, and āśrita-tattva is the subjective. Since the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa are the shelter of all devotees, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is called paraṁ dhāma. In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.12) it is stated, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Everything is resting under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.58) it is stated:

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ

mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Therefore the Supreme Personality of Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. This is confirmed by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā (BG 10.12). paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma: "You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode." Therefore Brahman indicates the greatest, and the greatest is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. He is the shelter of the Absolute Truth (para-tattva) because He is paraṁ brahma. There is nothing material in His opulences and exhibitions of wealth, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and renunciation.

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 21:

Vidura advised Dhṛtarāṣṭra to therefore think always of Kṛṣṇa, so that the volumes of contaminations due to sinful activities would be washed off immediately. In Bhagavad-gītā also Kṛṣṇa is addressed by Arjuna as paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12)—the supreme pure. There are many other instances exhibiting Kṛṣṇa's supreme purity.

Narada-bhakti-sutra (sutras 1 to 8 only)

Narada Bhakti Sutra 2, Purport:

Since God is supremely pure, one cannot rise to the highest perfectional stage of love of God without being purified. In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.12), when Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, he said, pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the purest of the pure." The Lord is the purest, and thus anyone who wants to serve the Supreme Lord must also be pure. Unless a person is pure, he can neither understand what the Personality of Godhead is nor engage in His service in love, for devotional service, as stated before, begins from the point of self-realization, when all misgivings of materialistic life are vanquished.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

Now, this Bhagavad-gītā was explained to Arjuna and how Arjuna accepted it? That should also be noted. How Arjuna accepted the Bhagavad-gītā is mentioned in the Tenth Chapter. Just like

arjuna uvāca

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve

devarṣir nāradas tathā

asito devalo vyāsaḥ

svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

(Bg. 10.12-13)

sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye

yan māṁ vadasi keśava

na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁ

vidur devā na dānavāḥ.

(BG 10.14)

Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

Actually the living entities are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, prakṛti. Prakṛti means woman. And puruṣa means man. So the living entities are never described as puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣa śāśvata. When Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam adyam... (BG 10.12). Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Kṛṣṇa is always puruṣa. God cannot be female. God is always male, puruṣa. And we are prakṛti. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtim parā (BG 7.5).

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

He accepted: "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa." Nārāyaṇaḥ avyaktāt. So other Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, lately Lord Caitanya, all of them accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Arjuna, he also, when he heard from Him Bhagavad-gītā, he accepted Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12).

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

So here Bhagavān, the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior person or element more than Me." And when Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa he also admitted, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

Formerly, during Kṛṣṇa's time, there were authorities like Vyāsadeva, like Nārada. They also accepted that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And you will find in the Tenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna, after understanding Kṛṣṇa, he expressed his opinion, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). He accepted. And he also said that "I am not accepting... Because it may be said that I am Your friend, so I am accepting You as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but great ācāryas or great stalwart authorities like Parāśara Muni, Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala..." He gave evidence.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:

So our business should be we should follow the footsteps of Arjuna. How to follow the footsteps of Arjuna? As Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, you try to understand in that way. Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). "Kṛṣṇa, You are the Supreme Person, Paraṁ Brahman, pavitra, the most pure." So if we, similarly, if we, even if we do not understand Bhagavad-gītā, if we follow that: "Arjuna has understood like this, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman, Supreme Personality of Godhead," then you understand everything. This is called paramparā.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

There are two words: īśvara, parameśvara; ātmā, paramātmā. That param is God. We are Brahman; Parabrahman. So Parabrahman, Paramātmā, Parameśvara, all these are applicable to Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he admitted, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). That is the position of Kṛṣṇa. Ādi-puruṣam. Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Kṛṣṇa also says, in the Bhagavad-gītā, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Devānām, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara... Then, after Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, there are other demigods, Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, so many.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

To understand Bhagavad-gītā... Arjuna is understanding that Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa directly. So after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ sāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). These are the words. And Arjuna also accepted "It is very, very difficult to understand Your personality."

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

And we must be, our vṛtti, our profession, occupation, must be very pure, must be very pure. Impure activities cannot lead me to spiritual emancipation. You will find in Bhagavad-gītā that the God is described, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitram means the purest. God is the purest. So unless we are purest, we cannot approach God. Therefore it is stated that sato vṛtteḥ. Our occupation, our vṛtti, should be very clear, pious. Sato vṛtteḥ and sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83).

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

This man has got sacred thread, that means he knows Kṛṣṇa, Brahman, Supreme Brahman. Just like Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). In the Tenth Chapter you'll find. Arjuna says that "You are paraṁ brahma. Kṛṣṇa, You are paraṁ brahma." Similarly, if anyone knows Brahman, Parabrahman, Kṛṣṇa, he is brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. One who knows the Supreme Brahman, Kṛṣṇa, he is brāhmaṇa. Not a person who is born in the family of a brāhmaṇa. He may be a caṇḍāla by his mentality.

Now, in the Tenth Chapter, in the Tenth Chapter you'll find that how Kṛṣṇa is understood by Arjuna. After hearing not all, at least seventy-five percent of the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, the estimation of Arjuna is stated in the Tenth Chapter. He says that... I think that I may... (long pause, pages rustling) Here. Arjuna, after understanding Kṛṣṇa, after His instruction, he said that, automatically he said,

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

"Kṛṣṇa, now I understand it that you are Paraṁ Brahman." Paraṁ Brahman means the, the Supreme, supreme spiritual identity. Every one of us is Brahman. You are Brahman. I am Brahman. Every living entity is Brahman. Because he's not this matter, he's spirit soul.

God is one, and He is great. "God is great," as in your English language it is said, and nobody can be greater than Him or equal to Him. That is the position of God. Now here, Arjuna, he accepts Kṛṣṇa and he says that "You are Paraṁ Brahman." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Dhāma means in which everything rests. We are resting, everything is resting. Just like...

Similarly, the sunshine is the imitation of the brahmajyoti that is coming out of the body of the Supreme Lord. So everything is resting on the shine of the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is called paraṁ dhāma. Paraṁ dhāma means "everything resting on You." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12). Pavitram. Pavitram means uncontaminated. Because we, although we are Brahman, now we are contaminated by this material body.

That is completely distinct from this body. So when there is description of the Lord that He is formless, He is formless means He is not of this form. He has got a sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), a different element. Therefore He's called pavitra. And paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the Supreme Original." Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum. So "You are Puruṣa." Puruṣa means enjoyer. "In the Vedic literature, about Yourself...," āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve, "all the great sages accept You, the Supreme Lord." Āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve devarṣir nāradaḥ. Devarṣir nārada. I have already spoken to you about Nārada. He has also accepted Him.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

He's quoting authorities. Not that "I am personally accepting you as such, but there are many authorities, many authorities." So we have to understand about the science of God from the extraordinary activities and confirmed by the authorities, accepted by the revealed scriptures. Then we have to accept. You see? Not blindly. So Arjuna is giving such evidences. Asito devalo vyāsaḥ svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me: "You are accepted by such authorities like that, and I have the opportunity that I hear all this from You directly. I am fortunate enough that I am become Your..., I am related in friendship with You, and I am hearing."

This morning, the press representative, he was astonished that "Swamiji, so many people are coming, they are declaring that 'I am God.' What is this?" So these rascals are like that. Therefore there are so many incarnations of God without the powers of. So people, why they should be cheated? If somebody comes and says that "I am God," why don't you test? For testing this... When Kṛṣṇa assumed the Supreme Personality of Godhead... Of course, Arjuna was convinced. He accepted, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12), but for future guidance, he requested Kṛṣṇa, "Please show me Your universal form." Otherwise, without showing universal (form), they're still claiming that "I am God." God is not so cheap thing. They're imitating, trying to imitate. This is very dangerous.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

Avyayam means "that does not perish." Anything material, it perishes. But spirit soul, or spiritual anything, everything, that is imperishable, avyayam. So knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā, as Kṛṣṇa is avyayam, the spirit whole, whole spirit, paraṁ brahma, paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12), Supreme Spirit, similarly His words, Bhagavad-gītā, is also spirit, Supreme Spirit. Abhinna. There is no distinction. Therefore we are giving so much importance to the... The so-called scholars may take it as ordinary book, but one who is serious about Bhagavad-gītā, he does not take Bhagavad-gītā, the words of Bhagavad-gītā or the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, as ordinary teachings. This is confirmed. Therefore it is so important.

Lecture on BG 4.3 -- Bombay, March 23, 1974:

You have to give up. And gambling. So these nice boys, they have given up. They were addicted to all these habits in their previous lives. But they have given up. Therefore they are making progress. Santa, they have become santa, saintly persons. So Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ pavitram. Arjuna, when addressed by Kṛṣṇa after hearing Bhagavad-gītā ... Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He understood. Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the most pure." You cannot approach the most pure if you are impure. You must be pure. Therefore this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is a purificatory process. The more you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you become purified.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

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.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

Because everyone is under the impression that I am God, I am master, I am proprietor. This illusion. To dissipate this illusion and to put him into the right position, that "you are not master, you are not enjoyer, you are simply eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." If you remain in that position, then you are happy. If you artificially try to become Kṛṣṇa, that is your unhappiness. Artificial thing will never give us any pleasure. Prakṛti and puruṣa. Kṛṣṇa is the puruṣa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ divyaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). He is puruṣa, we are prakṛti. Aparā-prakṛti, parā-prakṛti.

Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Bombay, April 1, 1974:

Therefore it is said, ramante yoginaḥ anante. So ananta-ramaṇa, that is the description of Rāma. Rāma means ananta-ānanda, unlimited happiness. Iti rāma-padenāsau paraṁ brahmābhidhīyate (CC Madhya 9.29). Rāma is paraṁ brahma, and Kṛṣṇa is also paraṁ brahma. Kṛṣṇa is recognized by Arjuna after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So there is no different between Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is also paraṁ brahma and Rāma is also paraṁ brahma. (break) ...day of Lord Rāmacandra.

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

There is no bar. And whoever becomes a brāhmaṇa, he knows what is Brahman. And Kṛṣṇa is Parambrahman. Parambrahman. You'll find in the Tenth Chapter. He is addressed by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "By studying Bhagavad-gītā I now understand that Kṛṣṇa, You are Parambrahman." Paraṁ dhāma: "You are the shelter of everyone." So He is Parambrahman. So anyone who becomes a brāhmaṇa, he first of all knows what is Brahman—brahma-jijñāsā—the Supreme, the Absolute Truth.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

Brāhmaṇa... Brahma jānāti. One must know what is Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ para... (BG 10.12). Brahma. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. One who is aware of Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, he is above brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa qualification is already there. Because a brāhmaṇa means one who knows Kṛṣṇa, Parabrahman. That is brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipro brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ, veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipro brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. This is the process.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

So take the lesson from Arjuna, how he acted, how he understood Bhagavad-gītā. Then pūrvataraiḥ. You don't have to go very long, long before. You take the symbolical representation of Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna. So how did he understood? How he did understand Kṛṣṇa? He understood Kṛṣṇa: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So you understand like that.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

Similarly, as spirit soul, we are pure. As Kṛṣṇa is pure... Kṛṣṇa has explained in the Tenth Chapter, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam (BG 10.12). So pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ pavitram, complete pure. And we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; we are also pure. That is our real identity. We are pure, but we have been contaminated by the touch of this material world. The same example: The rainfall, it is pure distilled water, but when it touches the surface of the earth, it becomes dirty. Therefore we see the rivers are full of dirty water. That is not the water is dirty, but because it is mixed up with the dirty dirts of the surface of the globe...

Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa is accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all the śāstras. Vyāsadeva, He writes, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). In the Brahma-saṁhitā, Brahmā writes, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa personally says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Arjuna, who heard Bhagavad-gītā, he accepts. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). The ācāryas, Śaṅkarācārya, Mādhvācārya, Rāma..., they accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was.... Then what evidence want you more? What is your knowledge? You do not accept so many authorities? You are so proud? That is our misfortune. Manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ, and disturbed condition of life. That is our misfortune.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

Therefore there are so many Vedic literatures just to awaken this humanity or human society to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so that they may be relieved from this business of janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is required.

So this is brahmārpaṇam. Brahmārpaṇam... Kṛṣṇa is Brahman, Parabrahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna has accepted. Who directly heard from Kṛṣṇa about Bhagavad-gītā and he is experienced about Kṛṣṇa, he expressed.... You will find it in the tenth chapter, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the Parabrahman." Everything is Brahman, but He is Parabrahman. That is the distinction. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma.

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

Similarly, part and parcel of God can be called God, but he is not Supreme God. Therefore there are two words in Vedic language: ātmā, Paramātmā. Ātmā. Ātmā means living entities. We are all ātmās. And God is Paramātmā. And in the Kaṭhopaniṣad it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God is also a living entity like us, but He is the Supreme. Kṛṣṇa appears just like human being, but He is Supreme. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). You will find in the Tenth Chapter. Although He appears...

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Madras, February 14, 1972:

So I am only requesting that Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that originally we are all Kṛṣṇa conscious, just like the water when it falls down on the ground it is distilled, clear water, but as soon as it touches the earth it becomes muddy. Similarly, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are all as pure as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā by the statement of Arjuna: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ pavitra, pure, the purest, apāpa-viddha. So we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are also paraṁ pavitra, but due to the material contact of these three modes of nature we have become polluted. The exact, in the same way, as we are part. So how we have fallen down, why you have come to this material world, how we can revive our again Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these are the subject matter of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We appeal to you: try to understand this movement. Enjoy with full heart, and do some welfare activity to the human society.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

These are exactly to the injunction of the Vedas. So if we purify ourself... In the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna appreciates Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). How you can approach the pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān without being pavitra? So there is a process to appreciate whether Kṛṣṇa or God has form. Unless we adopt the form, superficially it is not possible. I see otherwise there are... Why so many process of bhajana-sādhana if it is so cheap that we can immediately understand what is God? No. And the Veda says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That was our system. First of all, they used to become brahmacārīs, to become most obedient servant of the spiritual master before becoming gṛhastha. Celibacy, brahmacārī, then gṛhastha. So these things are all lost now.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

So Bhagavad-gītā is not a new theses. It is coming from time immemorial. So Kṛṣṇa is the original preceptor. So here Kṛṣṇa again personally speaking. The authority, personally... Out of compassion and friendship, love to Arjuna, He's speaking directly to Arjuna. And Arjuna understood Him: the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). Puruṣam. Puruṣam means person. He's not imperson. Imperson is the, another feature of the person. Brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Kṛṣṇa says that "The brahmajyoti, impersonal Brahman, that is situated upon Me." Ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

Beyond mokṣa means brahma-jñāna, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I'm not this body. I am spirit soul, Brahman." Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman, and we are all Brahman, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are not Paraṁ Brahman. That is not possible. Paraṁ Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. As we'll find in the Tenth Chapter: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Kṛṣṇa is addressed as Paraṁ Brahman. Arjuna is never addressed as Paraṁ Brahman. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and the living entity. He's para. He's Parameśvara. Īśvaraḥ parama-īśvara, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). There are two words, ātmā, Paramātmā. Īśvara, Parameśvara. So Kṛṣṇa is para. Brahman, Paraṁ Brahman.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

But one who is, whose knowledge has not been taken away... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was personally instructed by Kṛṣṇa, and how he accepts Kṛṣṇa? He accepts Kṛṣṇa:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyaṁ

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

"O Kṛṣṇa, You are Parabrahman." Parabrahman. The word... There are two words: Parabrahman and Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that does not mean ahaṁ parabrahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: I am also spirit soul, but not the Supreme. Parabrahman is Kṛṣṇa. I am also īśvara.

Therefore His name is Govinda. Actually, we want to serve our senses, but the real senses, the transcendental senses, is Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. Therefore bhakti, devotional service, means purifying the senses. To be employed in the service of the supreme pure. The Lord is supreme pure. In the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Tenth Chapter you'll find that Kṛṣṇa is described by Arjuna pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the supreme pure." So if we want to serve the senses of the supreme pure, then we have to become pure also. Because without... Being pure means spiritual. Spiritual life means pure life, and material life means contaminated life.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Bombay, February 20, 1974:

Apareyam itas tu anyām. Anya means it is different. It is not material energy. Anyām, completely. Prakṛti. But it is prakṛti, not puruṣa. Puruṣa means the worker. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. As it will be admitted by Arjuna after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). "You are puruṣa." Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. So here jīva, the living entities, they have been described as prakṛti, not as puruṣa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that living entity is puruṣa, the Supreme, but that is, that is not the fact. Prakṛti. Prakṛti means subordinate.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

So we have to understand Kṛṣṇa from the śāstra. Kṛṣṇa Himself speaking that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is nobody else greater than Me." And when Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he also accepted Kṛṣṇa like that. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are Parabrahman." So Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman. Brahman, we are all Brahman because we are part and parcels of Parabrahman, but we are not Parabrahman. We are subordinate Brahman. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We are supported by Kṛṣṇa. We are supported by God. He is one, God is one. And the supported Brahmans, or living entities, they are innumerable, beyond the numerical strength. Asaṅkhya. Nobody can count how many living entities are there, but God is one.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

As it is explained here. And therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. And Kṛṣṇa confirms this fact: mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). This is required. This is required. We have to accept this. Kṛṣṇa says this. And Arjuna, who heard Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, he says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam ādyam (BG 10.12). Ādyam, "You are the original person. You are the original..." Puruṣam ādyam, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ādyam. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). This is all confirmed. The audience, Kṛṣṇa, I mean to say, Arjuna, is accepting, and Kṛṣṇa is confirming.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

So śāstra says Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Kṛṣṇa Himself also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Therefore, as Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān... (BG 10.12). Arjuna has said that "I heard from the śāstras about Yourself, and You are personally speaking that You are the Supreme. And not only that, the great sages like Vyāsadeva, Asita, Devala, great authorities, they also admit that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Therefore there is no doubt. The conclusion is the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. As it was in the beginning said by Kṛṣṇa, asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). Asaṁśayam, "without any doubt."

Lecture on BG 7.16 -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

So Kṛṣṇa says that catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. So Arjuna also said, paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). When Arjuna understood the Bhagavad-gītā, he understood Kṛṣṇa also. And he said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). "You are the supreme shelter," paraṁ dhāma. Pavitram. This word is there, pavitra. So without being pavitra, without being pious, without being free from contamination of material activities, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa. That's a fact. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He orders that "Even if you have got some kāmanam, some desire, material desire, still, you can take shelter upon Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "You do not take shelter of anything else. Simply depend on Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. "You haven't got to depend on anything else.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

Actually we are brahma, because we are part and parcel of parambrahma. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). So Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna realized Kṛṣṇa like this. So we are brahma, that's a fact. The Veda stresses on this point, that you realize yourself that "You are not this body. You are brahma, spirit soul." That is wanted. That is brahma bhūta (SB 4.30.20) state, when one understands that "I am not this body. So long I am thinking in bodily concept of life, I am no better than the asses, animal." That is stated.

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

So just like Kṛṣṇa is handing over the authority to Arjuna. And Arjuna says paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So here, if we follow the Arjuna's process and if we try to understand as Arjuna understood, then the authority is there. It is not very, very difficult to understand who is authority. So sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva san-mukharitām. You have to find out that authority. That's all.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

That is the process. You try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as Arjuna understood. Arjuna is asking Kṛṣṇa. So what Kṛṣṇa is answering, you take it. Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). These are all statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. So our only request is that if you want knowledge as it is inquired by Arjuna, you take it from Kṛṣṇa or one who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru, the original. Then your knowledge is perfect. Otherwise you are cheated. You will not get the right knowledge. It is not possible. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).

Lecture on BG 13.14 -- Bombay, October 7, 1973:

Brahman means Kṛṣṇa. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is addressed as paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). When Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, in the tenth chapter we'll find, he's addressing Kṛṣṇa, that "You are Paraṁ Brahman." Brahman, all of us are Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. It is not very difficult to understand. "I am not this body, matter, but I am spirit soul." Therefore anyone can understand that he is Brahman.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

So try to understand that we are puruṣa. Puruṣa means we are part and parcel of the Kṛṣṇa is described as the paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma puruṣaṁ param (BG 10.12). He's parama-puruṣa and we are subordinate puruṣa. We have got the same constitutional position but very minute. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Kṛṣṇa is mahataḥ, greater than the greatest, and we are the smaller than the smallest. But the particle is the same. As particle of gold is also gold. But the particle of gold is never equal to the gold mine. We should understand this. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are part and parcel of the Supreme Person therefore we have got all the propensities and qualities of God but very minute quantity. That minute quantity is also now covered by this material energy. That is our position. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

Our..., we, as spirit soul, we are pure, original, because Kṛṣṇa is pure. Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa, after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram-paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are paraṁ pavitra." And God is paraṁ pavitra is admitted in the Īśopaniṣad. Apāpa-viddham, asnāviram. Asnāviram means in the body of God there are no veins, and therefore apāpa-viddham. Veins, as soon as you have got this veins, that is material body.

Lecture on BG 18.67 -- Ahmedabad, December 10, 1972:

This is tāttvika knowledge. Tāttvika knowledge means to understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior truth beyond Me. I am the Supreme Truth." Paraṁ brahma param... Arjuna understood it. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding. This is paramparā understanding. If you want to understand Bhagavad-gītā, if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you have to follow the footprints of the mahājanas. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). As Arjuna understood it. How Arjuna understood it? Paraṁ brahma, "the Supreme Brahman." We are all Brahman. There is no difficulty to understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That's all right. But we are not Param Brahman. We are Brahman because part and parcel of Brahman, qualitatively one with Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa is Puruṣa; we are all prakṛtis. As I told you, that we have to understand Kṛṣṇa as Arjuna understood. Arjuna understood... That is described in the Tenth Chapter: paraṁ brahma, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). "You are the only puruṣa." Enjoyer. Puruṣa means enjoyer. And prakṛti means enjoyed. Puruṣa means the predominator, and prakṛti means the predominated. So we are predominated.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

And He is worshiped by all sages, saintly persons. When Arjuna admitted Him that "Kṛṣṇa, You are paraṁ brahma," paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). "You are puruṣa." Puruṣa means enjoyer. Śāśvata means eternally. Not that "You are now enjoyer and formerly You were something else." No. Śāśvataṁ puruṣam ādyam, original. So this is the appreciation of Kṛṣṇa. After reading Bhagavad-gītā, if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, if you try to banish Kṛṣṇa, then what kind of reading of Bhagavad-gītā? This is all nonsense.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

If actually one understands Bhagavad-gītā, if he has actually studied, then... Just like Arjuna, he'll admit, "Oh, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)." That is Arjuna's experience after hearing Bhagavad-gītā. And he said that "You are accepted by great personalities, Asita, Nārada, Vyāsa, Devala, big, big personalities." So svayaṁ ca, "You are also speaking Yourself. We have heard from śāstras and authorities, and You are speaking personally; therefore I accept You that You are Parabrahman." This is the study of Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

And Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." And Arjuna accept, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

So in this way, try to understand what is dharma, what is God. And we can help you, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got now about fifty books, big, big books like that, to understand Kṛṣṇa, simply to understand Kṛṣṇa. So if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa through your education, through your scientific knowledge, philosophy, and whatever you like-yes, we can convince you. We have got so many books. But if you say that you have no money to purchase books, you are not so learned to... Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you will understand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

You should learn what is Kṛṣṇa from jñāninaḥ, tattva-darśinaḥ, who has seen Kṛṣṇa. So you can take. You can follow Arjuna. Arjuna has seen Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna has talked with Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna has taken instruction from Kṛṣṇa. What Arjuna says? Arjuna says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). You learn it. Why don't you learn from Arjuna? Then you will be able to convince others. You learn. That is your duty as Indian.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

So this was compromise; therefore this is Indra-yajña story, Govardhana Hill pūjā. So gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. And yaśodā-nandana. When you address Kṛṣṇa as the son of Yaśodā, He becomes very, very glad. If you address Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12)," as Arjuna did, "paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān śāśvataṁ puruṣam adyam," they're all the Vedic hymns, they're praying for Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is very, very pleased if you address Kṛṣṇa as yaśodā-nandana, nanda-nandana, rādhā-mādhava, He is so pleased. Immediately responds. He likes it. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always worshiped by everyone as sublime, but nobody wants to chastise you, but He wants to be chastised also, and that power is given to mother Yaśodā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Just like when you speak something in the legal court, you give evidences from other judgement, authorities. That is a good case. Similarly, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I accept You. You are the Supreme Brahman." Brahmeti bhagavān, paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Brahmeti bhagavān, paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Therefore Bhagavān is paraṁ brahma. Simply impersonal Brahman-realization is not finishing the business. You have to go further, further, further. In the Īśopaniṣad, it is said, "My dear Lord, kindly wind up Your blazing effulgence so that I can see You actually."

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

As Arjuna said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14), "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are saying, that is all right, in toto. I don't misinterpret." Param, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding of... You understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is in devotion, bhakto 'si. Kṛṣṇa instructed Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna. He said that this Bhagavad-gītā, this yoga system is now lost. Yoga-naṣṭaḥ parantapa. "Now I shall again begin that yoga through you. Because you are My devotee." Bhakto 'si. Kṛṣṇa did not go to find out a Vedantist to teach, a so-called Vedantist. "A Vedantist" means he's devotee. Veda. Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate. So what is the ultimate knowledge?

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

So we should be very careful. We should finish our business very quickly. Tūrṇaṁ yateta. Why should we take another risk of become hog and live in Vṛndāvana? Don't take that risk. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Finish all contamination, dirty things, and become completely pure. Because Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He's complete pure. Apāpa-viddham. In the Īśopaniṣad: Kṛṣṇa is uncontaminated, complete. Any contaminated thing goes to Kṛṣṇa, He makes purified. Just like the gopīs. Actually they approached Kṛṣṇa in a lusty attitude, but because He was Kṛṣṇa, He, they become purified. So it is not that we shall purposefully remain impure and approach Kṛṣṇa, but the process is that if you regularly hear about Kṛṣṇa and serve Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or a devotee, then gradually your contaminated things being washed off, bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī (SB 1.2.18).

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

So to become brāhmaṇa by qualification is not sufficient. One must know the Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman. Just like Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). That is real stage. That is brahminical stage. Don't think that Arjuna was a kṣatriya. He, after studying Bhagavad-gītā, he became brāhmaṇa, because he understood Kṛṣṇa. He says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He understood Kṛṣṇa rightly. Others, they, that story of the yājñika-brāhmaṇas... Not story, fact. They could not understand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972:

So... And there are so many other evidences. Kṛṣṇa says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7), "There is no more superior existence than Myself." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). "I am the origin." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). This verse, this code, is explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself that "I am the origin of everything." And Arjuna, who understood Kṛṣṇa, he said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣam (BG 10.12). He accepted the Absolute Truth a puruṣa, a person.

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

That is jñānī. Jñānī means this is real knowledge, to understand his real position. This is not knowledge, that "I am equal to God. I am God." This is not knowledge. I am God, but I am sample of God. But the Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa like that: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Paraṁ brahma. We may become Brahman... We are Brahman. There is no question of becoming. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is not very difficult to understand. Because I am spirit soul, so I am Brahman. That's all right. But I am not Paraṁ Brahman. That is ignorance.

Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:

I push your eyes and you see God. You push your nose, you see God." You see? These nonsense things are going on. But God is not so cheap. He is cheap, very cheap. He is very kind. But we want to remain sinful. Therefore we cannot see God. Arjuna addressed Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ dhāma paraṁ brahma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. "You are the most pure." So how you can approach God with sinful life? That is not possible. That is simply bogus thing, that you keep your sinful life, at the same time you want to see God, you want to talk with God. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

So that is Kṛṣṇa. He can expand. Bṛhatvad bṛhannatvad. Brahman means He can expand unlimitedly. And He can shrink also to the minute. Just like we are very minute. We are also part and parcel. And this cosmic manifestation is also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He's called paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Lecture on SB 1.5.29 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

That is not possible. If you want to understand the transcendental science, spiritual science, you must approach. Gacchet. This, this form of verb used when there is the meaning "must." Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. And guru's qualification is brahma-niṣṭham. Brahma... And again this word. Brahma, and Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman. Again this param. That Parabrahman has been said by Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa, bhavān. Bhavān: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are Parabrahman." Pavitraṁ bhavān. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Lecture on SB 1.7.24 -- Vrndavana, September 21, 1976:

Just like in our familywise, or guru-paramparā-wise, there is somebody, original person. So similarly, the whole creation, there is original person. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, aham āsam agre. Aham āsam agre. In the Vedic literature, eko nārāyaṇa āsīt. So eko nārāyaṇa āsīt, that is original person. And Kṛṣṇa says aham agre āsam. So He's the original person, ādyam. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣam ādyam (BG 10.12).

Lecture on SB 1.7.34-35 -- Vrndavana, September 28, 1976:

So we should not become brahma-bandhu. We should become actually brāhmaṇa. And brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. One who knows Brahman, he is brāhmaṇa. And one who knows Parabrahman, he is Vaiṣṇava. Brahman and Parabrahman. So Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam (BG 10.12). So to realize Brahman realization... That is also spiritual. That is not material. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is spiritual. But that is the first appreciation of the Absolute Truth.

Lecture on SB 1.7.41-42 -- Vrndavana, October 2, 1976:

As soon as there is torrents of rain, Vṛndāvana was going to be overflooded, Kṛṣṇa immediately came to their rescue and lifted the Govardhana Hill: "Come under Me." That is Gopī-jana-vallabha. They do not know anything. They do not know even that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they do not like to love anybody than Kṛṣṇa. This is their only qualification. They did not love Kṛṣṇa understanding that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). They did not know this. But they did not like to love even Viṣṇu than Kṛṣṇa. That is their qualification. Gopī-jana-vallabha.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

So the idea is that Kṛṣṇa is the original person. That is admitted by Arjuna also.

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

Lecture on SB 1.8.22 -- Los Angeles, April 14, 1973:

They know, knew it. Not only Kuntī knows. But Kṛṣṇa was, when present, how many people knew Him? Only the Pāṇḍavas knew Him perfectly.

So if you think of Kṛṣṇa always, satataṁ cintayanto mām (BG 9.14), "always thinking of Me," yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ, and endeavoring to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness with vow, then we have to remain purified. Because Kṛṣṇa is purified. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). You cannot approach Kṛṣṇa impurified. But if you think of Kṛṣṇa always, in this way, meditate upon Kṛṣṇa, then you'll be purified. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). That meditation can be possible by hearing and chanting.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:

So you can call the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa or something else. Just like Muhammadans, they say "Allah." Allah means "the Supreme Being." Allah akbar. And the Christian says "God is great." And we say paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12), or Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive. But the aim is to understand Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa personally appears so that your misgivings, misunderstandings may be mitigated immediately—"Here I am." The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose, that "You religionists, you philosophers, you scientists, you speculators, you are all... theosophists, so many, you are searching after God, and here is God, Kṛṣṇa." But they are so unfortunate, they'll not accept it. "No, why shall I accept Kṛṣṇa as God?" Then why you shall not? That is our question. If you do not accept Kṛṣṇa as God, then you must know what is God. That, if I ask him, "Do you know what is God?" "That I do not know."

Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:

The first spiritual instruction is, one must be convinced thoroughly, vijñāna-vidhūta-vibhramaḥ, that he is not this body. "I am not this body. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi." This realization, "I am spirit soul. I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman." Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

So mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "All the living entities, they are My part and parcels." So when the living entity understands that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman. So I am not Parabrahman. I am the of the Supreme Brahman..." The Māyāvāda philosophy, they mistake this: "Because I am Brahman, therefore I am Supreme Brahman." No.

Lecture on SB 1.15.28 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1973:

One may say that Kṛṣṇa is Indian, Kṛṣṇa is Hindu. So why the Christians are interested? Are they Hindu? No. Kṛṣṇa is neither Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian. Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. And you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. This understanding—"I'm Hindu," "I'm Muslim," "I'm Christian," "I'm American," "I'm Indian"—these are all designations. Actually I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. And Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Lecture on SB 1.15.30 -- Los Angeles, December 8, 1973:

So in Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna says, after understanding Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, he said, "You are Parabrahma." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Bhavān. Bhavān means "Your Lordship." "You are Parabrahma, the Supreme Brahma." He's the Supreme Brahma. Brahma means spirit and brahma means the greatest. So he has explicitly explained that spirit soul, we are all spirit soul, every one of us. But He is the supreme spirit soul, param. Param means the supreme. He's not ordinary. So He comes as ordinary, not ordinary, as human being, but He is the supreme human being. That is the difference. Supreme human being.

Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:

Formerly it was right; now it is wrong. That is not knowledge. Knowledge means what you accept as right, it must be accepted perpetually right. That is knowledge. That is knowledge. Just like our principle. Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the Supreme," five thousand years ago. So Arjuna who heard from Kṛṣṇa, he also said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He accepted. I am speaking of five thousand years. Otherwise perpetually. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Long, long ago, before speaking to Arjuna, this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to the sun-god, forty millions of years ago. The same principle. In the Bhagavad-gītā: "I am speaking to you the same principle." Not that "Forty millions of years have passed, so things have changed." No. Nothing has changed. The sun forty millions of years ago used to rise from the eastern side. Forty or trillions of years. Still it is rising from the east. Can you make any new thing, "Let the sun rise from the west?" No. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:

So how can we not be cheated? That is mahātmabhiḥ. You have to follow the previous great ācāryas, mahātmabhiḥ. Just like Kṛṣṇa is accepted. Kṛṣṇa said He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna accepted, "Yes, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12)," after hearing from Him. Paraṁ brahma. And then, after Arjuna, disciplic succession. Lord Caitanya accepted. All the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality. Śāstra says, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). So we have to follow these mahājana. Otherwise we cannot get the right knowledge. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow great authorities. So who are authorities?

Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:

Just like there is small fire in the charcoal. You fan it, and it will gradually become a big fire. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is fanning that spiritual spark to come into full consciousness. Go on fanning like that. That is the rules and regulation, attending this class, hearing this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. Twenty-four hours be engaged. That is real business. Dhyāyan, always, constantly, hṛdi brahma paraṁ dhyāyan. Dhyāyan means medi... This is meditation. And who is Parabrahman? Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ pavitram. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So to go to Kṛṣṇa, one requires to be perfectly purified. Just like without becoming fire, you cannot enter into fire. If your body is not fire, as soon as you enter fire, you will be burned. But you take another fire and push into the fire, there is no reaction. There is no reaction.

Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

Hṛṣīka. Hṛṣīka means the senses. Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka means the senses, and hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka īśa. One who knows Sanskrit, the sandhi, hṛṣīkeśa. Because Kṛṣṇa is the master of the senses, so when our senses will be... Kṛṣṇa is purified, the most purified, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12), transcendental, completely purified. So unless you are also completely purified, how you can touch Kṛṣṇa? This is common sense reasoning. Therefore Kṛṣṇa realization is not so easy. (aside:) You just train them how. This is not the process. Then you shall sit down backside. And before the Deity it should not be done. From the childhood it should be trained up.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

This is the position. For such person it is enjoined, just like in Vedic system, "All right, if you want to eat meat, at the same time you want to become religious, then you worship Goddess Kālī. You cannot worship Viṣṇu." Because he's a meat-eater he cannot approach pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. The Supreme Personality is the supreme pure. So this meat-eater is impure. He cannot approach the pure. That is not possible. Therefore he is advised to approach some agent of the pure, some śakti, or just like Goddess Kālī. Goddess Kālī is the śakti or the agent, potency. She has got also business: to cut the heads of the demons. You have seen the Goddess Kālī's picture, muṇḍa-mālā. She's garlanded with the heads of the demons. Have you seen? Any one of you?

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Delhi, November 4, 1973:

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is approved. It is not a manufactured thing, whimsical thing. It is approved. Just like Arjuna said to Kṛṣṇa that,

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

Lecture on SB 2.3.10 -- Los Angeles, May 28, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa, You are the Parabrahman, Parabrahman. Not that Kṛṣṇa may say... Or anyone can say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are friends. Therefore Arjuna has eulogized his friend, 'Parabrahman.' " No. Kṛṣṇa..., Arjuna said, "It is not that simply because I am appreciating you... You are appreciated, you are approved by Devala, Asita, Vyāsa and Nārada." That is called ātmavit-sammataḥ. Ātmavit.

Here, also, the same thing. Vyāsadeva is giving list, that "If you want this, you worship this demigod." Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). But if you are intelligent, udāra-dhīḥ... Udāra-dhīḥ, very intelligent. Then, in spite of, despite all your desires, you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. You go to Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣaṁ param. Who is puruṣaṁ param? Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna accepted: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). All paramam, Supreme. Puruṣam, "You are the Supreme Person." The same thing. Puruṣaṁ param. The Brahma-saṁhitā: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). This param, supreme, superlative, is Kṛṣṇa, in every respect. He's the supreme power, puruṣottamam. Uttamam. Nobody greater than Kṛṣṇa. So here it is recommended that "Even if you have got desire..." All kinds of desire. There are varieties of desire. Even you want jñāna-siddhi, yoga-siddhi, karma-siddhi, or dhyāna-siddhi, simply go to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Yat karoṣi, yaj juhoṣi.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

So you take..." So Brahmā learned this, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Bhagavān, from Bhagavān. So you have to learn also from Bhagavān. So Bhagavān is teaching Himself to Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa. And you try to understand as Arjuna understood. Then you also directly learn what is taught by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was accepted by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are Parabrahman. You are the Supreme Brahman." Paraṁ dhāma: "You are the rest of everything." Paraṁ dhāma. Pavitram is the supreme pure. Paramaṁ bhavān śāśvataṁ puruṣam: "You are puruṣam, enjoyer." So these things were accepted by Arjuna. So if we simply accept as Arjuna accepted, then we also learn what is Bhagavān. (break)

Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:

Therefore, when Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna for our benefit... Arjuna is in perfect knowledge, but aiming at Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa is giving instruction for all human society, and he admitted. After knowing Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the Paraṁbrahma." Paraṁbrahman. Every one of us, Brahman. Brahman means spirit soul. We are not this body. Bhāgavata... This is realization, self-realization. That is Vedic culture. One must understand what he is. We should not keep ourself in ignorance like cats and dogs, thinking that "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," or so many designations.

Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:

The Śaṅkarācārya even, although he is impersonalist, he has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and what to speak of others? Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya and Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka and, latest, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers—all accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of..., following the same principle as Arjuna said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)." So this is simple thing. There is no need of speculation, "What is God?" "Where is God?" Here is God, sir. Here is God. You see. Why you foolish, you are searching? Here is God. He is not... Although Kṛṣṇa has come in a form which you can see... Kṛṣṇa has appeared before you just like stone statue.

Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974:

That means he knows what Vyāsadeva knows. So we have to approach such spiritual master or instructor who is in disciplic succession of Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva. Everyone claims that "We are also following Vyāsadeva." But not superficially. Actually following Vyāsadeva. Just like Vyāsadeva accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12), he accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Parabrahman, the Supreme Person. So one may say that "Arjuna was friend of Kṛṣṇa; he might have accepted like that." No. He gave evidence that "Vyāsadeva also accepts You. Vyāsadeva also accepts You, 'You are the Parabrahman.' " Vyāsadeva begins the comments on Vedānta-sūtra: oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. He begins, janmādy asya yataḥ, paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1).

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

Now, Devahūti has understood. Therefore she says, ya ādyaḥ bhagavān, "My dear son, Kapiladeva, I know that You are the, the same Supreme Person, Bhagavān." And the Bhagavān is ādyam. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudeva is ādya. Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as all in... Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam ādyam: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Person, original person." Now, Brahmā says, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He says that "I worship the original person, Govinda." Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Everywhere you'll find. And the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa says also, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat... (BG 7.7). "I..." Govindam ādi-puruṣam.

Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to keep the mind and consciousness always in Kṛṣṇa, puṁsi. Puṁsi. Puṁsi. Puṁsi means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's a person. He's a male, not female. Puṁsi. Puruṣaḥ. Puruṣaḥ, not strī. When Kṛṣṇa was realized by Arjuna, he addressed Him, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). God is brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam. God is puruṣa, not female. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. Everything is enjoyed by the Supreme Puruṣa. We are also prakṛti. That is also stated. We are not puruṣa. This dress may be... That is māyā, illusion.

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

That means we must know what is Parabrahman. That Parabrahman is Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam (BG 10.12). We must know, "What is my relationship." That relationship is already explained, that "I am qualitatively one..." Brahman and Parabrahman means both of them one in the platform of being Brahman. But Parabrahman is very, very great, and I am simply Brahman, small.

Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:

That is also salt, but very minute particle. The salt is there because it is part and parcel of the big sea. It must be salty. Similarly, Brahman, Parabrahman, Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam... (BG 10.12). So here we have got all the qualities. We are Brahman, we are pure. But Kṛṣṇa's paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12). He's the supreme, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's the chief, chief pavitra, chief brahma. We are also brahma, but small brahma. We are also pure.

Lecture on SB 3.25.43 -- Bombay, December 11, 1974:

One cannot be bhakti-yogī without jñāna and vairāgya. It is not a sentimental thing; it is based on pure knowledge. What is that pure knowledge? Pure knowledge means "I do not belong to this material world. I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Therefore my business is to serve the Supreme Brahman, or Parabrahman." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna agreed to serve Kṛṣṇa. Why? Because he understood Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, śāśvataṁ puruṣam: puruṣam (BG 10.12), the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not impersonal. Impersonal feature is one of the features of Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa factually is the Supreme Person, vekti.(?) That is called jñāna. And without this knowledge, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15), by studying all the Vedas and Vedāntas, if one cannot understand what is the nature of Kṛṣṇa, what is actually Kṛṣṇa, then he is not in perfect knowledge. Ajñāna.

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

There is another nature that is parā prakṛti. That is spiritual nature. And how I can understand? Na jīva-bhūta. You can understand that parā-prakṛti is the living entity, yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5), which is sustaining this material nature. So actually in the Bhagavad-gītā they, both of us are described as prakṛti, not puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Arjuna, when he realized after reading Bhagavad-gītā, he addresses Kṛṣṇa as Puruṣa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvata (BG 10.12). We are, not that you have become puruṣa now, but śāśvata, eternally.

Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

So this is our position. Therefore ātma-darśana, one must know what he is. He is spiritual being. Spiritual being, he has nothing to do with this material world, but somehow or other, we have fallen in this material world. Anādi karama-phale, paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale. It is just like ocean. So just like if you fall down from the boat or the ship, then it is struggle for existence. You may be very nice swimmer, but that does not mean in the water you will be comfortable. That is not possible. Similarly, we living entities, part and parcel of God, we are as pure as God. Kṛṣṇa, God, is pure. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitra. So similarly... Pavitra means without material contamination. That is pavitra.

Lecture on SB 3.26.10 -- Bombay, December 22, 1974:

So that self-realization is not very difficult. But it requires a little fortune and intelligence. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. These big, big saintly person, they are undergoing severe penances and austerities to understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But if you believe in the Bhagavad-gītā statement, Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "The living entities are My part and parcel." So if Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman... Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is accepted by Arjuna when he heard Bhagavad-gītā. At the end, he is accepting, "Kṛṣṇa, You are Parabrahman." So if we are part and parcel of Parabrahman, then we must be Brahman. Where is the difficulty? So this brahmāham, brahmāsmi, this Brahman realization, can be understood in a moment if you believe Bhagavad-gītā as it is. But if you foolishly interpret in this way and that way, then it will take millions of years. You will not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā, what is God, what is... But if you take it as it is, then immediately you can understand that you are Brahman. There is no difficulty.

Lecture on SB 3.26.17 -- Bombay, December 26, 1974:

Creation is not without the touch of the Supreme Puruṣa, Person. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). There is puruṣa. The prakṛti, woman, strī, if she is not in contact with a puruṣa, then there is no creation. There is... Sāmyasya. Prakṛter guṇa-sāmyasya. Without the touch of puruṣa, prakṛti remains guṇa-sāmya, no manifestation of the three guṇas. Prakṛter guṇa-sāmyasya nirviśeṣasya. At the time of nirviśeṣa... Nirviśeṣa means without variety, without varieties. Nirviśeṣasya mānavi, addressing His mother, Devahūti. Devahūti is the daughter of Svāyambhuva Manu, and Svāyambhuva Manu brought the daughter before... What is Kapiladeva's father's name?

Lecture on SB 3.26.17 -- Bombay, December 26, 1974:

Just like a man begets children through the agency of woman, similarly, the varieties of this material world is due to the Supreme Person, Puruṣa. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam, original, eternal Puruṣa. That is accepted by Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gītā: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Bhavān: "You are puruṣaṁ śāśvatam."

Lecture on SB 3.26.43 -- Bombay, January 18, 1975:

The method may be different; that is another thing. But the idea is how to know God. Just like Christians, they say, "O God, give us our daily bread." So there is relationship. Muslim they say, allah akbar, "God is great." So in Hindu-conception generally say, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So any sense you say, there is relationship with God. So unless you revive your relationship with God which is dormant, there is no śānti. There cannot be any śānti. So try to understand God.

Lecture on SB 3.26.46 -- Bombay, January 21, 1975:

Absolute Truth is understood in three different features: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). So Supreme Brahman means Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as it was accepted by Arjuna after understanding Bhagavad-gītā. He addressed Him, paraṁ brahma param dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are paraṁ brahma." Brahman and Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate, the Absolute Truth. According to our different realization, the Absolute Truth is realized in three different features: impersonal Brahman; and localized, all-pervading antaryāmī, Viṣṇu or Paramātmā; and the last word of understanding is Bhagavān.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

That is confirmed by Arjuna after understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Parabrahman, Brahman realization; Paramātmā realization; and above Brahman and Paramātmā there is Parabrahman. That is Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa... (BG 7.19). Who can understand? One, if he... If one understands this, that Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman—vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19)—He's also Paramātmā, He's also impersonal Brahman—sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: "He becomes the great mahātmā." Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13).

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

And in the Bhagava... Arjuna also addresses Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). You are the only puruṣa, śāśvata. So we are simply thinking of becoming puruṣa, enjoyer. But we are not puruṣa. We are all prakṛti. It is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, the jīva-bhūta. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Prakṛti, another prakṛti is there. This material prakṛti, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), they are My bhinnā prakṛti, bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. But besides that, there is another prakṛti. Prakṛti means, who is that prakṛti? Jīva-bhūta, the living entities.

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

Paraṁ Brahman. Not only Brahman, Paraṁ Brahman. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are concerned with the brahman-kathā but, we (are) very interested not only (in) brahman-kathā but parabrahman-kathā, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is wanted. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So kṛṣṇa-kathā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This is guru. Kṛṣṇa-kathā. So here it is said that, mat-kathā, mat-karmabhir mat-kathayā ca. So..., and how? Mat-karmabhir mat-kathayā ca nityam, twenty-four hours. Nityam means always.

Lecture on SB 5.5.24 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1976:

So ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "Yes, I am already Brahman because my constitutional position is part and parcel of Parabrahman." Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ (BG 10.12), pavitraṁ paramam, this same thing, pavitraṁ paramam. So naturally, because we are part and parcel of the pavitraṁ paramaṁ, Parabrahman, we are also the same thing, a small particle, aṁśa. Mama aṁśa. Aṁśa and aṁśi. A small grain of gold, by quality it is gold, not that because it is small, it is something else. It is the same thing.

Lecture on SB 5.5.29 -- Vrndavana, November 16, 1976:

Because he has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he has accepted Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva—vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā suḍurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19)—he is mahātmā. Mahātmā does not mean that to dress like me or having a big beard and No. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam. One who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme—paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)—he is mahātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya manaso (BG 9.13). He is mahātmā, not mahātmā by stamping or by changing the dress. No. Mahātmā means who is surrendered to the... Mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo-murāreḥ. Murāri, Kṛṣṇa's name is mahat-padam. He is mahātmā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.35 -- Vrndavana, November 22, 1976:

Viṣṇu-tattva is also originated from Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He's the ādi-puruṣa. And Kṛṣṇa was accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā, puruṣam ādyam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). So everything is there in Kṛṣṇa. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. All this manifestation of cosmic creation, that is from the mahat-tattva. That mahat-tattva is resting within the dust of the lotus feet of mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. So if one takes shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then this bhava-samudra, the vast ocean of birth and death...

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

So these are the beginning, brahmacārī. Brahmacari means who is always in Brahman activities. That is brahmacārī. Or brāhmaṇa means one who knows the Supreme, Supreme Brahman, Parambrahman. So if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you are liberated. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So if we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we are both brahmacārī or brāhmaṇa, brahma-jñāna, brahma-bhūtaḥ. These words are there in the śāstra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Therefore the real life is to inquire about Brahman. Inquiring, inquiring, when the conditioned soul... Now it is jīva-bhūtaḥ. So long we are conditioned by the material nature—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), bhuṅkte prakṛtijān guṇān—then we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. Otherwise when we come to our real position, that is brahma-bhūtaḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.6.7 -- Vrndavana, November 29, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa says repeatedly that "I am this, I am this," and Arjuna understands Him, "Yes, You are this." Sarvam etān ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava. Then he understands. He is directly understanding. And you take the version of Arjuna. Arjuna says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Why you, rascal, interpret in a different way, rascal? What right you have got? "My Kṛṣṇa is like that. My Kṛṣṇa..." What right you hve got? Kṛṣṇa says like this; one who listen to Kṛṣṇa about Kṛṣṇa, he says like that. You rascal, why do you interpret in a different way? This is going on.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975:

Therefore we should accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme God. It is stated in all śāstras, and Arjuna also, who listened Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, he also accepted. After hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). So our process is to follow the predecessor. The Arjuna, he accepted. Not only Arjuna. "Arjuna may be His friend. He might have accepted his friend as God." No. Kṛṣṇa is accepted by the greatest learned scholar, Vyāsadeva, and greatest saintly person, Nārada.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

So purificatory process. Our disease is... Try to understand very patiently. The living entity, he is under diseased condition. What is that diseased condition? Accepting birth, death, old age and disease. This is diseased condition. We living entity, we are eternal, pure. Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore... God is the purest. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Kṛṣṇa when realized... Arjuna, when he realized the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, he accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa that "You are Parabrahma. You are the Supreme Brahman." We are all Brahmans, but He is Supreme Brahman, paraṁ brahma.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

We become free from all sinful reaction, and without being purified... Because Kṛṣṇa, or God, is pure. Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ brahma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are the supreme pure." So unless we are pure we cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. That is the statement in the śāstra. Without becoming fire, you cannot enter into fire. Similarly, without becoming completely pure, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That is accepted by all religious system. The Christian system is also like that, that without becoming pure you cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

So we can be designationless when you live with the pure devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said that suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra. That path is very nice. Akuto bhayam, fearlessness. Where? Now, suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra: "Where well-behaved saintly persons are there." Well behaved. It is the first word, suśīla. Śīla means character, very nice character. A devotee cannot be bad character. Because Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12)—pavitra means pure—so impure cannot approach Him. That is not possible. If you want to enter fire, you must be fire. And if you are not fire, then you will burn. So first of all we have to revive, because Kṛṣṇa...

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

No more fire. It is black charcoal, that's all. So if we want happiness, then we have to dance with Kṛṣṇa. But you cannot dance Kṛṣṇa if I am not pure. Kṛṣṇa is pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Pavitra means the supreme pure. If you want to take pleasure in the company of Kṛṣṇa and dance rasa dance, then you have to become pure, purified. That is sarvopādhi vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), to free from all designation. Nārāyaṇa parāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa society or Kṛṣṇa society, the same thing.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

So vṛtti means livelihood. If one adopts abominable livelihood, there is no, I mean to say, hope of spiritual advancement. Finished. Because we have learned from Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna says Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "Kṛṣṇa, You are the Supreme Brahman," paraṁ dhāma, "the supreme resort to everything," and pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, "and the supreme pure." So nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa if he is impure. That is not possible. In the Bhagavad-gītā here it is said yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpam: one who is free from all contamination of sinful activities.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Surat, December 16, 1970:

So to advance in spiritual life one has to give up all these sinful activities; otherwise it is not possible. Some rascal says that "You can do whatever you like. It has nothing to do with your religiousness." This is nonsense. Religious life means to approach God, and God is pure. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitra. Kṛṣṇa is addressed by Arjuna, pavitram. In the Upaniṣad it is said, Īśopaniṣad, apāpa-viddham. God cannot be infected by sinful activities. That is God's... Just like we are infected by sinful activities, God is not like that... There is Absolute. So He is always pure.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

Not only ordinary puruṣa, but the Supreme Puruṣa, as Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam śāśvata: (BG 10.12) "You are puruṣa." So māyā is so strong that after being kicked so many lives, life after life, still he is thinking, "I am puruṣa. I am enjoyer." This is the disease.

Lecture on SB 6.1.62 -- Vrndavana, August 29, 1975:

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam adyam (BG 10.12). Kṛṣṇa, the Lord, is described as puruṣa, and living entities are described as prakṛti. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā, jīva-bhūto mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Kṛṣṇa has explained. There is material energy and spiritual energy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.66 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1975:

This is Vedic instruction. A living entity means spiritually part and parcel of God. There cannot be any bad quality. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna said to Kṛṣṇa that pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the most pure." So how His part and parcel can be impure? Gold may be a small particle, gold, but it is gold. It cannot be otherwise. Similarly, we, being Mamaivāṁśaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that "They are My living beings. They are My part and parcel." So there cannot be any bad thing. The bad thing is because we have accepted this material body.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

This is ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman. He is described in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna... Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). Arjuna recognized and he said, "You are recognized by all the authorities." Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the authorities. I have described the authorities. Brahmā is authority, Lord Śiva is authority, and Kapila is authority, Kumāra, four Kumāras, they are authorities, and Manu is authority. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja is authority. Janaka Mahārāja is authority.

Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:

So in this way, if we analyze, then we can understand that asmin dehe, within this body, the "I" is there. And what is this "I"? Again, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is further advancement. But these rascal—"Ahaṁ brahmāsmi means 'I am God.' " No. Take, consult Bhagavad-gītā what is this aham. Aham means the part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman. Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So Kṛṣṇa says, "These Brahmans, these living entities, they are My part and parcel." That is aham understanding, "I." What I am? I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- New Vrindaban, June 24, 1976:

Everything is written in the Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So if we follow Arjuna then we can understand Bhagavad-gītā very easily.

So we should not waste. If we keep it for future, then, as it is stated by Prahlāda,

durāpūreṇa kāmena

mohena ca balīyasā

śeṣaṁ gṛheṣu saktasya

pramattasyāpayāti hi

(SB 7.6.8)

Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

Now, if you follow the principle or the footprints of Arjuna, that Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā in this way Now, if you follow the principles of Arjuna, then you understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not very difficult. That is stated, how, what, what Arjuna understood. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Tenth Chapter: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He accepted that "You are Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nobody knows about Your personality." These things are described there.

Lecture on SB 7.9.1 -- Mayapur, February 8, 1976:

So in any auspicious matter they are forward, because you cannot approach God in your lower condition of life. You see? Lower condition of life means sinful reaction. In that condition you cannot approach God. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). (aside:) Who is talking? Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme pure, pavitraṁ paramam. Paramam means extreme. So nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa while He is impure. That is not possible. Just like some rascals, they say, "It doesn't matter what you are eating, what you are doing. There is no hindrance for your spiritual advancement." These rascals, these fools, misleading the whole world that in the matter of understanding the Supreme Person one can behave like the low-grade persons. No. That is not possible. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Lecture on SB 7.9.2 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1977:

So this has become a fashion, to equalize Nārāyaṇa with everyone. So in this way India's culture has been dismantled. Nārāyaṇa cannot be equal. Nārāyaṇa personally says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Another word is used: asamaurdhva. Nobody can be equal with Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu-tattva. No. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is Ṛg mantra. Viṣṇoḥ padaṁ paramaṁ padam. Bhagavān is addressed by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Paramaṁ bhavān. So this paśandi imagination will kill one's advancement, spiritual life. Māyāvāda. Māyāvāda. So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has strictly forbidden to associate with Māyāvādī. Māyāvādī bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-naśa: (CC Madhya 6.169) "Anyone who has associated with the Māyāvādī, his spiritual life is finished." Sarva-naśa. Māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhi. You should be very, very careful to avoid these Māyāvādī rascals. There cannot be such thing as "Nārāyaṇa has become daridra." It is impossible.

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1977:

So everything is there. Don't think that God is zero. No. Śūnyavādi. Everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Athāto brahma jijñāsā. You are inquiring about Brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So there must be anger, not that God should be always peaceful. But the difference is His anger and His peaceful attitude produces the same result. Prahlāda Mahārāja, a devotee, He is very satisfied with Prahlāda Mahārāja and He is very much dissatisfied with his father, but result is the same: both of them got liberation.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

Either you follow the Ten Commandments or these four commandments, the same thing. That means you have to keep yourself in goodness. The balance must be in goodness. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supermost pure. How you can approach the supermost pure without becoming yourself pure? So this is the steppingstone to become pure, because we are contaminated. So to become pure... The Ekādaśī, why we observe? To become pure.

Lecture on SB 7.9.18 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1976:

Therefore the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa means there is also mahat-tattva, many, many mahat-tattva. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Murāri. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Murāri. Puṇya-yaśaḥ, always... Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Then this... Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padam. This great ocean of nescience becomes a small spot of water as it is made by the footprint of the calves, vatsa-padam.

Lecture on SB 7.9.26 -- Mayapur, March 4, 1976:

So, so Prahlāda Mahārāja is claiming. He's not neither in rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, sattva-guṇa. He's Vaiṣṇava; he's transcendental. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). He's on the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, on the spiritual platform. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa touching? Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ-pavitraḥ. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He cannot touch a rajas-tamas-bhava. No. That is not possible. When Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva touched his head, either by His touching he's already purified, or because he's purified, therefore Lord touched his head. This is the conclusion.

Lecture on SB 7.9.32 -- Mayapur, March 10, 1976:

Devotees: Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Prabhupāda: ...so we become purified, how Kṛṣṇa can be impure? It is not possible. Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

And when one realizes ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am Brahman..." But unfortunately Māyāvādī philosophers, they take it ahaṁ brahmāsmi means "I am the Supreme Brahman." No. Brahmāsmi means "I am spirit soul." Spirit soul is Brahman, and the Supreme Brahman is different. Supreme Brahman, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12), that is Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu-tattva. So unfortunately these Māyāvādī philosophers, they accept brahmāsmi means "I am the Supreme." We are not the Supreme. We are subordinate. So long this knowledge lacks, one is not completely in knowledge.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

The Lord, the Supreme Truth, absolute cannot be female. Just like so many others, Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that the Supreme Absolute Truth can be female. No. He can be female, but the real form is puṁsaḥ. Just like Arjuna accepts the Absolute, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ (BG 10.12). The Lord is puruṣa, He is not female. Here also puṁsaḥ. Another meaning of puruṣa means "enjoyer." Just like we have got experience that the male is considered to be the enjoyer and the female is considered to be the enjoyed; although in this material world everyone is under illusion, everyone is thinking that he is the enjoyer or she is the enjoyer.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

Bahya means outside, without. Abhyantara means inside. Unless we are clean, unless we are pure, how we can make advance to approach the Supreme? The Supreme is described as the purest. In the Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the Supreme Lord, Brahman." And pavitraṁ paramam: "You are supreme pure." There is no impurity. Impurity means material contamination, and purity means spiritual life. So this cleanliness inside and outside, that will also decrease. Just know.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the origin of everything." You take it. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. He has proved. Kṛṣṇa is origin of everything. All the ācāryas, big, big ācārya accepted Him, Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. Arjuna, who heard Bhagavad-gītā, he accepted Him, Kṛṣṇa is origin. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12). Why we should try to understand Kṛṣṇa otherwise? What is this foolishness? But that is their scholarship. That is their knowledge. If somebody can most rascal explain Bhagavad-gītā, oh, he's a great scholar. Just see the fun.(?) He's the rascal number one and misleading people, he's great scholar.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973:

Janma sthiti laya, where it is staying, where it is being conducted, that is Brahman. So Kṛṣṇa answers this question that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). He's the Supreme Brahman. Therefore Arjuna accepted Him: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). We are Brahmans, but we are not Param Brahman. Param Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. We are ātmā, but we are not Paramātmā. Paramātmā is Kṛṣṇa. So in this way...

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti mām...

(BG 7.3)

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

So prakṛti and puruṣa... Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Arjuna has described, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). "You are the original puruṣa, enjoyer." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If we know that Kṛṣṇa is the original person, enjoyer, and we are simply enjoyed... We are meant for being enjoyed, not to take the post of enjoyer. Here, in this material world, everyone is artificially trying to become enjoyer, both men and women. But that is illusion. Nobody's enjoyer.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

So if you want to study Bhagavad-gītā, you follow what Arjuna says. Where is the difficulty? What Arjuna has said about Kṛṣṇa, that is already there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, śāṣvataṁ puruṣam ādi (BG 10.12). You accept Kṛṣṇa. Why do you try to make minus Kṛṣṇa Bhagavad-gītā? This is rascaldom. That is not study of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Study Bhagavad-gītā as it is; then you'll be benefited. And actually we are seeing that. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is all over the world, and it is becoming successful. Not adulteration. That is spoiling.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973:

Regulative principle and sinful activities. Otherwise, how we can approach Kṛṣṇa? Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. By the senses we commit so many sinful activities. Therefore sin, without being free from sinful activities, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Kṛṣṇa is pavitraṁ paramam, the supreme purified. So how we can approach Kṛṣṇa without being purified? Therefore the four principle, regulative principles must be followed. Otherwise, there is no chance of advancing. There is no chance. They are relatively cooperatively helpful, chanting, but one must be willing that "I must be purified to approach Kṛṣṇa." Otherwise he becomes sahajiyā. So "I am approaching Kṛṣṇa. I can smoke bidi. I can take marijuana. I can..." No. Must be purified. Go on.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.5 -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975:

The Supreme Lord has got three potencies, or energies, primarily. So this rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ is transformation of the pleasure potency. Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ brahma. Paraṁ brahma. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). That is the explanation given by Arjuna. This is called paramparā system. If we follow Arjuna, Arjuna's decision should be taken. Arjuna decision is: "Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma." So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they are after brahma-sukha. Brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. Brahma-sukhānubhūtyā.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.6 -- Mayapur, March 30, 1975:

The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot conceive that Paraṁbrahman also enjoys; therefore they think of Paraṁbrahman as imperson. So that is not the fact. Brahman, Paramātmā, then Bhagavān. Therefore Bhagavān is Paraṁbrahman. That is accepted by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So Brahman is spiritual, undoubtedly, but more than Brahman is Paramātmā, and more than Paramātmā is Paraṁbrahman, Kṛṣṇa. Yad advaitaṁ brahma upaniṣadi. If you study the Upaniṣads, then you can realize Brahman. And if you practice yoga, then you can realize Paramātmā.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.7 -- Mayapur, March 31, 1975:

So here it is describing that for the material creation the... There are three puruṣa-avatāra. Puruṣa means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that puruṣa-avatāras. First avatāra, puruṣa avatāra, is Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahā-Viṣṇu is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā,

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.48)

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.16 -- Mayapur, April 9, 1975:

Simply minus this material contamination. Chāḍi anācāra. Anācāra. Anācāra means not proper behavior. Proper behavior means to remain always pious, and improper behavior means to become impious, sinful. If you become sinful, then you cannot enter into the family of Kṛṣṇa; that is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā by Arjuna—paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitra. Pavitra means pure, completely pure, without any material contamination. So if you want to enter into Kṛṣṇa's family, then you have to become also completely pure. Otherwise, there is no chance.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ Brahman. He is accepted as Paraṁ Brahman in the Bhagavad-gītā by Arjuna: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He's Paraṁ Brahman, Supreme Brahman. The Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand the Supreme Brahman, or the Supreme Ātmā, Paramātmā. These words are there, ātmā, paramātmā; brahma, paraṁ brahma; īśvara, parameśvara. These words are there.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

Then another statement, vedāham etat puruṣaṁ mahāntam āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastād, that vedāham: "I understand that Supreme Person." Vedāham. Vedāham means "I understand." Puruṣa. He's again puruṣa. In the Bhagavad-gītā also you'll find, when Arjuna is recognizing Kṛṣṇa, he said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣam (BG 10.12). Again puruṣam. So God is never woman. The foolish person who says that God is, can be worshiped as woman, as mother... No. That is not according to Vedic literature. God is always father. Therefore Bible is all right-conception of father, not mother. Not that "I worship Kali, goddess mother, and become God." These are all nonsense.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Therefore I am speaking again to you the same yoga system." So one has to receive the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā by the paramparā system. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna heard Bhagavad-gītā. And how he understood Bhagavad-gītā? He understood Kṛṣṇa as a person. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). That is real Bhagavad-gītā understanding. And Arjuna said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava. As Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), so he accepted that. That is Bhagavad-gītā reading, not that "It is not to person Kṛṣṇa; it is to His self," and this and that. No. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

Paramātmā is Param Brahman. There are two words, Brahman and Param Brahman. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is accepting Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna is accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Param Brahman, the Supreme Brahman. (Hindi) Brahman, every living entity is Brahman, because part and parcel of Supreme Brahman. Just like particle of gold is gold. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says that "These jīvas, they are My parts and parcels." So as part and parcel, they are also Brahman. Just like a particle of gold is gold, but it is particle, and that is mine. Spark. Spark of fire is fire, but that is qualitatively one, not quantitatively.

Guest (1): Naraji(?) Śrī Aurobindo...

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977:

Guest (5): Truth I understand.

Prabhupāda: That's it. That is... That is wanted. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12).

Guest (5): Otherwise we can't love a poor man...

Satsvarūpa: Enough argument. Sit down. Then no more argument.

Guest (3): I think Lord has said in the Bhagavad-gītā...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- Bombay, November 9, 1975:

This is bhedābheda-prakāśa, I am the same quality of Kṛṣṇa, I am the same Brahman also, but I am not the Parabrahman. Parabrahman is Kṛṣṇa. When Arjuna... He is Brahman. When he realized Kṛṣṇa, he addressed Him, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He never claimed equal with Kṛṣṇa. That is not knowledge. That is ignorance. So in this way, Sanātana Gosvāmī will understand his position, relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and Sanātana Gosvāmī, we shall understand. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu is describing in this Caitanya-caritāmṛta; therefore we shall discuss later on further.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- New York, July 20, 1976:

All these colored manifestation, it is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "Everything is coming from Me." So this understanding is real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when you understand that there is one only. Eka brahma dvitīya nāsti. And Kṛṣṇa is above Brahman. We have got a slight idea of Brahman, generally, but Kṛṣṇa is Parambrahman. There are many millions of Brahmans, and above them, the Supreme Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna admitted.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.146-151 -- New York, December 3, 1966:

Even in Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa also says that "I am person. I am person." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). And it is confirmed by Arjuna. What is that? Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. So the Bhagavad-gītā, the speaker of the Bhagavad-gītā, establishing Himself that "I am person," and the student of the Bhagavad-gītā, I mean to say, Arjuna, he is accepting, "Yes. You are person. I accept it." I do not know why these fools explain, from Bhagavad-gītā, impersonalism. Where is the chance of explaining impersonal about conception of God from Bhagavad-gītā? Now, how they can surpass the speaker and the student? The student is Arjuna. He is accepting that "You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead." And the speaker, Kṛṣṇa, He is also establishing Himself that "I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Now, wherefrom these fools take impersonal idea, I do not know.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.31-38 -- San Francisco, January 22, 1967:

But you have to decide who is less intelligent. If you, from the Vedic literature, if you do not accept the decision... And the essence of Vedic literature is Bhagavad, Bhagavad-gītā, and it is clearly stated there. When understood..., Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he clearly accepted Him that paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12), "You are the Supreme Lord, and nobody knows Your personality." So personality is accepted. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says that the verdict of all Vedic literatures is to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 8 -- Los Angeles, May 11, 1970:

Not that sun becomes contaminated by you. No. That is not possible. Sun is so powerful that even you are contaminated... You cannot contaminate the sun. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). When one is very powerful, there is no contamination. Therefore here it is said, apāpa-viddhaṁ śuddham. Always purified, Kṛṣṇa. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā when Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the supreme pure." Pavitraṁ paramam.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 -- New York, July 26, 1971:

I'm just trying to explain what is the body of the Supreme Lord. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna was shown the virāṭ-rūpa, the universal form of the Lord. Now why Arjuna wanted to see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa? The reason is that Arjuna knew it very well... Because in the Tenth chapter Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa that paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Lord, paraṁ brahma, and pavitra, the purest." So Kṛṣṇa..., Arjuna knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, and still, in the Eleventh Chapter he requested Kṛṣṇa that "If You'll kindly show me Your universal form." Try to understand. Arjuna knew it very well that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. Why he wanted to examine Kṛṣṇa?

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa is the ādi-puruṣa. In... Arjuna also confirms. After understanding Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna also confirms:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973:

Ādyam: the original person. Just like in our genealogical table, in each family, there is a person who is the origin of the family—then his son, his son, his grandsons, great-grandson. In this way, family expands. Similarly, this creation is from Kṛṣṇa.

And God is accepted, not (only) now, even when Kṛṣṇa was present, five thousand years ago, all great sages, saintly persons, great ṛṣis, they also accepted. Nārada, Devala, Vyāsa. When Arjuna, in the Bhagavad-gītā... It is explained in the Tenth Chapter. You know, all, Kṛṣṇa as paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He, he is addressing Kṛṣṇa as person, bhavān. This bhavān śabda, this word is used, "person," not imperson. Bhavān. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). He's not imperson. Puruṣam. Puruṣam means person. Not female also. Puruṣam means male. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam.

Festival Lectures

Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

This has been very much scholarly discussed by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. Jīva Gosvāmī presents these love affairs of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā very philosophically. His first question is that Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman. Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman. That is accepted by Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma, paraṁ brahma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Paraṁ Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. Now, in this material world there are different features of sense gratification. Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa, whether they are a loving affairs or pastimes of this world? That is his question. Just like here young boys and young girls meet together, they try to enjoy life.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day Lecture -- London, August 21, 1973:

Latest, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu also, even Śaṅkarācārya, he also accepts Kṛṣṇa-sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa. So the verdict of the modern ācāryas, and in the past also, Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, everyone accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna, who heard from Kṛṣṇa, after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, he said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣam ādyaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12).

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

In the Manu-saṁhitā it is said that prakṛti, or strī, never deserve to be independent. Na strī svātantryam arhati. So as soon as the living entity is accepted as prakṛti, then it is to be understood that she is under the control of the supreme puruṣa, Puruṣottama. Kṛṣṇa is Puruṣottama. And Kṛṣṇa has been accepted as the puruṣa by Arjuna. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). It is not that Kṛṣṇa has become puruṣa now, and before that He was impersonal. No. Kṛṣṇa is puruṣaṁ śāśvatam, eternally He is puruṣa, eternally He is enjoyer. He's never enjoyed. You cannot enjoy Kṛṣṇa, or God, for your sense gratification. That is not possible. He can use you for His sense gratification. That is bhakti-mārga. The bhaktas, they never claim to be puruṣa. They are always subordinate. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is bhakti-yoga.

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 30, 1968:

Now today is our Rādhāṣṭami ceremony. I must speak now something about Rādhārāṇī, and then I shall go up, reach my apartment at twelve. In the meantime, you can observe the ceremonies. So, so far Rādhārāṇī, Rādhārāṇī, today is the birthday of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. Just try to understand. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So when paraṁ brahma wants to enjoy... That enjoying spirit is there in the paraṁ brahma. Otherwise we cannot have this enjoying spirit. Because we are part and parcel, therefore we have got that enjoying spirit; but that is materially contaminated. But the fact is there, because Kṛṣṇa, He is enjoying, this enjoying spirit we have got also, but I do not know how to enjoy.

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- London, August 29, 1971:

So Kṛṣṇa is Param Brahman, as you know from the Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he affirmed Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So Kṛṣṇa is Param Brahman. So in this material world we see that a great, saintly person, simply to enjoy brahmānanda, he gives up everything of material enjoyment. He becomes sannyāsī. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Just to understand that he is in Brahman realization.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

Therefore he comes back again. And that is, I mean to say, indicated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Persons who are thinking that "I have become liberated. I have become Nārāyaṇa. I have become God. I have become Brahman." Brahman, everyone is Brahman. That's a fact. But there is another Param Brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)—Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Sri Rukmini Dvarakanatha Deity Installation -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

Just like here is fire, and I am feeling temperature, but the fire flames within the fire, they do not feel because the temperature is the same. Similarly, without becoming Brahman, without understanding oneself, realizing himself, nobody can... Kṛṣṇa is the Parambrahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam, therefore one has to keep himself very purified; otherwise you cannot touch Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. It is fire, so you have to become fire. And how to become fire? Fire, you are also fire, but now you are covered fire, covered by this material body.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Calcutta, March 20, 1975:

Just like we say Parabrahma. Brahman means the biggest, bṛhatvāt bṛhannatvāt. On account of being very big, including everything, that God's another name is Parabrahma. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna addressed Kṛṣṇa as Parabrahma. So Allah akbar means Parabrahma.

Initiation Lectures

Lecture at Initiation Fire Sacrifice -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

It is not like that, that Kṛṣṇa has to go next morning to garbage. (laughter) You see? It is not that I'll have to acquire money by flattering somebody or working some in hell. No. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitā... That is the expansion of His pleasure potency. Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). When Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, he says, confirms, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are Paraṁ Brahman, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is understanding of Gītā. And after reading I understand that I am God. What is this nonsense? Where do you get this idea? Where it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā? Simply bluffing, all these rascals, scholars, and so-called commentators.

Lecture at Initiation Fire Sacrifice -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

Here is Bhagavad-gītā, understanding Kṛṣṇa, accepting, Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān śāśvataṁ puruṣam (BG 10.12). The Supreme is puruṣam. He is not female. Just like some rascal thinks that He's Kālī, He's Durgā. No! Kālī, Durgā are His potencies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva. The Supreme has many kinds of potencies. Goddess Kālī is also one of the potencies, Durgā is also one of the potencies.

Initiation Talk Excerpt -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

So if you are actually serious, approaching Kṛṣṇa—He is paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12)—you have to cleanse yourself from all sinful activities. So therefore we request everyone to give up these habits: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. Then he becomes gradually purified. And if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). One side, he should personally endeavor, and other side, he should chant, ceto-darpaṇa, the method of cleansing the heart.

Cornerstone Ceremonies

Foundation Stone Ceremony Speech -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977:

Unless you come to that brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, that "I am not this body. I am soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman"—paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)—there is no question of unity. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to introduce this movement how actually there can be possibility of being united. That is possible.

Wedding Ceremonies

Paramananda & Satyabhama's Wedding -- Montreal, July 22, 1968:

Unless one is free from these four principal activities, one cannot make progress in spiritual life. Because God is pure, pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, so no impure soul can approach Him. This body is the sign of impurity because soul has no material body. So anyone in this material world who has this material body is to be considered as sinful. But how to get out of this? To get out of it, everything, dovetailing with spiritual life.

Initiation of Sri-Caitanya dasa and Wedding of Pradyumna and Arundhati -- Columbus, May 14, 1969:

So Bhagavad-gītā cannot be understood by academic scholarship. It is not possible, the same bottle-licking. But it has to be opened by the devotee, just like Arjuna opened it: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). He understood Kṛṣṇa. So we have to follow the opener of the bottle, honey bottle. Then you will taste what is Bhagavad-gītā.

General Lectures

Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969:

So spiritual life does not mean a whimsical life. It is, first of all basic principle is, that building character. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that when Arjuna is accepting Lord Kṛṣṇa, he is saying that paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "My dear Lord, Kṛṣṇa, You are the most purest." Purest. Most pure. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma: "You are the Supreme Lord. You are pure." So idea is that if you want to have spiritual life, you have also become, to become pure. Without being pure... That pureness...

Lecture -- Bombay, November 2, 1970:

He's the supreme conscious, He's the Supreme Living Being. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is person. Kṛṣṇa is not imperson. Impersonal feature is one of the partial manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita, brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Kṛṣṇa is the basis of Brahman, but the original Brahman is Kṛṣṇa, Paraṁ Brahma, as Arjuna accepted—paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

So Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. Sarvasya means including all other demigods. Even Brahma, Lord Śiva, and even Viṣṇu, they are emanations from Kṛṣṇa. We have got in the Vedic literature how Kṛṣṇa is the original person. Therefore Arjuna accepted, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). And the Gosvāmīs, the Six Gosvāmīs, they have analyzed Kṛṣṇa's characteristics, Nārāyaṇa's characteristics, Lord Śiva's characteristics, Lord Brahmā's characteristics.

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

So as Arjuna said that paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Personality." Śāśvataṁ puruṣa. He is accepted puruṣa. Puruṣa, the Supreme Lord, puruṣa; the bhokta, the enjoyer. And He's paraṁbrahman and pavitra, uncontaminated. Pavitra means uncontaminated by the material nature. Paramaṁ bhavān. And He is the rest of everything.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:

Then you get the chance of becoming pure. And without being pure, you cannot be engaged in the loving service of the Lord. The Lord is pure. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So you cannot approach Lord being impure. Even I do not indulge in illicit sex life or meat-eating or very much moralist, still I am impure if I think myself "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." These are also impurities.

Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

He has got multi-energies, and one of the energy is pleasure potency. That is Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa is addressed in the Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So parabrahma. Now, Brahman means biggest. So for Brahman happiness... That you have got experience within this world, that for achieving brahma sukha, or the greatest pleasure, ananta, unlimited pleasure...

ramante yoginaḥ anante

satyānande cid-ātmani

iti rāma-padenāsau

paraṁ brahma ity abhidhīyate

(CC Madhya 9.29)

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

That is explained in the Tenth Chapter. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Personality, puruṣam, the supreme enjoyer. Śāśvatam. Not that at the present moment. Eternally You are the enjoyer." And Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, also says the same thing in another place:

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

Hare Krishna Festival Address -- San Diego, July 1, 1972, At Balboa Park Bowl:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving knowledge about the Absolute Truth, Paraṁ Brahman. The Sanskrit word is Paraṁ Brahman. And Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman. If you have read Bhagavad-gītā on the Tenth Chapter, when Arjuna summarizes his understanding after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "Kṛṣṇa, I understand that You are the Supreme Personality, Absolute Truth." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma: "You are the reservoir of everything." Pavitram: "You are the Supreme Pure." Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam: "You are the Supreme Person." Kṛṣṇa, or the Absolute Truth, is not imperson. He's the Supreme Person. He's Supreme Person.

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972:

God is Supreme Brahman; you are also Brahman. And mold your life as Brahman." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to mold this life to understand that we are all Brahman and our original source is the Parambrahman. Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "Kṛṣṇa, You are Parabrahman." That is accepted by the Vedas. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). "God" means He is also a living entity as you are, as I am.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 14, 1973:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa is person. Kṛṣṇa is not imperson. Impersonal feature is one of the partial manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Kṛṣṇa is the basis of Brahmā. But the original Brahmā is Kṛṣṇa, Parabrahman, as Arjuna accepted: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 26, 1973:

You find that form, Kṛṣṇa's picture, always blissful, ānanda. You'll see here is Kṛṣṇa's picture. Here He's enjoying with his pleasure potency, Rādhārāṇī. That is His own potency. When Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman, described, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). When Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he said..., he addressed Kṛṣṇa not as Kṛṣṇa. Before that he was addressing Kṛṣṇa, because he is friend. Now when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he understood Kṛṣṇa also. He addressed Him, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "You are perfect." So if Kṛṣṇa is even naughty actually, He's Parabrahman. So when Parabrahman wants to enjoy... Parabrahman must enjoy. Parabrahman is not without enjoyment, because wherefrom the idea of enjoyment comes unless it is in the Parabrahman? That is described in the Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 27, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa has all these opulences; therefore He's accepted as God—not superficially—by great, great saintly persons. Therefore Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord: paraṁ brahma, paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). It is not that because he was Kṛṣṇa's friend, therefore, out of his sentiments he accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He accepted on the authority of the Vedas. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So according to Vedic system, all sages, all the great saintly persons, all the great kings, everyone accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are many instances.

Speech -- Vrndavana, April 20, 1975:

So we are prakṛti, we are not puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa, as described by Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). And in the Brahma-saṁhitā also it is: ādi-puruṣaṁ. Kṛṣṇa is described, ādi-puruṣaṁ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādiḥ ādiḥ govindam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. (Bs. 5.1)

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

This thing we have to understand, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He is accepted. Arjuna heard from Kṛṣṇa about Himself, and he says... He agreed, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). So He is accepted by the direct disciple, Arjuna; He is accepted by Vyāsadeva; He is accepted by Nārada Muni; and recently, within two thousand years, He is accepted by all the ācāryas of India-Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī; and lately, five hundred years ago, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

So we'll find in every Vedic literature, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father. When Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, in the Tenth Chapter you will find, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). And he also confirmed that "I am accepting You like this, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). So people may be in doubt because I am Your friend. So they may say, 'Out of friendship, regard or affection, out of sentiment, he is speaking like that, that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme person, paraṁ brahma.' " But Arjuna immediately rectifies this impression, that "Not only myself, but great authorities like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, they are also affirming."

Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

He has given description of the incarnation of God, then he concludes that "All these incarnations, they are part and parcel or plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the name which I have mentioned as Kṛṣṇa, that Godhead, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, He is the Supreme Original Personality of Godhead." That is Vyāsadeva's... So we have to accept. And Arjuna also says, svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me, "You are also personally speaking that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), 'There is no more superior authority than Me.' " So this is confirmed.

Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If we remain forgetful of our father, that is not a very good position. And what kind of father? Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). The richest. Not the poor father who cannot feed his children. It is not that father. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That father is so rich that He alone is feeding millions and millions and trillions of living entities. In Africa there are hundreds and millions of elephants. He is feeding them. And within the room there is a hole, there may be millions of ants. He is also feeding them.

Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

You'll find that actually, as it is said in the śāstra, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. And Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). And Arjuna accepts, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So we have to accept śāstra. Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt: you have to see through the śāstra. And if you learn śāstra, then you'll find kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

Prabhupāda: Then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? Can you interpret the law given by the government in your own way? That is not possible. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is accepted, He's accepted actually. (aside:) Find out this verse, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Tenth Chapter.

Pradyumna:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve

devarṣir nāradas tathā

asito devalo vyāsaḥ

svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

Prabhupāda: So... Yes. Read it.

Prabhupāda: So the student of Bhagavad-gītā, as Arjuna says, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam. After hearing Bhagavad-gītā in detail, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). So one may say that "This is a friendly talk. So Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So as a friend he accepted." Because Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2).

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

(BG 10.8)

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

This philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā, it is meant for the rājarṣi, not for the loafer class. Rājarṣi: king, at the same time, saintly person. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Kṛṣṇa does not say that ordinary scholar or so-called philosopher can understand. Only the rājarṣayo viduḥ. So Arjuna is one of the rājarṣis. So he understood Kṛṣṇa. He says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). So we have to accept this paramparā system. If we take Bhagavad-gītā seriously then we should follow the footprints of Arjuna as he understood. He accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Paraṁbrahman. So what is spoken by Paraṁbrahman, the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Person, how we can interpret His words and squeeze out some meaning and mislead myself and mislead others? This is not good.

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

The next stage is, as it is explained in the Vedānta-sūtra, atha ataḥ brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the stage of their inquiry about Brahman. And that Brahman, Parabrahman, as it is confirmed by Arjuna when he understood Kṛṣṇa... First of all he took Him as his friend, but after explanation of Bhagavad-gītā, in the Tenth Chapter you will see, he is accepting, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So this brahma-jijñāsa, inquiry, is there. And kṛṣṇa-kathā is here. So everyone should join this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Simply he has to distribute this knowledge of kṛṣṇa-kathā as ordered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then the result will be that, as it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, spoken by Sūta Gosvāmī, that śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17).

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: When you come to the platform of soul, there everything is good. In that platform, either tenderness or hardness, both of them are in the absolute. So our philosophy is that, as we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, that every living entity is part and parcel of God. So God is good, pavitra. Just like Arjuna accepts, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12). Pavitra means pure. But because we are part and parcel of God, therefore we are pure. The impurities are acquired by our contamination with this material world. So either you become tender or hard—that is impurity of this material world. So we don't give any credit to any person, either he is tender or hard.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: Tattva-darśinaḥ, one who has learned about God as fact, as you see eye to eye and you believe it. Similarly, one who has seen God eye to eye, you have to let..., get lessons of God from him. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is talking with God. So if you have to understand God, then understand how Arjuna has taken his instruction from God and what he's understood. So Arjuna says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). So we have to take lesson from Arjuna not from Mr. Freud, who has no knowledge of God. That is the way.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Morality, as we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, that nobody can approach God without being purified of all sinful reaction. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. A person who has finished all sinful activities, and simply standing on the platform of pious activities, they can understand what is God and be engaged in God's service. And another place it is said by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, param brahma." Every living being is Brahman, spiritual, but Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being; therefore He is paraṁ brahma, and the paraṁ dhāma, and the resort of everything, ultimate resort of everything, and pavitra, purified, there is no material contamination. So, what is this? What does he say in this?

Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:

Prabhupāda: And He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the origin of everything. Everything emanates from Me." And the Vedānta-sūtra confirms, "The Absolute Truth is that from which everything comes," janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So the Absolute Truth is person, and Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he addressed Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma. That is Absolute Truth. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So really understanding Absolute Truth means to understand His personal feature. He has got three features: impersonal feature, localized feature and personal feature.

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Gṛhastha. So He was meditating upon Himself. (break)

Hari-śauri:

arjuna uvāca

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvatam divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

Room Conversation -- April 11, 1969, New York:

āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve

devarṣir nāradas tathā

asito devalo vyāsaḥ

svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

"Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal Divine Person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages, such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa, proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me."

Conversations and Morning Walks

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Prabhupāda: Who taught him? Nobody taught him but he was simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So if you actually making progress in devotional service, you are constantly in touch with the purest. Kṛṣṇa is the purest. Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhama pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). "You are the paraṁ brahma, Supreme Brahman." Brahman, every living entity is Brahman but He is paraṁ brahma, the leader of the Brahman.

Room Conversation -- May 10, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: You'll eat, you'll mate, but just like human being, civilized man. Then what is the distinction between animal and man if we behave like animals? Kṛṣṇa, God, is pure. So if you keep yourself in impure condition of life, then how you can make progress towards purity, highest perfection, purity? Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). In the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna is accepting Kṛṣṇa that "You are the purest of all." If you are going to reach the purest of all, how you can remain impure? This tapasya... This voluntary restraint means tapasya. Tapasya, there is a Sanskrit word, tapasya.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: That is your speculation. G means this, O means this, this means this. That you can interpret in so many ways but God is God. God is great. Brahman. Brahman means great, Parabrahman, the greatest. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). That is Kṛṣṇa. Is it not stated in the Bhagavad-gītā?

Guest (3): Before the birth of Lord Kṛṣṇa, was God existing? God exhibit temporally...

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home:

Prabhupāda: So we must be pure to approach Kṛṣṇa. Just like if we want to enter fire we must be also highly tempered, almost like fire, same degree. Apāpa-viddham. Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. So we should give up sinful activities and apply our energy for Kṛṣṇa's service. Then our life is perfect. That we are preaching. You are from which province?

Guest (1): Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation With Three College Students -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: You find out this verse

Revatīnandana: Then its different, you see. That's why not Guru Maharajaji.

Prabhupāda: Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12), in the Tenth Chapter.

Pradyumna: 10.10?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Pradyumna:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

Room Conversation with Sir Alistair Hardy -- July 21, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes, go on.

Pradyumna:

āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve

devarṣir nāradas tathā

asito devalo vyāsaḥ

svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

(BG 10.13)

"Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala..."

Prabhupāda: Now he is referring to great sages, on the authority.

Prabhupāda: So God is purest. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). How one can approach God if he leads a sinful life? That is our propagation. You give up this sinful life. Then you'll be able to understand God. You follow Christianity or Mohammedanism or Buddhism. It doesn't matter. You give up this sinful life.

Revatīnandana: In the Bible it says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Room Conversation with Mister Popworth and E. F. Schumacher -- July 26, 1973, London:

Popworth: I agree with that.

Prabhupāda: That's all. And that God consciousness cannot be achieved without being pure. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). God is the supreme pure. You cannot approach God, you cannot understand God, in impure condition. And without God consciousness, there cannot be any purification. You try to understand this simple fact, that without God consciousness, you may prescribe so many things—they will be all failure, all failure. And God consciousness cannot be achieved without being pure. This is the problem. Now you can think over it.

Schumacher: I agree with that.

Room Conversation -- September 18, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guest (1): Ahaṁ sa brahma.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Brahman, the spirit soul is Brahman. Ahaṁ sa brahma. Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma. Paraṁ dhāma pavitram, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. The paraṁ brahma. Kṛṣṇa is called paraṁ brahma, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are Brahman. The drop of water and the vast water. So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, Supreme Person, and we are also persons, but not Supreme Person. Do you think you are Supreme Persons? Anybody? So anyone thinks that "I am Supreme Person," he is a crazy fellow, madman. He can say: "I am person. Kṛṣṇa is a person. I am also person." That is all right. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is Vedic version. (break) Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234).

Morning Walk -- December 21, 1973, Los Angeles:

Guest (1): And when they see that the conditions and the things in the world as they are, they don't fit in with their theories, then they change their theories.

Prabhupāda: No. So they are opportunists. They are not learned scholar. Our proposition is that five thousand years ago Kṛṣṇa taught that "I am the Supreme." So Arjuna accepted, paraṁ brahma, paraṁ dhāma: (BG 10.12) "Yes, You are Supreme." Then all the ācāryas later on, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, even Śaṅkarācārya, all accepted. "Yes," kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Then after that, ācārya system, Lord Caitanya accepted, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord." So after Caitanya, five hundred years, all the ācāryas, they are accepting. So we are accepting or teaching the same thing. No change, no change. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam. If there is change, that is not nitya, that is not śāśvata. That is circumstantial. That is material.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: No, that is, we have said about the jñāna... (break) ...paraṁ brahma na sat...

Prabhupāda: Now, who is that paraṁ brahma? That Kṛṣṇa. Because Arjuna says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma... (BG 10.12).

Dr. Patel: Brahman means Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Brahman is jyoti.

Prabhupāda: No, paraṁ brahma. Brahmajyoti, that is not paraṁ brahma. Paraṁ brahma is Kṛṣṇa.

Dr. Patel: Paraṁ brahma is Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Paraṁ brahma is Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So paraṁ brahman is Kṛṣṇa. The jñāna means one who knows Kṛṣṇa, he has got knowledge. Otherwise he's a rascal. That's all. Maybe a big rascal or small rascal.

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Shah: Oh, that way also, he understood(?).

Prabhupāda: Yes. So as Arjuna understands, you take that. But all the rascals, they are going to understand Kṛṣṇa which is not spoken by Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa... Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Do they accept that?

Dr. Patel: They must accept.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śaśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

Prabhupāda: Yes. So therefore, what is Kṛṣṇa, is to be understood from Arjuna. This is paramparā system. Paramparā system. Arjuna talked with Kṛṣṇa personally. So his experience is first-hand. So how this rascal can imagine of Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa is like this, Kṛṣṇa is like that." If you actually reading Bhagavad-gītā as Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, you have to accept it.

Dr. Patel: That same line. Puruṣaṁ śaśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum.

Prabhupāda: Ādi. Yes. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. Ādi-puruṣam, He is the original person. Person. He is not imperson. Puruṣam is not imperson. Brahman is impersonal, but Paraṁ Brahman is not impersonal. That is Kṛṣṇa. So therefore it is called paraḥ, param. Brahman realization. Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "You inquire about Brahman."

Dr. Patel: Everyone is puruṣa, but not puruṣottama.

Prabhupāda: So paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Dhāma. Dhāma means resting place. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma, and pavitram. Pavitram means you are not contaminated by these material modes. Pavitraṁ paramam, Supreme. Now the question is that if Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ pavitra... Now sometimes they criticize that "Kṛṣṇa danced with the other girls. So how He can be contaminated?"

Dr. Patel: Not contaminated.

Prabhupāda: Not contaminated. Apāpa-vidham. As it is said, apāpa vidham aśnaviram. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Aśnaviram means not material body. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Aśnaviram apāpa-vidham.

Dr. Patel: Kavir manīṣiḥ paribhuḥ svayambhūḥ...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is being explained, yes. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Dr. Patel: Puruṣaṁ śaśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Divyam. Divyam means spiritual. Tapo divyam. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). That is the instruction of Rsabhādeva, "My dear boys, you engage yourself in tapasya." Now, what kind of tapasya? Tapo divyam, for spiritual realization. Now, materialists, there are big, big scientists, big, big archeologists and so on, so on. They are also undergoing tapo. Without tapasya, nobody can become eminent. So they are also undergoing tapasya. Suppose one who has manufactured this atomic bomb. This is also tapasya. But not this kind of tapasya. Tapo divyam, for understanding Kṛṣṇa. To understand Kṛṣṇa, that tapasya required.

Dr. Patel: Shall I go further?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel:

āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve

devarṣir nāradas tathā

asito devalo vyāsaḥ

svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

Prabhupāda: Now people may say that "Arjuna was Kṛṣṇa's friend, so he is eulogizing Kṛṣṇa like anything." Therefore he is giving evidence that āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarva: "It is not my sentiment that I am accepting you as such and such. But..." (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa, Jaya. (break) He is giving evidence. This is required. This is required. If you say something, it must be supported by authorities. Not that my whimsically I say something like daridra nārāyaṇa.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Again you say, daridra-nārāyaṇa.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. Unauthorized statement. This will not be accepted. So āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve.

Dr. Patel:

āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve

devarṣir nāradas tathā

asito devalo vyāsaḥ

svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

Prabhupāda: Vyāsa. Ultimately Vyāsa.

Dr. Patel: "Even You say so." Svayam eva.

Prabhupāda: Yeah, then we shall accept. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya tinete karīyā aikya. Śāstra will say, and guru will say, "Yes, it is rightly said." Saintly person also will accept. Just like Kṛṣṇa is accepted by Arjuna. Paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. He immediately mentioned that "Such sage, authorities, accept. The śāstra says." Not that because Kṛṣṇa was His friend, he accepted blindly. No. That is corroboration. Whether it is mentioned in the śāstras, whether other saintly persons... Just like there are so many avatāras, but we have got our ācārya-sampradāya, Rāmānuja, Yamunācārya. Whether they are accepting? Not a third class man accepted, and it is accepted. The ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. This is the way of accepting.

Press Conference -- April 18, 1974, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for spreading the knowledge contained in the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation. Bhagavad-gītā as it is. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). After understanding Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna affirmed, "Kṛṣṇa, You are Parabrahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Brahman... Every living entity is Brahman, or everything is Brahman. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. That is a fact. But Parabrahman is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

Morning Walk -- June 9, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Yeah. Because this is the beginning of higher principles. "No, no, this may let... Let it remain. Let us go to the higher principles." The rascal does not know that you cannot go without learning A,B,C,D, how you can ask for passing M.A. examination? But "No, I do not know A,B,C,D, but let me go for passing M.A. examination." You see. This is A,B,C,D, that yeṣām anta gatam... Any sinful man, he cannot understand about God. It is not possible. Paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. But without being pavitra, they want to go to the platform of understanding God.

Room Conversation with Christian Priest -- June 9, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: That is our process. That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). We accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead not by our experience but by the experience of the acaryas who are recognized, and then we follow. Just like Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa in the Tenth Chapter. Find out, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Read it.

Pradyumna:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

Room Conversation with Christian Priest -- June 9, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: What is that translation?

Prabhupāda: Then our business finished. Then we get experience. Father is beyond my experience, but when we receive the knowledge through the mother, then we get experience. Arjuna says that: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12), "You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not only You are saying, but You are accepted by these authorities." That is all. I cannot get my experience of God; that is not possible. God comes, He says, and Kṛṣṇa comes and He is accepted by all the great ācāryas, then our business is perfect. So give them prasāda.

Room Conversation with Christian Priest -- June 9, 1974, Paris:

Jyotirmayī: (French)

Prabhupāda: Then it is confirmed by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). "You are person"—puruṣam means person—śāśvatam, "eternally." Then he says that "It is not that You have said. I see from Your instruction, and it is confirmed by Vyāsadeva, by Devala, by Nārada." Then it is final.

Jyotirmayī: (French)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Dr. Movebhed: I prefer to listen to you.

Prabhupāda: But we are speaking the same thing, Bhagavad-gītā. We are not manufacturing anything. Clear conception of God you can take from Arjuna. Arjuna associated with Kṛṣṇa personally. What he says about Kṛṣṇa and what he understands about God, that you read from the Tenth Chapter. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam (BG 10.12).

Nitāi: "Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahmān, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original. You are the unborn and the all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me."

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Prabhupāda: So first of all this is required, that before accepting somebody as teacher one must be convinced that "The person whom I am going to accept, my teacher, is perfect." Then the knowledge will be nice. If we approach a perfect person and submissively hear from him, then the knowledge is perfect. So Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the supreme authority, as Arjuna quoted. What is that?

Nitāi: Āhus tvāṁ ṛṣayaḥ sarve.

Prabhupāda: Āhus tvāṁ ṛṣayaḥ sarve: "All the ṛṣis, great saintly persons, they have accepted You." And some of them are named: Asita, Devala, Vyāsa. They are very great authority, ṛṣis: Vyāsadeva, who has compiled the whole Vedic literature; Nārada, the spiritual master of Vyāsadeva; similarly, Asita, Devala, very, very big, big stalwart, they have accepted. So apart from all these ṛṣis, recently, within, say, thousand years, great ācāryas just like Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya, they have all accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme.

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Prabhupāda: Similarly, here Arjuna directly hears from Kṛṣṇa. So he says that "You are Parabrahma. Now I understand." Now people may say that "You are accepting Him Parabrahma. Where is your authority? You are friend. You can say Parabrahma or anything—out of love. That is not final." Therefore he quotes that... What is that? Āhus tvāṁ ṛṣayaḥ sarve: "All the big, big ṛṣis, they have accepted You." Svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me: "And You, the Supreme Person, You are also speaking to me. And so far I am concerned, I have realized now that You are the Supreme Lord, Parabrahma." So if we follow Arjuna, then there is no difficulty. Accept Kṛṣṇa as Parabrahma. So Arjuna has heard it from Kṛṣṇa directly. This is the process. Now Kṛṣṇa says that "I accept your statement in toto." What is that language?

Evening Discussion -- May 6, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: They'll not become fit. They'll do all nonsense, and want to see God. Kṛṣṇa is addressed, pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. He is the supreme pure, and we are impure, and you want to see the supreme pure. You see? What audacity! I am not fire. I want to enter into the fire. You see? What will be the result? You'll be burned into ashes. First of all be fire. Increase your temperature to the same temperature, then it will automatically. He is paraṁ brahma, so you realize yourself as brahma.

Room Conversation with Yogi Bhajan -- June 7, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: All the ācāryas, they have accepted Kṛṣṇa. And Arjuna, who directly listened Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, he accepted, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So in this we have to follow. Otherwise it is not possible. What they will understand? They must follow the ācārya. If Guru Nanak says "I accept Lord Kṛṣṇa as God,".... God's incarnation and God—there is no difference. Then why the Sikhs should not accept Kṛṣṇa as God?

Room Conversation -- October 5, 1975, Mauritius:

Prabhupāda: If you become purified, then naturally they will come. Just like if you prepare nice preparation with pure ghee, customers will be naturally attracted and they will pay and purchase. And if you prepare rubbish thing, one man may be cheated, but that will not be attraction for the general. Purity is required. That will attract. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). One must be pure. Then he will be able to attract. So if they see practically that "These people are very happy; they have no anxiety," then they will be attracted. Is it not? What is the difficulty? But if you want brothel and night dancing and wine and meat-eating, then it is spoiled. It becomes impure. To become pure is not at all difficult.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Acyutānanda: Universal form.

Mahāmṣa: They show the universal form or they say that they are paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). They say the same things in their gitas.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Let them do that. We take Bhagavad-gītā. That's all. Śaṅkarācārya also—bhagavad-gītā kiñcid adhītā. If Bhagavad-gītā is understood a little only, he becomes liberated.

Acyutānanda: Then why should it be called the Bhagavad-gītā and not the Kṛṣṇa-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is referred to as Bhagavān.

Morning Walk -- January 12, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: . It is very, very difficult." Arjuna has said. And he has accepted Him as person, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam: "You are eternally person." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam, puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādyam (BG 10.12). These things are there. The real understanding is there. And he said, "This is.... This is accepted by Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Devala." Svayaṁ caiva: "And You are also speaking." Then where is the question of imperson? Hare Kṛṣṇa. And therefore He, Kṛṣṇa, says bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānvān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). "You are person; I surrender unto You"—this knowledge comes after many, many births of this impersonalist. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā (BG 7.19). "That great mahātmā is very rare." So one who believes and accepts the Supreme as person, he immediately becomes a mahātmā. Otherwise he remains durātmā.

Morning Walk -- March 19, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Just see. A woman has got a child. And if somebody says, "Yes, she has got child, but there is no need of a father," is that sane man's proposal? Nature is producing, and nature is prakṛti, but where is the puruṣa? Prakṛti-puruṣa. So without puruṣa, how prakṛti can produce? That puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam, Kṛṣṇa.... Is that all right?

Devotee (1): Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum.

Prabhupāda: Ādi-puruṣam. Govindam ādi-puruṣam, that puruṣa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. We are worshiping that supreme and original person. And the women are declaring, "independent." They are begging door to door to a man, "Please give me shelter. Give me a child," and they're independent. One American woman, was....

Morning Walk -- March 19, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Just see. A woman has got a child. And if somebody says, "Yes, she has got child, but there is no need of a father," is that sane man's proposal? Nature is producing, and nature is prakṛti, but where is the puruṣa? Prakṛti-puruṣa. So without puruṣa, how prakṛti can produce? That puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam, Kṛṣṇa.... Is that all right?

Devotee (1): Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum.

Prabhupāda: Ādi-puruṣam. Govindam ādi-puruṣam, that puruṣa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. We are worshiping that supreme and original person. And the women are declaring, "independent." They are begging door to door to a man, "Please give me shelter. Give me a child," and they're independent. One American woman, was....

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So the answer is guru is absolute necessary. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is Vedic injunction, that one must go. But he must go to the real guru. And who is real guru? Who knows Kṛṣṇa. Take, for example, Arjuna, how he studied Kṛṣṇa. And he says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Read the translation.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa, proclaim this of You and now You Yourself are declaring it to me."

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So in this age it is very difficult, but if one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without any offense, being trained up by the spiritual master, all the saṁskāras automatically become done and he comes to his original spiritual position, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul. The Kṛṣṇa is Param Brahman, and I am Brahman." As Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Kṛṣṇa is also Brahman, I am also Brahman. But He's Supreme Brahman, I am minute Brahman. So my business is to serve Kṛṣṇa.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Yes, that is the process in the Bhagavad-gītā. There are 18 chapters. The whole 18 chapters is the education how to know God. And when Arjuna completely in awareness he accepted, "Kṛṣṇa, You are paraṁ brahma, paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12)," that is understanding. Then surrender, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Unless you know God, how you'll surrender? If some third class man comes, "You surrender unto me." Will you do that? Why shall I surrender to him? You must know, "Now, here is God. I must surrender." The 18th Chapter is described to know God, and then Kṛṣṇa proposes, "Surrender unto Me." Then Arjuna did it, "Yes." So without knowing, how you can surrender? Know God. Then you surrender.

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Whenever Vyāsadeva writes Kṛṣṇa statements, he writes bhagavān uvāca. He's Bhagavān, as well as He's a historical person in the Mahābhārata. He never writes kṛṣṇa uvāca, he writes bhagavān uvāca. And Arjuna admits, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣam ādyam (BG 10.12), "You are the Supreme Person." How can you differentiate Kṛṣṇa of Mahābhārata and Kṛṣṇa of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa...? These are miscalculations.

Guest (1): No, sir, we didn't say Kṛṣṇa of Mahābhārata; we said that when you read the Vedic literatures, there comes some nirguṇa-brahman and saguṇa-brahman. Now my question...

Prabhupāda: But Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahman.

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: So you do accept Kṛṣṇa as the highest authority, and not only you accept, but all other authorities, they accept. Find out this verse. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa:

arjuna uvāca

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa:

āhus tvaṁ ṛṣayaḥ sarve

devarṣir nāradas tathā

asito devalo vyāsaḥ

svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

Prabhupāda: So this is confirmation that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So if we accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you have to accept Him as He says.

Guest (2): As a great power, yes.

Prabhupāda: They are so proud that they say "I am Bhagavān, I am God." So that attitude will not help to understand. (Prabhupāda converses in Hindi with an Indian lady about how one does not have to renounce family life to understand Kṛṣṇa.) He says paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He understands perfectly. There is no question of gṛhastha or sannyāsī. It is a question of understanding. And Arjuna is gṛhastha, politician, fighter, and still he is selected to understand Bhagavad-gītā. So gṛhastha. (Hindi) ...in gṛhastha life or sannyāsī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says like that, kibā vipra kibā śūdra nyāsī kene naya. (Hindi) I shall speak in English so that others.... Kibā vipra, whether one is a brāhmaṇa, kibā śūdra, or whether he is a śūdra, nyāsī kene naya, or whether he is a sannyāsī.

Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: But if you know Kṛṣṇa, that He is God, then whatever He speaks, it is all right. Just like Arjuna, he accepted Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So he said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava (BG 10.14). Find out this verse. So "Whatever You say, I accept it as truth." That is understanding of Bhagavad-gītā. If you have understood Bhagavad-gītā, then you should have understood that whatever Kṛṣṇa has said, that is truth. Read that.

Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: You cannot criticize. You may criticize on account of your less intelligence, but government order is all. Is it not? If government orders that "This man should be hanged," can you say anything against it? It will not be accepted. Similarly, if you know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, then as Arjuna said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava (BG 10.14). Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12). Unless you understand Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's personality, you will try to weight the strength of His words, the value of His words. But if you understand other statement... Just like Kṛṣṇa says mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "I am the supreme authority." So if He is the supreme authority, then whatever He has said, it is all right. But if you have doubt about He's supreme authority, then you will find out His fault. That is the defect.

Conversation at House of Ksirodakasayi dasa -- July 25, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Sometimes they commit mistake that ātmā and Paramātmā, they are the same, but that is not the fact. Here Kṛṣṇa explains very distinctly that "I am also ātmā, but I am Paramātmā." That is the distinction between God and ourselves. When Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he addressed Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Paraṁ brahma. They are anxious to realize Brahman, that I... ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi does not mean that "I am Paraṁ Brahman." "I am individual part and parcel of Brahman." Similarly, ātmā, Paramātmā; īśvara, Parameśvara. We should understand this distinction between ātmā, Paramātmā: Brahman, Parabrahman; īśvara, Parameśvara.

Conversation at House of Ksirodakasayi dasa -- July 25, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: The human life is meant for understanding the science of God. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta-sūtra. "This human form of life is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth—Brahman." That Brahman, Parabrahman, is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, when Arjuna studied Bhagavad-gītā, his conclusion was... He addressed immediately, "Kṛṣṇa," paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Bhavān. "Yourself..." So don't waste your time even by a minute. Try to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. That is the only business. Other business, they are subsidiary. They are not very important business.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Nobody is talking that Kṛṣṇa, surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Am I right or wrong? They'll say "We have got different meaning of Kṛṣṇa" All the sages, all the saintly persons, they have accepted Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he immediately accepted Kṛṣṇa: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava (BG 10.14). "Keśava, whatever You have spoken, I take it altogether as it is." Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14). All fact. And they are manufacturing some meaning. How they'll understand Kṛṣṇa? This is going on.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Mrs. Sahani: Those who don't understand Kṛṣṇa, it's difficult for them.

Prabhupāda: How he will understand? He creates difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the supreme authority," and the person who heard from Kṛṣṇa, he says paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam (BG 10.12). He accepts Kṛṣṇa as the supreme authority, Arjuna. And why we deviate? The speaker says that He is the supreme authority, and the listener, Arjuna, accepts Him. Now why we interpret? What right you have got interpretation?

Mrs. Sahani: We interpret it according to our own design.

Room Conversation -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No. Suppose, just like you are medical man, you are giving somebody medicine, you are giving the direction. If he wants to be cured, he must take your direction. Not that somebody comes, "No, no, you can take it this way, you can do this." That is nonsense. That is nonsense. This nonsense we want to stop. Kṛṣṇa is giving the instruction, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12), the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What business you have got to poke your nose and give interpretation? Are you bigger than Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa left it for you? This nonsense going on. Big, big swamis, big, big yogis, big, big politicians, simply misinterpreting, he's spoiling his own life and he's spoiling others. Bas. This is going on. Very serious condition.

Letter to Sai Baba -- September 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Pradyumna: Brahman is the impersonal.

Prabhupāda: Brahman is impersonal. Not "the." Paramātmā is localized, and Bhagavān is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he addressed Kṛṣṇa as follows. Quote this, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Find out. No. Find out in the book.

Pradyumna:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

Letter to Sai Baba -- September 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam...

Pradyumna: Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam.

Prabhupāda: Divyam. So here Arjuna addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa as śāśvataṁ puruṣam, eternally the Personality of Godhead. It is never admitted that Supreme Lord is originally imperson. Puruṣam. I have described puruṣam? Yes. What you have written?

Pradyumna: "When Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he addressed Kṛṣṇa as follows, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12), etc. Here Kṛṣṇa addresses... Here Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa as śāśvataṁ puruṣam or the eternal Personality of Godhead. It is never admitted that the Supreme Lord is originally impersonal."

Prabhupāda: Then, you read the other verses. Param...

Pradyumna:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

Letter to Sai Baba -- September 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Then?

Pradyumna: Āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve devarṣir nāradas tathā.

Prabhupāda: You have to quote this. Then? Read.

Pradyumna: Translation?

Prabhupāda: No, no. That you have to give a quotation and, then? What is next verse.

Pradyumna: In Bhagavad-gītā after this?

Prabhupāda: "Tell me in detail, O Janārdana, of Your mighty potencies and glories, for I never tire of hearing..."

Prabhupāda: The point is that "Your personality cannot be understood without Your mercy." There is a verse. Āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve. Find out that verse.

Pradyumna: Aham?

Prabhupāda: Āhus.

Pradyumna: Oh, āhus.

Letter to Sai Baba -- September 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ. You read just now.

Pradyumna: Yes.

āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve

devarṣir nāradas tathā

asito devalo vyāsaḥ

svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me

Prabhupāda: Next verse.

Pradyumna:

sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye

yan māṁ vadasi keśava

na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁ

vidur devā na dānavāḥ

(BG 10.14)

Prabhupāda: Vyaktyam?

Letter to Sai Baba -- September 13, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: There is, but we are missing.

Pradyumna: I have the Bengali.

Prabhupāda: The all ācāryas say that Your personality, although there are so many evidences in śāstra and authorized persons, still, the rascals cannot understand. So here is another verse, āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve.

Pradyumna: So do you want to quote this verse?

Prabhupāda: Hm. Must quote.

Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is the process. Here is the paramparā. Kṛṣṇa is speaking Arjuna and Arjuna is accepting, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi (BG 10.14). This is... Not that you make cut-cut (?). "Whatever You have said." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). "You have said that You are the Supreme, paraṁ brahma. I accept it." This is paramparā. So we have not seen Kṛṣṇa talking, but the words are there.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Brahman (Hindi). You are Brahman. Because you are part and parcel of Parabrahman. That I have already told you. That gold, big gold and small particle, that is gold. Similarly, Bhagavān Parabrahman, and we are part and parcel of Him. Therefore I am Brahman. But I am not Parabrahman. Kṛṣṇa is accepted as Parabrahman by Arjuna: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Parabrahman. So param, this word is used, Paramātmā, Parabrahman, Parameśvara. Why? That is the difference.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: If you are Parabrahman, then why you are making sādhana to become Parabrahman? Why? If you are Parabrahman, then you are Parabrahman always. Why you have fallen in this condition that you have to perform sādhana to become Parabrahman? That is foolishness. You are not Parabrahman. You are Brahman. You are gold, a small particle. But you cannot say that "I am gold mine." That you cannot do. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: That is history, Mahābhārata. And all the ācāryas, they have accepted, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka. Svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me. Arjuna accepts Him, Paraṁbrahman. You are Paraṁbrahman. Not that "Because I am your friend and I am accepting You as Paraṁbrahman, but all the ācāryas they have accepted." (break) ...mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam. Because I am talking with you as a human being, only rascals, they think I am human being." If you think Kṛṣṇa as having flesh and bone, then you become a rascal, immediately. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ (BG 9.11), "I am not made of this bone and flesh. I am cinmaya, I am fully spirit soul." So one who does not know it, he is a rascal. So as soon as you will say that He is made of bone and flesh, that means you are rascal. (laughter) Why shall I hear you?

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are not guru, you are goru. Goru means cow. Sa eva go-kharaḥ. You are not guru. You are speaking against Kṛṣṇa so you are not guru. Guru is Arjuna. Because a confidential instruction is given to Arjuna, so we accept Arjuna as guru. Or one who is following Arjuna, he is guru. Arjuna has accepted Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). You accept Kṛṣṇa as paraṁ brahma. You want to become paraṁ brahma. You are cheating people. You do not say Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma, but you are replacing Him. Then you are cheater, you are not guru. That has to be done. So organize this. Very plain thing. Very plain thing. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu did. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Bas. You become guru.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12). So sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14). If we accept sarvam etad ṛtam, as it is, then we benefited, and if we do not accept in that way, then it is naṣṭaḥ. Sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. Then it is being spoiled. And what benefit you will get with spoiled thing? As soon as you interpret it is spoiled, immediately spoiled. So what benefit will be derived from the spoiled things? And that is being done. Don't believe in Kṛṣṇa, don't believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, and if I am preaching Bhagavad-gītā, what is the benefit? It is spoiled? So if you distribute some spoiled food, it will increase food poison.

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually we use this theory.

Gurukṛpā: So they ask us, "Have you seen God?" They ask us, "So you say you have seen God."

Prabhupāda: No, I have not seen. God personally comes, and I see Him. Kṛṣṇa came. A fortunate person saw him. Just like Arjuna saw. He accepted, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam: (BG 10.12) "Oh You are person," śāśvatam, "eternally." He has seen. We have to take knowledge from Arjuna. That is called paramparā system. He has seen God, and he is giving a statement. You take Arjuna's statement and see God. That is the way. We are not blindly accepting Kṛṣṇa, but one who has seen Kṛṣṇa, his statement is there; we accept.

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Caitanya. Caitanya means living force. He says, vicāra, "Just try to understand by logic, by philosophy, by argument." That is vicāra. We are not following Caitanya Mahāprabhu blindly. That is not our position. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna argued with Kṛṣṇa in so many ways. At last, he accepted, "Yes." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Person. The rascals, they do not understand Your personality, but Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, they have accepted, and I also see. Therefore, whatever you say, I agree. That's all" This is experiment. Arjuna did not accept Kṛṣṇa blindly. He knew, but for our sake he gave so many arguments. At last, he accepted. We have to follow Arjuna. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare. (break)

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Origin, yes. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mat... (BG 10.8). That is the difficulty. You do not read Bhagavad-gītā. You quote Vivekananda. You quote another, another. But Kṛṣṇa is God. That is the cause of misfortune of India. You don't accept Kṛṣṇa as the authority. Everyone accepts, all the great sages formerly, Asita, Devala, Vyāsa. Svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me. And at the present era, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Caitanya—all accept, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān (SB 1.3.28). You don't follow the ācāryas, the authorities, Kṛṣṇa. You bring something.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If you do not understand, it is foolishness. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). If you can understand your position as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, Paraṁ Brahma... Kṛṣṇa... Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Everything in the Bhagavad-gītā... If you understand that "I am part and parcel of Paraṁ Brahma. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I am also Brahman," that is brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20). Prasannātmā na śocati..., samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then you can claim this vāsudeva... If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, it is all nonsense, simply slogan. Where is kuṭumbaka? Then where is nationalism? I have gone to preach in the foreign countries—really on kuṭumbakam, not that "I am Indian. He is American.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (break) Kṛṣṇa is person. Where is that verse in the Tenth Canto?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In the Bhagavad-gītā?

Prabhupāda: Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Bhakti-caru: Tenth Chapter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum