Diverse (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"diverse" |"diversely" |"diversified" |"diversities" |"diversity"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

There are different bhāvas. Now, this material nature is also one of the bhāvas, as we have already explained, that this material nature is also the display of one of the energies of the Supreme Lord. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa the total energies of the Supreme Lord have been summarized.

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā

kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā par

avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

(CC Madhya 6.154)

All the energies, potencies of the..., parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The Supreme Lord has diverse energies, innumerable energies, which we cannot conceive. But great learned sages, liberated souls, they have studied and they have summarized the whole energies into three parts, into three headings. The first is... All the energies are viṣṇu-śakti. All the energies, they are different potencies of the Lord Viṣṇu. Now, that energy is parā, transcendental. And kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā, and the living entities, kṣetra-jña, they are also belonging to the group of that superior energy, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā also. We have already explained. And the other energies, the material energy is tṛtīyā karma-saṁjñānyā (CC Madhya 6.154). The other energy is in the mode of ignorance. So that is material energy. So material energy is also bhagavad-(indistinct). So at the time of death, either we can remain in the material energy, or this material world, or we can transfer into the spiritual world. That is the criterion.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

It has been described in the Bhāgavata that tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. If you want to establish religious truth, you cannot establish it by your logic and argument. It is not possible because I may be a very perfect religious man, but I may not be a very good arguer; another strong man who can argue very strongly, who knows logic very nicely, he can defeat me. He can make my all conclusion null and void. So therefore, simply by argument or logical conclusion one cannot reach to the truth, to the religious truth. It is not possible. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Śrutayaḥ means revealed scriptures. Revealed scriptures. Just like in the world there are many revealed scriptures. There are Vedas, Purāṇas, the Bible, the Koran, and there are so many religious scriptures also. And if you go on reading them, although the aim is one, still, you will find some discrepancy from one to another. Śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Vibhinnāḥ means they are diverse. They are diverse. Śrutayo vibhinnā nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And so far philosophers are concerned, one philosopher tries to defeat another philosopher. That is the philosophical way. So nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. Therefore this truth of religion is very confidential. Nihitaṁ guhāyām. Guhāyām means it is very confidential.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Bombay, March 21, 1974:

Just like in the Vedas it is said how many different varieties of lives are there. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Exact number, that so many varieties of lives are there. Nine hundred thousand species life in the water. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Two million varieties of trees, plants, like that. Kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Eleven lakhs varieties of insects. Pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. There are ten, one million types of birds. Similarly, three million types of animals, and four hundred thousand different types of humankind. Everything is exactly calculated. That is called Vedic knowledge. Because it is... How the perfection of knowledge comes? Here it is said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham (BG 4.1). Kṛṣṇa says. Aham avyayam. The knowledge is perfect. Avyayam. Avyayam means "that cannot be diverse or deviated." Perfect. Avyayam. Without any deviation. Therefore if you want to know perfect knowledge, then you have to hear from Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

In other words one who is actually engaged in devotional service, he has already realized brahma-sukha. That means... Just like a man is offered that, "If you become a high-court judge, you'll get $4,000, or $15,000 salary per month." So if one is getting $16,000 per month, that means he has become already high-court judge, in a diverse way. That means one who is seriously engaged in devotional service, he's already Brahman realized. He's on the Brahman platform. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). If anyone is seriously engaged in devotional service, avyabhicāreṇa, without any fault... That means according to the rules and regulations as they are mentioned. Rules and regulations are required so long we do not develop that love of God. When actually one develops love of God, there is no question of rules and regulations. Automatically he obeys all the rules and regulations.

Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

Neither Kṛṣṇa had any desire of having a single wife. We require wife. Why do we take the responsibility of wife? Because we have got some desire to fulfill. That's all. But He is complete in Himself, pūrṇa. A poor man can desire that "Oh, if I would have bank balance, say, one thousand dollars in the bank, I would have been happy." But a rich man, who has got millions of dollars in the bank, does he desire for one hundred dollars in the bank? He has no such desire. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, why He should have desire for His? He is full. Rather, He fulfills others' desires. That is the thing. "Man proposes; God disposes." Why God should have desire? Otherwise He's imperfect. So Kṛṣṇa has... Here He says, na me karma-phale spṛhā: "Oh, I have no desire to fulfill." Because He is full. Whatever He wants... Parāsya śakti... In the Vedic literature, you'll find. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The Supreme Brahman, He has got different, diverse energies. As soon as He desires, everything is done immediately.

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

So Kṛṣṇa, from Kṛṣṇa, the next expansion is Baladeva, svayaṁ prakāśa. And from Baladeva, there is catur-vyūha: Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. So again there is, from Saṅkarṣaṇa, there is Nārāyaṇa. From Nārāyaṇa, there is another expansion, the same: Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. And from that Saṅkarṣaṇa, there is puruṣāvatāra, Mahā-Viṣṇu. From Mahā-Viṣṇu, there is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, there is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. The Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is situated in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). In this way, Kṛṣṇa is expanding in so many ways. By personal expansion, by the expansion of His energy, by the expansion of His differentiated parts and parcels. Just like we are. We living entities are vibhinnāṁśa. We are also expansions of Kṛṣṇa. So He is expanding Himself in so many ways. Svāṁśa, vibhinnāṁśa, and śakti, taṭastha-śakti, cit-śakti, antaraṅga-śakti, bahiraṅga-śakti. So we have to understand Kṛṣṇa in that way. And if we study scrutinizingly all these literatures, we shall come to the conclusion that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And if there is any name of God, that is perfectly given in this word, Kṛṣṇa, "all-attractive." There are many diverse meaning of Kṛṣṇa given by the ācāryas, but on the whole, Kṛṣṇa is the actual name of God.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.7.12 -- Vrndavana, September 11, 1976:

We use this word "omnipotency," but we do not know actually what is that omnipotency. Omnipotency means He has got diverse energies. That is omnipotency. And we do not know by which energy He's acting in a particular case. But this is a fact, that His energy is working. And He says also in the Bhagavad-gītā directly, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Mayādhyakṣeṇa, "Under My supervision prakṛti is acting." So how prakṛti is directed, how Kṛṣṇa is directing prakṛti to make a nice flower... Just like here, they're painting flower on the wall. It takes so much time, so much arrangement. Still, it is not as good as a natural flower. Here you have painted one rose flower, and here are roses. There is art also, and here is art also. Without art, without artistic sense, how this nice thing, beautiful thing, can come in? You'll find a beautiful flower bloom in a plant, you appreciate it. And don't think, as the rascal says, "By nature it has come automatically." No. The same energy as you are taking, you are applying your energy to paint a flower on the wall with your paints and brushes... But Kṛṣṇa is also doing that, but His energy is so inconceivable that we cannot see how He's working. But He's working. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ: (BG 9.10) "Prakṛti is working under My direction"? Is it a bluff? No. Actually prakṛti is acting under His direction.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.5 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1974:

So Māyāvādī philosophers, they take one side only, that it is one. They do not understand what is the difference, what is the different taste, varieties. They cannot understand the varieties, unity in diversity. They cannot understand. Just like sugar and milk—you prepare so many sweetmeats: "This is rasagullā, this is sandeṣa, this is burfi, this is this, this is that." Hundreds of preparation you can... But what is that? That sugar and milk. So similarly, variety is the mother of enjoyment. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. Therefore they have been described in the Bhāgavata, vimukta-māninaḥ, aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They are thinking that now they have become one with the Supreme, Nārāyaṇa. They address between themselves, "Namo nārāyaṇa," that "Everyone has become Nārāyaṇa." This is their... "Everyone is Nārāyaṇa," that's all right, but still, different. That distinction is made by the Vaiṣṇavas. The same example: The different energies, material energy and spiritual energy, they are different. One is superior, one is inferior. But when you go to the central point from where all energies are coming... Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. This is the Vedic injunction, "From where everything is emanating."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.358-359 -- New York, December 29, 1966:

So the common substance is that the Supreme Lord, God, or Kṛṣṇa, has got two..., that He has got many diverse energies; all these diverse energies are, I mean to say, summarized in three division, the spiritual energy, the material energy, and the marginal energy. We are the mar... We are living entities. We are marginal. We are sometimes captivated by the material energy and sometimes we are in spiritual energy. Now our attempt is, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, we are trying to transfer ourself from this temporary energy to the permanent energy. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, mahātmānas tu mām, daivī prakṛtim āśritāḥ. Daivī prakṛti means the superior energy, divine energy. This is also divine energy, but that is directly. This is indirectly. This is temporary. Nothing, without, nothing can exist without being divine because everything is coming out from the Lord. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Therefore the impersonalists, they have taken everything as Brahman. That is their... That is also true. Everything is Brahman. That's right. That's all right.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 7 -- Los Angeles, May 10, 1970:

This is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ekatvam anupaśyataḥ. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person sees oneness; all living entities, they see one. Just like fire and the sparks, although there are different types of illuminating properties, the whole thing is seen as one. Similarly, these diversities in unity. Diversities means the expansion of different energies of Kṛṣṇa. That is diversity. Otherwise, the one: Kṛṣṇa, only Kṛṣṇa. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ tathaiva akhilaṁ jagat. The whole universe, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śakti... Parasya, the Supreme Brahman, Parameśvara, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1), His energy.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Just like you have got the blood of your father. That does not mean you are father. That is different thing. Everything is one: Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between the philosophy of Māyāvāda and Vaiṣṇava. They simply take the One, but we take One, but there is diversity. That they do not understand. Actually, unity... Diversity in unity. Monism means they do not accept the diversity. They simply take that oneness. Oneness is certainly—there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "I am everywhere spread." Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. "Everything, whatever you see, that is I am, but I am not there." Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ (BG 9.4). They are existing. Everything existing in Kṛṣṇa. But that does not mean... Just like this table. The table is also Kṛṣṇa in one sense, because it is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore this is not different from Kṛṣṇa. But if you think that "Instead of worshiping Kṛṣṇa, let me worship this table," that is wrong, nonsense. This is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

The Bhagavata confirms it, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The Absolute Truth is one. Just like the sun, the sunshine, and the deity within the sun, that is one unit. But some portion is called sunshine, some portion is called sun planet, some portion is called the deity. Similarly, the Supreme Brahman is one. His person, His localized position, and His influence and energy, they are one. This is the śuddhādvaitavāda, pure monism. The Śaṅkarācārya's philosophy is monism, one, and Śrī Rāmānujācārya explains, "Yes, one—unity in diversity." So this is unity. The sun deity, the sun planet and the sunshine is one unit, but still, there is diversity. The division of the sunshine is different from the sun planet, the sun planet is different from the predominating deity in the sun planet. If you try to understand this way, then you will understand what is Paramātmā, the Supersoul; the individual soul; the impersonal Brahman; the personal Brahman—everything.

Northeastern University Lecture -- Boston, April 30, 1969:

Just like by electric energy you have got heater, at the same time, cooler also. The energy is one, but in one place it is utilized for heating; in another place it is utilized as cooling. Similarly, this, er... Take the energy of sunlight. The sunlight is one, but by the sunlight some flowers are becoming red, some flowers are becoming blue, the leaves are becoming green. So everything is due to the same energy, sunlight, but the variety is there. Variety is there. So energy may be one. Just like in your country, by electric energy you are working in so many ways. So do not, I mean to say, make minus all these varieties, the energy in diverse varieties. Therefore the whole conception is, Brahman conception is, that unity in diversity. Everything is working by the energy of the Supreme Brahman, and in the energy we have got different diversities. So we cannot neglect the diversities, although the energy is one.

Northeastern University Lecture -- Boston, April 30, 1969:

God is not energy. God is one, but He has diverse energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). In the Vedic literature we understand that God is one, but His energies are many, multi-energies. We are also one of the energies of God, we living entities. We are also energy. That is stated in the, er... Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Lord Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that "These material energies, namely fire," I mean to say, "earth, water, fire, air, mind, intelligence, ego, they are inferior energy. Beyond these inferior energy, there is another, superior energy. That superior energy is called jīva-bhūto mahā-bāho. These living entities, they are superior energy." Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat: (BG 7.5) "They are," I mean to say, "ruling over these material energies." So living entity is superior energy, and this material energy is inferior energy. Therefore we are trying to control over the material energy, but because we are very small, it is not possible to have full control over the material energy. After all, this is energy of... Just like we can utilize the sunshine some way or other, but it is not possible for us to utilize the whole sunshine. It is not possible. So that is called māyā. The superior energy, living entity, is trying to control over the inferior energy, material energy, but because we are very minute, small, it is not possible to have full control over the material energy. Rather, we are being controlled by the material energy due to our smallness. These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter. If you are interested, you'll find.

Lecture on Science of Krsna -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975:

But still there is specific differences. That is called viśiṣṭa. One with specific difference. And the Māyāvādī philosophers, they say, "No, there is no specific difference. This is māyā." But we Vaiṣṇava, we don't say that. That sunshine is sunshine, sun globe is sun globe, and Sun-god is Sun-god. But taken together, they are all one. Diversity in unity. That is viśiṣṭa-advaitavāda. So actually, all the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Nimbārka, and Viṣṇu Svāmī, there is no difference of opinion, but they have explained the Absolute Truth more vividly in their own angle of vision. Otherwise there is no difference. They never say that God and the living being are one. They will never say that. That is not Vaiṣṇava philosophy. That is Māyāvāda philosophy. So the propounder of Māyāvāda philosophy is Śaṅkarācārya and other Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī, practically they are all one opinion. There is no, they differ from Śaṅkarācārya.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: That individual, I, I know that I am individual person, I have got my own ideas, my own activities. Where is the difficulty? Simply it has to be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). I am identifying with America or India or Hindu or Muslim or this or that. This should be purified. I should identify with Kṛṣṇa, that "I am only servant of Kṛṣṇa and devotees." Then I am purified.

Hayagrīva: He did... He speaks of the soul in this way. He says, "If the human soul is anything, it must be of unimaginable complexity and diversity, so that it cannot possibly be approached through a mere psychology of instinct."

Prabhupāda: That he does not know. As soon as we train ourself, that just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a śūdra, I am not a sannyāsī, I am not brahmacārī." By negation. "I am not, I am not, I am not." Then what is your actual? That gopī-bhartuḥ kamalayor dāsa-dāsānu: (CC Madhya 13.80) "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the maintainer of gopīs." That means Kṛṣṇa. "That is my real identification." So I have, so long we do not identify as the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, there will be so many varieties of identification, and bhakti, devotional service, means to become purified from all this false identification.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: But wherefrom the motion comes? That is insufficient knowledge. When you... Motion means somebody must move, push on. That is accepted by Professor Einstein. If somebody has pushed, the motion has begun. Now it is going on. Just like in the billiard table, push one ball, "Hut!" And it goes.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. So he says that there are four major categories besides the primary category of motion and they are 1) identity or diversity. Each thing has a personal identity, an individuality, and each thing is different from every other thing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is called sajātīya-vijātīya bheda in Sanskrit. Different... Sajātīya. Just like two trees, two mango trees, but still there is difference. They are one as mango tree, but this tree is different from that tree. Similarly, the fingers. As finger they are one, but this finger is different from this finger. Although sajātī. Sajātī means of the same category, but there is difference. Although the same category, finger, but this finger is bigger than this finger. The whole body. It's a part of the body. Hand is different from leg. Leg is different from his head. Head is different from palm. Palm is different from sole. There are so many differences. They are called sajātī vijātī.