Everlasting (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"everlasting" |"everlastingly"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Without a supreme person nothing can be managed, order-giving person. This is everlastingly existing, and you cannot avoid this.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

Bhagavān means the Supreme Person. Just like in this meeting, amongst my students, I am the supreme person, similarly, in the state there is a supreme person, the president or the prime minister, so everywhere you will find out one supreme person. Without a supreme person nothing can be managed, order-giving person. This is everlastingly existing, and you cannot avoid this.

There is another nature, where the planets are everlasting. They are called Vaikuṇṭhaloka.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

In this material nature, everything is annihilated. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Here, just like your body is produced at a certain date by the father and mother, and it will be finished at a certain date, similarly, this whole cosmic manifestation, this material world, innumerable universes, they have been produced at a certain date and they will be finished at a certain date. Everything will be finished. But there is another nature, where the planets are everlasting. They are called Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Vaikuṇṭhaloka, vaikuṇṭha means vigata-kuṇṭha yasmāt. Kuṇṭha means anxiety. Here we are full of anxieties—"What will happen next?" Fearful always. When my death will take place? What will be the political situation? What shall I eat? Where shall I sleep? Always full of anxieties. Anyone—bird, beast, animal, human being—full of anxieties, because the material world is like that. You have to be full of anxieties. But there is another world, where there is no anxiety. That is called Vaikuṇṭhaloka.

They are trying to make this body, by so-called science, everlasting. That will never be possible. Your everlasting position is that you are spirit soul.

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

Viṣṇujana: "He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable, and eternally the same."

Prabhupāda: Everlasting. This is the... Everlasting. Then why I am not everlasting now? This is my diseased condition. People should take it like this. Here it is stated that the living entity is everlasting, but my present position is not everlasting. I'm temporary. So why shall I be in this temporary..., such abominable condition? I am everlasting. So they are so rascal fools they do not search out how He can be everlasting. They are trying to (sic) oint this body. That's all. Everlasting body by ointment, you see? That is not possible. That is their foolishness. They are trying to make this body, by so-called science, everlasting. That will never be possible. Your everlasting position is that you are spirit soul. You have to transfer yourself in that healthy condition. Not this diseased condition. This is disease. My birth and death is disease. You have to cure this disease. That is your problem, real problem. But they are not serious about solving this real problem, birth and death. They are thinking, "So long I live, let me enjoy senses as far as possible, and let me enjoy." That's all. That's their philosophy. Child's philosophy. Just like child does not look forward his future. He's very playful. He sees that "This playing will make me happy." Similarly, these rascals, they are simply enjoying senses, forgetting their future life. So this is a rascal civilization. This is not a good civilization. You see? Childish civilization. However they may be proud of their advancement of knowledge, it is childish civilization because they have no future. Everlasting. "How I am going to be everlasting," they do not think of it. You see? This one word can give so many volumes of thoughts to the real philosopher, to the real thinker. Here it is stated that the living entity is everlasting, and where is that living entity everlasting? Why it is not so? This is the problem.

This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same.

Lecture on BG 2.23-24 -- London, August 27, 1973:

"This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same."

So this is another way, negative way. In the previous verse Kṛṣṇa says: nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi. And now, negatively or passively, it is said that acchedyo 'yam. In every way, Kṛṣṇa is suggesting the immortality of the soul. There are five elements: earth, water, fire, air. So none of these elements can act on the soul. You can prepare sword, cutting sword from earth, from metal, but it does not mean that you can cut anything material with your sword. But you cannot cut the spirit soul with your sword or with your other material weapons. Neither... Acchedyo 'yam adāhyaḥ. Neither you can burn with fire, neither you can moisten it with water, neither you can dry. In every respect Kṛṣṇa explains how soul is immutable. Another significance is nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ. Sarva-gataḥ means all-pervading, everywhere the soul is there. Even within the stone, even within the sands, there are. So how these people can say there is no existence of living entity in the moon planet? Sarva-gataḥ. We have seen sometimes that from the stone, I have marked it. There is one juma mastika(?) in Agra. On the top of the stone dome a plant has come out, on the top. Now who has gone to place that seed that a banyan tree, banyan plant has come out and it has cracked the stone? So nobody has gone there, but this means the soul is everywhere. As soon as it gets the opportunity, it accepts a material body immediately.

The Supreme must be joyful. But I am conditioned. Therefore my joy is being checked up. But He is not conditioned. His joy is unlimited. He is everlastingly in enjoyment in Vṛndāvana, dancing with gopī.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

So ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. The Vedic version says, Vedānta, that "A spirit soul is by nature joyful." Therefore—we are spirit soul—we are hankering after joy, where there is dance, where there is cinema, where there is nice food, where there is nice song, nice picture, nice beautiful woman or man. Everyone is searching after joy. Therefore the Supreme must be joyful. But I am conditioned. Therefore my joy is being checked up. But He is not conditioned. His joy is unlimited. He is everlastingly in enjoyment in Vṛndāvana, dancing with gopī.

In the spiritual world there is no birth, death, old age and disease. That is spiritual world. So there is no... Old age is due to this body. Otherwise, spirit soul is everlastingly young.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

Here in this material world there is sex life. That is considered to be the highest pleasure. But the spiritual world means there is no sex life. Although there are very beautiful women, very beautiful men, with four hands. The men are with four hands there and very attractive. All of them are young. They never become old. Because in the spiritual world there is no birth, death, old age and disease. That is spiritual world. So there is no... Old age is due to this body. Otherwise, spirit soul is everlastingly young. You can think over yourself. Just like I am now old man. So sometime I think that in my childhood, when I was born, I was jumping and dancing. Now I cannot do that. Because of this old body. So we are hampered on account of this material body. Encagement.

Śuddha-bhakta means they do not come to the material world. The śuddha-bhaktas, nitya, nitya-siddha, they do not come to this material world. They are everlastingly liberated soul, engaged in the service of Nārāyaṇa.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Sanand, December 26, 1975:

In the upper planetary system, beginning from the sun, there are Sūryaloka, Candraloka, Maṅgala, Bhūr, Bṛhaspati, up to Saturn, there are different lokas. So the upper planetary system, beginning from Sūrya, they are called devaloka. They are all devotees of the Lord; therefore they are called devatā. They are not pure devotees, but they are not disobedient to the orders of the Supreme Lord. Śuddha-bhakta means they do not come to the material world. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), the śuddha-bhaktas, nitya, nitya-siddha, they do not come to this material world. They are everlastingly liberated soul, engaged in the service of Nārāyaṇa. This material creation is exhibition of one-fourth energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The three-fourth creation is in the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭhaloka.

If we continue this Godless civilization, Kṛṣṇa says here, He keeps them always put into this asuric yoni, everlastingly forgetting the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and suffer in this material world.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Sanand, December 26, 1975:

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is against the asuras. Every time, always, Kṛṣṇa also comes down to kill the asuras. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). (break) Asuras cannot flourish by their atheistic theory. Unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has to be put into the different types of asuric yoni to suffer in this material world. And if we continue this Godless civilization, Kṛṣṇa says here,

tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān

saṁsāreṣu narādhamān

kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān

āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu

(BG 16.19)

He keeps them always put into this asuric yoni, everlastingly forgetting the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and suffer in this material world. So so long we remain in the asuric tendency, then we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Hey are making scientific researches, but they do not know that every living entity is spirit soul. He has no birth. He has no death. He's eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam, everlasting, purāṇaḥ, although oldest, na hanyate.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Los Angeles, April 24, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, all beautiful, all-knowledge, everything complete. So I may not be complete, but because I am part and parcel, so I have, I have got all the qualities of God in part and parcel. It is not that... So God does not die. He's aja. So I also will not die. This is my position. And that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that: na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. When He's describing about the soul, Kṛṣṇa says that the soul is never born, na jāyate, na mriyate. And if one is not born, how he can die? There is no question of death. Death is for a thing which has got a birth. If one has no birth, there is no question of death. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. So we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa is Aja, we are also aja. That we do not know. This is ignorance. This is ignorance.

They are making scientific researches, but they do not know that every living entity is spirit soul. He has no birth. He has no death. He's eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam, everlasting, purāṇaḥ, although oldest, na hanyate. The conclusion: na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So after the annihilation of this body the soul does not die. He accepts another body. This is our disease.

Everlastingly, eternally, we never take our birth, never we die. Then what is this death? This death is of the material body, not of the soul.

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

Marginal means actually we belong to the spiritual nature. Because we are spirit soul, but we have come in contact with this material nature, some way or other. So therefore we are seeing our position incompatible. We cannot adjust here. Therefore we are getting one type of body and enjoying or suffering another type of body, another type of body, another type of body. This is going on. Therefore we are called marginal. If we like, we can transfer ourself to the spiritual world and remain eternally, because we are of the spiritual nature. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This is the description of the soul. The soul is never born, na jāyate. Na mriyate, neither he dies. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. Kadācit, at any time. Not that sometimes we wish to live or sometimes we wish to die. No. Everlastingly, eternally, we never take our birth, never we die. Then what is this death? This death is of the material body, not of the soul. Therefore it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), more distinctly, that "We don't think that the soul is dead after the annihilation of this body."

In the spiritual world there are so many varieties—four-handed, two-handed living entity. They're all nitya-mukta. They're all everlastingly liberated.

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

In the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, the inhabitants, they are also living entities. Just like in this, within this universe, this material universe, there are living entities—there are also living entities, but they are in spiritual body, the same form of body as Kṛṣṇa. You have read in the Sixth Canto of Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Ajāmila, the vaikuṇṭha-dūta came for Ajāmila to take Ajāmila. They are also four-handed, very beautiful. That is Vaikuṇṭhaloka. But in Kṛṣṇaloka they are two-handed. So in the spiritual world there are so many varieties—four-handed, two-handed living entity. They're all nitya-mukta. They're all everlastingly liberated. So we have been just like a prisoner is. Although he's a prisoner, he can be also good citizen. There is no hopelessness. Similarly, we are now prisoner in this material world, and we have got this material body. Therefore we are changing: sometimes young, sometimes old, sometimes these boys, some But tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then, after leaving this body, you're not any more getting this material body. That is stated. tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Then what happens? Mām eti. He comes to back to home, back to Godhead. And as soon as you go, you get your original, spiritual body, same beautiful body as Kṛṣṇa has, as Nārāyaṇa has. This is the opportunity.

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate: "Soul has no birth." Na mriyate: "It has no death."Soul is eternal," śāśvataḥ, "existing everlasting. Don't think that it is lost along with the dissolution of this body. No."

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-8 -- New York, July 21, 1971:

The soul has no birth and death, no disease. Because it is spirit soul. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate: "Soul has no birth." Na mriyate: "It has no death." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) "Soul is eternal," śāśvataḥ, "existing everlasting. Don't think that it is lost along with the dissolution of this body. No." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Na hanyate means it is not killed, or it is destroyed, even after the destruction of this body. This is the missing point of modern civilization. They do not know... There is no educational system in the university, what happens after death. There is no such educational system. The most defective education, because without this knowledge, what happens after death, without this knowledge, one who is dying without this knowledge, he's an animal.

If he is all-pervading and if he is unburnable, then how it is possible that in the fire he does not exist? It cannot be burned, and it is everywhere.

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

"This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluable and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same."

Prabhupāda: So if he is all-pervading and if he is unburnable, then how it is possible that in the fire he does not exist? It cannot be burned, and it is everywhere. Sarva-ga. And we find also when we go on the sea beach—within the sand there is life. Now it is up to you to accept the authority of Bhagavad-gītā or authority of the Americans. That is your... We follow the authorities of Bhagavad-gītā. Adāhyo 'yam: "It cannot be burned." And from reason also, there is... In the water there are living entities; in the air there are living entities; in the earth there are living entities. So the material elements are five: earth, water, fire, air and sky. So if everywhere there is living entities, fire is also one of the material elements. Why not in the fire? What is the reason? And Bhagavad-gītā says, adāhyo 'yam: "It is never burned." So why do you think like that, that in the fire there is no living entity? Therefore they have been described as blind.

This is only one-fourth manifestation of God's creation and the three-fourths creation of God is there. Not creation, it is everlasting.

Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 11, 1976:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja he is nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means there are living entities, every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so one who does not fall down, he is called nitya-siddha. One who does not fall down. Just like in this material world there are millions and millions of living entities, but they have fallen down. But there are multi-millions and millions of living entities in the vaikuṇṭha-loka, they never fall down. They are called nitya-siddha. They never come here. So we have no information. This is only one-fourth manifestation of God's creation and the three-fourths creation of God is there. Not creation, it is everlasting. Just like in the prison house, if you go to the prison house, it does not mean that the whole state is there. It is only insignificant part of the state, and only the criminals they are put together.

Govinda is the original Personality of Godhead, and Śyāmasundara, with a flute in His hands, and He is very pastimious, always smiling. And by His smiling He offers you blessings. You also, by seeing His smiling, you remain everlastingly smiling.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

When your loving spirit is developed fully like the full moon, then in the full moon night, as you can visualize the whole city, similarly, by raising yourself to the platform of loving service of Kṛṣṇa, you will see God face to face. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti yaṁ śyāmasundaram (Bs. 5.38). That God is Śyāmasundara. This Kṛṣṇa is called Śyāmasundara. Śyāma means blackish, but He's very beautiful, very, very beautiful. Śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ. Acintya means inconceivable. His qualities, His transcendental qualities, are inconceivable. When in the Vedic literature it is said that God is quality-less, nirguṇa, nirguṇa means He is transcendental to these material qualities. But His transcendental qualities are there. So He is called that acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam. We just offer our prayers, three verses only from this Brahma-saṁhitā, before our this recitation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That Govinda is the original Personality of Godhead, and Śyāmasundara, with a flute in His hands, and He is very (sic:) pastimious, always smiling. And by His smiling He offers you blessings. You also, by seeing His smiling, you remain everlastingly smiling.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Nitya-līlā means everlasting pastimes. Our līlā, material, that is not nitya-līlā. Whatever I'm acting by this body, it is not nitya; it is temporary.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.395 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

Nitya-līlā means everlasting pastimes. Our līlā, material, that is not nitya-līlā. Whatever I'm acting by this body, it is not nitya; it is temporary. I am the son of such and such family, I am such and such important person, my name is such and such, my position is such and such—these are not nitya. This is temporary. As soon as the body is finished, everything is finished. Then another līlā: I am such and such dog, I am such and such this and that. With the change of body, our līlā is finished. Therefore ours is not nitya-līlā. But Kṛṣṇa's, Bhagavān's activities, they are nitya-līlā. That is the difference. Nitya means eternal. Kṛṣṇa's Vṛndāvana līlā is going on. It is nitya-līlā. Just like what is the time now? Quarter to eight. This quarter to eight is a crude example of the sun. It is going on. It is not that quarter to eight here, but when it will be eight, in some other place it is quarter to eight. Somewhere the sun is rising and setting within this regulation.

Philosophy Discussions

One can put this argument, that the soul is everlasting, so what if the body is killed? But that's all right, body is killed, but you cannot kill the body to hamper its progress.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Śyāmasundara: He says that suicide is no escape from evil because the will is indestructible and eternal.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is a fact. He is putting himself in more. By suicide he becomes a ghost. That is more troublesome. Yes. Because the body given by God, he is killing. So from this body he has to accept another body. So unless that point comes, he has to remain a ghost. No body. Suppose I have to live in this body eighty years. I'll make suicide. So up to five years I have to remain a ghost, no body. Then it may be chance to get another body. This is wrong. Killing of any body, because na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So one can put this argument, that the soul is everlasting, so what if the body is killed? But that's all right, body is killed, but you cannot kill the body to hamper its progress. One living entity is destined to live in a certain body. If you destroy that body, then he has to wait for the next body. That means you are interfering with his progress. Therefore you are sinful.

We have got experience that material things are created, but in the spiritual world things are not created; they are already there, everlasting.

Philosophy Discussion on Aristotle:

Hayagrīva: Plato would say that the flower is a shadow of reality, a perverted reflection of reality. So which point of view would be...?

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is... When the flower is in the material world..., material world is perverted reflection of the spiritual world. That's a fact. We have got experience that material things are created, but in the spiritual world things are not created; they are already there, everlasting. So it appears Aristotle has no knowledge of the spiritual world.

Those who are not falling down, they are called nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated. They are never conditioned.

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Hayagrīva: As for the individual souls, some are unembodied and some are embodied. He believes that some are celestial—they are heavenly—and these souls do not suffer, and some, the ones on earth, suffer. In either case, they are all individuals.

Prabhupāda: That's right. There are souls, innumerable souls. Anantāya kalpate. Nobody can count how many souls are there. So all the souls are as described above. They have got the same qualities of the One, in minute quantity, but some of them are fallen. Just like in the fire there are so many sparks, but one or two may fall down from the fire. Others remains in the fire. Those who are not falling down, they are called nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated. They are never conditioned. And those who have fallen within this material world for sense gratification, they are baddha. They are called nitya-baddha, eternally conditioned. And eternally means that nobody can estimate how long one conditioned soul within this material world is existing here, because the creation is going on perpetually—sometimes manifest, sometimes nonmanifest. But the conditioned soul without Kṛṣṇa consciousness is continuing to exist in this material world.

When one is forgetful of his spiritual consciousness, God consciousness, he is supposed to be dead, and when he, one is alive to the spiritual consciousness or God consciousness, he is alive. In this sense, it is a question of two stages, awakening stage and forgetful stage, but actually a soul is eternal. He never dies, even after the annihilation of this body.

Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Hayagrīva: No, he doesn't. Now here's, here's the point. Augustine believed that God elected some men to everlasting happiness and others to everlasting suffering. With the fall of Adam, or the first man, man was subjected to death. For Augustine, however, death is of two types: physical death—the soul leaves the body—and soul death—the death experienced by the soul when God abandons it. The damned face not only physical death but spiritual, soul death as well.

Prabhupāda: So it may..., it can be taken figuratively, that when one forgets his position, that is a kind of death also. One forgets himself. But actually soul is eternal, and what Augustine says as spiritual death, that is his forgetfulness. Just like in unconsciousness one forgets his identity, but if he is dead then he cannot revive consciousness. Similarly, it is little difficult for the bodily concept of life persons, but there are many proofs and understanding that soul is eternal. He, of course, until he gets his freedom from this material existence, he is spiritually dead. Even though he is working in this material form, because he has forgotten his real identity, that is also a kind of death. Yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī. This śloka explains how one is dead and how one is alive. When one is forgetful of his spiritual consciousness, God consciousness, he is supposed to be dead, and when he, one is alive to the spiritual consciousness or God consciousness, he is alive. In this sense, it is a question of two stages, awakening stage and forgetful stage, but actually a soul is eternal. He never dies, even after the annihilation of this body.

Hayagrīva: But the forgetful stage is never everlasting or eternal, is it?

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is not. It can be, what is called, revived, his consciousness. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Just like a man is sleeping, almost unconscious, but if you call him again and again, and the sound enters through the ear into the heart, he becomes awakened. Similarly, by this chanting process he revives his spiritual consciousness, then he is alive in his spiritual life.