Plural (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"plural" |"plural" |"pluralism" |"plurality"

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:

Pradyumna: "Chance." It's a noun and adjective. "1. The way things fall out. Fortune, undesigned occurrence, opportunity, possibility, probability. Especially in plural, as 'the chances are against him.' Absence of design or discoverable cause. Course of events regarded as a power, fate. 'By chance': as it falls or fell out; without design. 'On the chance': in view of the possibility. 'Take one's chance': let things go as they may. Consent to take what comes."

Prabhupāda: So it can be adjusted with the meanings of chance and necessity. I want something; that is my necessity. And it will come by chance? Or I have to endeavor for it, and then I get it? Shall I depend on chance? I have a necessity for something. So should I wait for the chance?

Śyāmasundara: We've always been taught, "No. You must work very hard toward..."

Prabhupāda: So where is the waiting for chance? There is plan. If I have to work, to get the thing, then it is plan.

Pradyumna: If they follow their philosophy to the conclusion, they would have to be completely dependent, if they followed the philosophy to the conclusion.

Prabhupāda: If the chance comes as soon as the necessity is there, then we have to admit immediately God.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 26, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: In the Vedas also, it is stated, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The description of God is like that He's eternal amongst the eternals. We are also eternal, the living entities. And God is also eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ... cetana, He's the vital living force among all living forces. We are all living forces and He's the chief living force. Then what is the distinction between this singular number, nitya, and the plural number, nityas? The distinction is that that singular number, nitya, is maintaining this plural number, nityas. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That is the distinction. Otherwise God is also a living entity like us, like one of us. But he's the chief. Just like father and children. Father is the chief man in the family and he's providing all necessities to life for the children, for the wife (indistinct). Although the father is also living entity and the children are also living entities, but the father is providing the children, and the children are being provided by the father. So this is the understanding. Unless we understand this, there cannot be any peace. That is the Vedic version. Anyone who understands this, he gets peace. Otherwise there's no possibility of peace. If I think that I am the proprietor, if I think that I am the enjoyer, or, in other words, I am God, then you'll never get peace. That is not possible. That is a false. If one of the children thinks that I am the independent, then naturally father will say, "All right, if you're independent, do your own business." This is an example. So if you want peace then, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, you have to learn these three things. It is not very difficult. To accept God as the Supreme Enjoyer, and God as the sole proprietor of everything, and He's the best friend of everyone. Then you have peace.

Morning Walk -- May 12, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Do we have anything, Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the reference, saying that all the living entities are already there?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that jīva-jātiṣu.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, and that implies?

Prabhupāda: Jīva-jāti, different grades of jīva. Jāti, you know jāti?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like there are different nations. They are already existing. So jāti means that. Jāti means born of a particular species. That is jāti. Jīva-jātiṣu. Ṣu, plural number. So many jīva-jātiṣu. He's simply Bhramadbhiḥ. Just like I am traveling, sometimes America, some Australia, sometimes... But they are already there. I am going sometimes in America, sometimes Australia, sometimes Africa, but they are already there. I am the man; I am traveling. Not that because I have to come to America, I create America. This is nonsense. And there are many countries I have not gone there. Does it mean that they are not existing? They have no even human reason, these rascal scientists. The common sense reason. And Bhagavad-gītā clearly says they are already existing. Wherever you like, you can go. You can go even up to the kingdom of God if you so desire. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Conversation with Mr. Wadell -- July 10, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes, the difference is eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. God is the maintainer, the supplier of all necessities of the so many persons. That is God.

Mr. Wadell: Yes, I accept that.

Prabhupāda: This is the difference. We are maintained, and He is maintainer. That is difference. Otherwise, God is also person, I am also person. One is maintainer and others, the plural number, they are maintained. In the Christian religion also, the same idea is: "God give us our daily bread," maintenance. So that is the difference. He is the bread supplier, and we are bread eater. That's all.

Mr. Wadell: He doesn't supply his bread to everybody unless...

Prabhupāda: Everybody, yes, everybody. Beginning...

Mr. Wadell: People die, do they not?

Prabhupāda: Die, that is another thing. People die even if he has got many things to eat, still he dies. Can you check it? That does not depend on eating. There are many men. They are dying.

Room Conversation with Cardinal Danielou -- August 9, 1973, Paris:

Cardinal Danielou: We are distinct from God in a certain sense.

Prabhupāda: But as I am the individual being, similarly God is also individual being.

Cardinal Danielou: Individual being, yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: Being. That is the Vedic statement, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God is also a living entity.

Cardinal Danielou: Living, God is living.

Prabhupāda: Living entity.

Cardinal Danielou: Living, living.

Prabhupāda: And we are also living entities. But He's singular number, we are plural number.

Yogeśvara: Il est unique, nous sont nombre.

Cardinal Danielou: But do you think that really God love human beings and...?

Prabhupāda: God loves...

Cardinal Danielou: Love...

Prabhupāda: ...every living entity.

Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: Now it is government. But formerly it was the king. The king must be representative of God. Because... Who is God? God means nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Kaṭhopaniṣad. So God, what is God? God means He's also person. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. He is also eternal, He's also cognizant. We are also eternal, we are also cognizant. But what is the difference between God and we? The difference is He maintains us. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. Bahu-vacanam, nityānām, cetanānām, this is bahu-vacanam. And nityaḥ, cetanaḥ, eka-vacanam. So what is the difference between this singular number and plural number? The singular number is maintaining the plural number. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. So God is maintaining everyone. So difference is that He is so powerful, He can maintain every living entity. He's maintaining the elephants in Africa, who eat, at a time, forty kilos. He's supplying food. There's no scarcity of food in the jungle for the elephants. Neither there is scarcity... In the hole of your room, you'll find hundreds and thousands of ui. Who is feeding them, within the hole? Unless they're eating, sleeping, the same thing are there. How they are living very nicely? But who is giving them food within the hole? A small hole. You did not provide that hole. You did not provide their food. But there are hundreds and millions of ants. They're living there within the hole very happily. Sometimes they come out. We see: "Oh, wherefrom so many hundreds coming?" So eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That is God. He's supplying food. So there are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. Out of that, 400,000 are human beings. Out of that, many are uncivilized. The uncivilized aborigines live in the jungle. They have no economic problem. They're also human being. They never come to city for food. They are maintaining themselves.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 25, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Nityo nityānām. That means we, jīva, we are plural number, and the Supreme Lord is singular number. So what is the difference? The difference is that eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That bahu-vacana, nityānām, they are maintained by the singular number.

Dr. Patel: Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. He is only one. But He is, I mean, fulfilling their... This is so many, all. Because He actually...

Prabhupāda: He is feeding everyone. He is feeding His devotee, as well as nondevotees. The nondevotees are also provided by God. The nondevotees, they are not independent. They are also dependent. But they do not acknowledge.

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: In this way, from Vedas, from guru, from saintly persons, we have to understand. Sādhu guru śāstra vākya. Sādhu means who speaks strictly on the śāstra. Guru also speaks strictly on śāstra. Śāstra is the medium. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na siddhim avāpno... (BG 16.23). Therefore we protest. Unless there is something mentioned in the authorized śāstras we don't accept it.

Guest (1): Is it nityaḥ anityānām or nityaḥ nityānām?

Prabhupāda: Nityo nityānām. Plural number.

Dr. Patel: Plural, yes.

Guest (1): No, no, that's right.

Prabhupāda: Plural number.

Guest (1): Permanent. Permanent, impermanent.

Prabhupāda: Both of them permanent. No, no, no. Permanent... The jīvas and the Supreme Lord, both of them are permanent, nityā. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Just like nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam. Eternal, always existing. And this material word has been described: asasvataḥ. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvataḥ.

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Oh... And in Bhagavad-gītā it is also said, abuddhayaḥ. What is that śloka?

Mr. Sar: Abuddhayaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Manyante mām abuddhayaḥ.

Mr. Sar: Abuddhayaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ ma...

Mr. Sar: Manyante mām abuddhayaḥ, param...

Prabhupāda: Abuddhayaḥ. So these Māyāvādīs are abuddhayaḥ. They are not intelligent.

Mr. Sar: No intelligence.

Prabhupāda: And in Bhāgavata it is said, aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. The plural number is there, aviśuddha, that "intelligence is not yet clear." Aviśuddha. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Ye 'nye 'ravindakṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. But they are thinking that they have become liberated. Now you call... They address amongst themselves, "Nārāyaṇa." "Nārāyaṇa."

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Let us understand it. Don't be anxious to go forward. This is the..., that... Suppose a man declares himself that "I am avatāra." So intelligent man should test him, how he is avatāra. We accept Kṛṣṇa or Lord Rāmacandra for their uncommon activities. But what is the uncommon activities, so many avatāras? Simply being praised by a group of persons. That's all. Yes.

Dr. Patel: Paśyādityān vasūn rudrān aśvinau marutas tathā (BG 11.6).

Prabhupāda: Now, first of all, he's saying that paśyādityān. Ādityān, plural number. Not only one, plural number. Ādityān means the Sūrya...

Dr. Patel: Sūrya and all those twelve sons.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, ādityān. So here they cannot estimate the influence of one Āditya, and here he is showing all the Ādityas.

Dr. Patel: Within Him.

Prabhupāda: Within Him. That is Yogeśvara.

Room Conversation -- August 12, 1975, Paris (with French translator):

Prabhupāda: So the God, He is also with me always as friend. So one, it is said in the Upaniṣad, there are two birds in one tree. The two birds means I, individual soul, and God, the Supreme Soul. The individual soul is limited within this body. And God is everywhere, in every body, in every atomic particle, everywhere. Because I am individual soul, I can understand my bodily pains and pleasure. But I cannot understand your bodily pains and pleasure. But God, being all-pervading, He can understand my pains and pleasure, He can understand your pains and pleasure, He can understand cats' and dogs' pains and..., everyone. This is the difference between me and God. Sometimes they mistake, because God is also within this body, I am also within this body, therefore they think that there is no other individual soul than God, therefore I am God. So if I am God, then you are also God. And if there is more than one God, there is not God. God is one. There cannot be two. So if I think I am God, then everyone is also God, so God becomes plural, so there is not God. God is one. Therefore, God is great, we are small. In quality we are one. Just like the president and the citizen, as man they are one. But in power, the citizen and the president, they are different. So these things can be understood if one is sober and very great thinker: they can understand that God is situated with me, He can help me also. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

(BG 10.10)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with three Trappist Monks, Psychologists from the University of Georgia, and Atlanta Lawyer, Michael Green -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Guest (6): Yes, I understand now. I spoke earlier with some people... In other words you say we are co-eternal with the father just as Christ is.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are all eternal. That is nityo nityānām. I have already explained. Nitya means eternal. There are two eternals: one chief eternal, God, and one subordinate eternals, they are plural number. God is one, and we are many. Father is one; the children are many. Similarly, both the father and the children are eternal. God is not created, and the childrens are not created. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate vā. All these living entity, they are never created; neither they ever die. Nityaḥ śāśvatam na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). They are eternal, ever existing. Even after the destruction of the body, they are not annihilated. So God is eternal. That I have already explained. And we living entities, we are also eternal. How the son can be otherwise? If the father is eternal, the son is also eternal. The son cannot be... Because son is the expansion, part and parcel of the father, so all the qualities of the father are there. The only quality difference is the father maintainer and the sons are maintained. That means the father has got unlimited resources to maintain the sons, and the sons, they have no resources. They are maintained by the father. This is perfect philosophy. Otherwise, if you are self-sufficient, then why you go to church and beg father, "Give us our daily bread"? That is... That means you are maintained. You are begging the father, "Please maintain us." So if the Supreme Being, who is maintaining millions of trillions of living entities, He is great, or the living entities who are maintained by God, they are great? Therefore God is great, and we are subordinate. This is natural conclusion.

Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia:

Prabhupāda: Christian also, that is nice, giving instruction to go back to God. It is not? What is the ultimate goal of Christianity? What do they desire?

Prof. Hopkins: Hard to answer. There's no clear single goal. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: What is the goal, single or plural, doesn't matter.

Prof. Hopkins: Well, some Christians would say the vision of God, the ultimate goal is to be with God.

Prabhupāda: That is really, to realize God. Not only Christian, any religion. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). There may be different types of religious systems but that system is first class which directly leads one to understand what is God and how to love Him. That's all. That is perfect religion.

Prof. Hopkins: So the question... The question in one sense is not whether it's Christian or Śaivite or Vaiṣṇavite but whether it is directed to a knowledge of God, a devotion to God or not.

Prabhupāda: That is first-class.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: Yes, but whatever the Lord says, that is truth. Not your statement is truth.

Acyutānanda: No, just like if I say...

Prabhupāda: You cannot say.

Acyutānanda: ...you should dress warmly. You should dress warmly now.

Prabhupāda: No, no. You cannot say.

Acyutānanda: And then I come in the summer, and you still are dressing warmly-it's for time and circumstance, only immediately.

Prabhupāda: No. That is spiritual fragment, eternally existing. Nityo nityānāṁ cetana... There are always plural number and singular number.

Acyutānanda: How can there be any truth separate from the Lord? Eka brahma.

Prabhupāda: No, it is not separate. You are thinking separate.

Acyutānanda: No, a gold ring is separate from the gold mine. That is your...

Prabhupāda: No, no, that is your material conception. But everything is...

Acyutānanda: Yes, that is a material example. The example came from you Vaiṣṇavas. We do not make...

Prabhupāda: No.

Acyutānanda: We go directly from the śruti, ekaṁ brahma dvitīyaṁ nāsti.

Prabhupāda: Then you don't accept Bhagavad-gītā.

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā means that there is God, and we are part and parcel of God. God is great, and we are very tiny, small, fragmental portion of God. In quality we and God are the same, just like a drop of ocean water is qualitatively the same as the big ocean.

Reporter (1): Beg your pardon?

Prabhupāda: Qualitatively is the same. The drop of ocean water is salty, and the whole ocean is also salty. The salt taste is there, but the drop is never equal to the ocean. This is the difference. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś... This is the Vedic..., that He is also living entity as we are. So we many, plural number.... "We" means living entities. We are many, and He is one. But He is also living entity. Now what is the difference? The difference is that He maintains the plural number living entities.

Reporter (1): He maintains the?

Prabhupāda: Plural, plural number. Plural.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Plural.

Prabhupāda: Living entities. And the plural number living entities are maintained by Him.

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Reporter (1): ...if we can finish this answer if you don't mind. If the plural number entities are being maintained by Him...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Yes. Just like father and he has got many children. So both of them are living entities, but the father maintains the children, and the children are maintained by God. One is maintaining, and others are being maintained. That means dependent. We are dependent on God, or Kṛṣṇa.

Reporter (1): But aren't we impure and He is pure?

Prabhupāda: No, both of them are. The father...

Reporter (1): But then how do we.... Then why do we commit sins? God doesn't.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like we are at the present moment in impure condition. That is material. Therefore the human form of life is a chance to be free from the impurity.

Morning Walk -- April 13, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So that, if he likes, he can learn it. Saptamī, adhikaraṇa saptamī, sthāna, kṣetra, kṣetre, dharma-kṣetre. If he simply tries to learn the nominative case, the objective case, or like that, then he'll learn.

Dr. Patel: (Sanskrit) Like that. All things in different ways.

Prabhupāda: Sañjaya uvāca. It is nominative case. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetāḥ (BG 1.1), this is plural number, yuyutsavaḥ, plural number. Māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva (BG 1.1). Pāṇḍavāḥ is plural number, and when it is added with ca it becomes śca. The visarga... In this way he can learn. Eva, again sandhi. Māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś ca eva.

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: So our position is servant of God. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). One singular number and plural number, ceta, eternal. The singular number cetana is the maintainer, and the plural number cetana is the maintained. So our position is maintained. Just like father maintains the children. That is natural. And children's duty is to remain obedient to the father. That's all. That is bhakti. Then the family is all right. Family means father, mother and children. They're missing.... The children they are seeing, the mother they are seeing, and they are saying there is no father. This is modern civilization. How is that? The children are there, the mother is there. How is that there is no father? What is this conclusion? A sane man's conclusion is if the children are there, the mother is there, there must be father. Without father, how mother can beget children? Is there any experience that without father, mother has given birth to children? The modern civilization is: mother is material nature and we are all sons, born in the womb of the material nature. So who is the father? That inquiry is lacking. But there is father, undoubtedly. And the answer is given in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4).

Room Conversation -- August 25, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: There are so many things. But here it is said nitya-yuktā upāsate. Even they come to the platform of nitya, where there is no birth and death. That is nitya. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Even that platform, Bhagavān remains different than the devotee who worships.

Indian man (2): Eternally?

Prabhupāda: Eternally. That is nitya-yuktā upāsate. There is no oneness. Otherwise why it is nitya-yuktā upāsate? Nityo nityānām. The nityānām, plural number, and nitya, Bhagavān. So nitya-yuktā upāsate.

Indian man: If you take the kevala-bhaktas, if you take the life of a bhakta...

Prabhupāda: If you take logic, it is stated there in the Bhagavad-gītā.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation About 10th Canto -- October 16, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: His purpose was to mystify Kṛṣṇa, but he himself became mystified.

Pradyumna: And he has a note on the word viṣṇu. Viṣṇum iti sarva vyāpa kaṁ māyā(?)(Sanskrit—to bhava)

Prabhupāda: We must know, the whole material world... Brahmā is one of the portion. There are... Aṇḍāntara... How many universes? Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Nāthāḥ, plural number. So there are innumerable universes, and this Brahmā is a tiny four-headed. That was exhibited in Dvārakā when Kṛṣṇa called for Brahmā. So what he can do to bewilder Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible. You pick up the idea.

Pradyumna: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Then it will be nice purport.