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Equal to God (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
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Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:

So they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Cheated. They take the shelter of the cheaters. Therefore they are cheated.

So the māyā is very strong. Māyā always dictates so that we may be cheated: "Why you are taking Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Don't take. He is ordinary man. You can be also equal with Kṛṣṇa. You also become God. You become also incarnation." This is going on. And people flock there because they want to be cheated. What Kṛṣṇa says, they will not accept it. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam: (BG 18.66) "Only take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Sarva-dharmān. Because any dharma which is not approved by the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, that is not dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). A human being or a demigod or very exalted person cannot manufacture dharma. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme master of all mystic power. Therefore He is called Yogeśvara. He is called Yogeśvara. So if Kṛṣṇa is on your side, then you do not require to practice yoga. If you are a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, because how much power you shall get. You may gain some power by this mystic process, but you cannot be equal with Kṛṣṇa's power. Just like aṇimā, laghimā. To make everything very light, or become very light, the yogi can fly in the air without an aeroplane. He can go even in the sun planet, moon planet, without any sputnik. Simply (break)

...his wife. But he was a yogi and she was devoted, so became lean and thin, because she could not eat very nicely. A yogi cannot supply nice food. Simply starvation, starvation. (laugh) That is yogi. So he thought that this poor girl came to me, his father is king. She is not accustomed to so much trouble, so she asked her, "What you want?" "No, because I have come to you, I want some children, and a little comfortable life." "All right."

Lecture on BG 1.37-39 -- London, July 27, 1973:

And in the diseased condition, nobody can be happy. That is not possible. If you have got some disease, you cannot be happy.

So that is the position. They cannot understand that by serving Kṛṣṇa, we become healthy or in our normal position. This is called ignorance. Somebody is trying to forget Him, somebody is trying to become equal with Him. This business is going on. And nobody is submitting that "My Lord, I forgot my service. From this day, I become again Your servant. Please give me protection." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām... (BG 18.66). This is the teaching of all śāstra, all Vedas. But these people, the other party, they have become blind. They have become blind. Why? Lobha-upahata-cetasaḥ. They have lost their sense. Kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣam. There is a great fault by destroying dynasty. Nowadays people are destroying from the womb, abortion, contraception, destroying. They do not know. Kula-kṣaya. Actually putra. Putra means, put means puṁ-nāma-narakam.

Lecture on BG 1.44 -- London, July 31, 1973:

That picture, Kṛṣṇa, He's embracing the calf. He is not only embracing the gopīs, but He is embracing the calf also, cows also. Sama-darśinaḥ. For Kṛṣṇa the gopīs, the calf and the cows or anyone in Vṛndāvana who has come to serve Him, they are all equal to Him. Somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṇa as calf, somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṇa as cow, somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṇa as gopī, somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boy, somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṇa as His father, somebody wants to serve Kṛṣṇa as His mother. These are the different mellows, different tastes. Every living entity has got his own taste, how to love Kṛṣṇa. But the central point is to love Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also reciprocates. He has no discrimination that "Here is gopī, beautiful girl. Therefore I shall love her more than the calf." No. Kṛṣṇa is not so partial. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's devotees also, because he has... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means he has got now in minute quantity Kṛṣṇa's quality.

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

Why? He has got every resources to enjoy. Why he is committing suicide? That means there is also no ānanda, even you possess the material things. So there is no question of sac-cid-ānanda in this material condition of life. If you understand what is spiritual life and if you practice how to come to the spiritual life, spiritual platform, as Kṛṣṇa is, then we can become equal with Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda (Bs. 5.1). Otherwise we are in ignorance. This body is not sac-cid-ānanda. (end)

Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973:

Similarly, he could write here kṛṣṇa uvāca. He could write. No. He's writing bhagavān uvāca. So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By this writing, it is established. Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. He cannot be equal with Arjuna or Sañjaya or anybody else. Asammaurdhva. Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is supreme. Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is higher than. Everyone is lower. That is the meaning of Bhagavān. Nobody can claim "I am Bhagavān." But nowadays there are so many rascals, they are claiming that everyone is Bhagavān. So Vyāsadeva is mistaken? Actually, these Māyāvādī philosophers, they are so great rascals they sometimes say like that, that Vyāsadeva is also mistaken. They have got the audacity to say Vyāsadeva, he is accepted as incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, who has given us the Vedic literature, so many books he has given, the Vedas, the Purāṇas, the Mahābhārata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedānta-sūtra.

Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975:

So these six kinds of opulences, when present in the superlative degree, that is Bhagavān. This means, as it is stated in the Vedic literature, na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is found equal to Him or greater than Him." In this material world any person you take, next moment you'll find somebody equal to him and somebody greater than him. But the Vedic information is: God means who has no equal and who has no greater person than Him. Actually Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa, and here it is said, bhagavān uvāca. So Bhagavān, the Supreme God, means Kṛṣṇa. That is the statement in all Vedic literature.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:

So his degree of power is far, far greater than the degree of power here like President Johnson or something else. You see? So that degree of power does not make him that he's God. He's not God. He's also servant of God. Anyone, even Brahmā, anyone. There is a verse in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). That the individual living entities, there are so many, multi, but all of them, they are servant of the Lord. There may be, their position may be upper or lower in different degrees, but that does not make them equal with the Lord. The Lord is different. That is also mentioned in the Patañjali yoga system. Lord is Supreme. He's the great. He's the greatest. Asamaurdhva. Nobody is equal with Him and nobody is greater than Him. That means nobody's equal with Him, nobody's greater than Him, everybody is lower than Him. So is that question solved?

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:

That the individual living entities, there are so many, multi, but all of them, they are servant of the Lord. There may be, their position may be upper or lower in different degrees, but that does not make them equal with the Lord. The Lord is different. That is also mentioned in the Patañjali yoga system. Lord is Supreme. He's the great. He's the greatest. Asamaurdhva. Nobody is equal with Him and nobody is greater than Him. That means nobody's equal with Him, nobody's greater than Him, everybody is lower than Him. So is that question solved?

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:

Because it is spiritual. The material elements has no power to destroy it. It is not burnt by fire. So in every planet it is concluded that every planet there are living entities. There are intelligent beings. And because in the higher planets there are more intelligent persons, beings, they are called demigods. The demigods means they have got, practically, qualification almost equal to the Supreme Lord. They have got such qualification.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972:

This is poor fund of knowledge that "God and I, we one. Now, because we are illusioned, we are thinking that God is different from me, but when the illusion is over, then I and God become one." This is Māyāvādī theory, monism. But actually this is not clear knowledge. God is..., God is always distinct from me. He's the Supreme. It is not that we are equal to God. We are equal to God in quality, not in quantity. Therefore those who are thinking that they are equal to God in every respect, they are illusioned. Māyā, māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. They have been called, they have been designated by Kṛṣṇa as māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Although they appear to be very learned scholars, but the essence of the knowledge is taken away by māyā. Therefore they say that God and ordinary human being is the same. Māyayā apahṛta... Asura. This is called āsura-bhāva. Āsura-bhāva means not to accept the supremacy of the Lord but think Him as one with all individual souls.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:

He is one of us because He is father, we are sons. One of us. But He is the chief. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is more powerful, the most powerful, supreme powerful. We have got little power. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa... We cannot be equal. Nobody can be equal with Kṛṣṇa, or God, or greater than Him. Everyone, under Kṛṣṇa. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Therefore everyone is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the only master. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the enjoyer only. I am the proprietor." Kṛṣṇa says. That is the fact. So we are changing our body, but Kṛṣṇa does not change. One should understand this. The proof is that Kṛṣṇa says, vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). He remembers past, present and future.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- London, August 23, 1973:

There is expert knowledge behind it—that is God. So let us utilize this consciousness, the sense how to understand that supreme consciousness, supreme God. Because I am not supreme, although I am conscious, I am not supremely conscious. I am not expert. God is expert. So always there is difference between God and ourself. We cannot be equal with God. That is not possible. This is sense. Otherwise all rascaldom. Don't be victim of the rascals.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- London, August 23, 1973:

"Whether you accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" If he says, "No," "Then you are rascal." That's all. There is no exemption. At least you must know that here is a rascal. Because God is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Accepted by all ācāryas, by all Vedic śāstra. And when He was present Himself, He proved Himself that He's God. Nobody was equal to Kṛṣṇa when He was personally present. Throughout the whole history of Mahābhārata you can see. Nobody was equal to Kṛṣṇa and nobody was greater than Kṛṣṇa. Many, many demons came to fight with Him, to kill Him. Even when He was a child, the Pūtanā demon came to kill Him by poisoning. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that Pūtanā smeared over her breast poison and Kṛṣṇa sucked the breast and sucked her life also. But she was given liberation, the position of mother. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. That is supreme consciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unchangeable means... The Māyāvāda theory is that "Now I am finite. I shall become infinite." That's wrong. How you can be? Eternal. Eternally infinite. You'll eternally remain infinite. You cannot be equal with God, the infinite. That is not possible. You'll have to remain as subordinate.

Viṣṇujana: "The Supreme Soul is infinite and the atomic soul is infinitesimal. Therefore the infinitesimal soul being unchangeable can never become equal to the infinite soul."

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

If we study it very seriously, then we can understand... We should not take so cheaply that "Here is a God, here is a God, here is a God." No, no. God is not so cheap. 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... This is scientific and practical, you know, that the innumerable planets that the, that you can see at night as, I mean to say, luminaries, stars in the sky, each and every one of them, more or less, they are all different kinds of planets. But do you know how they are floating in the space? They are floating on the sunshine, on the sun rays. They are floating. That you can see.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

"Why I shall agree to change my body life after life?" We have taken it as usual. This is our foolishness. We have got our eternal life, and in eternal life we have got immense measure of freedom, immense measure of power, almost equal to God. But we do not make any research in that part of our life. We are simply satisfied the..., to have a little more of the necessities of our, this present material life. Suppose I have got one, one hundred millions of dollars. I think, "If I get ten thousand millions of daughters, dollars, then I shall be happy." This is our foolishness. You cannot be happy with any millions of dollars, because you are not matter. You are spirit. You think like that, that "I shall be happy." No. Just like... I'll give you one example: A diseased man, a suffering man, suppose he has got severe headache. Now, he sometimes thinks, "Oh, I am suffering.

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

"And nobody is found who is equal to Him and or greater than Him." Nobody is found. These are the definition in the Vedic literature, that "God has nothing to do. Nobody is equal to Him, and nobody is greater than Him."

That means everyone is below Him. Everyone is below Him. Nobody can be equal with God. Even such great demigods like Śiva and Brahmā... They are considered to be the highest demigods. Still, in the scriptures it is said that nobody should place all these demigods, even Śiva and Brahmā, on equal footing with Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do. God, who is actually God, He has nothing to do. He has nothing to do. He is God from the very beginning. And He is all-powerful with all opulences. That is the God. So Kṛṣṇa says, "I have nothing to do," triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana, "not only in this earth, but in the three worlds, anywhere, anywhere I can go, anywhere I can work, anywhere I can see. But still, I have nothing to do."

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

"The nature of Brahman is that He has nothing to do." He has nothing to do. That is the difference between God and ourself. We have to do everything to achieve a certain aim, but God has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "And nobody is found who is equal to Him and or greater than Him." Nobody is found. These are the definition in the Vedic literature, that "God has nothing to do. Nobody is equal to Him, and nobody is greater than Him."

That means everyone is below Him. Everyone is below Him. Nobody can be equal with God. Even such great demigods like Śiva and Brahmā... They are considered to be the highest demigods. Still, in the scriptures it is said that nobody should place all these demigods, even Śiva and Brahmā, on equal footing with Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do. God, who is actually God, He has nothing to do. He has nothing to do.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is my business.

Guest (5): But then, by your own words, you are God.

Prabhupāda: But that does not mean I am God, but I am equal to God. Or at least you should see like that. That is explained. A guru... That is explained.

sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair
uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ
kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

Guru's position is like this. What is that? Sākṣād-dhari. He is God. Sākṣād-dhari. How he is Hari, God? No, samasta-śāstraiḥ: "In all revealed scriptures it is explained that 'Guru, the servant of God, the son of God, the preacher, he is God.' " Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ: ** "It is said." Tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ: "Those who are intelligent, they accept like that." Then next line says, kintu. Why he is God? Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya: "He is God because He is very, very dear to God." So as I said, in the absolute word, God and a person very dear to God, he is also God. But he does not think that he is God. He knows that he is servant of God. It requires little intelligence, spiritual intelligence, the Absolute, how the servant of God and God is the same. (break) Yes.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

No, you cannot do, sir. You cannot manufacture a planet. That is not in your power. Similarly, there are so many things. You have creative power, God has got creative power, but your creation and God's creation there is vast difference. So this is the understanding of God. So God is great. How great? Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is above Him. Everyone is down. This is the conception of God. So God is eternal, I am also eternal. God is within this universe, therefore the universe is working, and because I am within this universe, this body is working. It is very easy to understand. If you simply study...

Just like we individual souls, we want to enjoy our senses. Similarly, God has also senses, He also wants to enjoy. Just like here, we see a young boy, a young girl is united. Similarly, you have seen our pictures, Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, They are also united. There is also love, but that love is real.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Yes. They cannot be. Nobody can be equal with God. God's another name is asamaurdhva. Sanskrit name is. Asama means nobody is equal with God, and ūrdhva, nobody is greater than Him. That means everybody is lower than Him. One may be very great in the estimation of our knowledge, but nobody can be equal with God. God is great. That is the real version, "God is great." And nobody can be greater. Then he is not God. If somebody becomes greater than God, then what kind of God He is? God is great. Yes. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Prabhupāda: You may be very much elevated, you may be very much... You may be liberated completely. Still, you cannot be equal with God. God is always great. Go on.

Madhudviṣa: "The Lord is described above in the Brahma-saṁhitā as infallible, acyuta, which means He never forgets Himself, even though He is in the material contact."

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "I am God, but I have forgotten myself, that I am God." So how God can forget? Here it is the evidence. How God can forget? If you forget, then you are not God, immediately. There is no other argument. God cannot forget. God remembers always. Acyuta. Acyuta means infallible. God cannot be entrapped by māyā. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "I am God. Now I am under illusion of māyā. I have forgotten myself, that I am God, and by meditation I shall become God." This is all nonsense. Nobody... God cannot forget Himself. Then He is not God, immediately. God cannot forget Himself. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Madhudviṣa: "Anyone who is a constant companion of the Lord is certainly a liberated person, but he cannot be equal to the Lord."

Prabhupāda: You may be very much elevated, you may be very much... You may be liberated completely. Still, you cannot be equal with God. God is always great. Go on.

Madhudviṣa: "The Lord is described above in the Brahma-saṁhitā as infallible, acyuta, which means He never forgets Himself, even though He is in the material contact."

Prabhupāda: The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "I am God, but I have forgotten myself, that I am God." So how God can forget? Here it is the evidence. How God can forget? If you forget, then you are not God, immediately. There is no other argument. God cannot forget. God remembers always. Acyuta. Acyuta means infallible. God cannot be entrapped by māyā. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "I am God. Now I am under illusion of māyā. I have forgotten myself, that I am God, and by meditation I shall become God." This is all nonsense. Nobody... God cannot forget Himself. Then He is not God, immediately. God cannot forget Himself. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

"The Supreme, the Absolute, He has nothing to do." He has nothing to do. Just like if we want to do, have something, we have to do. But there, the Absolute, He has nothing to do.

Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. And there is nobody who is equal to Him, and nobody who is above Him. That means everyone is below Him. Nobody equal to Him and nobody above Him; that means everybody is below. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport) "The Supreme has got many, manifold energies." Therefore everything is done, svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

He has no want. He's ātma-tṛpta, fully complete. Thus He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. This is description of God. He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate.

There is nobody equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. This is the Vedic description of God. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate, na tat-sama... Sama means equal. And adhika. Adhika means greater. Here you will find somebody is equal to you, somebody is greater than you, somebody is lower than you. Three positions. Everyone. Nobody can say that "I am the final." Anybody, beginning from Brahmā down to the ant, everybody you'll find that somebody is equal to him, somebody is greater than him, and somebody is lesser than him. But Kṛṣṇa, nobody one is equal to him, nobody is greater than Him, but every is lesser than Him. That's all.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is lesser. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate.

Now, you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, studying, of course, so many books. Have you found anyone who is greater than Kṛṣṇa or equal to Kṛṣṇa? No. We can find one greater than... Rādhārāṇī is greater than Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) Yes. That is out of love. Actually, Rādhārāṇī's also lesser than Kṛṣṇa. She's dāsī, maidservant. She's always thinking how She shall be perfect dāsī. She's not thinking that... Kṛṣṇa sometimes makes Rādhārāṇī greater than Him. That does not mean Rādhārāṇī thinks like that. Rādhārāṇī always thinks, "How I shall become perfect maidservant of Kṛṣṇa?" That is the real position, everyone. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find how everyone is thinking of servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our real position. But Kṛṣṇa sometimes elevates some of His devotees.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

This love of Godhead can be attained by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. A proportionately, as I surrender unto the Supreme Lord... We must always know that our background of relationship is that we are subordinate, and He is great. God is great. We cannot be equal with Him. We have to follow. He is the supreme leader. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up everything." He is trying to give you leadership. He is prepared to give you all leadership provided you are prepared to follow His leadership. That's all. Reciprocation. And in proportionately, proportionately, as you accept His leadership, He also responds reciprocally. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. As you...

So everything depends on me. I can see God. Just like I am seeing you face to face, you are seeing me face to face, similarly, you can see Kṛṣṇa face to face. Just like Arjuna saw face to face. Why?

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:

If we want something, we conditioned soul, we have to work very hard for it. But Kṛṣṇa He can, by simply will, He can create the whole universe. So why should He work? Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca. This is the Vedic information. The Supreme Absolute Truth, God, has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His energies are multi. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. It is multi-energies working so nicely that we are seeing that it is automatically being (done). Not automatically. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10), under His direction. But the machine, but the energy is so subtle, it appears like "Oh, it is has become automatically." But it is not being automatically. There is superintendence. But parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca.

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

His activities we should not imitate. Kṛṣṇa's activities are worshipable. We cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa's activities. Janma karma me... His activities are transcendental. You cannot... How you can imitate? Can you imitate to lift a mountain as Kṛṣṇa did? You can imitate falsely Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā. That is very easy. But can you imitate Kṛṣṇa to lift up the mountain? Then how you are Kṛṣṇa, equal with Kṛṣṇa? This is all rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), and you have got this rotten material body. Therefore cannot be compared with Kṛṣṇa. This rotten material body is subjected to the material laws. But Kṛṣṇa is not under the material laws. That is real understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Janma...

And if you really understand... That is stated here. Iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti. In this way, if one understands Kṛṣṇa, karmabhir na sa badhyate, he does not become entangled with the karma. In another place it is also confirmed: janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ.

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

"I am God. I am God." The same spirit, to make competition with Kṛṣṇa. The māyā is there. "Why you are going to worship Kṛṣṇa? You are God." "Oh, yes, I am God." This is the last snare of māyā. Therefore they are Māyāvādīs. Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can be equal to Kṛṣṇa; nobody can be greater than Kṛṣṇa. Then what is the meaning of God? If there are so many rascal Gods, then what is the specific personality of God? So this is the last snare of māyā, if one is trying to become God. That is not possible. That is asuric. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. They never will...

Kṛṣṇa's desire is that you surrender. Sarva-dharmān... You have manufactured so many things within this material world to become happy. This is all foolishness. You will never be happy. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, because Kṛṣṇa loves, that you sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

Yes. That I have already explained, that our relationship with God is that I am infinitesimal, and He is infinite. This is knowledge. I am very small, and He is very great. "God is great." That is definition of every theistic man. So I cannot be equal with God. This is transcendental knowledge.

But unfortunately, we are declaring, "I am God." This is insanity. How you can be God? Do you know what is God? Because you do not know what is God, therefore you are claiming that "I am God." What you have done? What is your testimonial that you are God? Simply by declaring "I am God," you become God? This is no knowledge, less intelligent, no knowledge about God. This is knowledge that God is great. God is infinite. I am finite. I am infinitesimal. That is knowledge. Yes?

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

The Sanskrit word is vibhu. Vibhu means the great. God is great. Asamaurdhva. Nobody can be equal to God; nobody can be greater than God. That means everyone is subordinate to God.

Simply these understandings will make you liberated. Janma karma (ca) me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā deham (BG 4.9). This liberation means after quitting this body, you are no more going to accept any material body. You are immediately transferred to the spiritual world, and you get your spiritual body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). These things are already explained. So try to understand what is God and what you are, what is this material nature, what is your relationship with material nature, with God, with others, what is this time factor, what is work. Then you are in full knowledge and you become liberated. All right.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

He is also rotating in the orbit by the order of Govinda. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

So there are so many things to learn and to understand what is God and what is Kṛṣṇa. God means Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. God means nobody is equal to Him and nobody is greater than Him. That is God. There is no completion that in this quarter there is one God and in another neighborhood there is another God. Just like it has become a fashion, so many Gods, competition is going on. No. There is no competition. God is one. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. That is God. So because God is complete in knowledge, therefore we have to take knowledge from Him, not from the persons who have got incomplete knowledge. That knowledge is not perfect. We must take knowledge from the person, we have to take knowledge from the person:

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Not very strong, little strong. Little, little quantity of these opulences are there in every person. But when you find a person that nobody possesses more than him all these opulences... The Sanskrit word is asama ūrdhva. Asama means "equally," and asama means "without being equal." And ūrdhva means "above." When you find somebody, above him or equal to him, anyone else is as rich, as famous, as opulent, as wise, as beautiful, that person is called God. This is the definition of God. God is great means nobody is equal to Him, nobody is above Him in any kinds of opulences. That is called bhagavān.

So here it is said... Vyāsadeva, he writes... This Bhagavad-gītā is one of the chapter of Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means the history of greater India. Formerly Bhārata... "India" is given name by the Westerners, but real name is Bhārata, Bhārata-varṣa. This planet was formerly known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa, and later on, after the Emperor Bharata, this planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

Prabhupāda: So I am not so powerful that I can show the viśva-rūpa. He has given me this power, that "You go and speak to the foolish rascals that I am Bhagavān," (laughter) that much power. Yes. That is my power. I can say to you that "Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān." That's all. I never become equal to Kṛṣṇa.

Indian man (5): Śrīla Prabhupāda, why do most people in this Kali-yuga worship Lord Śiva instead of worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa? Because Kṛṣṇa known as God...

Prabhupāda: Because they can get immediate money from Śiva. That is the reason. Lord Śiva is the proprietor or the supreme person within this material world, and he is āśutoṣa, very easily pleased. Therefore materialistic person go to him for some material benefit, and he gives. That's all.

Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971:

And if something happens that all the people leave, then the big, big skyscraper will not face even two hundred rupees' rent. It will be all unimportant. Similarly, the whole world, material world, is important because the jīva-bhūta, who has declared himself as bhoktā falsely... Everyone in this material world, beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, they are struggling hard. That will be explained in the Fifteenth Chapter. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Simply struggling to become equal to Kṛṣṇa, to be the bhoktā. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring men in the same condition, that "You are not bhoktā; bhoktā is Kṛṣṇa, and you become bhogya. You become enjoyed, not the enjoyer. Then you will be happy."

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

This is the version of Upaniṣad. He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryam. Why? And because... Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. And nobody is equal to Him. Neither greater than Him. And He hasn't got to do anything because He has got so many energies. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Everything is being done by His energy very perfectly.

So His energy is working even in the water. You can perceive His energy within the water. We are daily using water. We are tasting water. So you can perceive Kṛṣṇa's presence, Kṛṣṇa's all-pervasiveness, even while you drink water. Every one of us, we drink water. And... So the taste of the water, Kṛṣṇa says, "Here I am." This is impersonal feature, but the person is behind. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10).

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

In richness He is supreme. In bodily strength He is supreme. His knowledge is supreme. In beauty He is supreme. In renunciation He is supreme. That is the description, definition of God, that He must be supreme in every respect. Therefore He is called Supreme Being in the dictionary. Nobody can be rival to Him. Asamaurdhva. Asama means equal. Nobody is equal to Him. If I become equal to Him, how He can become Supreme? If there is rivalry between the Supreme, then there is not meaning of Supreme. Supreme means there is no rivalry. He is the Supreme, means nobody is greater than Him; nobody is equal to Him; everyone is under Him. That is called Supreme. Asamaurdhva. Nobody can be sama. Sama means equal. If I am God, and another competitor God, you are also God, then neither I am God nor I am God. There cannot be any competition. That is called Supreme. So Arjuna is to that position. He does not challenge Kṛṣṇa that "There is another Supreme Being than Yourself." There cannot be.

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

What is this knowledge, devotional, rāja-vidyā? What is the symptom? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. This is the symptom: that one has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. That means he is in perfect knowledge. So long he is not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, he is trying to become Kṛṣṇa, or he is posing himself as equal to Kṛṣṇa or sometimes above Kṛṣṇa. There is a very well advertised yogi. They say, at least his disciples say, that he is above Kṛṣṇa. That is not knowledge. That is ignorance. Real knowledge, jñānavān, is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is real knowledge. Bahunam janmanam ante (BG 7.19). If one is actually intelligent, he should not wait for many, many births. If he believes in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the statement of Bhagavad-gītā, then, immediately after hearing this verse, that bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, he should immediately surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

Then accept him as God. Don't very cheaply accept any fool as God. So this is the highest imperfection, that he is in the stringent laws of the material nature. If there is simply a toothache, he becomes overwhelmed, and he himself preaches as God. So this sort of thing can be accepted by similar foolish-natured people. God is supreme. Nobody can God. Nobody can be equal with God. God is called in the Vedic literature, asamaurdhva. Asama means nobody's equal to Him. And nobody is higher than Him. Ūrdhva means higher. Nobody can be higher than God, and nobody can be equal to God. Everyone is lower than God, however great he may be. And there is a nice verse, śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). Śiva-viriñci. Śiva means the Lord Śiva, and viriñci means Lord Brahmā. They are considered to be the topmost demigods in this material world. So they also offer their respectful obeisances to Viṣṇu, or God.

So nobody can be equal to God.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

If there is simply a toothache, he becomes overwhelmed, and he himself preaches as God. So this sort of thing can be accepted by similar foolish-natured people. God is supreme. Nobody can God. Nobody can be equal with God. God is called in the Vedic literature, asamaurdhva. Asama means nobody's equal to Him. And nobody is higher than Him. Ūrdhva means higher. Nobody can be higher than God, and nobody can be equal to God. Everyone is lower than God, however great he may be. And there is a nice verse, śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). Śiva-viriñci. Śiva means the Lord Śiva, and viriñci means Lord Brahmā. They are considered to be the topmost demigods in this material world. So they also offer their respectful obeisances to Viṣṇu, or God.

So nobody can be equal to God. Therefore we should be, instead of becoming God or instead of understanding God personally by our teeny knowledge and imperfect senses, better to become submissive.

Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:

So in the material world we can see that Brahmā, Lord Brahmā, is the most powerful demigod. Similarly, Lord Śiva is also next to Brahmā or equal to Brahmā. Somebody says he's more than Brahmā. Whatever it may be. So Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā are considered to be the most powerful demigods, but still, it is prohibited that one should not think of them as equal to the Supreme Lord. It is strictly prohibited in Vaiṣṇava Purāṇas. It is said like this: yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devam...

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

The sun is always there in the sky. So it requires intelligence how to understand the existence of God. The Vedic information says, parāsya śaktiḥ, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. "He has nothing to do." Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is better expert or craftsman than God." Adhika, sama: "neither equal to Him, nor greater than Him." Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport) "His energies are working in so many ways," svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca, "that it appears that he has got perfect knowledge and perfect workmanship." Everything is perfect.

You see. Either a flower or anything, nature's product, it is perfectly done. In this way you have to develop your God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are books. There are explanations. There are teachers. So the human life is meant for this purpose, to understand how God is working, what is God, even what is His name, where does He live, what is our relationship with Him, how things are being managed. These are...

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

Bhagavad-gītā says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "There is no more greater factor than Me." Everyone knows God is great. Great means everyone is small. He is great. Nobody is equal to Him. Nobody is greater than Him. That is the meaning of greatness. So how He is greater than everyone and nobody is equal to Him, everyone is subordinate, everyone is creation of Him—this knowledge, if you get... Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If you understand these factors of the greatness of God perfectly well, then you become fit for being transferred to the spiritual world. That is called daivī sampad. Daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5). If you become divine... This is cultivation. This is education. This is not sentiment.

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

Prabhupāda: No, no. You cannot become Kṛṣṇa.

Indian man (2): Mama sa janmakāra.

Prabhupāda: What is that? Mānuṣya? That is mental speculation. Kṛṣṇa is asamaurdhva. Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa, nor even equal to Kṛṣṇa. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya. Only master is Kṛṣṇa and everyone is servant. This is our real position. Everyone.

ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya
yāre yaiche nācāya se taiche kare nṛtya
(CC Adi 5.142)

According to the direction of Kṛṣṇa, we are dancing in different activities. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. I wanted to do something, desire; Kṛṣṇa reminds me: "Now here is the opportunity. I give you opportunity. Now you can do it." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. So if you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will give you such intelligence that you'll forget Him. And if you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will give you such intelligence as you'll be able to serve Kṛṣṇa.

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

Because I have got mill... (break) Whether one has got... (break) That is not million, trillion, billion; it is unlimited. Asamordhva. That is the version. God must be asama ūrdhva. Asamor... Nobody's greater than God, nobody's equal to God. That is God. If you find somebody equal to you, then you are not God. You may be demigod, but the God means supreme. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). That Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Parama, supreme. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa, nobody's greater than Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is God. There are so many gods nowadays. The... Actually, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they say everyone is Nārāyaṇa. But what is the proof? We find out from the śāstra that Nārāyaṇa has got four hands. So where is your four hands? You are claiming to become Nārāyaṇa. So where are your four hands? Just manifest your four hands at least so that we can understand you are Nārāyaṇa. (chuckles) No. Without four hands. And Nārāyaṇa is Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. He's the husband of Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune. So where is your goddess of fortune? You are begging from door to door.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

Śyāmasundara: What is the relationship between man and God?

Prabhupāda: Man is servant of God, and God is the Supreme. God is asamordhva. Nobody can be equal to Him, nobody can be greater than Him. This is our point.

Guest (5): Do you believe in reincarnation?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Woman: Do you believe in reincarnation?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Why not? Just like I had my small body. Then I had greater body, another body, another body. So every moment there is incarnation, reincarnation, every moment. That is medical science opinion. We are changing our bodily condition, material condition, but I am existing. Therefore, as I have passed over my childhood body to be incarnated into boyhood body, from boyhood I have reincarnated in a youthhood body. From youthhood body I reincarnated my old body. Similarly, after leaving this body I must have to accept another body. That I have already explained. Just like we change our dresses. So soul is eternal; the body is not permanent, temporary, and there are 8,400,000's of different types of bodies. We are migrating or transmigrating from one to another. This business, if we want to stop... Because we are eternal, our aims and object should be to attain that eternal status. That we can attain by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the movement.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

If you want peace, then you try to understand these three principles of life. What is that? That Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. No one else. All servants. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Everyone is servant. Not that "Oh, everyone is equal to Kṛṣṇa." That has become a cheap business. So many kṛṣṇa-avatāras and so many demigods, they are counted as good as Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "There is no more superior authority than Me."

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

Then Viṣṇu, then Lord Śiva, then other demigods, Indra, Candra, Sūrya-many, some millions. So how Vāsudeva can become His father so that His name is famous as Vāsudeva, "son of Vāsudeva"? The thing is that Vāsudeva formerly underwent severe austerities, and he wanted a son like Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa agreed, that "Like Me, there is nobody else." Kṛṣṇa is asamordhva. Nobody is equal to Him; nobody is above Him. Therefore Vāsudeva, in his previous birth, he wanted like..., a son like Kṛṣṇa. So he could not find anyone like Him. Therefore He agreed Himself to become his son.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

We do not find anyone equal to Him or greater than Him. That is God. God is great. "Great" means nobody should be greater than Him. And God says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no other superior authority than Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the origin of everything." So other demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, even Lord Viṣṇu, mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate—everyone emanates from Him. And from them emanate so many things. Just like Brahmā, so many creatures have come out. But the original, ādyam, anādi... Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Govinda is the original person.

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

You have seen Kṛṣṇa's picture. He is always enjoying. He is not working. That is Kṛṣṇa. God... In the Vedas the definition of God is given, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate: "God has nothing to do." He is enjoyer. Where He will do? He will not work. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tasya sama adhikaś ca dṛśyat: "Nobody is found equal to Him or greater than Him." That is God. Nowadays so many gods coming from India... So God is one. Na tasya sama adhikaś ca. Nobody can be equal to Him; nobody can be greater than Him. That is God.

Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Los Angeles, August 16, 1972:

"I am God," then we take it, "That is a crazy fellow."

Therefore you have to satisfy the Supreme. Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā never said that you claim yourself to have become Kṛṣṇa. No. He claimed sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "You come under My shelter." He does not say that You become equal with Me. That is nonsense. So Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied because your business is how to satisfy Hari, and Hari says, Kṛṣṇa says, that you surrender. That will satisfy Kṛṣṇa, not that you falsely claim that "I am Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is now dead, and now I have come." These rascals will not satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

So this is our proposition. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). It does not matter, varṇāśrama-dharma, eight categories, four social and four spiritual or four material and four spiritual, but when the material activities are enacted for spiritual advancement, then it is no more material; it is spiritual.

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

Vibhu. He's vibhu, we are aṇu. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa is vibhu, unlimited. We are limited. So we, we cannot be equal to Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvāda philosophy that there is no difference between jīva and Bhagavān... There is sufficient difference. He is vibhu; we are aṇu. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He's the greatest of the great, and He's the smallest also. So Kṛṣṇa cannot be equal..., or nobody can be equal to Kṛṣṇa, or greater than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is asamordhva. Nobody can be equal or greater than Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is below Kṛṣṇa.

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

Ordinary controller means that he controls and he is controlled, both. We are controller, but nobody can say that "I am not controlled." We are controlled. But Kṛṣṇa, He's controller, but not controlled. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. So we cannot be equal with Kṛṣṇa. We are controlled. I think in Glasgow, one boy, he was presenting himself as God. So I asked him, "Whether you are controlled or not controlled?" He admitted, "Yes, I am controlled." "Then how you can be God?" God is never controlled. God is controller, but He's not controlled. So if we take ourself as so many samples of God, that is all right, but we are controlled God, not controller God.

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

So Kṛṣṇa is vibhu; we are aṇu. Never consider that we are equal to Kṛṣṇa. That is a great offense. That is called māyā. That is the last snare of māyā. Actually, we have come to this material world to become one with Kṛṣṇa. We thought that we shall become like Kṛṣṇa.

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

As soon as we forget this, that is māyā. As soon as I think that "I am Kṛṣṇa," that is māyā. That māyā means this māyā, illusion, can be rejected by advancement of knowledge. 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. I am not Paraṁ Brahman. If one, anyone thinks that he is Paraṁ Brahman, then it must be understood that he's under the clutches of māyā. That is the last snare of māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.32 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

Therefore Bhāgavata says, vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking that after undergoing such severe austerities and penances, now he has become God. That is māyā. He does not know. He's not God. But he claims like that, falsely. This is the cause of his suffering. Nobody can be..., can become God or equal to God. That is not possible. The same quotation: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Only the Supreme God, Supreme Person, Īśvara, supreme controller, is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). You are, why you are, rascal, trying to become Bhagavān, God? This is māyā. He does not know. He's thinking that "I have become God." This is māyā. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ means his intelligence is not yet cleansed. It's still dirty. Although he has undergone good austerities, penances or taken sannyāsa, but the mind is dirty. Mind is dirty. So that will not help. The whole process is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

Upendra: "Material nature has no power to create without the power of the puruṣa as much as a prakṛti or woman cannot produce any child without the connection of a puruṣa. The puruṣa impregnates and the prakṛti delivers. We should not expect milk from the fleshy bags in the neck of the goat although they look like breastly nipples. Similarly we should not expect any creative power from the material ingredients. We must believe in the power of the puruṣa who impregnates the prakṛti or nature. And because the Lord wished for lying down in meditation the material energy created innumerable universes also at once and in each of them the Lord lay Himself down, and thus all the planets and the different paraphernalia was created at once by the will of the Lord. The Lord has unlimited potencies and as such He can perform as He likes in perfect planning although personally He has nothing to do and no body is greater or equal to Him."

Prabhupāda: In the Bible also it is said, "God said 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation." That means God is the origin of creation. Yes. Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.3.27 -- Los Angeles, October 2, 1972:

How can I believe You?" So Kṛṣṇa answered, "Yes, you were also present, but you have forgotten. I remember." That is the difference between God and human, living entity. God knows everything, past, present, future. We do not know. We are teeny. We cannot be equal with God at any stage of life. Even Arjuna, who is constant companion of Kṛṣṇa, he is also forgetting that... Kṛṣṇa replied, "Both you and Me had many, many births. We appeared. But you have forgotten; I remember. That is the difference."

So the difference between God and ordinary living entity must be there. Anyone who is claiming as the Supreme Lord or God, he is a blasphemer. He is a rascal. He's a cheater. So you should not be influenced by such rascals. God is always great, always great. There is no equal, no greater. That is called great. Nobody can be equal with God and nobody can be greater than God.

Lecture on SB 1.3.27 -- Los Angeles, October 2, 1972:

There is no equal, no greater. That is called great. Nobody can be equal with God and nobody can be greater than God. Everyone under God. Asamordhva. Therefore God's another name is Asamordhva. "A" means none. Sama means equal. Ūrdhva means greater. Asamordhva So everyone is emanation from God, but nobody is equal with God. But the viṣṇu-tattva, They are the same. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Rāmacandra, Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu, because They are viṣṇu-tattva. Baladeva. They are equally powerful. But jīva-tattva, we living entities, although we are part and parcel of God, we are not equally powerful. That is called the philosophy of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, simultaneously one and different. Simultaneously one and different. Just like in Bible also, Jesus Christ is claimed as one with God, but at the same time different. As son, he is different.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

It is said in the Vaiṣṇava Tantra, that anyone who, I mean to say, considers on the equal level Nārāyaṇa with such great demigods like Brahmā and Śiva, brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, such big demigods, sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam. He becomes pāṣaṇḍī. Pāṣaṇḍī means atheist. Atheist will compare that the Supreme Lord and other demigods are on the equal footing. No. They are never. Nobody can be greater or equal with the Supreme Lord. Therefore vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate.

viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate
yat kāruṇya-katākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ taṁ gauram eva stumaḥ
(Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5)

These things happen simply by little merciful glance by Lord Caitanya upon us. Simply if Lord Caitanya approves our activity, "Well, this man is doing nice," oh, then you get all the success. Simply if He approves. Yat kāruṇya-katākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ taṁ gauram eva stumaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

We don't disrespect. We give respect even to the ant. Why not to Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā? They should have their due respect, but that does not mean we consider them as the Supreme Lord. That is the mistake of the karmīs and the impersonalists. No. We know that nobody can be greater than or equal to Kṛṣṇa or viṣṇu-tattva, Nārāyaṇa.

yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ
brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ
samatvenaiva vīkṣeta
sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam
(CC Madhya 18.116)

It is said in the Vaiṣṇava Tantra, that anyone who, I mean to say, considers on the equal level Nārāyaṇa with such great demigods like Brahmā and Śiva, brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, such big demigods, sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam. He becomes pāṣaṇḍī. Pāṣaṇḍī means atheist. Atheist will compare that the Supreme Lord and other demigods are on the equal footing. No. They are never. Nobody can be greater or equal with the Supreme Lord. Therefore vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate.

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

These words are used in the Vedic language: Īśvara, parameśvara, ātmā, paramātmā. So there is one Paramātmā. That Paramātmā is Kṛṣṇa. Ātmā, we are also ātmā, living being, and Kṛṣṇa is also living being. But not, we are not equal to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the chief living being. Just like I am also living being; you are also living being. But you accept me as the chief of this institution. There must be one chief. Otherwise there will be no management. It will be chaotic. So we are ātmā, and Kṛṣṇa is also ātmā. But He is Paramātmā. We are īśvara. Kṛṣṇa is also īśvara. But He's Parameśvara. Therefore we have named "Godhead" purposefully, not "God." We don't say "Back to God." We say, "Back to Godhead.""Head" means the chief. Everyone can claim that "I am God," because everyone has got some power, little power. But not the supreme power. That is Kṛṣṇa.

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

That is perfection. Our, the Vedic injunction is just try to understand yourself, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is a fact.

But if I simply try to become ahaṁ brahmāsmi without knowing the full philosophy, then I shall be fallen again, that "I am equal to God." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi means "I am the Supreme God," as the Māyāvādīs, they think that liberation means "I become one with God." No. That is not your position. You cannot become... That is another māyā. That is the last dictation of māyā: "Why you shall become the servant of gopī-bhartuḥ? You become God." That is māyā. That is the last snare of māyā. Therefore they fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Anādṛta. With great austerity, penances and vairāgya, they can go up to the paraṁ padam. Paraṁ padam means Brahman. Nirviśeṣa-brahman. Not in the material existence, but in the spiritual existence.

Lecture on SB 1.7.51-52 -- Vrndavana, October 8, 1976:

Lord Viṣṇu has nothing to do with these material affairs, as a big man, a rich man has nothing to do personally, but he gets things done by his assistant, by his servant. It is like that. In the Vedas also, Upaniṣad, it is said, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Lord Viṣṇu has nothing to do personally. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody is equal to Him, neither nobody is greater than Him. Everyone is below. Therefore viṣṇu-tattva is asamordhva. Nobody is equal, nobody is higher. To consider equal to viṣṇu-tattva is aparādha, offense. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned this offense very strictly.

Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Los Angeles, April 15, 1973:

The most advanced devotee, so that Kṛṣṇa has agreed to become her son. In his previous life, the husband and wife, they underwent severe austerities, and when Kṛṣṇa appeared before them and wanted to give them benediction, they wanted a son like God. So where can be another person who is equal to God? That is not possible. God means there is no equal, there is no greater. Asamordhva. That is God. God, there cannot be any competition, that "You are God, I am God, he is God, he is God." No. These are dogs. They are not God. God means without competition: one. God is one. Nobody is great... asamordhva. Nobody is greater than Him. Nobody is equal to Him. Everyone is lower. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). The only master is Kṛṣṇa, God; and everyone, servant. Never mind. Even if he's Brahmā, Viṣṇu or Śiva, big, big demigods. And what to speak of others?

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

Within this body the spirit soul is there. This is the education of spiritual education in the beginning—just see inside, introspective, not outward seeing. Those who are seeing outwardly, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātu..., they are asses.

So one should be advanced by hearing the authorities, that God is equal to him. I say why there should be Hindu religion and Muslim religion or Christian religion? There cannot be. Just like gold is gold. And nobody can say, "This is Indian gold, this is American gold, this is Christian gold, and this is Muhammadan gold." Gold is gold. So actually one who is God conscious, for him, there is no such distinction, because he knows, samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra bhūtānām: (SB 1.8.28) "God is present everywhere." Simply he has forgotten. That forgetfulness is applicable to anyone, either Hindu, Muslim or Christian. It doesn't matter. The, our business is to rectify that forgetfulness. Rectify. To remove that forgetfulness.

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

Sutapā. Sutapā means one who can perform austerities and penance very nicely. Su means nicely, and tapaḥ. So they underwent austerities and penance to get a son like Kṛṣṇa.

So when Kṛṣṇa was pleased with their tapasya, they wanted: "My Lord, we want a, a son like You." "So where is like Me?" Kṛṣṇa is asamordhva. There is nobody equal to Kṛṣṇa; nobody is greater than... Otherwise, how He can be great? If somebody is greater than Him, then how He can be great? Nobody can be greater than Him. That is greatness, either you say in English language or Muhammadan language. Allah akbar: "Allah, the Supreme Being, is the great." We also say, paraṁ brahma. So nobody can be greater than Him or equal. Asamordhva. So they wanted "a son like You." That means somebody must be equal to Him. "Like You" means equal to Him. So who can be equal to Kṛṣṇa? But He can expand Himself with many equals. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33).

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

Kṛṣṇa can expand Himself in millions' and millions' forms. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Everything is there. Although He is living in Goloka, still, by His omnipotency, omnipresence, He can be everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-ca... So that Paramātmā, or the Supersoul, is equal with Kṛṣṇa. Not anything else equal with Kṛṣṇa, but the Paramātmā is equal with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore by His expansion, He agreed to become son of Devakī, and there may be hundreds and thousands of Devakī, devotees. He is unlimited. His devotees are unlimited. Their demands are unlimited.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

These rascals says that Nārāyaṇa, Brahmā, Śiva, and all other, so many demigods, I, you, everything is equal, all, all the same, on the level. This is rascaldom. Nārāyaṇa is asamordhva. Nobody can be equal or greater than Him. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is no more superior thing above Me." Neither equal to Him, asamordhva. Asama, asama means no equal, and na ūrdhva. Everyone is down. That is the position. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8).

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Mayapura, October 25, 1974:

"The almighty God is thus conquered only by loving service, and nothing else." Prāyaśa, prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi. Kṛṣṇa is Ajita. Nobody can conquer Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can order Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can supersede Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is (more) powerful than Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is richer. Everything... Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. Therefore His another name is Ajita. Ajita means... Jita means conquered. Ajita means who is never conquered. Kṛṣṇa had so many fights with the demons. Even in His childhood, the demons could not conquer over Kṛṣṇa. Beginning from Pūtanā, when He was only three months old, and up to the killing of so many other demons, Kṛṣṇa was never defeated. That is the history. He was never defeated. Ajita. Therefore His name is Ajita. But Ajita becomes conquered. Ajita jito 'py asi.

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

So when he came to his senses he saw that "I have given only the skin, and Kṛṣṇa is eating." So this is bhakti. This is bhakti. Kṛṣṇa wants that. Kṛṣṇa can eat anything, either you give the pulp or skin, He can eat anything because He is all powerful and everything is equal to Him.

So real thing is bhakti. So when people become rascals and nonsense and do not care for God consciousness, devotion to God, that is become bhū-bhāraḥ, burdened. That has now become. Now Kṛṣṇa has, because at the present moment in the Kali-yuga... Kṛṣṇa formerly came to kill big, big giant demons like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, very, very big giant. But that the present moment where is that big giant? They are all poor. There is no... Although by mentality they are all rogues and rascals and demons, but in material condition they are very very poor. That is stated. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10).

Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:

That is first qualification of God. If He has to do something personally, then He is not God. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody can be equal to Him or greater than Him." This is definition of God. Any subject matter... Suppose opulence, riches. So nobody can be richer than God or nobody can be equal with God. This is greatness. "God is great." How He is great? That is defined every..., particularly. He is great because nobody equally rich with Him. Nobody is richer than Him. That is God. Everybody is poorer than Him. Therefore na tat-samaḥ. Sama means equal, and adhika means greater. How God can be great? If somebody is greater than Him, how God is great? If somebody is equal to Him, then how He is great? Just see how the definition is given perfectly. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate: "He has nothing to do." Because He is great, why He should work? All the subordinates will work.

Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:

Definition of God, what is God.

What is God, the idea is given in the Vedas, Upaniṣad, na tasya kāryam. First thing is that He has nothing to do personally. That is first qualification of God. If He has to do something personally, then He is not God. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody can be equal to Him or greater than Him." This is definition of God. Any subject matter... Suppose opulence, riches. So nobody can be richer than God or nobody can be equal with God. This is greatness. "God is great." How He is great? That is defined every..., particularly. He is great because nobody equally rich with Him. Nobody is richer than Him. That is God. Everybody is poorer than Him. Therefore na tat-samaḥ. Sama means equal, and adhika means greater. How God can be great? If somebody is greater than Him, how God is great? If somebody is equal to Him, then how He is great?

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

So another important point is... Ājahārāśva-medhāṁs trīn, three times. The aśvamedha-yajña is so expensive that the king of heaven, Indra, he executed the aśvamedha-yajña seven times. So Mahārāja Pṛthu was also going to complete seven times. So there was some, I mean to say, competition. The Indra would not allow him to complete seven times. Otherwise he would become equal with him. So amongst the kings, not only in this planet, but in other planets also, the aśvamedha-yajña was performed by very, very powerful rich kings, not ordinary kings. It is very expensive job. Because it is stated, bhūri-dakṣiṇān, and vast amount of money required for distribution in charity. Then you can perform aśvamedha-yajña. Similarly, there is gomedha-yajña. Aśvamedha-yajña was to send the horse with flag, that "Such and such king is the emperor of the whole world." So if some king in some state, he does not agree that "He is emperor," he will capture the horse, "I don't agree, I don't accept." Then there will be fight, "You have to accept."

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Los Angeles, July 9, 1974:

The only enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. Bhoktāraṁ sarva-loka, bhoktāraṁ sarva-yajñānāṁ sarva-loka... He is the supreme proprietor, supreme being. In the dictionary you will find, "the supreme being." "Supreme being" means nobody can be equal to Him, nobody can be greater than Him. That is, means supreme. So how one can become an imitator of Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible. That imitation is possible here in this material world, because they are all rascals. So one rascal may claim that "I am God," imitation, but as soon as he claims like that, any intelligent man knows that he is a rascal. That's all. That very assertion will establish that he is a rascal.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

Prabhupāda: They were equal with Kṛṣṇa, therefore they could show mercy. You are not equal with...

Bali-mardana: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Cowherds boy, they were equally on the same level. Although not same level, but they were given the opportunity to speak, to stand, to talk, to eat on the same level with Kṛṣṇa. Now our position is different. Any other questions?

Devotee (1): Prabhupāda? I was wondering about... You were saying before, I heard, that before you start to learn, you must realize that you're not this body and you're spirit soul. Is realization different from knowing that you're spirit soul?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Lecture on SB 2.8.7 -- Los Angeles, February 10, 1975:

His pleasure is never disturbed by all these activities. He's so perfect. Just like in our society, we are not perfect. Still, you boys and girls, you love me. Whatever I say, immediately done. So if an ordinary person like me, he can do things without his personal endeavor, how far..., how Kṛṣṇa is great, that na tat-samaḥ, there is nobody equal to Him. How great He is, how powerful He is, you can just imagine. If the ordinary person can have some power that he hasn't got to do anything personally—simply by his desire everything is done—so why not Kṛṣṇa also? Where is the difficulty?

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

When Bhagavān... We come here to stay for some days, say fifty years or hundred years, enjoy or suffer life, but Bhagavān does not come for that purpose. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti (BG 4.14). That is stated in the previous verse. And the second verse it is further... Na hy asya varṣmaṇaḥ: "Nobody is greater than Him." Bhagavān means the person, nobody is greater than Him and nobody is equal to Him. That is Bhagavān. Everyone is lower. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Āra saba bhṛtya. Only one master is Kṛṣṇa, and others, beginning from Brahmā... Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, Indra, Candra, all these demigods... There are hundred and thousands. Thirty-three million demigods. And then this naraloka, there are so many rich men, Rockefeller, Ford, Birla and others, others... So they are bhṛtyas, all servants. When Kṛṣṇa will order, "My dear Mr. such and such, now give up your place. Go away," finish.

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

So this is Kṛṣṇa's love. Kṛṣṇa is the Īśvara. Here it is said, puṁsām īśvaraḥ: the controller of the whole universe. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). But a devotee can control the Supreme Controller. Why they shall become one with God? They'll be God's father, God's controller. This is bhakti-mārga. Bhakti-mārga is not satisfied... They do not want to be equal with God or one with God. No. They want to give service. This is bhakti-mārga. Therefore Bhagavān. Bhagavān means "full of all opulence, all-powerful, almighty." That is Bhagavān. So to understand the Absolute Truth, you have to understand what is the meaning of Bhagavān. That is Absolute Truth. Here Devahūti... Devahūti is not ordinary woman. She was the wife of Kardama Muni, one of the greatest yogis. She has learned something from her husband. Otherwise, if she's not a very exalted woman, how Bhagavān has become her son? She is not ordinary woman. Therefore she says... She has understood Kapiladeva that ya ādyaḥ bhagavān.

Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:

That cannot be. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, acchedyo 'yam. Acchedyaḥ, it cannot be cut into pieces. Akhaṇḍita. That means it is minute perpetually, eternally. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūto jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Sanātanaḥ means eternally we are small. Aṇu, aṇimānam. And God, or Kṛṣṇa, is Vibhu. "God is great" means He, nobody is equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. That is greatness. God is great. But we say, "God is great," but we do not know how great He is. He is so great that millions of universes are coming from the holes of His body.

Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:

"Because I am qualitatively one with God, therefore I have become God," that is mistake. That is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They have been described in the śāstras as aviśuddha, unclean intelligence. Unclean intelligence. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. The, some Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that "I am the same, so 'ham." So 'ham does not mean that I am equal to God. Nobody can be equal to God or greater than God. That is not God. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad..., mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

So nobody can be greater than God or equal to God. That is... That means greatness of God. Asamordhva. Asama. Asama means nobody is equal to Him. And nobody is greater than Him. That is God. If somebody claims to be God, then he has to prove that nobody is equal to him and nobody is greater than him. Then he's God. This is the simple definition of God, that nobody equal to Him and nobody greater than Him. That is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:

And those who are not full in knowledge, in full knowledge, and, but thinking that they have become liberated, conception of this body... That is theoretical, not practical. Theoretical. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking that they have become now liberated, Nārāyaṇa. Now he has become equal with Nārāyaṇa. Therefore the Māyāvādīs, because they have become Nārāyaṇa, one with Nārāyaṇa, they are addressing one another, "Namo nārāyaṇāya." "You are Nārāyaṇa, I am Nārāyaṇa, and the everyone is Nārāyaṇa." Then daridra-nārāyaṇa, rich Nārāyaṇa, this Nārāyaṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

Revive your... What is that old connection? That we are eternal servant of God. Don't foolishly... Don't become rascal, that you are one with God or equal to God, that you have become God. This is all rascaldom, simply rascaldom. You are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya... (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is the beginning of teaching. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa. That is the beginning of knowledge, when we can understand that we are eternal, we are sons of Kṛṣṇa, eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Just like by nature a son and servant, there is no different. Son also gives service to the father, and the servant also gives service to the master. So there is affection, either as master or servant or son and father, but it is the duty of the servant or son to give service to the Supreme. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has defined that real svarūpa... Svarūpa means original identification, not artificially.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

Substance and shadow. So Kṛṣṇa is the substance, and the power derived from Kṛṣṇa, partially exhibited by the durgā-śakti. In the Upaniṣad also it is said, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of God, He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaḥ. Nobody is equal to Him. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcit: (BG 7.7) "There is nothing superior than Me, the Supreme." In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). That is the Supreme Truth.

Lecture on SB 3.26.9 -- Bombay, December 21, 1974:

Because these Māyāvādī philosophers, they have no knowledge of the Supreme Personality of... They cannot believe that the Absolute Truth can be a person. They cannot believe it. Their knowledge is so poor, they cannot accommodate. Because as soon as they think of one person, they think that "That person is equal with me." Otherwise, they cannot think of person.

So this is poor fund of knowledge. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). He does not become manifest or visible to everyone. Then who..., unto whom He is visible? And that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). So unless you take to this process of bhakti-yoga, you cannot understand what is God. Then you will be misguided. So if you take... Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). You cannot, understand God.

Lecture on SB 3.26.25 -- Bombay, January 2, 1975:

And what to speak of ourself, even the expansion of Kṛṣṇa, viṣṇu-tattva, They are also serving Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so exalted. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Even the incarnation Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva, demigods, and others—nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa. Asamordhva, asama, nobody is equal to Him; nobody is greater than Him. Everyone is lower than Him. Therefore He is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta,

ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya
yāre yaiche nācāya, se taiche kare nṛtya
(CC Adi 5.142)

By the desire of Kṛṣṇa we are doing different parts, but Kṛṣṇa is the original master, and He is also origin of the Saṅkarṣaṇa. And Saṅkarṣaṇa origin is of the puruṣa-avatāra, Mahā-Viṣṇu. And Mahā-Viṣṇu is the avatāra, is the origin, of these universes. In this way, if you try to find out the original cause, the cause of all causes, then you come to Kṛṣṇa: sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1), cause of all causes.

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

This sākṣād-dharitvena, equal to Kṛṣṇa, why? Priya eva tasya. Because he is very, very dear to Kṛṣṇa.

Now, how he has become dear to Kṛṣṇa? Because he is preaching the same principle as Kṛṣṇa wanted.

ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ
mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati
(Bg 18.68)
na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu
kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ
(BG 18.69)

Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who is preaching this confidential cult..." Mad-bhakteṣu abhidhāsyati. Bhakteṣu means "amongst the devotee." Who will understand Kṛṣṇa? And who will surrender to Kṛṣṇa unless he is bhakta? Therefore, guru's business is first of all to make him bhakta. Then he will be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and surrender to Him. He has got very double business. Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhakteṣu abhidhāsyati. "This cult, who preaches, anyone who preaches this cult of bhakti-yoga amongst My devotees..." He is selecting, "devotees."

Lecture on SB 3.26.45 -- Bombay, January 20, 1975:

That we should always understand. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). We have to accept this, that we cannot excel the intelligence of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. I may show varieties of magic and declare myself Kṛṣṇa, or God. But still, you cannot show as perfectly magical arts as Kṛṣṇa is showing. That is not possible. If we understand this fact and realize it, then we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. There is little value like Kṛṣṇa. But we can never be equal with Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Asamordhva. Nobody can be equal with Kṛṣṇa; nobody can be greater than Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is lower than Kṛṣṇa. So this intelligence is real intelligence, and if we think that equal to Kṛṣṇa or greater than Kṛṣṇa, that is all māyā.

Lecture on SB 3.26.45 -- Bombay, January 20, 1975:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to know that no more greater than Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. If we understand this much perfectly... We cannot understand perfectly because that is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. But as far as we have got our knowledge, if we understand this fact, that "I can never become equal with Kṛṣṇa; neither I can become greater than Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. I have to remain always subordinate to Kṛṣṇa," this is called mukti, liberation. We are entrapped in this material bondage by illusory understanding. So when we come to the right understanding, that "My position is always subordinate to Kṛṣṇa," that is called mukti. Anyone can become a mukta, liberated person, as soon as he agrees to this philosophy that he is always subordinate to Kṛṣṇa, or God; he is never equal to Him nor greater than Him. Asama-ūrdhva. And those who are thinking that they are equal with Kṛṣṇa, that is māyā. Māyā mohitaṁ nābhijānāti.

Lecture on SB 3.28.18 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

Then, by arca-vigraha worship, by śravana-kīrtana, by making your properly advanced you will understand what is the position of Kṛṣṇa, īśvara. And īśvare tad-adhīneṣu. And adhīna. Adhīna means those who are working for Kṛṣṇa. They are called tad-adhīna. Adhīna means subordinate.

So every devotee is subordinate. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. If we do that, then it is mistake. Devotee... A devotee never says. Dāsa. Dāsa means servant. Servant is always the subordinate. Therefore Vaiṣṇava says "dāsa." He never says "master." Vaiṣṇava, dāsa, subordinate, tad-adhīna, under the..., under Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can be superior to Kṛṣṇa or equal to Kṛṣṇa. That is mistake. These Māyāvādī philosophers, they think, "Now I have become equal to Kṛṣṇa. I am also Kṛṣṇa." That is rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa, God, is never equal to anyone. Asamaurdhva. Asama means "not equal," and urdha, "always the top." Asamaurdhva. That is described in the Bhagavad... So we should remain tad-adhīna, always under Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Los Angeles, January 20, 1969:

First of all, what is the conception of God? Conception of God is "God is great. Nobody is greater than Him, and nobody is equal to Him." That is God. Asama-ūrdhva. The exact Sanskrit word is asama-ūrdhva. Asama means "not equal." Nobody can be equal to God. This is analyzed by great ācāryas. They have analyzed the characteristics of God. They have characterized the characteristic are sixty-four. And out of that sixty-four, we have, we living entities, we have got fifty only. And that is also in very minute quantity. Fifty qualities of God we have got, but that is in minute quantity. Take, for example, just like God has got also the tendency to love young girl. Take it for a crude example. Just like God is dancing with young girls. But we have also the same tendency.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Los Angeles, January 20, 1969:

And amongst the living entities, the highest perfection is to be seen in the life of Brahmā, who is the chief living entity within this universe. So similarly, Lord Śiva has got fifty-five. Lord Nārāyaṇa has got sixty. But Kṛṣṇa has got in full sixty-four. Cent percent, hundred percent all the qualities. Therefore either Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā or the living entities, nobody can be equal to Him. This is the conception of God. Asamordhva. And in the Bhagavad-gītā you have seen that Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, My dear Arjuna, there is nobody superior to Me." So just like some heating agent. You have got several heating agent. You have got heater in your apartment, oven in your apartment. There are so many different varieties of heater. But the heat of the sun cannot be compared with any other heat. You cannot say that "Because I have got little heat, I have become sun." (laughs) This is ludicrous; it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

The cats and dogs also will give up, and I'll also give up. That's a fact. But the cats and dogs, they'll get another material body, but if you purify your existential position, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), you'll not to have, accept any more material body. You shall stay in your spiritual body. And when you stay in your spiritual body you become equal with God—sac-cid-ānanda: eternal, ānanda, blissful, and full of knowledge. That is the human form of life..., er, aim of human mission. Don't miss this. There is ample information. The practice is very easy. Anyone can do it.

So our only request is take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Try to understand it properly. It is not meant for any particular person, nation, or community. It is for every human being. So we request you to study this movement and take to it seriously. Then you will be all happy.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

Prabhupāda: God cannot be all. God is one. God means He has no equal, He has no..., nobody above Him. That is God, asamaurdhva. Nobody is more than God; nobody is equal to God. Therefore God is one.

Guest (5): If we assume that the Vedic scriptures are the, well, the realizations of realized souls and that these come from God, we have to work with the assumption that these literatures are actually telling us about God. And if we have to read the literatures and experience these truths, it is not necessarily truth as such, but maybe the condition that we have been rendered to by listening to.(?)

Prabhupāda: In the Vedic literature the father, the teacher, the king, they are advised to look upon them as God. This is for the common person. But when he is advanced, then he goes above, that there is God above father, above king, above teacher. So according to the stages, there are different literatures in the Vedic knowledge. Sometimes demigods are also accepted. So they have also got power, but... Controller, they are also controller, but the ultimate controller is fixed up—īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). "The supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa." That is the verdict of the Vedas. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, May 7, 1976:

I have several times explained. Bhaga means richness, bhaga means influence, bhaga means bodily strength, bhaga means knowledge, bhaga means beauty, and bhaga means renunciation. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). And bhaga means reputation, fame. So these are the symptoms of bhaga. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, although nobody can be equal to Kṛṣṇa... Bhagavān means asamaurdha. Nobody is equal to Him; nobody is greater than Him. That is Bhagavān. I am fortunate, you are fortunate, but we have got many equals and many greater than. But when you reach somebody where you find nobody is equal to Him and nobody is greater than Him, that is real Bhagavān. This is a logical conclusion, who is Bhagavān. Nowadays so many rascals they write, "Bhagavān." Bhagavān. That is blasphemy. If Bhagavān likes, such persons should be punished. But Bhagavān excuses. That is another thing. So Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, May 7, 1976:

Nobody should try to become equal to Him. That is not possible.

So here Śukadeva Gosvāmī is addressed as mahā-bhāga. Mahā means great, and bhāga means fortunate. Because he is very fortunate, he is describing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Again Bhāgavatam, the same word bhaga comes. Bhagavat. Bhagavat. Vat, this word, is used when the meaning is "possessing." Asty arthe vatup. Bhagavān, bhāgyavān and bhagavat. Bhāgavat means one who has power to possess the Supreme Lord. He is called bhāgavata. There are two kinds of bhāgavata: one is grantha-bhāgavata and one is person bhāgavata. A devotee, he is called bhāgavata, and the book in which the pastimes or characteristics of Bhagavān is described, that is called Bhāgavata. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavata... Śrī means beauty. Again vat. Bhagavat, Śrīvat. Śrī means very beautiful. So every śloka you'll find very, very beautiful. Five thousand years ago these verses were written. There is no comparison. Nobody can write such verses even up to date. It was written by Vyāsadeva, Veda-vyasa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: No, you recite this verse. (Hindi) Kṛṣṇa is saying that "The living entities are My part and parcels eternally." Sanātanaḥ. So how you become equal to Kṛṣṇa? Part is never equal to the whole. That is axiomatic truth. So if you are eternally part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, how you become equal with Kṛṣṇa? Simply by artificial endeavor you become one with Kṛṣṇa? That oneness realization means oneness of quality, not of quantity.

Guest: (indistinct) ...merge into Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

I want to be the greatest personality, I want to be the greatest leader, the greatest, greatest, greatest, and there is comp... Everybody is trying to be greater than his friend so therefore, there is competition. But in Vaiṣṇava philosophy... Actually that is the philosophy, because we cannot be greater or greatest. Mattaḥ parataram. Nobody can be greater than God or equal to God, that is not possible. Even if he is Brahma, Lord Siva, or any other. Therefore, śāstra says that anyone who thinks such demigods, paratena. Yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devam (CC Madhya 18.116), there is a verse like that, anyone who thinks Nārāyaṇa equal to Brahma or Lord Siva, then he..., that type of thinking is called pāṣaṇḍī, sa pāsaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam(?). Pāṣaṇḍī means atheist. Never, that is also one of the ten offenses in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you know that. One of the offense is when you think that any name will be as good as harer nāma. No.

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

Here in the material world there is competition. You have got one thousand; I have got two thousand; another man has three thousand or three millions. Nobody can say, "Here is the end. I have got money." No. That is not possible. There must be competition. Sama urdhva. Sama means "equal," and urdhva means "greater." So nobody can become equal with Nārāyaṇa, and nobody can be greater than Nārāyaṇa. This has become a fashion nowadays, that daridra-nārāyaṇa. No. Daridra cannot be Nārāyaṇa, neither Nārāyaṇa can be daridra, because Nārāyaṇa is always accompanied by Śrī, Lakṣmījī. How He can be daridra? These are manufactured foolish imagination. Aparādha.

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.

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

That's all. It's very easy to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. One. God is one. God cannot be many. God is one. Otherwise there is no meaning of God. God means, the definition of God means that "the person or the entity who has no equal, neither superior." Nobody is superior to Him and nobody is equal to Him. Asama ūrdhva. Asama means equal. Sama means equal. Asama. Everyone is not equal to Him. Nobody is equal to Him and nobody is higher than Him. That is God. So God is one. There cannot be many Gods, but God can expand Himself in many forms. That is different thing.

So this Hiraṇyakaśipu was not confident. He was thinking, he was materially puffed up, and he was thinking that he is God. When his son... Fortunately, his son Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was a great devotee, Vaiṣṇava, by the grace of Nārada, and he was always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When he was in school, five-years-old boy, and naturally, the school was an atheistic school.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the original living entity. Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Ādi-puruṣam means original. And from Him everything has expanded. Eko bahu śyāma. He has expanded Himself in many. So some of them are in the Viṣṇu category. The Viṣṇu category means they are almost equal to Kṛṣṇa. It is estimated the Viṣṇu categories, They have ninety-four percent opulence of Kṛṣṇa. And the next category is Śiva category. The Śiva category has eighty-four percent of all the opulence of Kṛṣṇa. And the next category is Brahmā category, Brahmā. Brahmā category means living entities, when they are perfect, they can obtain seventy-eight percent of the opulence of Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is cent percent, Viṣṇu or Nārāyaṇa is ninety-four percent, Lord Śiva is eighty-four percent, and we, in our perfection, we are seventy-eight percent. Is that clear?

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:

Two things. If you somebody, if you find somebody who has no competitor, equal, and who has no superior, then He is God. The definition of God can be given in two words: one who has no superior and has no equal. Asamaurdhva. This is the Vedic version. In the Upaniṣads, it is said, na tasya sama adhikasya dṛśyate. Nobody is found equal to Him or greater than Him. Na tasya sama adhikasya dṛśyate. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). And His energies are manifested in so many ways. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. And He has nothing to do. Everyone... Take any important man. Take your president. Just like the president of United States of America, he is considered to be the supreme man in the States, but as soon as there was some disturbance in Central Europe, immediately he had to call meetings of his Cabinet and to consider how to deal with the situation. So he has to do something always. If he does not do anything, then he's no more the supreme man.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Mayapur, February 20, 1976:

All we are Gods, loitering in the street, especially the poor God, daridra-nārāyaṇa." This is all material conception. Lord is one, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, declares, in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." In many places... Asamaurdhva. Asama, nobody can be equal with God, neither anybody can be higher than Him. That is God. So God is one. There cannot be two Gods. Then there is no meaning of God. Now they manufacture God. In every street, every lane, there is a God.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "All these big, big demigods, they are Your servants." Vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmnaḥ. "You are in transcendental position, and we are all servants." Ekala īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya. This is said by Caitanya-car itāmṛta author.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Mayapur, February 20, 1976:

Nobody can be equal. This Māyāvāda philosophy that in whichever form you worship the Lord, they are all the same—no, they are not same. Therefore here it is said, vidhi-karāḥ, brahmādaya, "They are all your servants, vidhi-karāḥ." Vidhi-karās means who executes the order of the Supreme Lord. That is devatā. And one who wants to become one or equal with the Supreme Lord, they are asuras. They always create disturbance. At the present moment there are so many asuras. Everyone is defying the supremacy of the Supreme Lord. Everyone is trying to become God. Therefore the whole world is in chaotic condition. If we want to adjust this chaotic condition, then we require the incarnation of God. That is already there. Nāma-rūpe kali kāle kṛṣṇa-avatāra. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa in the form of name. There is no difference... The saṅkīrtana movement which was inaugurated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu... And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Mayapur, February 20, 1976:

So, sarve hy amī vidhi-karāḥ. These vidhi-karāḥ, they are not svāṁśa; they are vibhinnāṁśa. Brahmā and other demigods and we, we are of them same category, not that because one has become Brahmā, so he is equal to the Supreme Lord. No. That is not possible. Śiva-viriñci-nutam: (SB 11.5.33) "The Supreme Lord is worshiped even by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva." Nobody can be equal. This Māyāvāda philosophy that in whichever form you worship the Lord, they are all the same—no, they are not same. Therefore here it is said, vidhi-karāḥ, brahmādaya, "They are all your servants, vidhi-karāḥ." Vidhi-karās means who executes the order of the Supreme Lord. That is devatā. And one who wants to become one or equal with the Supreme Lord, they are asuras. They always create disturbance. At the present moment there are so many asuras. Everyone is defying the supremacy of the Supreme Lord.

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

That is mistake. That is not possible. Otherwise why it is said, sthito na tu tamo na guṇāṁś ca yuṅkṣe? This... He is so big that He is above these qualities. Just like we become infected in a filthy place, but the sun does not become infected. It, rather, sterilizes that infected place. So we should not compare with God, that "I am equal to Him." No. That is not possible. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya (SB 10.33.29). The sun, when it absorbs water from the urinal, he is not infected. He makes that urinal sterilized. Similarly, if sometimes we see some behavior of the Supreme Lord which appears from social, our social point of view as not permitted... But He can do anything. That is the meaning of all-powerful. But He's not affected. He's not affected. Apāpa-viddham. Apāpa-viddham, in the Upaniṣad, Īśopaniṣad, that sinful activities... He cannot do anything which is sinful. God is always good. But to our calculation, limited calculation, if we see that He is committing something sinful, it is not sinful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:

That minute particle, shining minute particle is never equal to the sun. Similarly, jīva is minute particle of the supreme sun, Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). So as the small molecular particle, shining particle in the sunshine cannot become the sun, similarly, the molecular particle of the Supreme Soul, the jīvātmā, is never equal to the Supreme Lord. The another name of the Supreme Lord is asama-urdhva. Asama. Asama means never equal. What to speak of ordinary living entities, in the śāstra it is stated that even Lord Brahma, Lord Siva cannot be equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the injunction.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

They do not know. That is the svārtha. Because, as it is said in the Vedas, God... Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has nothing to work. God has nothing to work for His economic development. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tasya sama adhikaś ca dṛśyate. And because He is God, nobody is equal to Him and nobody greater than Him. Sama adhikaś ca na dṛśyate, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His energies are multi-energies, varieties of energies, and the energies are so perfect that svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca: everything is happening automatically. So that is actually life. Why one should...? Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is dancing with the gopīs, that's all. Why should He work? Why God should work? Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. So because we are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, we are also trying to achieve that life, that "There will be no, no more to work.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972:

The perfect knowledge: to understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is perfect knowledge. This is perfect knowledge. Jīvera svarūpa haya nityera kṛṣṇera dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108). One has to understand this fact, that "I am not Kṛṣṇa. I am not like Kṛṣṇa. I am not equal to Kṛṣṇa. I cannot become Kṛṣṇa. I am Kṛṣṇa's eternal servant." This is taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayoḥ dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). He, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, says, "I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a śūdra. I am not a brahmacārī. I am not a sannyāsī." In this way... Because we identify with the varṇāśrama-dharma: "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am sannyāsī," "I am brahmacārī," "I am gṛhastha," "I am kṣatriya." These are our designations. But when we become designation-free, then "I am not brāhmaṇa, I am not brahmacārī, I am not this, I am not that. I am simply pure servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is knowledge. Our otherwise, anything we identify, that is ignorance. This is knowledge.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.3 -- Mayapur, March 27, 1975:

Nitāi: "What the Upaniṣads describe as the impersonal Brahman is but the effulgence of His body, and the Lord known as the Supersoul is but His localized plenary portion. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa Himself, full with six opulences. He is the Absolute Truth, and no other truth is greater than or equal to Him."

Prabhupāda:

yad advaitaṁ brahmopaniṣadi tad apy asya tanu-bhā
ya ātmāntaryāmī puruṣa iti so asya aṁśa-vibhavaḥ
ṣaḍ-aiśvaryaiḥ pūrṇaḥ ya bhagavān iha sa svayam ayaṁ
na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāj jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha
(CC Adi 1.3)

Now the author, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, is establishing with great stress that na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha: "There is no greater truth than Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." We are after truth, so here the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he is asserting that "Here is the Supreme Truth, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu." Na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt. Kṛṣṇāt, because Kṛṣṇa has appeared as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. We have explained this truth yesterday according to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's declaration, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogaṁ-śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ (CC Madhya 6.254). Puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ. Puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ is Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣaḥ, He is puruṣaḥ, and purāṇaḥ, ādyam, the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. In many Vedic literature Kṛṣṇa is described as the purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ, the oldest. Purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33).

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

This is different. This is in the spiritual world the topmost mellow, hlādinī śakti.

So eko brahma dvitīya nāsti: "Brahman, Para-brahman, is one." Kṛṣṇa is one. There is no competition with Kṛṣṇa. Na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody can be equal with Him; nobody can be greater than Him." Na tasya samaḥ. Samaḥ means equal, and adhikaḥ means greater. That is Para-brahman. That is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa says also, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior entity than Me." So we have to very carefully study Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to understand Kṛṣṇa very scientifically. It is not sentiment. One must be very philosophically advanced with scientific knowledge. Jñānaṁ vijñānam. This is vijñāna. It is not sentiment. Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. Jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Without vijñāna, science, without philosophy to understand Kṛṣṇa, is not possible.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

Pradyumna: Translation: "Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, the supreme controller. No one is greater than or equal to Śrī Kṛṣṇa..." (noise)

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Stop this.

Pradyumna: "...yet He appears as the son of Mahārāja Nanda." (CC Adi 7.7)

Prabhupāda: (noise) (aside:) Stop. Svayam bhagavān kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Whatever Kavirāja Gosvāmī is speaking, not out of his own whimsical way, whatever he's speaking, he's following the paramparā system. That is Vaiṣṇavism, or ācārya. Ācāryavan puruṣo veda. (noise, talking) (aside:) Stop this. Unless we accept the ācārya in the paramparā system, we cannot understand things as they are. It is not possible. So Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he's describing this Caitanya-caritāmṛta strictly according to the verdict of the śāstras. His statement is that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. Svayam bhagavān kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān is person; Bhagavān is not imperson. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). First realization of the Absolute Truth by speculative knowledge is impersonal effulgence of the Lord, which is called brahma-jyotir.

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

Therefore in this verse it is said, svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara. Īśvara, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, cannot have any competitor. Asamaurdhva. These words are there. Asama. Asama means there is no equal. And aurdhva, and nobody is greater. Asamaurdhva. Nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa, and nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosophy that everyone is God, everyone is Kṛṣṇa, that is not substantiated by the Vedic literature. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is used there. The Parameśvara, Paraṁ Brahman, Paramātmā, that is Kṛṣṇa. Not we are. We are very fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa. Very, very small, spiritual spark. So as the sparks from the fire falls down, it loses its original sparking capacity or fire elements. We have seen it. When the spark falls down from the big fire, then it is extinguished. No more fire. It is carbon. Similarly, when we are detached from Kṛṣṇa, we are jīva-bhūta.

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

So what can I do? I have to speak the truth. I cannot, I mean to say, amalgamate real and nonreal. That is not possible. So Kṛṣṇa... Try to understand. Here it is said that svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa also says. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is superior than Me." And how these rascals, they think that "I am equal to Kṛṣṇa"? Kṛṣṇa cannot be two. Kṛṣṇa is one. But He can expand. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu-kalā-niyamena-tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). Kala, aṁśa-kala, avatāra. There are description in the śāstra. So we have to understand how Kṛṣṇa expands. There are expansion. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta-rūpam. Just like Kṛṣṇa... Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna... (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, innumerable living entities. And not only that. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Aṇḍāntara-stham.

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

"One who knows Kṛṣṇa specifically, not superficially, but in all details, What is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru." Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā about Himself, kṛṣṇa-tattva, about..., the truth about Kṛṣṇa we can understand from Bhagavad-gītā with our intelligence. Just like Kṛṣṇa describes that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Now you study this one line that Kṛṣṇa says, "There is nobody greater than Me." Now you study Kṛṣṇa's life, Compare with anyone and you'll find, "Yes. Nobody is greater or equal to Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa.

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

Prabhupāda: Puruṣa. Soul is described as puruṣa.

Guest (3): Greater than him. So that also establishes that...

Prabhupāda: Dvaitavāda.

Guest (3): Yes. God is different. And we cannot say that we are equal to God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And God says further, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is equal." Asamaurdha: "Nobody is equal to God; nobody is greater than God." That is God. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

So because he inquired that ke āmi-ke āmi means "What I am?"—therefore Lord Caitanya directly informs him first that jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108). Jīva, the living entity, is eternally a servitor of the Supreme Lord. Eternal. He gets, He says, jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa. That is his identity. So he refused all nonsensical ideas that "I am God, I am equal with God." In the first beginning, he refused this idea, that "This is wrong. You are living entity. Your position is that you are eternally servitor of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord."

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 Para-brahman. Para-brahman 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 20.108-109 -- New York, July 15, 1976:

He is talking on the position; He is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is asking, demanding, "You rascal, give up everything. Just surrender to Me. Then you'll be happy." This is the last instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same Kṛṣṇa but acting as devotee of Kṛṣṇa; therefore He is speaking the same thing. Kṛṣṇa said, "You surrender," and Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Every living entity is the servant of Kṛṣṇa." That means he must surrender. Servant's business is to surrender, not to argue with the master or to claim that "I am equal with you." These are all fanatic, mad proposal.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- Bombay, November 24, 1975:

Everything is happening. The tree is coming out, the fruit is coming out, the flower is coming, the color is painted—everything. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Na tasya kāryam karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. He hasn't got to do anything personally, but His potencies are acting. Na tasya kāryam karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tat-samas cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody can be equal to Him or greater than Him. Sama. Asama urdhva. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is explained that Kṛṣṇa is asama urdhva. Nobody is greater than Him, and nobody is equal to Him. So anyone who is claiming equal to Him, they are less intelligent. They have no intelligence. Asama urdhva. Na tasya samaḥ. Nobody is equal to Him, neither urdhva. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is greater than Me." Therefore God is great. If somebody is equal to Him or greater than Him, then he is not God. God is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

Actually our position is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Now, at the present moment, every one of us, we are trying to become master. If not master of Kṛṣṇa, at least we are trying to become equal with Kṛṣṇa. This is our position. That is called māyā, "which is not possible." God is not so cheap that you can become equal with God or greater than God. You must always remain subordinate to God. That is your position. Actually we are subordinate. We have no meeting with God. We have no knowledge of God. But practically we see that we are subordinate to the material nature. That's a fact. Everyone knows. Who can overcome the laws of material nature? No. Nobody can do. By nature you have to die. You cannot avoid it. You are subordinate. By nature you have to become old man. You cannot avoid it. So we know that we are subordinate to material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. This is the Vedic injunction. Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpa. Now we are acting differently. Actually our position is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Now, at the present moment, every one of us, we are trying to become master. If not master of Kṛṣṇa, at least we are trying to become equal with Kṛṣṇa. This is our position. That is called māyā, "which is not possible." God is not so cheap that you can become equal with God or greater than God. You must always remain subordinate to God. That is your position. Actually we are subordinate. We have no meeting with God. We have no knowledge of God. But practically we see that we are subordinate to the material nature. That's a fact. Everyone knows. Who can overcome the laws of material nature? No. Nobody can do. By nature you have to die. You cannot avoid it. You are subordinate. By nature you have to become old man. You cannot avoid it. So we know that we are subordinate to material nature.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

Why they are thinking "master"? That is their misconception. This is called anyathā rūpam. He is actually servant, but he's thinking "master." This is called anyathā rūpam. Anyathā means "otherwise," not svarūpam. So therefore mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpam, giving up this nonsense speculation that "I am master of nature. I am master of this, master of that," or "I am God. I am equal to God." These are all rascaldom, anyathā rūpam, thinking otherwise.

So when one gives up this rascaldom that "I am God. I am equal to God. I am nobody's servant. I am free..." So these are anyathā rūpam. Hitvā anyathā rūpam svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). When one is situated in his original constitutional position, that is called mukti. Mukti does not mean that you get a big head or big hand. No. Mukti means knowledge. Knowledge. This is our actual knowledge, that "I am not master; I am servant." This is knowledge. So mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpam. Everyone is thinking otherwise. Somebody is thinking "I am equal to God.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

And out of millions of jñānī, one becomes mukta. And out of millions of mukta, one becomes bhakta. This is the description given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So if we accept this philosophy, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, without falsely declaring ourself that "I am equal to God" or "I am God," if you simply accept that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109), that we are eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa, and act like that... The servant of Kṛṣṇa means he must be always engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. This is called bhakti.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad Invocation Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1970:

So here it is stated, "There is complete facility for the small complete units, namely the living being, to realize the complete." To realize the complete, what is my relationship with the complete. "And all forms of incompleteness are experienced only on account of incomplete knowledge of the complete." We are thinking that "I am equal to God. I am God." This is incomplete knowledge. But if you know that "I am part and parcel of God," that is complete knowledge. The Māyāvādī philosophers, the atheists, they are claiming that "Who is God? I am God." That is incomplete knowledge. "The human form of life is a complete manifestation of the consciousness." Now, this complete consciousness you can revive in this human form of life. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand. So if you don't take the facility, then you are ātma-hanaḥ janāḥ. You are killing yourself, committing suicide. As it is said, ātmā andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ. After death, pretyābhi... Pretya means after death.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 7 -- Los Angeles, May 9, 1970:

Passion and ignorance will induce you... Kāma lobha, lust and greediness. That is the sign of passion and ignorance. And when you are in goodness, then you can see things as they are. Then you can see yourself, that you are not matter; you are spirit soul. And if you make further advance, then you understand that "I am eternal part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, the fiery spark." So that ekatvam anupaśyataḥ, in this verse, ekatvam, that qualitatively one, not quantitatively. You are one with God qualitatively. You cannot be equal with God quantitatively. That ekatvam.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

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

Whether you can kill such and such demons? Then I shall accept." That is intelligence. Don't accept a foolish man, declaring himself as God, and you accept also God. God is not so cheap. You should know what is God. These descriptions are there. No more, no man, no living entity is greater than God. Therefore God is said: "God is great." Great means nobody can be greater than Him, nobody can be equal to Him. That is greatness. Six opulences. That is analytical study what is God.

So these things are being taught from authoritative scripture and..., what is God, what is our relationship with Him, and what is our function in that relationship. We should know it. Unless we try to know it, simply we waste our time in frivolous activities, that is not proper utilization of human form of life. We are simply requesting people that "You don't waste your valuable time." Our time is so valuable. It has been calculated by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.

Festival Lectures

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

First of all, praṇipāta. You cannot inquire challengingly to the guru. Just like Arjuna did it, praṇipāta. Śiṣyas te'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). So this praṇipāta required. And before praṇipāta, you must... Everyone has got his personal, puffed-up attitude: "Why shall I surrender?" That is the material disease. We do not wish to surrender. We think that "I am equal with Him. Why shall I surrender?" So, but our, this Vaiṣṇava philosophy, especially, begins with this praṇipāta. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī has left his highly-salaried post, ministership, and he has come to surrender unto Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is the beginning of spiritual life. He's a learned man, highly learned man in Sanskrit and Arabian language. Just like during British period we learned English, and it has now become established fact. I am Indian. I am speaking in Indian, uh, in English.

Initiation Lectures

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

There are demigods and the Supreme God also. So we should not place... Just like demigod, Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva, Indra, Candra, they are demigods. So we should not place... In one sense, there is nothing except God, because everything expansion of God. But that does not mean I am equal to God. I am also expansion of God, that's a fact. Just like father and the son. Son is the expansion of father; still, the son is not the father. Don't mistake that. There is no difference between father and son because the same body is expanded as son, but still, the son is not the father. Father is father, son is son. This, I mean to say, variety, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not understand. Then?

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

God is one. There cannot be many Gods. If God is not one, there is no meaning of God. God means, according to Vedic definition, asamordhva. Asama means one who has no equal. Nobody is equal to God. And urdhva means nobody is greater than God. God is great. Nobody can be greater than God. Therefore God is one. Nobody is greater, nobody is equal. That means everyone is lower. Then?

Initiation Sri Ranga, Romaharsana, Sridhara Dasas -- Los Angeles, July 3, 1970:

"Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, He is formless, but because we cannot concentrate our mind in the formless, therefore let us imagine any form we like, and that will make me advance." This is not the philosophy. The Absolute Truth, Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has His form and He is not equal, nobody is equal to Him. So according to Vedic literature, you cannot put Viṣṇu-tattva even on the equal footing with Brahmā and Śiva. His position, Viṣṇu-tattva, is mahato mahīyān. He's the greatest of the greatest. So this is offense. There are many Māyāvādī philosophers, they say "You can chant any name, either Kṛṣṇa or Kali or Durgā or..." And another mission says, "Any nonsense name you can chant. That doesn't matter." But our Vedic śāstra, scripture, does not say that. It is said, harer nāma. Not any other name. Harer nāma. only the name of Hari. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). To hear and chant about whom? Viṣṇu. It is clearly stated there.

General Lectures

Lecture at Engagement -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

God is great; you are minute. He is infinite; you are infinitesimal. Qualitatively one, but quantitatively different. So those who are simply accepting the feature of being qualitatively one, they are called Advaitavādis. They are mistaking that quantitatively they cannot be equal. If quantitatively the living entity is equal to God, then why he is fallen in this conditional life of material existence? That means being his constitutional position very infinitesimal, he is prone to be caught up by the influence of māyā. And if you say that you are also the Supreme, then how you are caught by the māyā? Then māyā becomes great; God is not great. These things are to be considered. So our philosophy, the Vedānta philosophy, acintya-bhedābheda: we support the philosophy of simultaneously being one and different from God. Simultaneously. We are qualitatively one with God, but quantitatively we are different.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa took the part of a driver, and he was the hero of the fight. Actually, Kṛṣṇa was the hero, but He gave position to His devotee: "You become the hero, I shall become your charioteer." That's all. Don't you see how Arjuna has become more than Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa says, "Arjuna, you are hesitating to fight, but you know that all these person who have assembled in this battlefield, they are not going back. They are already killed. That is My plan. You simply take the credit that you have killed them. That's all." (laughter) That He wants. Just like a father wants a son to see him more than himself. If a father is an M.A., he wants to see his son M.A., Ph.D., or something more. He's satisfied. He'll not tolerate anybody to become more than him, but he'll tolerate if his son becomes more than him. I'm giving you a crude example. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, or the Lord, wants to see His devotee more than Himself. That is His pleasure. He takes pleasure in that. So to become a devotee is not ordinary thing. You see. He has got the chance to become more than God. Why equal with God, one with God? No. More than God. Yes. That is our philosophy. Yes.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 19, 1969:

Bhaga. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means one who possesses. There are many words like that, guṇavān. Guṇavān. Guṇa means quality, and vān means one who possesses. Similarly, the Sanskrit word, equivalent word of the English word "God" is Bhagavān. Bhaga... God... Generally described, God is great. That is perfect. Actually God is great. Nobody can be equal to God, and nobody can be greater than God. Greatness... If I am great and if there is another competitor great, then I am not God, neither he is God. When we say, speak of God, there is no competitor. The Sanskrit word used, asamaurdhva... Asama. Sama means equal; a means not. Nobody is equal. Asama, urdhva. There are three positions. Just like we are sitting here. Somebody is equal to me, somebody is greater than me and somebody is lower than me. You will find, everyone. Anywhere you go, you'll find, somebody is greater than you, somebody is equal to you and somebody is lower than you, anywhere you go.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 19, 1969:

Bhaga, these opulences... So you have to find out. You do not accept any cheap God. You just try to find out whether this man claiming as God has no greater than him and no equal to him. Then he is God. This simple test. Don't accept any bogus, so-called God. Just try to put him to the test whether he is actually God. This is the test, that nobody should be greater than him; nobody shall be equal to him. Then he is God.

So in the Vedic literature, in India, you know there were many saintly persons, great scholars from time immemorial. Even not very recently, say, five hundred years ago there were such men, personalities. Now it is almost finished, but still, if you find, you will see there are great sages, saintly persons, who understand the meaning of Vedic literature, and they live up to the standard of Vedic life.

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969:

"God has many energies." Parāsya śaktiḥ. Śakti means energy, power. Vividhaiva, multi, various. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svabhāva... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. This is the injunction of Vedas. "You cannot find anyone equal or greater than God. Nobody can be equal with God; nobody can be greater than God." Then he is not God. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca. Sama means equal; adhika means greater. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. They have analyzed who is God. The great sages, the liberated sages, they are not fools, rascals, that they will accept anyone God. No. They will test. This is the test. If you find somebody, that he is neither lower than anyone, neither equal to anyone, then he is God. There are other, many definitions of God. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Analytical study. Try to understand God. This is the business of human form of life, not that simply eating, sleeping and mating and defending.

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

You must... If you claim, if you come here and introduce yourself, "I am President Johnson," oh, you must present your credential that you are President Johnson. Otherwise, we shall say you are crazy. So if you cannot present yourself even like ordinary president—you are claiming that you're God—how much nonsense you are. Don't claim in that way. There is no equal to God. Oh, there are so many equals to you, so many greater than you, lower than you. So you are not absolute. God is absolute. In the Bhagavad-gītā the same thing is described, that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanajaya, Arjuna, nobody's greater than Me." Anyat. Anyat means anyone. So this is the one of the symptoms of God, that nobody is greater than Him. So you have to prove that nobody's greater than you. If you simply think falsely that "Nobody's greater than me. Nobody's...I am moving this sun. I am moving this moon. I am...," so you have to prove it. Otherwise, it is nonsense.

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

That is not possible. Then there is no meaning of God, because God is great. And in the Vedic literature it is confirmed that na tasya kāryaṁ ca vidyate na tasya sama adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody's greater than Him, nobody's equal to Him. He, He has nothing to do. Everything is being performed by His multi-energies."

So these descriptions are there. So you have to... Vedic knowledge means the knowledge of authority. So you have to prove. But there is a process for understanding God, that "I am God." That is a process. But not that one is God. "I am God" means in that way: "Qualitatively, I am God." So we have to find out, meditation, "What is that quality?" That quality is the spirit soul, on account of whose presence the whole body is working. As soon as the spirit soul is absent from this body, this body has no more any value. That you have to understand.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 12, 1971:

That is better." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). He is canvassing door to door. He is coming from Vaikuṇṭha, from Vṛndāvana, to teach us how you can become friend of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, how you can become mother of Kṛṣṇa, how you can become father of Kṛṣṇa. Here the jñānīs, they try to be equal with Kṛṣṇa, but a devotee can become the father of Kṛṣṇa. What is the value of equality? It is greater than equality. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He accepts His devotee as father and He accepts his punishment also. Just like Kṛṣṇa accepted the punishment of Mother Yaśodā very willfully. He wants that. He likes that. Because everyone goes to God, Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu, and prays with adoration and respect. But Kṛṣṇa wants that one may think of Him as inferior to him. Just like Nanda Mahārāja was thinking, "He is my child, have to protect."

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

Because He came as human being, so many persons represented that "I am God, I am Kṛṣṇa, I am this," no. God is one. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can become greater than God or equal to God. Therefore, God's another name is asamaurdhva, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Nobody can be equal with God, nobody can be greater than God. Everyone must be... Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142), that is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. God is only one, Kṛṣṇa, and everyone is servant. Of course, God's servant and God, there is little difference. Because sometimes servant has got greater power than God, that is different thing. But actually nobody can be greater than God, nobody can be equal to God.

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because He came as human being, so many persons represented that "I am God, I am Kṛṣṇa, I am this," no. God is one. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can become greater than God or equal to God. Therefore, God's another name is asamaurdhva, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Nobody can be equal with God, nobody can be greater than God. Everyone must be... Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142), that is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. God is only one, Kṛṣṇa, and everyone is servant. Of course, God's servant and God, there is little difference. Because sometimes servant has got greater power than God, that is different thing. But actually nobody can be greater than God, nobody can be equal to God.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

God is spirit; we are also spirit. He is Supersoul; we are individual. But God is great, and we are minute fragment. That is difference. Therefore, simultaneously we are one and different, one in quality but different in quantity. You accept also, "God is great." And we say that nobody can be greater than God, neither anyone can be equal to God. That is our philosophy. Asama urdhva. Asama. Sama means equal. Nobody can be equal to God. That is not possible. God is one. You may have some understanding that in the Vedic literature there is mention of many demigods. But the demigods, they are also living entities, a little more powerful than the human beings. That's all. Just like here, in this world also, we find somebody is more powerful than others. But that does not mean he is God. God is supreme, all-powerful. Here you may be a little more powerful then me, but another may be found who is more powerful than you, another you can find more powerful than him. In this way go on. There is no limit.

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

The Absolute Personality of Godhead, He has nothing to do personally. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Kāryam means work. He hasn't got to perform any work, although He is the greatest worker. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate. And nobody is found greater than Him or equal to Him. In this world every one of us, we know that "Somebody is lower than me, somebody is greater than me, and somebody is equal to me." That is our experience. We cannot say that I am or you are absolute. Nobody is absolute. However you may be great in the estimation of others, you will find somebody is greater than you, and somebody is lower than you, and somebody is equal to you. But so far the greatest Absolute Personality of Godhead is concerned, na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate. By experimental study, by research work by great saintly persons, sages, they have concluded, na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is found samaḥ," means "equal to Him, or adhikaḥ."

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

I want to become the president. And when I am frustrated, then I want to become God. That want—"I want to become master"—is going on. So this is also māyā. How one can become God? Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can become equal to God or greater than God. Asamaurdha. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is described as asama urdha. "Nobody is equal to God, and nobody is greater than God." Asama urdha.

So this disease, this is called material disease. I want to lord it over the material nature, and when I fail to lord it over, then I want to become one with God. Of course, there are five kinds of liberation: sāyujya sārūpya sāmīpya sālokya. By liberation you can become one with God. That is not very difficult. If you want to become, merge into the existence of God, that is not very difficult job. God is all-powerful. You are emanation from God. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

Because he can see the potencies, how much potency is there. So He has many potencies. In the Vedic literature we can understand, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). In the Vedas, Upaniṣad: na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. God has nothing to do personally. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tat-samas cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody is found equal to him or greater than Him. Nobody. That is God. If somebody is competitor, one God competitor, another God competitor... Just like nowadays it has become a fashion to become God, and there are competitions between one "God" and another. But actually, nobody can compete with God. That is God. Na tasya sama. Sama means equal. Adhikasya, or greater. That means greater. That means everyone subordinate. Everyone subordinate. Everyone is lower than God. He may be very powerful, but nobody can be equal or greater than God. That is the Vedic information.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 28, 1973:

This is explained by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that the characteristic of individual living entity is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Kṛṣṇa dāsa. We do not become Kṛṣṇa. This is a false theory. We never become Kṛṣṇa. We cannot become even equal to Kṛṣṇa. Asama. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that God is not only great but nobody is equal to Him. Asama. Asama means not equal. Everybody is below. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmām. That is the statement in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad:

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

"Why you are finding out God anywhere? You do not see so many rascal gods are loitering in the street?" This is going on. If you simply consult dictionary, you can understand what is the meaning of God. God is so cheap thing, huh? Supreme being. Are you supreme being? Supreme means the highest authority. Highest authority means nobody is equal to him, nobody is greater than him. That is supreme. So these rascals who are claiming to become God, is it a fact that nobody is equal to him, nobody is greater than him? There are so many.

Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

"This must be done"—the things will be done by the subordinates, by... He has go so many energies, secretaries. So why not for God, the Supreme Being, God? So therefore the Vedic instruction is, God has nothing to do, practically. Simply His desire is sufficient. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tasya samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. There is nobody equal to Him or above Him. Everyone must be below, subordinate. That is Vedic instruction. And that has been selected or that has been concluded, who is that Supreme Being. That we also get from Vedic information. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1): that Supreme Being means Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa, the word, means "all-attractive." It is not that God is attractive for the Hindus or God is attractive for the Muslims or the Christians. No. If He is God at all, then He must be attractive for all. That is the meaning of the word Kṛṣṇa, "all-attractive." So that is very nice word. Actually, God has no name, but we call Him by different holy names according to His activity.

Lecture -- Nellore, January 4, 1976:

This is right understanding. There are two classes of philosophers. One is thinking that "I am one with the Supreme"—monism, or brahma-līna. And the Vaiṣṇava, they are thinking that "We are different from God"—that is the fact—"and God is great, and we are very, very small, minute fractional part of God." So bheda abheda. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu summarizes that bheda and abheda both. In quality we are abheda, but in quantity we are bheda. So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy is acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. That is the fact. If I am equal to God or if I am God, then how I have become a dog? So this is a controversial going on. But from Bhagavad-gītā, as God explains Himself, He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). He is the Supreme.

Morning Lecture -- Allahabad, January 15, 1977:

And those who are serving māyā in the name of Kṛṣṇa, they are called Māyāvādī. Actually, they are serving māyā, but they say that they have become liberated. Vimukta-māninaḥ. They are described as vimukta-māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means one who is not actually the thing, but falsely one is thinking that "I am liberated. I have become equal with Nārāyaṇa." They are called vimukta-māninaḥ. Actually that is not the fact. So we shall be very careful to avoid this kind of mahātmās who are thinking themselves as Nārāyaṇa, equal to Nārāyaṇa, or sometimes they claim greater than Nārāyaṇa. So we shall be very careful. This Melā, there are so many so-called mahātmās. But the symptom of mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhajanty ananya-manaso. That is the qualification. And to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is not at all difficulty.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: God has nothing to struggle. He is so powerful that He has nothing to do. That is the Vedic injunction. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. The Vedic description of God is like this, He has nothing to do. That is right because just like a big man, a big leader, a king, personally he has nothing to do. He has got so many servants, secretaries, ministers, soldiers, so why he has got to do anything? So he has nothing to do. That is described in the Veda, na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. There is nothing to do actually. Therefore we see Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa picture, the Supreme Lord He is playing on his flute and enjoying. That is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), that is Vedic description, that God is always enjoying, ānandamaya. He has nothing to do. So, because na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate, he has nothing to do because, na tat ca samaḥ abhyadikaś ca dṛśyate, because nobody is greater than Him, nobody is equal to Him. Then how things are happening? Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He has got multi-energies. The energies are acting and they are acting so nicely, svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca, and the, naturally it is happening, so systematic, so nice. Just like by God's order the sun has to rise early in the morning, exactly in the time. You watch your watch and you will find exactly in time there is sunrise and there is light, there is seasonal changes, everything in order. That is Godly arrangement. So He hasn't got to struggle, He hasn't got to fight but there is fight by His different agents to kill the evil element of the world.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are learning how to love God, and we are teaching the same principle to the whole world, without any discrimination, that "God is one." Not that there are different Gods of different faiths. God cannot be two. Eko brahma dvitīyaṁ nāsti. God is one. There cannot be any competitor. His name is Asamaurdhva; nobody is equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. Therefore God is great. Nobody is equal. So in any form of religion, if love of God is instructed, that is first-class religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion. The test is how the followers have learned to love God. And now God being the center of love and everything being God's expansion, so a lover of God is lover of everyone. He does not discriminate that "Only man should be loved, and man should be given service." No. He is interested with all living entities, never mind in which form he is existing.

Page Title:Equal to God (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:08 of May, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=155, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:155