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Nobody can claim that "I am the only rich," or "Nobody is richer than me." That is not possible. But if you find somebody who is the richest - nobody is richer than him - then he is God

Expressions researched:
"That is not possible. But if you find somebody who is the richest"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

You are rich, I am rich, he is rich, but nobody can claim that "I am the only rich," or "Nobody is richer than me." That is not possible. But if you find somebody who is the richest—nobody is richer than him—then he is God.
Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

Vedic knowledge means you cannot argue. You have to accept authoritative. Just like the government literature, government regulation, when it is published, gazette, you cannot argue. Whatever the government has decided, you have to accept because government is the authority. Similarly, Vedic knowledge means you cannot argue. You can argue, but that argument is not to defeat. That argument is for understanding. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you cannot understand, then you have to put questions very humbly, praṇipātena, not by challenging. Praṇipāta. Praṇipāta means very humbly submitting oneself. Praṇipātena paripraśna. Otherwise there is no need of questioning. If you have no praṇipāta... Praṇipāta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipātena, fully submissive. The answers... You should approach to a person, questioning, with praṇipāta, means you cannot challenge him. Whatever answer he gives, you must be prepared to accept it. Otherwise don't put question. That is the system, Vedic system. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena (BG 4.34). First of all you cannot argue because it is settled fact. Vinirṇītam.

Just like some law is passed after much discussion in the legislative assembly, but when the law is passed, enacted, you cannot argue anymore. "Under such and such law you have to do this section." Then you cannot argue. Similarly, Vedic knowledge, it is nirṇītam. It is already established. Simply you have to know it submissively. If you are lacking in that submissiveness, then don't put question. That will be simply waste of time. That is Vedic system. First of all you should approach a person whom you think that he is the right person; he can give the answer. Then you put question. If you have doubt that "This man may be or may not be able to answer my question," then don't put question because you are not prepared to take his answer. Therefore here it is said, bhagavān uvāca. You cannot put any question. That is the way.

Because Bhagavān means... Every word has got meaning. Bhaga means opulence. So one of the opulence is nobody is wiser than Him. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Bhagavān means one who possesses six kinds of opulences, richness, aiśvaryasya samagrasya, total richness. You are rich, I am rich, he is rich, but nobody can claim that "I am the only rich," or "Nobody is richer than me." That is not possible. But if you find somebody who is the richest—nobody is richer than him—then he is God. Then he's God. God is not so cheap thing that in every street, every village, there is incarnation of God. Don't accept that. You must know what is meaning of God. At least we followers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we do not accept such cheap God. The God's description is there in the śāstra. Just like one of the description is given in the Brahma-saṁhitā,

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.48)

So it is described here that yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya, that you... Just like we are breathing, exhaling and inhaling, so God is also being. We have already explained. So we are also being. We are breathing. He is also breathing. But our breathing is for a moment, but His duration of breathing is described in the śāstra that when He is exhaling, innumerable universes are coming out, and when He's inhaling, innumerable universes are going into Him. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). This breathing period, taking advantage of the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, millions of universes, jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ... Not only universes, the chief person of the universe, Brahmā, they are coming and going, coming and going. And the Brahmā's duration of life, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇaḥ (BG 8.17). We cannot calculate even the twelve hours day period by our mathematical calculation.

So that is meaning of God. And this God, Mahā-Viṣṇu, is partial representation of Govinda. Viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajā... So sometimes cheap gods in the Western country. They cheat you. But God is not so cheap. This is one of the description of God, that within the breathing period of God, Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is not directly God—He is an expansion of God, Mahā-Viṣṇu—the total material energy is being created an annihilated. That is God. So that aiśvaryasya samagra. This is one opulence. If we possess one house, we become very opulent. If another possesses two house or three house... Now, here, in the breathing period of God, there are innumerable universes. You cannot calculate what is the opulence. One universe you cannot calculate. The one universe you are daily experiencing. What is the position of the sun? What is the position of the moon? What is the position of other planets? You cannot calculate. And there are innumerable universes. And that is depending on the breathing period of God. So we say, "God is great." We should try to understand how great He is, not that the Dr. Frog's greatness, no. That is not greatness, no, my calculation, "God may be like this. God may be like that." You have to understand about God from the authorized person who knows things as they are. Then you can also know.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says here in the Ninth Chapter, śrī-bhagavān uvāca, idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave: "My dear Arjuna, I shall speak to you..." He is giving him so many instruction because Arjuna has submitted to Kṛṣṇa. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I am now perplexed. I am therefore submitting myself unto You." Kṛṣṇa was his friend. There was no submission. A friend does not submit to another friend. Then there is no meaning of friendship. But here Kṛṣṇa voluntarily, er, Arjuna voluntarily said that "I am submitting. Don't treat me as Your friend. Now You treat me as Your disciple. I am submitting." So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "My dear Arjuna, now I shall speak to you the most confidential part of knowledge." Idaṁ tu te guhyatamam. Guhya means confidential. And there is comparative, superlative degree. That is guhya, guhyatara, and guhyatama. So Kṛṣṇa said, "I'll speak to you the most confidential part of knowledge." Pravakṣyāmi. Pravakṣyāmi means "I shall explain to you." Vakṣyāmi means "I will speak," and pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa, "Very explicitly I shall speak to you." Another word is used here, anasūyave. Asūya means envious, envy. "I am speaking to you because you are not envious." This is the qualification.

Page Title:Nobody can claim that "I am the only rich," or "Nobody is richer than me." That is not possible. But if you find somebody who is the richest - nobody is richer than him - then he is God
Compiler:Krsnadas
Created:11 of Jul, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1