Greatest man

Expressions researched:
"greatest man" |"greatest men"

SB Canto 2

The greatest intelligent man of the world or the greatest man of science can present everything very beautifully only insofar as the spirit life is there or insomuch as the spiritual touch is there.

SB 2.4.23, Purport: The intelligent man can see without mistake that any material creation (whether one's own body or a fruit or flower) cannot beautifully grow up without the spiritual touch. The greatest intelligent man of the world or the greatest man of science can present everything very beautifully only insofar as the spirit life is there or insomuch as the spiritual touch is there. Therefore the source of all truths is the Supreme Spirit, and not gross matter as wrongly conceived by the gross materialist. We get information from the Vedic literature that the Lord Himself first entered the vacuum of the material universe, and thus all things gradually developed one after another.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Even the greatest man, you will find some enemy. This is the nature of this world.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966: A sādhu, a saint, is he who is friend of all, not only of human being, even of animals and less than animals. These are the qualification of sādhu. Ajāta-śatravaḥ. And they have no enemies. Or they are not anyone's enemy. Everyone's friend. Enemy, of course, even the greatest man, you will find some enemy. This is the nature of this world. Even the most perfect man will have some enemy. So that is different thing. But the sādhu, the saint, is no, no one's enemy. He's friend of everyone.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

He is the greatest rich man. He is the greatest strong man. He is greatest man of knowledge. He is greatest the man of beauty. That is God.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.29 -- San Francisco, January 21, 1967: The Brahman, as explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's summarizing, Brahman means the greatest. Greatest means... How we can estimate greatest? "Oh, he is the greatest rich man. He is the greatest strong man. He is greatest man of knowledge. He is greatest the man of beauty. He is greatest man of..." That is God. That's all. You find out any person in this world who is greatest rich man—you won't find. Therefore nobody's God. You find out any man, he is the greatest strong man. There is no such thing. If you find me greatest strong, and after a few days you'll find, "Oh, Bruce is stronger than Swamijī." Then, if you conclude there, you'll find, "Oh, Dvārakādhīśa is stronger than Bruce." You go on. You find stronger and weaker, both. You'll find weaker than you and stronger than you.

So if a man is the greatest man in richness, greatest man in power, greatest man in fame, greatest man in knowledge, greatest man in beauty, then where is the impersonality?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.31-38 -- San Francisco, January 22, 1967: Brahman, the great, means He is great in all respect. He is great in richness, He is great in strength, He is great in power, He is great in knowledge, He is great in renouncement. Then He is great. So if a man is the greatest man in richness, greatest man in power, greatest man in fame, greatest man in knowledge, greatest man in beauty, then where is the impersonality? These are all personal qualifications. So Brahman, or the Supreme, or the Absolute Truth, cannot be imperson. Imperson may be a feature, but ultimately He is person.

Initiation Lectures

If you want to be the greatest man in your country, just like President Nixon, so you have to work very hard. And that is also for temporary. It will be finished within five years. Then you are ordinary man again. So better remain and in your own capacity, and try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious.

Initiation of Lokanatha dasa -- New Vrindaban, May 21, 1969: Everyone is trying to become God: "I shall be the great man of this country," or "My country shall be the greatest country in the world." That means God is great, and everyone is trying to be great like that. That is competition. So you are trying, I am trying, he is trying, everyone is trying. This is called māyā. But our Bhāgavata philosophy says that "Don't try artificially in that way. Better remain what you are. Better remain..." Just like the same example: If you want to be the greatest man in your country, just like President Nixon, so you have to work very hard. And that is also for temporary. It will be finished within five years. Then you are ordinary man again. So better remain and in your own capacity, and try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends this process, that you don't try artificially to become God the great. It is not possible. Simply waste of time.

General Lectures

Beauty sometimes can conquer even the greatest man, but that does not mean beauty can conquer God. No. That is not possible.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 2, 1968: God realization depends on God, because God, you cannot oblige God by some force. Just like if you have got money, oh, you can do anything nowadays. If you have got strength of wealth, you can have any power, you can do anything. But that does not mean that you can purchase God. No. That is not possible. If you have got beauty, you can conquer over very stalwart, very strong men. Just like what is the... Cleopatra. You have heard the Grecian history. She was very beautiful, and she conquered many great warriors. So beauty sometimes can conquer even the greatest man, but that does not mean beauty can conquer God. No. That is not possible. So the vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. To conquer God is bhakti. If you are advanced in devotional service, then you can conquer God.