Śukadeva Gosvāmī uses two specific words, bhaktim and parām. Bhaktiṁ parām means execution of devotional service above the neophyte stage. Those who are simply attracted to temple worship but do not know the philosophy of bhakti are in the neophyte stage. That sort of bhakti is not the perfectional stage. The perfectional stage of bhakti, or devotional service, is completely free from material contamination. The most dangerous aspect of contamination is lust, or sex life. Bhaktiṁ parām devotional service is so potent that the more one advances in this line, the more he loses his attraction for material life. One who is actually deriving benefit from hearing the rāsa-līlā dance surely achieves the transcendental position. He surely loses all traces of lust in his heart.
Param means
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 2
Brahmājī also described the highest planet of the Vaikuṇṭhaloka as Goloka Vṛndāvana, where the Lord resides as a cowherd boy keeping transcendental surabhi cows and surrounded by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune.
- cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-
- lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam
- lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.29)
The statement of the Bhagavad-gītā, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), is also confirmed herewith. param means transcendental Brahman. Therefore, the abode of the Lord is also Brahman, nondifferent from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is known as Vaikuṇṭha, and His abode is also known as Vaikuṇṭha. Such Vaikuṇṭha realization and worship can be made possible by transcendental form and sense.
SB Canto 7
The word param means "the supreme cause," and aparam means "the effect." The supreme cause is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the effect is material nature. The living entities, both moving and nonmoving, are controlled by the Vedic instructions in art and science, and therefore they are all expansions of the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the center as the Supersoul.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Brahman realization or self-realization means no longer lamentation, no longer hankering. Then next stage is samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, means then he becomes equal to everyone. He does not treat differently to different living entities. Because he can see the spirit soul in everyone, he sees everyone on the same equal position. This stage is called the bona fide stage for devotional service. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
That is our perfectional stage. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām means to be engaged in the loving service of God. So for cultivating knowledge, we are opening so many centers. You can take advantage and cultivate knowledge. Jñāna-tapasā. And practice little austerity. Get the knowledge. Just like we are discussing in this meeting. It is meant for acquiring knowledge. So we hold meeting at least twice, thrice in every center. So you can also participate and take the knowledge. And if you practice little austerity, then—two things, jñāna-tapasā—you become purified. And as soon as you are purified, you understand what you are, and what is God, and what is your relationship with God. And as soon as you know these three things your life is perfect.
Very nice description in the Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Every individual person is trying to control, to become controller. Just like somebody tries to become president of your state. What is the idea behind? To become controller. They are spending millions of dollars to get that post. So I want to become very rich businessman like Rockefeller or Ford. What is the idea? To become controller. I want to rule over my family members, I want to be controller. If I have nobody to control, I get some dog to control. This is my, I mean to say, intuition. I want to control. So everyone is controller in different degrees. And the Brahma-saṁhitā says that God is supreme controller. That's all. He is also controller. But there is nobody else who can control Him. He controls everything. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara means controller. Parama means the supreme. Very nice, very simple description of God.
Practically the major questions which are embarrassing us... Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). We are embarrassed with the material miseries of life. That has not been solved. The major questions have been set aside. Simply by thinking that "There is no God. We are God. Science is everything," oh, do you think that is advancement of knowledge? No.
So therefore ajñānena āvṛtaṁ jñānam. This is, this sort of advancement of knowledge in the material science is also another type of ignorance. The Lord says, ajñānena āvṛtaṁ jñānam: "Real knowledge is now covered. Real knowledge, being covered by nescience," ajñānena tena muhyanti jantavaḥ, "therefore they are actually perplexed." So by the name of so-called advancement of knowledge the whole population of the world, they are now perplexed. Even we do not go into the details, but any sane man will admit that we are not advancing. Actually we are degraded in so many ways.
- jñānena tu tad ajñānaṁ
- yeṣāṁ nāśitam ātmanaḥ
- teṣām ādityavaj jñānaṁ
- prakāśayati tat param
- (BG 5.16)
Tat param. This tat param word is very significant. Tat param means "in relationship with the Supreme Lord." That is called tat param. That knowledge is real knowledge.
Full opulent: complete wealth, complete strength, complete beauty, complete knowledge, complete renunciation. One who possesses all these six things completely, he is Bhagavān. Bhagavān is not so cheap thing that it can be found in the lanes and streets and road. So that is also another misunderstanding. Therefore, Vyāsadeva says, "śrī-bhagavān uvāca..." He is complete in everything. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Īśvara means controller. Parama means supreme, no more better than that. That is also enunciated by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior element than Me." So, if we study Bhagavad-gītā, if we understand what is the nature of Bhagavān, then our life is successful. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). So Kṛṣṇa is describing Himself. You try to understand from the statement of Kṛṣṇa with your logic, argument, science and everything. You will find complete answer.
Just like in our cooking process we can cook varieties of rice. Rice is there. The varieties of names are there: anna, paramānna, puṣpānna, kicoranna, like that. So the supreme anna is called paramānna. Parama means the supreme. Anna, the rice, is there, but it has become supreme. Ordinary rice is not called supreme rice. This is also rice. And when you prepare rice with kṣīra, means milk, and other nice ingredients, it is called paramānna. Similarly, the symptoms of living entities and Bhagavān—one is practically the same. Bhagavān... We have got this body; Bhagavān has got this body. Bhagavān is also living being; we are also living being. Bhagavān has got creative energy; we have also creative energy. But the difference is He is very great. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. When Bhagavān creates this whole universe, He does not require anyone's help. He creates the sky. From the sky there is sound; from the sound there is air; from the air there is fire; from fire there is water; and from water the earth is there.
If God has any perfect name, that is "Kṛṣṇa." Because "Kṛṣṇa" means all-attractive. God cannot be attractive for certain person. God cannot be Christian God or a Hindu God or Muslim God. God is equally attractive for Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddha. That is real God. And if Hindu has manufactured some God, Christian has manufactured some God, that may be God partially, but not the Supreme God. The Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Parama means supreme. God... You are also god, I am also god, and every one of us, god. Why? God means controller. So controller, every one of us is a controller to certain extent, not the complete controller. But Kṛṣṇa means the complete controller. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Controller... You may be controller; I may be controller; he may be controller; but not controller like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can control all other controllers. Therefore He is called supreme controller, Parameśvara, Paramātmā, Parabrahman.
Apareyam itas tu. Apareyam itas tu anyāṁ prakṛtim. There is another prakṛti, another energy. Because parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Kṛṣṇa has got multi, various energies. So these eight elements, material elements in manifestation of His inferior energy. And the superior energy, Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam itas tu anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām. Parām means superior energy. And that superior energy is jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). They are living entities, just like we are living entities.
Just like we are His energy. Living entities, they are superior energy of God. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Parām means superior. So we are also energy. So energy and the energetic, they're one. Just like the sun and the sunshine, they're not different. So wherever the sunshine is there, there is sun. You cannot deny that. Wherever the sunshine is there, there is sun. Similarly, wherever the energy of God is there, there is God. So in that way, everything is God.
Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated by Vyāsadeva that kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Similarly, in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara means controller. So parama means the supreme. So every one of us, we are more or less controller. But we are not supreme controller. We must know this. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). There are some men who claim to become Īśvara, to become God. So we have no objection, that if somebody says, "I am God," or "I am controller," we have no objection. But if somebody says that "I am supreme God," or "supreme controller," then we have got objection. Supreme means he has no controller. And ordinary controller, just like we are... You are controller. You are controlling some sphere of life. I am also controlling some. But I also being controlled.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Just like in your Bible it is said. So there was creation. So how He can be one of the created beings? By His wish there was creation. And another thing is then His desires, His wish, they are nothing of this material world. They are spiritual. Prakṛteḥ param means "superior to this material world."
In the Bhagavad-gītā, you understand, there are two kinds of nature: parā and aparā. So this material nature is aparā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Apareyam. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). The land, water, fire, air, sky, these five elements, they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: "They are separated energy, inferior quality energy. But beyond this inferior quality energy, I have got another superior quality of energy." What is that? Jīva-bhūta. You can understand that jīva-bhūta, the living entities. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Because jīva-bhūta, we living entities, we are superior than the matter because we are controlling the matter.
Therefore Kuntīdevī says: tathā paramahaṁsānām (SB 1.8.20). Parama means ultimate. Haṁsa means swan. So paramahaṁsa means the perfect haṁsa. Haṁsa. It is said that if you... Haṁsa means swan. If you give to swan milk mixed with water, she will take the milk part and leave aside the water part. Similarly, a person who knows what is this material world... Material world is made of two natures—the inferior nature and the superior nature. The superior nature means spiritual life, and inferior nature is material life. So a person who gives up the material part of this world and takes only the spiritual part, he is called paramahaṁsa. Paramahaṁsa. Spiritual part means one who knows that whatever is working in this material... Just like this body—your body, my body. Anyone who knows that this movement, the activities of this body is due to the soul which is within this body... That is the real fact. This is only outward covering. Similarly, one who knows that Kṛṣṇa is the center of these all activities, he's paramahaṁsa. He knows the fact.
Tathā paramahaṁsānām (SB 1.8.20). Kṛṣṇa is realized by qualification, and the qualifications are described here. The first qualification is paramahaṁsa. Paramahaṁsa. Parama means the best, and haṁsa means the swans. So there are different types of swans. We have seen. Out of them, the white big swan is accepted the best of them. So this haṁsa, or this swan, has got a qualification special, that you offer them milk mixed with water. So the haṁsa, it will take the milk portion and leave aside the water portion. Every animal has got a special qualification. Just like you'll find the lizard, a very plain wall, polished wall, but they'll go very swiftly. You have no science to do that. You cannot do it. The vulture, it goes very high. They have got very small eyes, but they can see from miles away where is some dead body. That is their business.
So in Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna says, after understanding Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, he said, "You are Parabrahma." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Bhavān. Bhavān means "Your Lordship." "You are Parabrahma, the Supreme Brahma." He's the Supreme Brahma. Brahma means spirit and brahma means the greatest. So he has explicitly explained that spirit soul, we are all spirit soul, every one of us. But He is the supreme spirit soul, param. That is the difference. Supreme human being.
Prabhupāda: Yat-param.
Pradyumna: Sandarśayām āsa paraṁ na yat-param.
Prabhupāda: Param. We are seeing here in this material world, this apartment is better than the down apartment. So it is param. Param means better superior quality. So here in this material world we are finding out something superior than the others, because it is relative world. But the kingdom of Godhead, Vaikuṇṭha, na yat-param, there is no more param. Finished. All param finished.
But if you want to realize God, as it is said here, tapasaiva, only by tapasya, only by penance, one can realize. Otherwise not. Otherwise it is not possible. Therefore this word is used, tapasaiva. Tapasā eva: "only by tapasya." There is no other means. Tapasā eva param. Param means the Supreme. If you want to realize the Supreme, the Absolute, then you must agree to certain type of tapasya. Otherwise it is not possible. The preliminary little tapasya. Just like ekādaśī. That is also item of the tapasya. Actually on the ekādaśī days we shall not take any food, even drink water. But in our society we are not doing so much strictly. We say, "Ekādaśī, you don't take food grains. Take little fruit, milk." This is tapasya. So we cannot execute this tapasya?
If you have got bhakti, then you will have no attachment for material enjoyment. That is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktiḥ. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is... Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā. Param means better, superior things; dṛṣṭvā, by seeing, these lower inferior things is rejected. That is... Two things cannot go on.
. Just like spark. Spark is jyoti, but not as brilliant, effulgent, as the original fire. The original fire—phat! phat!—there are some sparks. You have got experience. The spark is also jyoti. If a spark falls on your cloth, it will immediately burn. The burning capacity is there. But it is not as good as the original fire. Svayaṁ-jyotiḥ. Here it is said, nirantaram. So nirantaram means there is, so far jyoti is concerned, there is no difference, but the small, very small. Aṇimānam akhaṇḍitam. This is self-realization. Don't falsely claim that "Because I am qualitatively one with God, therefore I am God." No. You may be god. God means controller. But you are not the Supreme God. The Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Parama means Supreme. We are īśvara, we may be īśvara. I may be īśvara for few persons, another may be for a big nation, another may be for the... You can go on increasing. But you cannot reach the, I mean to say, position of God. That is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ.
But with advancement, advancement of scientific knowledge he has lost his sleep, insomnia. So they are taking the advancement of knowledge in this way, but the Vedic scripture says that, jñānaṁ niḥśreyasārthāya, to achieve the highest perfection. That we are discussing in so many ways. And what is that highest perfection? Highest perfection is there, mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gataḥ. Highest perfection, saṁsiddhiṁ paramām. Param means the supreme, and saṁsiddhim means perfection.
- mām upetya kaunteya
- duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
- nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
- saṁsiddhiṁ paramam gataḥ
- (BG 8.15)
This is highest perfection, Kṛṣṇa says. All śāstra, it says like that, and the whole Vedic literature is meant for achieving the highest perfection of life.
Āyur means duration of life. Simply wasted. Vyayaḥ, vyayaḥ means expanded or wasted. Param. This duration of life, human form of life is param. Param means the supreme. Not like cats and dogs. Their āyuḥ, they also live for some time, we also live, but their life is useless. They cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. But we human beings, if we are trained up we can understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore it is called param. Everything is param.
One must know that there is a controller. That is the beginning of knowledge. Why should you deny? In every field of activity we find some controller. How can I deny that there is no controller of this creation? There is. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu particularly uses this word. He's not manufacturing that word. This jagadīśa, this word, is there in the Vedic language in many verses. Jaya jagadīśa hare. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. The Jagannātha is Jagadīśa, the same word. Jagat-nātha, Jagannātha. Jagat-īśa, Jagadīśa. So... And who is that Jagadīśa? That is being defined by Brahma, the first living creature of this universe, in the Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). The Supreme Lord... Parama means supreme. Parama means the best, the supreme, the superior. Just like we manufacture... We not manufacture; we prepare sometimes paramānna. Anna, anna means foodstuff, and paramānna means that sweet rice. It is called paramānna. Amongst all sorts of rice preparation, that sweet rice preparation is considered to be the best. So param is used when it is the best or the supermost. So īśvaraḥ, controller. There are many controllers. "Might is right." But nobody is supreme controller. That is not possible. Nobody. Everyone is trying to become the supreme controller, but that is not being possible.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ. Parama means highest class superiority which is not possible for ordinary men. They take it as miracle or something, a story or allegory. But actually it is not. Just like when Lord Rāmacandra appeared, He made a bridge between India and Ceylon. There is no history in the world that one has made bridge over the ocean, Indian Ocean. And how the bridge was made? Not in the present, modern way, that making concrete on the ground and then pillars and then... No. The stones were floating. The Rāmacandra assistants, all the monkeys, what kind of engineers are they? They could bring, order, "Bring some stone." They had very good health. What is that? Gorilla. So they brought big, big stones, and they began to float. Now, one may inquire or may question, "How stone can float?" Why stone cannot float? If this big, big lump of matter, earthly planet and other planets, they are floating in the air, why the stone cannot float? If God likes, it will float. That is God desire. It is God's plan.
The Brahma-saṁhitā describing about Kṛṣṇa, that īśvara, Lord... There are many lords. We have got experience. In England you will find many lords. We had some dealing with Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland. There are many lords. In your country also there are many lords. Any rich man is lord. In our country also there are many lords. But Kṛṣṇa is not a lord like them. These lords are under the grip of material nature. They are lord by name. But as soon as the material nature gives a slap on the lord, at once passed, everything lordship finished. So He is not a lord like that. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. He is Lord, but the Supreme Lord. He is not under anyone's control. Here the stamped lord, rubber-stamped lord, they are under full control. So they may say that "I am lord of all I survey," but it is all foolishness. Nobody is lord. The real Lord is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Parama means Supreme. And who is that Supreme Lord? Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
General Lectures
A very nice thing is there," mahān guṇaḥ, "very great opportunity, great boon." And what is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet: (SB 12.3.51) "Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one can become freed from all contamination and he'll be eligible to be promoted to the spiritual param." Param means beyond this dark region. This material world is called tamaḥ, darkness. Just like there is no sun now. It is dark. We have to illuminate by electric light, by moonlight, by so many things. Actually the nature is dark. Therefore the Vedic injunction is tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Don't try to remain in this dark region. Go to that effulgent region.
The Supreme Person, or Īśvara... The word īśvara means controller. So everyone is controller. All of you are present here, to some extent, every one of us is a controller to a limited extent. But here it is mentioned, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Parama means ultimate. We are controller, every one of us, but we are controlled also. That is our position. Nobody can say... All the gentlemen, ladies present here, nobody can say that "I am controller absolute." That is not possible. Everyone is relative controller. But if you try to find out who is the absolute controller, then He's Kṛṣṇa. This has been analyzed by great scholars in the Vedic śāstras, by the Gosvāmīs, and this is the statement of Lord Brahmā, who's supposed to be the first creature within this universe. So he says, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1): "Īśvara, the supreme ultimate controller, is Kṛṣṇa. And He's vigraha." Vigraha means person, with body. Just like we have got body, similarly, the Absolute Supreme Person has also body. But His body is different from ours. Sac-cit-ānanda-vigraha. His body is eternal.
If you begin chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then you become aloof from all these faulty situation of this Kali-yuga. And if you keep yourself aloof, then mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. Then you'll, next life, you'll be promoted to the kingdom of God. Param means the spiritual world. There is another, spiritual world. This is material world. This material world, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, you, perhaps you know, that paras tasmāt tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātana-dhāma (BG 8.20). God is sanātana and we are sanātana. When we combine together, that is called sanātana-dharma.
I was present in the past, I am now present in the present, and I shall exist in the future. Then what is my problem? The problem is why I am changing this position of eternity? I am sanātana. I am eternal. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is the real existence, that I am Brahman. Brahman means eternal. But Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman. Param means the supreme, the chief. Therefore there are two terms in the Vedic language: ātmā, paramātmā; brahman, parabrahman; īśvara, parameśvara. There are two terms. We are not parameśvara, not paramātmā, not parabrahman. We are ātmā, īśvara... We can say, "I am īśvara."
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Param Brahman. Param means the chief, param.
Kīrtanānanda: Param Brahman.
Prabhupāda: Param Brahman. We are all Brahmans. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Every one of us, living entity, Brahman. But He is the chief Brahman. Just like you are all Americans, but your president is the chief American. Do you understand? So similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the chief Brahman. You are all Brahman, but He is the chief Brahman. Is it clear? That's all right. (Break) ...that "This boy hears very nicely. He does not go away," the first impression he gave to other godbrothers. "So I shall make him disciple." These very words he said. Actually I did not follow him in the beginning. High philosophical speaking and I was a new boy. I could not follow him, but actually I was so much glad to hear him.
Allen Ginsberg: According to Caitanya, Viṣṇu is an expansion of...
Prabhupāda: Of Kṛṣṇa.
Allen Ginsberg: Of Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Rāmādi-mūrtiśu... In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated. Rāmādi-murttisu kalā niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatārān akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu, kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ. Kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ. Svayaṁ means the Supreme Person. Samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo. Parama means the Supreme; pumān means the puruṣa, the male. God is male. God is not female. The conception of female God, that is not authorized. Paramaḥ pumān yo. So female is prakṛti, nature. Parasya śaktīr vividhaiva... Śaktī. So He has got many energies. The whole thing is manifested by energy, multi-energies. Viṣṇu-śaktīḥ parā prokta (CC Madhya 6.154). Viṣṇu, the energy of Viṣṇu, is transcendental, spiritual. Kṣetrajñākhya tathā para. As also this kṣetrajñā-śaktī, marginal potency, that is also transcendental, that is living entities. They are also transcendental. They are not material. Avidyā-karma-saṅga anya tṛtīya-śaktīr iśyate. Another śaktī, another energy, is there. That is avidyā, darkness. This is material energy. So living entity is originally spiritual, transcendental, as good as Kṛṣṇa's personal energy. But now they are covered by this material energy.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, everyone. Not only your father, your grandfather, your, or grandson, the same relationship: simultaneously one and different... Because we are spirit soul and God is the supreme soul. All the souls have come, emanated from Him. He is the supreme soul and Paramātmā. The exact word used in the Vedic language, Paramātmā, Parabrahma, Parameśvara. This word param. Param means supreme.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Our subject matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that systematize... The progress of human society should be systematized according to śāstra. Just like your government, it is conducted under certain rules and regulations. You have to refer to the government regulative principles, and expert government officers, they are selected. Formally it was ICS, now it is IAS. That means reference to the authorities. Similarly, there are authorities which are called śāstra. Śās-dhātu means to rule. From Śās-dhātu, śāstra and śastra. Śastra means weapon. If you do not act according to the śāstra then there is śastra. Śastra means weapon, government. If you violate the rules of the government then there is police department, there is military department which will force you to accept the government regulation. And from the same śās-dhātu is śiṣya, one who voluntarily accepts the discipline.
- yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
- vartate kāma-kārataḥ
- na sa siddhim avāpnoti
- na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim
- (BG 16.23)
The aim of human life is parāṁ gatim. Parāṁ gatim means the supreme perfection. Gatim means progress, and parām means the supreme. Our life is progressive. By evolution we have come to this human form of life through many forms of life.
| Page Title: | Param means |
| Compiler: | Sahadeva, ChrisF, Rishab, Serene |
| Created: | 07 of Apr, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=2, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=26, Con=5, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 34 |