Aṁśa means parts and parcels. Now as a particle of gold is also particle, a drop of water of the ocean is also salty, similarly, we, the living entities, being part and parcels of the supreme controller, īśvara, Bhagavān, or Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, we have got, I mean to say, qualitatively all the qualities of the Supreme Lord in minute. Because we are minute īśvara, subordinate īśvara. We are also trying to control. We are just trying to control over the nature. In the present days you are trying to control over the space. You are trying to float imitation planets. So this tendency of controlling or creating is there because partially we have got that controlling tendency. But we should know that this tendency is not sufficient. We have the tendency of controlling over the material nature, lording it over the material nature, but we are not the supreme controller. So that thing is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Qualitative (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So beyond this temporary world there is another world for which the information is there, that paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another nature which is eternal, sanātana, which is eternal. And the jīva, jīva is also described as sanātana. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Sanātana, sanātana means eternal. And the Lord is also described as sanātana in the 11th Chapter. So because we have got intimate relation with the Lord and we are all qualitatively one... The sanātana-dhama and the sanātana Supreme Personality and the sanātana living entities, they are on the same qualitatively plane. Therefore the whole target of Bhagavad-gītā is to revive our sanātana occupation or sanātana..., that is called sanātana-dharma, or eternal occupation of the living entity. We are now temporarily engaged in different activities and all these activities being purified. When we give up all these temporary activities, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), and when we take up the activities as desired by the Supreme Lord, that is called our pure life.
If we observe strictly the rules and regulations of kula-dharma... Kula-dharma means if you are a brāhmaṇa, you must observe the regulative principles, the qualitative principles of a brāhmaṇa. If you are in, a kṣatriya, then you must also observe the kṣatriya principles.
All these are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, who is brāhmaṇa, who is kṣatriya, by symptoms. By symptoms we have to accept whether one is brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya, not by birth. That is the injunction of the śāstras. So this has to be observed. If we want actually deliverance from this material entanglement, so these rules and regulations of kula-dharma, we must observe. If we do not observe, then immediately we become irreligious. Dharme naṣṭe kṛtaṁ kṛtsnam adharmam abhibhavati iti uta. Uta, Arjuna said, "It is said." He has learned from higher authorities. Uta, "it is said" means "said by authorities."
So in the animal life, it is not possible to change one's nature, which is given by the material energy, prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sangaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Why? All living entities are part and parcel of God. Therefore originally the characteristic of the living entity is as good as God. Simply it is a question of quantity. Quality is the same. Quality is the same. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). The same example. If you take a drop of sea water, the quality, the chemical composition is the same. But the quantity is different. It is a drop, and the sea is vast ocean. Similarly, we are exactly of the same quality as Kṛṣṇa. We can study. Why people say God is impersonal? If I am of the same quality, so God is also person, how He can be imperson? If, qualitatively, we are one, then as I feel individually, so why God should be refused individuality? This is another nonsense. The impersonalist rascals, they cannot understand what is the nature of God. In the Bible also it is said: "Man is made after God." You can study God's quality by studying your quality, or anyone's quality.
So there are many nityas, means many living entities, but there is one nitya Supreme. That is God. He is also a living entity like us. Then where is the difference? The difference is, we learn from the Vedic line, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That singular number nitya, eternal, maintains the plural number nityas." We are within the plural number, nityānām. So conclusion is that God is the Supreme Being and we are living being. So our relation is very intimate. Qualitatively we are one because we are part and parcel. So God is eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful; therefore our position is also the same but in minute quantity. His knowledge is great. Therefore God is great. Our knowledge is limited. And because we have got limited potencies, therefore we are called living entities. And God has got unlimited potencies, therefore God is great and we are small. This is conclusion of the Bhagavad-gītā. And we are in this material world being contaminated by the material nature. We are suffering because anything material, it has got limited period of existence. Anything you take, it is asat. Asat means "which will not exist," and sat means "which will exist." The Vedic injunction is asato mā sad gama: "You are sat. You revive your eternal life. Don't be entangled in this asat."
So, na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ, it is not that we did not exist in the past, and we are existing at present. That is everyone knows. So in the future, don't think that we may not exist. Na bhaviṣyāmaḥ. It is not that we shall not exist in the future. Na bhaviṣyāmaḥ, not exist, and another not. Two nots make one yes. Two negatives make one positive. So therefore, we have two negatives. Na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ. Na bhaviṣyāmaḥ means not to exist in the future; that is not. That means we shall exist. Na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve... all of us. All of us, you, not that "Because I am God, because you are My friend, God's friend, and all others..." No, everyone. This is knowledge. In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad there is the verse nityo nityānām. Nityo nityānām. Nityānām means ever existing. Nitya means ever, always. So either Kṛṣṇa or we, every one of us are ever-existing, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, if Kṛṣṇa is ever-existing, so we are also ever-existing. A particle of gold is gold, qualitatively. The value of gold mine and the gold earring may be different. Gold earring may be, say, hundred dollars, but a gold mine, millions of dollars. But both of them are gold, not that it is iron. Therefore, less value, no.
So first of all you have to understand that we are spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, Brahman. "I am not matter, I am spirit," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. These are Vedic words, so 'ham. So 'ham does not mean "I am God." I am God-ly—I am part and parcel of. As God is in quality, so I am also in quality. Just like a drop of ocean water, qualitatively it is the same as the vast mass of water in the sea, but not the drop of water is equal to the vast mass of water. Similarly, in quality, so 'ham, "I am," that means the Supreme God, as He is in quality, I am also the same in quality. So 'ham. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am Brahman. I am not this matter, I am spirit soul." These are the knowledge.
Paramātmā and ātmā, it is not very difficult to know. Just like you are father and you have got many children at home. So they, because they are children, they are, I mean to say, as ingredients, you and your children are the same, but still, you are superior, and the children are dependent. Your children are not different from you, but still, you are superior and they are inferior or junior. So qualitatively one, but quantitatively different. So quantitatively different—ātmā, Paramātmā; and qualitatively one—ātmā is spirit, Paramātmā is spirit. It is called acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, simultaneously one and different. One in quality, different in quantity. You can create. You are also qualitatively one with God. You have got creative power. Just like we are creating this flying machine, sputniks. That is also flying in the sky, and the Paramātmā has created the millions of planets floating in the sky. So you have got the creative power, but you cannot create like that, Paramātmā. That is the difference. Can you?
Varieties of body, varieties of position, is due... Just like the same example: The poor man has got only rickshaw, and the rich man has got a Rolls Royce car because he has paid more. Similarly, if your work is nice, then you are promoted, promoted to higher standard of life, just like in the heaven—ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ—or in the Brahma-loka. But your, if your work is sinful and abominable, then you are degraded to cats and dogs. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are advanced in the... Because here everything is quality, everything. You go to purchase anything in the market; you will see the quality—first quality, second quality, third quality. Similarly, all living entities, all souls, they have got qualitative body. Qualitative body. So the first quality body you can get in the higher planetary system. The second quality of body means you have to remain in the middle planetary system. And the third quality body, you go down. Or... "Go down" means you become animals, trees, insects, birds, beasts, like that. This is going on.
So dhīra means that although there is cause of disturbance, one is not disturbed. Although there is cigarette, but I should promise, "I shall not smoke." Although there is facility for illicit sex, I'll not do it. That is called dhīra. Dhīra means the cause of agitation or disturbance is present there, but one is not disturbed. So in order to advance in spiritual life we have to become dhīra. And that is said here, sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīram. As soon as one become dhīra, sober, these so-called material pains and pleasure does not disturb me (him). Then he is fit for becoming immortal. Everyone is immortal, but he is fallen in such material condition that he thinks himself as mortal. Because I am spirit soul, therefore the Vedic injunction that feel:(?) ahaṁ brahmāsmi, so 'ham, means "I am as good as the Supreme Being," means "He is eternal; I am also eternal. He is also living being; I am also living being." That means qualitatively we are one, God and me. But quantitatively, He is great; we are small.
Just like part and parcel of my body, hands and legs, they are serving the whole body, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme whole and we are His parts and parcels; therefore our duty is to serve Him. This is our constitutional position. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). We cannot become Kṛṣṇa. We are eternally Kṛṣṇa's servitors, part and parcel. This is real conclusion, qualitatively one. Just like this finger, you can call it body, but it is part and parcel of the body. Similarly, the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, you may call "God," but he's not the Supreme God. Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So anāśinaḥ aprameyasya. Anāśinaḥ, it cannot be destroyed. Although it is very minute, aprameyasya, you cannot measure. You have no such measuring method, that you can measure the soul's breadth and..., length and breadth. In geometry, they finish it: "(A) Point has no length and breadth," but that is not the fact. A point has also length and breadth, but we cannot measure it. Aprameya. Similarly, there is length and breadth of the soul also.
Whatever name you may call, that doesn't matter. But you must understand that as without presence of the soul, the body cannot move, similarly, the whole materialistic world, cosmic atmosphere, is moving due to the presence of the Supersoul. Now, in Bhagavad-gītā you will find that we individual souls are parts and parcels of the Supersoul. So we have got eternal relation with the Supreme Soul. We have got eternal relation with the Supreme Soul qualitatively, qualitatively, not quantitatively. We are one with the Supreme qualitatively. Just like a drop of ocean water qualitatively is equal to the mass water in the ocean. The mass water in the ocean is salty, and the drop of ocean water, if you taste it, you'll find it is also salty. So the chemical composition of the water, either in drop or in vast mass, is the same. But the drop of ocean water is never equal to the vast, I mean to, mass water in the ocean. That is our position. We are in quality... Just God is..., similarly, we are also in quality the same, chemically or constitutionally or qualitatively. But God's power and my power is different. Just like the mass water in the ocean, it can play a havoc. But a drop of water, that... It is not possible by the drop of the water.
There are two classes of men. The kṛpaṇa means miser, kṛpaṇa, miser. And just the opposite word of kṛpaṇa is brāhmaṇa. I have already explained to you sometimes that brāhmaṇa... Brāhmaṇa means who knows that "I am not this body; I am the... I am the... I am in spirit, conscious. I am soul, spirit, consciousness," one who knows perfectly well this understanding and the science also, that "I am qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Vedic mantra says, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That means "I am Brahman. I am not this matter. I am Brahman." So one who knows this science, he is called brāhmaṇa. And that doesn't matter who is he and where he is born. That doesn't matter. Simply knowing this science... Now, the opposite word is kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means miser. Whom you call miser? The miser is a man who has got enough money but does not spend it. He is called miser. Miser means who has got enough assets, but he does not spend. He simply sees his money and satisfied. He does not spend it, properly utilize it. He is called kṛpaṇa. Is it right, the miser explanation? So kṛpaṇa, who is kṛpaṇa, and who is brāhmaṇa? Brāhmaṇa means who has known that "I am spiritual identity. I am qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord. I am the part and parcel of the Lord." This knowledge, one who has developed highly and perfectly, he is called brāhmaṇa.
Now, here the supreme consciousness... Kṛṣṇa is supreme consciousness. And Arjuna is individual consciousness. About consciousness, I have explained several times that we are all consciousness, but we are not supreme consciousness. Supreme consciousness is the Supreme Lord. That we have to understand first, that supreme consciousness... We are consciousness undoubtedly, but we are not supreme consciousness. If we falsely claim that "I am also the supreme consciousness," that will be a false claim. We are not actually the supreme consciousness. Qualitatively, we are one. Qualitatively, we are one. The supreme consciousness and my consciousness is qualitatively one. But quantitatively, the supreme consciousness is different from individual consciousness. Individual consciousness is limited, and the supreme consciousness is unlimited. That... Just like you can think of your consciousness within this body... Whenever there is something painful or something itching in any part of my body, I am conscious of it. I know it, where and how it is being done. I do not know how it is being done, but I know where it is.
So we should be conscious in this way, that "I am Your eternal servitor. I am not the Lord." As soon as we make mistake that "I am the Lord, I am the Supreme," then this illusory energy entraps us. This is also illusion. This is the last snare of illusory energy, that "I am God." It is a long philosophy. Of course, there is a class of philosophers who proclaim that "I am God. I am God." This is, of course, due to imperfect knowledge of the Supreme Lord that people can claim that "I am God." How can I be God? What is the qualification of God? What are the symptoms of God? Are those symptoms present in me? So those things... There are so many things to be considered, and they are very nicely described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā and, as we make progress, we shall understand them, that we are simply infinitesimal parts of the Supreme Lord. Qualitatively, we have got all the qualities of God, but quantitatively, we are minute, simply minute. (break) ...minute. Just like the gold and a particle of gold. That particle of gold is also gold, but that particle of gold and the lump gold, quantitatively, there is difference. Just like fire and the spark of the fire. The spark of the fire is also fire, but the capacity, burning capacity of the spark, is very small in comparison to the whole fire. These are the position.
So all these entanglement is there. But actually I am pure soul. I am not this body. As soon as I understand this, then whole thing is vanished. You see? Because if I am not this body, then in relationship with this body, whatever I have expended, my extended selfishness is at once vanished. Then I am mukta-puruṣa; I am liberated soul. So Lord Caitanya says by chanting this śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, I become at once liberated from this misconception of life. What I need? I am suffering due to my, this misconception of life. The whole Vedic literature advises me that "You are not this material body." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." Brahman means I am spirit. I am the supreme..., not supreme spirit, but I am spirit, Brahman. The Vedic literature does not say that I am Parambrahman. Parambrahman is Bhagavān. Qualitatively, I am one with Parambrahman, and Brahman, there is qualitatively oneness because Brahman... Gold, big gold or small gold, that doesn't matter. Gold, both of them are gold.
Actually this is exhibited when Kṛṣṇa came. Kṛṣṇa comes here, God in His original form, in one day of Brahmā. These are very long, long narration, but first of all try to understand yourself. What is your nature? Then you will understand God automatically. Or if you are so advanced that you can understand God, then you can understand your nature also. Just like God is gold mine, and I am a gold ring. So the chemical composition of the gold ring and the chemical composition of the gold mine, the same. This is the position. Qualitatively we are one. Quantitatively we are different. Quantity, God's quantity, God's power, God's opulence, God's riches, God's beauty, God's wisdom, they are very, very, very, very great than ours. That is the difference between God and us. Now try to understand your constitutional position. Don't think that after this body is finished, or we meet death, then everything is finished, as it is going on. The greatest mistake, the world is going on, on the mistaken platform. They do not know what is going to happen after death. There is no education. There is no department of knowledge in the universities, what is going to happen after death. They are simply taking account of this body, which exists, say for twenty years or fifty years, or utmost hundred years. And they have no knowledge what is after this body.
Actually, we are eternal. Both God and the living entities they are qualitatively one, eternal. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sat means eternity, and cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of joy. These are the qualifications of God and living entity. Therefore we are hankering after pleasure. All people are working hard, day and night, for pleasure. Because by constitution, he is pleasureful, joyful. As soon as there is little hindrance to the process of his joyfulness he becomes sorry. This is my nature. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). But God and the living entity, both being sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ... Vigraha means form, individuality. So God has form, and you have got also form, I have got also form, everyone has got form. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme individual personality, and we are subordinate personalities. That is the difference. Otherwise, in quality, God, you and me, are all the same. That Kṛṣṇa says.
What is the difficulty of understanding? The energy is one. Kṛṣṇa's energy is one. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā (CC Madhya 6.154). So in relationship to Kṛṣṇa there is no distinction of energy, but for our understanding we can take that it is working sometimes in inferior qualitative form. Just like in this material world, and sometimes it is working in superior qualitative form in the spiritual world.
The same thing, that electric energy sometimes working for cooling, sometimes working for heating. But to the engineer of electric energy, who is generating, for him there is no such distinction. But those who are using it, they are thinking it is hot, it is cool, but the energy is the same. Try to understand in this way. Kṛṣṇa's energy, He cannot, I mean to say, distribute any inferior energy because He's not inferior. He's always superior, spiritual. Therefore His energy is always spiritual. But it is working for different purposes.
The material energy... I shall give you another example. Just like in the street light there is red light and green light and yellow light. The yellow light is, I mean to say, seen sometimes. But either the red light or the green light is always. But it is working under the same electric energy. Sometimes it appearing green, sometimes appearing yellow, sometimes appearing red. But on the background the same energy. Now, by the red light you have to stop, by green light you can start. Your activity becomes different by different light because light is acting by the same energy.
Yes. We also. We cannot deny the Vedic version. Tat tvam asi is a Vedic version. So either you are Māyāvādī or Vaiṣṇava, you cannot deny it.
Just like two lawyers are arguing in the court. The medium is the law court. So neither of them can deny the law court, but one has to establish his convictions by argument, by logic. So similarly, tat tvam asi is the code of Vedic principle or Vedas, "You are that." Tat tvam asi. Tat means that supreme spirit. "You are." So our philosophy, Vaiṣṇava philosophy, we begin from this point. As Kṛṣṇa began Bhagavad-gītā from the point that "You are not this body," we begin from this version, tat tvam asi. Tat tvam asi. "You are not this." That means "What I am?" Then I must be something; otherwise what is my identity? That reply is your identity is that "You are as good as God." That means you are qualitatively the same. Tat tvam asi. Qualitatively you are...
The mistake of the Māyāvāda philosophy is that "You are the same." You are the same in which way? I am the same in quality, not in quantity. Just like if I say, "You are as good as President Nixon," there is nothing wrong because you are American, he is American. Is there anything wrong? From the point of view, American citizenship, you are as good as President Nixon.
We are spirit soul, pure, as Kṛṣṇa is pure. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are also pure. That is qualitative equality. Not quantitative. Kṛṣṇa is the great, we are the small. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He is mahato mahīyān, we are aṇor aṇīyān. We are aṇu, atomic. Atomic sparks of Kṛṣṇa. So actually, we are pure, but as we associate with the qualities of material nature, we become impure. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to purify, to purity(?) the impure living entities. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). If you become purified, ceto-darpaṇa...
Where the purificatory process begins? From the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa. Cittaḥ. Desires. We have got so many desires and Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He fulfills your desire, my desire. Whatever you like you can do. But you'll never be happy in that way. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, "Give up all these nonsense desires. Simply surrender unto Me. That is your only business."
So the Supreme Lord, He is called in the Vedic literature that He is the supreme leader. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. Nitya means eternal, and nityānām, that means many other eternals. We are many other eternals. Eka, that one eternal... Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. There are two kinds of eternals. We living entities, we are also eternal, and the Supreme Lord, He is also eternal. So far eternity is concerned, both of us equal on the qualitative nature. He is eternal, and we are eternal. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). He is also all pleasure, and we are also all pleasure because we are all parts and parcel of the same quality. But He is the leader.
Prabhupāda: Consciousness is the same, as in the Supreme, so also in you, so also in me. The quality of the consciousness is the same. But your consciousness and my consciousness is different.
Guest (2): But therefore all part of the same supreme consciousness.
Prabhupāda: Qualitatively, the one, but at the present moment, because we are materially bound up, therefore we find so many different consciousness. Do you think that your consciousness and my consciousness is the same?
Guest (2): Yes.
Prabhupāda: How? Do you agree with me? Do I agree with you?
Guest (2): Er... Not truly.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We do not agree. Therefore your consciousness, different; my consciousness, different. When we agree, then it is the same. When we come to the point of agreement, then it is the same.
How one becomes brāhmaṇa? Now you will find distinctly that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: (BG 4.13) "The four divisions of qualitative divisions is set by Me according to quality and karma." Never says, "according to birth," you will find. "According to birth," it is not said here. Although in India it is now misrepresentated that a brāhmaṇa's son is trying to designate himself as brāhmaṇa, but according to Bhagavad-gītā, that is not sanctioned. Bhagavad-gītā says, "according to quality."
Now, just like here is a qualified lawyer, Mr. Goldsmith. He is lawyer. Now, because he is lawyer, his son cannot claim that "Because my father is lawyer, then I am also lawyer." How he can become? The son also must be qualified lawyer. He must pass the bachelor of law degree, examination. Then he can be lawyer. So similarly, here Kṛṣṇa says... Don't misunderstand the Indian caste system as hereditary. No. It is, according to Vedic literature, it is according to the quality.
And that is not the fact. Real fact is that I am sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), part and parcel of the Supreme. The Supreme Lord is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, and I am qualitatively one with Him. I am also, although I am small... Just like a particle of the sea water, that is also salty. That is also salty. The taste of a small drop of sea water is the same as the taste of the big, vast, big ocean of the, Atlantic Ocean. So the quality is the same. Similarly, I may be small. I may be a spiritual atom. My position is that I am spiritual atom, and the Supreme Spirit is all, the greatest, but that does not mean I am different from the quality. I am of the same quality. So I am not void. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).
Try to understand. "What I am?" That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "They are all My parts and parcels." That is nice, very nice. It is very easy to understand. Part and parcel, that means I am part; He is whole. Part is never equal to the whole, but part is equal in quality. Just like a part, a little part of the ocean water. This is also salty, and the whole ocean water is also salty. So qualitatively the little part and parcel of the ocean water is the same quality. It is not different. Chemically, if you analyze that one drop of sea water, the chemical composition of that water and the vast water is the same. The only difference is that the ocean is very big, and the small particle of water is very small. That is the difference.
If God... Somebody says, "I am God." I am God in this sense, that God is like me. Just like if you say, "I am American," your president is also American, so exactly you are like president, American. There is no harm. But if say, "I am as powerful as President Nixon," that is not applicable. Similarly, "I am God" means I am qualitatively one with God. It does not mean I am as powerful as God. That does not mean. He is the supreme controller. I have got the controlling capacity or I do control in my limited circle, but He is the supreme controller. In this way, if you understand, it is not very difficult to understand what is God, what you are, what is this material nature, what is time, and what is work. And if you understand these five things, then you are in full knowledge. Go on.
Kṛṣṇa says: "I am the origin of all the demigods, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara." The Brahma-saṁhitā supports it that ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam. Lord Brahmā says the Lord is ādyam He's the origin. Kṛṣṇa also says: ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). The Vedānta says: janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Janmādy asya yataḥ, the Supreme Lord. So He's the oldest and, we, being part and parcel, we are also the oldest. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). We are also nitya, and Kṛṣṇa is also nitya. We are also living entity with knowledge. Kṛṣṇa is also living entity with knowledge. Simply He's our leader. He's the Supreme. That's all. So we do not know how our existence has been polluted. That we do not know. We are just like cats and dogs. We are taking birth and dying without any knowledge. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). But this is not our position. Our position is as good as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is all powerful. We are minute. He is vibhu, we are aṇu. That is the difference. Otherwise, qualitatively, we are all one. So why you are under this obligation of taking birth and dying again. This is our impure existence. This is our impure existence.
Similarly, the Supreme Brahman, who is spreading the effulgence of light, He cannot be covered. We are covered. We, the small particles, we are covered. Mohita. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitam. Mām eva nābhijānāti. In the Bhagavad-gītā this is. They are bewildered by this external energy. Their eyes have been covered. Their eyes... Our, because we are very small, so our senses, the capacity of the senses, they are also limited. Although we have got all the qualities, because fire and a spark of fire qualitatively the same, but quantitatively different. Similarly, we are Brahman, and Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman, Supreme Brahman. Nityo nityānām, the chief of the all eternals. Cetanaś cetanānām. He is the supreme living entity of all living entities. He is also living entity. So if I am a living entity, I have got a form, so why the supreme living entity will not have a form? This is poor fund of knowledge. He is not nirākāra. But we cannot estimate His ākāra. That is nirākāra. Nirākāra means to estimate. We cannot estimate how big He is. That means nirā... Nirākāra does not mean formless. When there is in the śāstra, nirākāra, this word is used, nirākāra means He has no prakṛta-ākāra, material form. That is nirākāra, not that he has no form. That is poor fund of knowledge. He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: (BG 9.11) "My original form is like human being." And the Bible also it is said, "Man is made after the form of God."
So there is no difference of the philosophy. You have to accept. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is the Vedic instruction. What is meaning of God? God means the head of the living entities. What is the difficulty to understand it? Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. Nitya means eternal. We are also eternal. And God is also eternal. So what is the difference? So qualitatively we are one. Because God is eternal, I am also eternal. I am now somehow or other in diseased condition, that I have to change my body. But God does not change His body. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). He says, ātma-māyayā: "By My own will-power. I am not forced." Just like according to my karma, I have been forced to accept this material body, certain type of body. I cannot dictate. As I am creating another body by my karma, so the karma, by... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Another place. So why the living entities are getting different types of bodies? That is also answered: kāraṇam, the reason is guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Kāraṇam, the cause, is the material nature.
Not why. It is always there, soul and Supersoul. There is no question of why. But soul and Supersoul, they are qualitatively one. Just like you have got your body. If you say, "Why there is hand?" so how can I answer? As soon as there is body, there is hand, there is a leg, there is a mouth. That is the creation. The creation is like that. There is soul and Supersoul. Just like you have got the whole body, and there are parts and parcels of the body, the limbs of the body. That is the beauty of the body. If you simply keep a lump of body it is not beautiful. Therefore the body should be nicely constructed, and there must be different parts and parcels of body. There is a design. But if simply there is soul, super, and there is no under soul, then how Kṛṣṇa becomes ānandamaya? About the Absolute Truth in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. "The Absolute Truth is full of bliss." So in order to enjoy bliss there must be Supersoul and under soul. Otherwise it is not blissful. Is it clear? Yes. There must be. Yes.
Similarly, we are originally all part and parcel or sons of God. Therefore God's qualities are there in us, very minute quantity, because we are very small. So the quality is there. Just like drop of water from the ocean. The taste is there. The taste of the ocean, salty, is there in the drop of ocean water. There is no difference. Only the difference is quantity... In quality they one one. Quality, that salty taste, quality, that is one. Any drop of the ocean, you can take the salty taste, but the drops may be of different quantity and the ocean is very, very big. This is called acintya-bhedābheda, simultaneously one and different. One in quality.
So qualitatively we are one. God is good, so in quality we are good; we are not bad. But why you have become bad? Because we are now differently dressed. Dehātma-buddhiḥ. A dog is thinking, "I am dog," and a man is thinking, "I am man." A cat is thinking, "I am cat." He is neither cat, neither dog, neither human being. He is part and parcel of God. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is self-realization, "I am not this body." Just like we are differently dressed. So I am not the dress. I am human being; you are human being. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Therefore, those who are learned scholar, they do not find any difference between cat and a brāhmaṇa because the brāhmaṇa is also a living entity and the cat is also a living entity, differently dressed.
Now, an electrical engineer, he is producing electricity, energy. Now, you are feeling at your home in the refrigerator it is cold, and in the heater it is hot. But in the original generating station, it is electricity. It is neither cold, neither hot. So these qualitative manifestation of the world, they are different for me. For Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. Therefore sometimes, if Kṛṣṇa acts on the principle of this ignorance, for Kṛṣṇa it is Kṛṣṇa. Just like for the electric engineer—the whole energy is electricity. Nothing. He has no distinction, "This is cold and this is hot." This is the philosophy. Matta eveti tān viddhi na tu, na tv ahaṁ teṣu te mayi. Everything is being generated. And the Vedānta-sūtra confirms it: janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), everything. "That is the Supreme Truth from where everything is emanating." That is Supreme Truth. So what we are thinking bad, good, that is bad and good for me, because I am conditioned, but because He is not conditioned, therefore for Him, there is no bad and good. He is not conditioned. I am conditioned; therefore I am feeling heat and cold. But because He is not conditioned, everything is all right for Him. So such is Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore the Brahman who comes under the clutches of this material māyā, er, energy, that Brahman is not the Supreme Brahman, and that is accepted in the Vedic literature, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "There are eternal, but out of the eternals, there is one supreme eternal." Nityaḥ. Nityaḥ means singular number, and nityānām means plural number. So plural number, we are plural number. Nityo nityānām, cetana. Cetana means living. I am also living. God is also living. He is also a living being like us, but He, His distinction is like this: eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That eka, that singular number Brahman, He maintains all these plural number Brahmans." Therefore, this plural number Brahman, this jīvātmā, these living entities, they are supported by the Supreme Brahman, Bhagavān. Just like government and citizens. Now, together that is a nation, but government supports the citizens. Similarly, Paraṁ Brahman and these ordinary living entities, Brahman, simple Brahman, they are qualitatively one, but the Supreme Brahman supports all other Brahmans.
Yes. You are individual always. Just try to understand your present position. Yes. You are merged in the matter. I am merged into the matter. But still you keep your individuality, I keep my individuality. Similarly, when you merge in the spirit, why the individuality should be stopped? Only difference is, at the present moment the soul and the matter, they qualitatively different. And when you get spiritual body, the quality of the body and the soul is the same. But individuality must continue. How can you stop individuality? But that individuality and this individuality is different. In that individuality there is no disagreement. In this individuality there is always disagreement. Therefore in spite of individuality, there is oneness.
Kṛṣṇa (is) instructing that there are two pathways. One is go back to home, back to Godhead, and other path is remain in this material world which is full of miseries, especially birth, death, old age and disease. Two paths. Actually, we living entities, we are not subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. We are eternal part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and we are part and parcel of Him, just like father is there and he may have many children. So every child is the part and parcel of the father. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, God, we all living entities, we are sons, or part and parcel of God. Qualitatively we are one. Just like a small particle of gold is also gold. It is not a different thing. But one is small particle and one is big lump. But qualitatively, both of them are gold. So we are small particle of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is vibhu, the great, God is great, and we are small particle.
So it you simply worship Acyuta.... Acyuta means the Supreme Lord who never falls, who never falls down. We are cyuta. Although we are qualitatively one with God, but we have got the tendency of falldown. Therefore we have fallen down in this material world. But Kṛṣṇa does not fall down. When Kṛṣṇa comes, He is not like us. And if you consider Him as one of us, then you must be rascal number one. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum... (BG 9.11), paraṁ bhāvam ajananto. So that is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is expanding by His energy everywhere. Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. But in the śaktiḥ, although there is relationship, that is also in different way indirectly Kṛṣṇa, but there is no Kṛṣṇa. That is not Kṛṣṇa. If you have.... (break) Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā mat-sthani sarva-bhutani (BG 9.4). Everything is resting in His energy, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni. Na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ: "But I am not there." And if you, instead of Kṛṣṇa, if you worship the energy.... The material scientist, he is also worshiping Kṛṣṇa, but He is worshiping the Kṛṣṇa's material energy, not Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, if one says that "I am worshiping the energy of Kṛṣṇa, therefore there is no need of worshiping Kṛṣṇa," that is not good. That is not. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If you stick to the worshipment of the energy, you'll get that success, but not as much success as Kṛṣṇa worship.
Similarly, anyone who says that "I am God" he should not preach. He can think himself for acquiring knowledge of God. That is another thing. "I am God." "I am God" means to understand the quality of God, because I am qualitatively God. Because I am part and parcel of God, therefore my qualities are the same. Just like I have several times repeated that a part of gold, even a molecular part, a particle of gold, so it is gold. It is nothing but gold. Similarly, although we are very minute fragments of the Supreme, still, the quality is the same.
So if I study myself, then I can study God also because I can, I can understand the quality of God. I may not understand the quantity. Suppose if you receive some good grains of rice. You do not concern, think of what is the quantity in the stock, but the, from the sample, you can understand that "This quality rice is there. I can purchase." Then you make your transaction, "How many pounds you have got in your stock? I can take." So quantity is different. But quality, from quality, you can select. You can make your selection, what sort of rice you shall purchase. So you are qualitatively one with God.
Just like if you take one drop of water from the seawater, you can understand what is the chemical composition of the whole sea. It is not very difficult. Similarly, if you study yourself, what are your inclinations, propensities... There are so many things. So everything, what you have got, the same thing God has also got. The difference is that you are like a drop of seawater and He is vast sea. That's all. Big quantity. Quantitatively, we are different, but qualitatively, we are one. The same quality.
If you take... If you are cooking rice, you take one grain of rice and you press it, if you see that it is now soft, then the whole rice is cooked. The sample. There is a bag of rice. You take a few grains, sample. You can understand what is the quality of the whole bag. Similarly, what is God, that is not very difficult to understand. Simply you have to study yourself. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). But not that, that you are God. You are sample of God.
The simple knowledge is lacking. The simple knowledge, that "I am not this body. I am..." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Vedic language. So 'ham. So 'ham means I am the same spirit soul as the Supersoul, as Kṛṣṇa. I am qualitatively one. As Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, similarly I am also sac-cid-ānanda, part and parcel. The difference is that I am very minute. As we have several times explained, the minute particle of gold is also gold. That is not different. Minute, a drop of the sea water is also the same, qualitatively. The same chemicals. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are not subjected to the material conditions. But we have put ourself in this material condition. That is called māyā. We wanted to enjoy separately, de, separated from Kṛṣṇa, and therefore we are put into a condition which is illusion.
This body and the kṣetra-jña, the owner and the occupier of the body. This subject matter we were discussing last night. It is very easy. I was explaining. Just like this apartment, we are occupying. Therefore we are occupier. But we are not the owner. The owner is different person. Similarly this body, there are two souls, the Supersoul and the individual soul. Jīvātmā Paramātmā. Brahman, Parambrahman. Jīvātmā is Brahman constitutionally because mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). The living entities, they are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, God. Therefore qualitatively, what is Kṛṣṇa, the jīva, living entity's also the same thing. There is no difference in quality.
This is one point: that I am not this body, I am not this material world. I am a spiritual identity, part and parcel of God. Qualitatively we are one. As God is spirit, so I am also spirit. But His body is very big, gigantic, the universal body, which Kṛṣṇa showed to Arjuna, the virāṭa-rūpa. But my body is not gigantic. It is small. Maybe we call the elephant's body gigantic or similar other animal's body, but still God's body is still more gigantic. You cannot compare. Eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā you'll know how gigantic body has Kṛṣṇa. So as I have got this body but my spiritual identity is very small, if we study in this way, it is very easy to understand what is God, what I am, what is this world. Just like I am not this body, I am within the body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). I am the proprietor of the body.
So our movement for Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a process of clearing the consciousness. Originally, we are all Kṛṣṇa conscious. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand that we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Fifteenth Chapter, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7), "These jīvas, these living entities, they are My part and parcel." And sanātana, part..., but they are not whole. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they claim to be the whole. But Vaiṣṇava philosophy, we do not claim that we are the whole. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they claim that "I am God." But we do not claim. We claim that we are part and parcel of God. As part and parcel of God, we have got the same quality. Just like minute particle of gold is also gold, but that part gold and the whole gold they are never equal. So I have got all the qualities. Qualitatively I am one, but quantitatively I am different. That is the version of Bhagavad-gītā. And actually, if we falsely claim that "I am God," then we have to show godly power. Unless we show godly power, simply claiming that "I am God," that is dambha, that is false pride.
Therefore a part and particle of gold is also gold. A particle of the sea water is also sea water, salty sea water. That is oneness. So far the quality is concerned, that is oneness. A drop of sea water and the whole sea water, in quality, they are one. Because the taste of a drop of sea water is also salty, therefore you can understand the whole water is salty. Chicklena(?). So you can understand Paraṁ Brahman if you understand yourself. That is called self-realization. Simply the difference is Paraṁ Brahman, is the greatest, and you are the smallest. He is vibhu, you are aṇu. But māyā is so strong, because we are qualitatively one, we are thinking we are the Supreme Brahman. That is another nonsense. "Because I am salty, therefore I am the sea water." This is not very good logic. A part cannot be equal to the whole.
So puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte (BG 13.22). Bhuṅkte means "enjoys." Prakṛti-jān guṇān. Prakṛti... He has come here to enjoy, but he is enjoying not the prakṛti, but prakṛti-jān guṇān, means the qualities of the prakṛti. There are three qualities of the prakṛti: goodness, passion and ignorance. Prakṛti-jān guṇān. These, these are products of material world. It is therefore described in another place, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). Guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. This illusory energy is... There are three qualities, qualitative. Some of them... Therefore we find different types of species of life.
Every living entity has associated with a particular type of guṇa. There are three guṇas, namely, goodness, passion, and ignorance, and if you mix them up, then it becomes nine. Three into three equal to nine. And again if you mix up, nine into nine, then it becomes eighty-one. Therefore there are eight million four hundred thousand species of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Nine hundred thousand species in the water. Similarly, birds, beasts, trees, insects, animals. Then we come to the human form of life. These different types of bodies are meant for enjoying in a different spirit.
Both of them are fire, but you cannot compare the small fragment of fire with the big fire. That is not possible. The big ocean and a small drop of water from the ocean. Because the taste of the small drop of ocean is the same, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they conclude that "I am the same." But they have no common sense that the small drop of water, although the quality is the same, it is very small. So our knowledge is therefore imperfect. Although we are qualitatively one with God, still, being very small quantity, our power, our knowledge, our understanding—everything is proportionately small. You must first of all understand that, that we are simultaneously one and different. One means qualitatively one. A small particle of gold, you can call it gold, but it is not the gold mine, This is called dvaita-vāda, advaita-vāda. The rascals they think "Because I am gold, I am as good as the gold mine." No, That is not. Gold mine is very big, powerful, immense value. So we should not forget this.
This is tāttvika knowledge. Tāttvika knowledge means to understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior truth beyond Me. I am the Supreme Truth." Paraṁ brahma param... Arjuna understood it. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding. This is paramparā understanding. If you want to understand Bhagavad-gītā, if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you have to follow the footprints of the mahājanas. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). As Arjuna understood it. How Arjuna understood it? Paraṁ brahma, "the Supreme Brahman." We are all Brahman. There is no difficulty to understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That's all right. But we are not Param Brahman. We are Brahman because part and parcel of Brahman, qualitatively one with Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Prabhupāda: You have seen sometimes the pigeons fighting. But a pigeon and crow does not fight. A pigeon and pigeon fights. So this is also another indirect way of love. You'll see the pigeons, they will fight and again sit down in the assembly of the pigeons, not that the pigeon is going to the assembly of crows. Go on.
Pradyumna: "The rasas are exchanged between members of the same species. But as far as the spirit souls are concerned, they are one qualitatively with the Supreme Lord. Therefore, the rasas were originally exchanged between the spiritual living being and the spiritual whole, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The spiritual exchange, or rasa, is fully exhibited in spiritual existence between living beings and the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is therefore described in the śruti-mantras, Vedic hymns, as "the fountainhead of all rasas."
Prabhupāda: Raso vai saḥ.
Viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). So God is the supreme spirit. If you individually study this individual spirit, as you are, I am... We must know because we are sparks, God is the original fire. We are sparks. Qualitatively the spark and the fire the same thing. The spark is very minute small and the big fire is very great. But this... You can study, by studying yourself that because I am spirit soul, I have entered into this lump of matter, therefore this body has developed, this body is moving, the body is working, it is so important, Mr. such-and-such professor's body or scientist's body, but as soon as that spiritual spark is over, it is nothing but a lump of matter, you can kick it out. So God is everywhere, simply we have to make our these blunt eyes... Just like education. I am seeing a motor car but a advanced motor engineer, he sees also the car, the difference of seeing. If there is some defect in the car, I cannot do it. But one engineer, one who knows, a mechanic, he knows, immediately touches and the car runs. Similarly, we should know that by education, by culture, by knowledge we can understand God. Not by fictitious, by concoction, "Oh, I accept this God. I accept that God." So that education can be very quickly done. Otherwise it is very difficult to understand God.
Prabhupāda: The... It is said, maṇinā bhūṣitaḥ sarpaḥ kim asau na bhayaṅkaraḥ. Snake. Some snakes are decorated with jewel on the hood. So this materialist, however qualified he may be, just like jewel on the head. The śāstra says, "Do you think that a snake coming to you with a jewel on head is not dangerous or ferocious?" He's as dangerous, as ferocious, as the serpent without jewel. Similarly, any materialistic person, however educated he may be, so-called educated, he is simply a snake, dangerous. That's all. He has no qualification. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. One cannot have good qualities unless one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Read.
Pradyumna: "The harmful, foolish and passionate cannot be devotees of the Lord, however they may advertise themselves as devotees by outward dress. A devotee is always qualified with all the good qualities of God. Quantitatively, such qualifications may be different, but qualitatively, both of them are one and the same."
Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
Pradyumna: "...and empiric philosophers believe in the impersonal feature of the whole spirit without individuality of the living beings. But the transcendentalists affirm that the soul and the Supersoul are two different identities qualitatively one..."
Prabhupāda: This is also another doubt. Because the impersonalists, they think, ghaṭākāśa-poṭākāśa. Just like the sky. The sky is within the pot, and the sky is outside the pot. So when the pot is broken, the inside sky becomes one with the outside sky. That is their theory. So these doubts are also dissipated when one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That this poṭākāśa means the sky within the pot, no, ghaṭākāśa, the sky within the pot, it cannot be made analogy with the sky in the pot and outside. Because they are individual souls. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that they are part and parcel of God sanātana, eternally, not that they have been cut off. Just like the sky within the pot is walled by the wall of the pot, but actually we are not walled. We are individual. Every, every one of us are individual. We are not surrounded by some material wall. This material wall is supposed to be this body. Actually, we are individual, and therefore, because we are individual, according to our individual karma, we have got different types of body. So these are the doubts. When one become completely, I mean to say, cognizant with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness science, his all doubts are removed. Go on.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- sattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakṛter guṇās tair
- yuktaḥ paraḥ puruṣa eka ihāsya dhatte
- sthity-ādaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ
- śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ
- (SB 1.2.23)
Translation: "The transcendental Personality of Godhead is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the material world's creation, maintenance and destruction, He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate benefit from Viṣṇu, the form of the quality of goodness."
Prabhupāda: So material world means the three qualities. Material world is going on under three energetic energies: sattva, rajas, tamas. We have explained several times, we see varieties of living entities, varieties of trees, varieties of everything. Anywhere you go, you simply find varieties. Some of them you like, some of them you do not like. So these varieties are due to these three material modes of nature, sattva, rajas, tamas.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- sattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakṛter guṇās tair
- yuktaḥ paraḥ puruṣa eka ihāsya dhatte
- sthity-ādaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ
- śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ
- (SB 1.2.23)
Translation: "The transcendental Lord is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the material world's creation, maintenance and destruction He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Of these three, all living beings can derive ultimate benefit from Viṣṇu, the form of the quality of goodness."
Prabhupāda:
- sattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakṛter guṇās tair
- yuktaḥ paraḥ puruṣa eka ihāsya dhatte
- sthity-ādaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ
- śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ
The material creation, mahat-tattva... Sa īkṣata. As it is said in the Vedic literature, simply by glancing over the material nature and agitating the three modes of material nature, the whole creation comes out. This is an sum, sum and substance of material creation. Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying in the Causal Ocean, Kāraṇārṇava, and He is breathing, and from His breathing innumerable universes are coming out. And in each and every universe, Mahā-Viṣṇu, in His further expansion as Garbhodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu, He enters. That Garbhodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu, from His abdomen there is a lotus stem, and in that lotus flower Lord Brahmā is born. In this way, creation is made.
So here it is explained that people are very much fond of this universal form. They cannot imagine that a person—Kṛṣṇa is a person—He can work so wonderfully. Because he cannot do it. How he can do? He is very small. They do not understand that a small fire and big fire. Just like spark. Spark is also fire, so spark can also burn, but it can burn very small portion. Suppose a spark falls on your cloth. It will burn immediately. It will make immediately black. But it is very small. Similarly, the difference between Kṛṣṇa and me is that He is great, God is great, and I am small. Although qualitatively we are one. The same: big fire and small fire. Similarly, we have got also the same qualities, approximately, but very small quantity. We can play very wonderful by discovering some machine, say, the machine, what is called, which goes to the moon planet? Capsule. Or we float something in the sky, sputnik. But that is imitation of God. God is floating gigantic planets like sun, moon, in the space. You cannot do that. You can float a small sputnik.
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. This is called bhava-roga. Bhava-roga means material disease. So Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme Living Entity, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) Kṛṣṇa is exactly like us. Or we are imitation of Kṛṣṇa. The difference is Kṛṣṇa is vibhu, unlimited, and we are aṇu, we are limited. That is the difference. Otherwise, qualitatively, we are as good as Kṛṣṇa. Therefore whatever propensities Kṛṣṇa has, we have got all these propensities. Kṛṣṇa has the propensity to love the other sex. Therefore we have got this propensity, to love the other sex. The beginning of love is there in Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, eternal love between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So we are also seeking eternal love, but because we are conditioned by the material laws, it is interrupted. It is interrupted.
Pradyumna: By intense ecstasy in loving service, the damsels of Vrajabhūmi attained qualitative oneness with the Lord by dancing with Him on an equal level, embracing Him in nuptial love, smiling at Him in joke, and looking at Him with a loving attitude. The relation of the Lord with Arjuna is undoubtedly praiseworthy for devotees like Bhīṣmadeva, but the relation of the gopīs with the Lord is still more praiseworthy because of their still more purified loving service. By the grace of the Lord, Arjuna was fortunate enough to have the fraternal service of the Lord as chariot driver, but the Lord did not award Arjuna with equal strength. The gopīs, however, practically became one with the Lord by attainment of equal footing with the Lord. Bhīṣma's aspiration to remember the gopīs is a prayer to have their mercy also at the last stage of his life. The Lord is satisfied more when His pure devotees are glorified, and therefore Bhīṣmadeva has not only glorified the acts of Arjuna, his immediate object of attraction, but has also remembered the gopīs, who were endowed with unrivalled opportunities by rendering loving service to the Lord. The gopīs' equality with the Lord should never be misunderstood to be like the sāyujya liberation of the impersonalist. The equality is one of perfect ecstasy where the differential conception is completely eradicated, for the interests of the lover and the beloved become identical.
Prabhupāda: So Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā, and there is no better method of worship than the system invented by the gopīs. So gopīs invention of worshiping Kṛṣṇa was to remain always Kṛṣṇa conscious without any material profit. That is the super excellence of (the) gopīs. They never expected any return from Kṛṣṇa. That was not their business. "Kṛṣṇa, we have done so much for You, You cannot give me this benediction?" No, they never asked like that. That is the first-class worship. "Kṛṣṇa, You take whatever you like from us, but we do not ask anything, neither we have any need." This is gopīs' worship. We have got everything to give You and we have no need to ask You. This is gopīs' worship.
Now here is a word: Gāndhārīṁ ca tapasvinīm. Gāndhārī, the wife of Dhṛtarāṣṭra... He (She) is qualified herewith as tapasvinīm. Tapasvinīm. She was a householder, wife, having children. Not only children; she had one hundred sons. But still she is addressed here as tapasvinī. Tapasvinī means one who undergoes austerity. Because this human life is meant for practicing austerity. Human life is not meant for extravagancy. Tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). This is the principle of human civilization. Śuddhyet sattvam, existence. Our existence... We are eternal. Every living entity is eternal, but we are subjected to birth and death. Why? Because we are not pure. Just like when you are impure, some disease infects. If you are pure, follow the hygienic principle, you'll not be infected. Similarly, this existence, material existence, we, every one of us, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa originally, the same purity qualitatively...
So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme pure. We are also pure, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a small particle of gold is also gold. The value is gold. It is not iron or something low-grade metal.
So mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "All the living entities, they are My part and parcels." So when the living entity understands that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman. So I am not Para-brahman. I am the of the Supreme Brahman..." The Māyāvāda philosophy, they mistake this: "Because I am Brahman, therefore I am Supreme Brahman." No. Supreme Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. I am Brahman, because I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. Just like in your country, in America, you are American and the president Nixon is also American. Because you are American, therefore you are not President Nixon. That is rascaldom. President Nixon is different. Similarly, because you are Brahman, that does not mean you are Para-brahman. Para-brahman, is Kṛṣṇa. There must be distinction between the Para-brahman and the individual Brahman. This is dvaita-vāda philosophy. And the Māyāvāda philosophy, they say, "Because Para-brahman is Brahman, I am also Brahman; therefore we are one." No. You are one qualitatively, Brahman. As Brahman you are one. But as Para-brahman and Brahman, you are different. This is acintya-bhedābheda, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy, simultaneously one and different. As Brahman we are one, but as Para-brahman... Vibhu and aṇu. The Supreme is vibhu, all powerful. I am aṇu, infinitesimal. Infinite and infinitesimal.
So actually when one becomes a devotee, he is qualitatively one with Kṛṣṇa. Because one cannot become devotee without acquiring the Kṛṣṇa qualities. You cannot go into the fire without being fire. Without being Brahman, you cannot approach Brahman. Just like if you want to be secretary of a very big man, so you must have necessary qualification. Not that any, any man can become secretary of a big man. So when one becomes devotee, it is the statement of śāstra: yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā... Akiñcanā-bhakti (SB 5.18.12). Akiñcanā-bhakti means without any motive. That is akiñcanā-bhakti. "I'll become devotee because I'll get this opportunity to exploit Kṛṣṇa." That is not devotion. When one shall be ready to be exploited by Kṛṣṇa, then he's a devotee. Not that with a motive, that "I shall become a devotee and exploit Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and aggravate my position as sense gratifier." No, that is not devotion.
So the king is required because the human being has got developed consciousness. So the chance is given. Just like this your president's post is a very exalted post, but he has... Some way or other, people say that he has misused, "Therefore you should go away." Similarly, amongst all living entities, human being is the eldest or the chief or the supermost. So they should use their intelligence properly. But because every human being has got little independence, because he is part and parcel of God... God has got full independence, so he has also little independence. Just like big fire and small fire, a spark. The spark is also fire. When the sparks fall on your body, it immediately burns your clothes, because it is fire. Similarly, in quality, we are as good as God. We are spirit soul, and Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spirit soul, Paramātmā. So qualitatively, there is no difference. But quantitatively, there is difference. His intelligence, His power, and my power, my intelligence, is not the same.
The bondage is guṇamayī māyā, being wrapped up by the qualitative modes of nature. That is bondage. But if one is engaged in devotional service, he is not under this bondage because he knows things as they are. So... Just like I am foreigner and I am... So I have come to your country. So if I claim that "This country is mine," then there is trouble. But if I know that I have come as a visitor or as a foreigner I have come here, so there is not trouble. I can freely move. I can get all the facilities of the United States government. There is no trouble. Similarly, we come here as traveler, as visitor, within this material world, and if we claim that "This material world belongs to me," or a group of men, or group of nation, that is called ignorance.
Pradyumna: Translation: "Thus annihilating the gross body of five elements into the three qualitative modes of material nature, he merged them in one nescience and then absorbed that nescience in the self, Brahman, which is inexhaustible in all circumstances." (SB 1.15.42)
Prabhupāda: Tritve hutvā ca pañcatvaṁ tac caikatve ajuhon muniḥ. Everything is coming from that one. The theory of conservation of energy, that is imperfection. All energy are conserved in that Supreme Personality of Godhead. They have got little idea of this, wherefrom the energies are coming, but not perfectly. The modern scientists, they can simply think of "conservation of energy." But where is that conservation? That they do not know. That is the missing point.
In this way everything in this material world, nothing is permanent. But the soul within the body, that permanent. That is the conservation of energy. That they do not know. Where the energy is reserved and wherefrom the energy is manifested, again wound up... A living entity... As God and we living entities, we have got the same quality... As God is the reservation, conversation of all energy, material energy, similarly, I, you, we being small particle of God's fraction... Just like spark, spark of fire, big fire, and the small spark. That small spark has all the qualities of fire. All the chemicals composition of fire is there in the small spark, but in very, very small quantity. A drop of seawater has got the all chemical composition of the ocean. That is equality. Qualitatively. And quantitatively, where is the comparison between the drop of ocean water and the ocean? There is no comparison. That is difference. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy is perfect. Acintya-bhedābheda, inconceivably, simultaneously one and different. We are one with one, but these rascals who have no thorough knowledge, they simply take this oneness, "I am one with God." That is rascaldom. There are two things: one and different simultaneously. Qualitatively one, quantitatively different.
So there are different classes of men, crow society and swan society. The swan society is different from the crow society. How you can make equal? The people are making, try to make classless society. It is not possible to make classless society because every living entity is being controlled by a different quality. So the qualitative distinction must be there. You cannot make them classless. It is all imagination. The crow class, the swan class, the pigeon class, the dog class, even in the animals, even in the birds, even in the plants... There is a plant, rose tree, and there are other plants, useless, no fruit, no flower. It is simply meant for becoming fuel. So by nature there are so many distinctions. You cannot make equal everything. This is called variety. But everything is required, provided one knows how to utilize it, and that is possible by Kṛṣṇa conscious person, not by ordinary person. To accept all varieties of creation and engage them in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
This is solution, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam: "This is My appearance on this material world, how God appears." Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. Nobody takes birth. Even we do not take birth; we simply change body. So what to speak of God? God and we, we are qualitatively one. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). But He is the chief living entity. Just like you have got your chief American, means the president of your country, similarly, everywhere must be there, one chief man. Just like in the society, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, you accept me as the chief. So you have to accept one chief. Either you are a political party or social party or religious party or Communist party... Just like Communist party, they have got their chief men. Lenin, Stalin.
So Kṛṣṇa is acting everywhere by His energy. This kāla, this time, is another form of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa has got various forms, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Advaita, one, without a second. Acyuta, does not fall. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. We are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is acyuta, He does not fall down. We fall down. This is the difference. The example is... Just like the fire, big fire, and the sparks, they are also fire. The quality of big fire and the small sparks of fire, they're the same. Therefore qualitatively, we are one with Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa has got propensities, we have got also propensities. Kṛṣṇa has got creative power, we have also got creative power. In this way, compare anything. In minute quantity... Kṛṣṇa has got independence, full independence; we have got independence, but not full independence. But we have got independence. So that is the difference. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Kṛṣṇa has got various forms, but His real form is Kṛṣṇa. God has got many forms, but the original form is that, playing on flute, curved in three places with barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, with a feather on the head. These are Vedic description of Kṛṣṇa. It is not an artistic paint, but it is taken from the Vedic literature, what is the original form of Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. That is original form. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).
Now, what subject matter you are interested to hear, that depends on your quality. Because the whole world is running on under three qualitative divisions. And under these three qualitative divisions, some of them are very intelligent class of men, some of them are administrator class of men, some of them are trader class of men, some of them simply worker. So this subject matter is also divided into three groups according to the quality of the readers or hearers. Here Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "For ordinary general people, there are many thousands varieties of subject matter for hearing." Just like you have got, especially in your country, so many varieties of magazines. So some time ago I was seeing that there is a society, Diabetic Society. All the diabetic persons are members of the society and they have got magazine, and that is also distributed very widely. So that is nice division, different division. So that is the point not now, it was also in the past days.
Similarly, the small particle of sea water is also the same quality, salty. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of God, we have got the same qualities. Qualitatively, we are one. Why we are hankering after loving? Because there is love in Kṛṣṇa. We are worshiping here Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Originally there is love. Therefore we, being part and parcel of God, we are also trying to love. A man is trying to love another woman, woman is trying to love another man. This is natural. This is not artificial. But it is perverted in the material covering. That is the defect. When we are free from this material covering, then we are qualitatively ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), as jolly... As Kṛṣṇa is dancing always... Kṛṣṇa you will never find... You have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa. He is fighting with the Kāliya serpent. He is dancing. He is not afraid of the serpent. He is dancing. As He is dancing with the gopīs in rāsa-līlā, similarly, He is dancing with the snake. Because He is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. He is ānandamaya, always jolly. Always. You will see Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa... Just like in Kurukṣetra the fighting is going on. Kṛṣṇa is jolly. Arjuna is morose because he is living entity, but He is not morose. He is jolly. That is the nature of God. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. This is the sūtra, in the Brahma-sūtra, that "God is ānandamaya, always jolly, always cheerful." So you can become also cheerful when you go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our problem.
So anyway, qualitatively, we are one with God. Therefore our business is how to again unite with God qualitatively. That is the highest perfection of human life. And this chance of realization, how we can unite again with God or Kṛṣṇa, is given only in the human form of life. We are wandering in so many species of life, transmigration of the soul. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Just we change our dress, similarly we are changing our body every moment, and finally we are changing to other body. Not only we are changing or transmigrating from one body to another, but we are transmigrating from one planet to another. These things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
That is called illusion. That is called jñāna, that "I learn from Bhagavad-gītā that 'I am eternal. There is no birth and there is no death.' Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. Kadācit, at any time. Not that it has begun now. No. Never we are born. Na hanyate hanyamāne... (BG 2.20). So this is the fact. So why I shall be interested in something noneternal?" This is called knowledge. If I am eternal and my position is to enjoy life... Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By nature, I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), and Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). So qualitatively I am also sac-cid-ānanda. So why I am enjoying this temporary life for ten years or twenty years or two hundred years? This is called knowledge. Etaj jñānam. Other jñānam, they are not jñānam. I have said many times. They are arts, śilpa, to live for some time and make some artistic way of living condition and forget my real problem—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). So for this purpose one should approach guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). One who is actually interested for spiritual life, he should inquire about a guru. Not as a fashion, that "I may... Let me keep one guru and..." No. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Just like Devahūti is doing. Uttamam, something beyond this darkness. Tama means darkness, and ut means above. Uttama. That is uttama. So one who is interested... Uttama life means the spiritual life. Tama life means this material life. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. If you can transcend this darkness, the world of darkness, and if you come to the world of light, that is required.
So this is self-realization, when one understands that "I am not this body. I am minute particle of the Supreme." Kṛṣṇa says... Everything is said there. We have to realize it. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśa. Although aṁśa... Aṁśa and aṁśī, the whole and the part. Part is never equal to the whole—that is axiomatic truth—but it is equal in quality. Just like little particle of gold is also gold. It is nothing but else. Similarly, although we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, very minute, infinitesimal, aṇimānam, perpetually, eternally, still, we are not as big as Kṛṣṇa. Just like small particle of this sea water. The chemically composition is the same; you'll find the same taste. And if you analyze, you'll find all the same ingredients, chemicals, within the small particle. But the small particle is never equal to the sea, small particle of the water. This is said... If I think, "Because I am qualitatively one with God, therefore I have become God," that is mistake. That is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They have been described in the śāstras as aviśuddha, unclean intelligence. Unclean intelligence. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. The, some Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that "I am the same, so 'ham." So 'ham does not mean that I am equal to God. Nobody can be equal to God or greater than God. That is not God. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad..., mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).
So we should not falsely claim that "I am as great as the Supreme God." No. We should understand this, aṇimānam. Svayaṁ-jyo... Etad jyotiḥ, I am as effulgent... 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.
We are minute particle of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are not Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa's part, minute part. That minute part also we have discussed—one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). So when we realize this, that "I am not God, but I am godly. I have got the quality of God..." I have given the example also: just like the sea and the drop of water of the sea. So chemically, the drop of water of the sea is the same quality. There is no change of taste or other chemical composition. Similarly, we should understand fully that we are simply qualitatively one with God, but quantitatively, God is great and we are very minute particle. This is self-realization. Therefore part and parcel. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). The all living entities, Kṛṣṇa says, "They are My part and parcel."
That means we must know what is Para-brahman. That Para-brahman is Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam (BG 10.12). We must know, "What is my relationship." That relationship is already explained, that "I am qualitatively one..." Brahman and Para-brahman means both of them one in the platform of being Brahman. But Para-brahman is very, very great, and I am simply Brahman, small. The Vedic instruction is not ahaṁ parabrahma. Never says it is. Ahaṁ brahma, that is all right. But you cannot say, "I am Para-brahman." Nobody says. There is no such maxim in the Vedic literature. Para-brahman is one, kaivalya. Kaivalya means there is no alternative. There is no duplicate. There is no equal. There is no greater than. That is kaivalya. So nobody can be equal to Para-brahman, and nobody can be greater than Para-brahman. That is Para-brahman. So brahma-siddhaye means simply one should not understand that "I am Brahman," but he must understand what his relationship with the Para-brahman. That is brahma-siddhi.
So the great body, this universal body, as Kṛṣṇa showed universal body to Arjuna, so it is possible for Kṛṣṇa to show the universal body, virāḍ-rūpa. You cannot show. You cannot show. It was Arjuna's request to exhibit the virāḍ-rūpa because Arjuna knew it that "Because I am accepting Kṛṣṇa God, so many God will be there later on. A man will claim to become God. But as I am requesting Kṛṣṇa to show the virāḍ-rūpa, similarly, if some fool accepted the another fool as God, he should request him, 'Please show your virāḍ-rūpa.' Then accept him. Otherwise don't accept." So God has virāḍ-rūpa. So both God and we are, living entity, are of the same quality. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi means so 'ham. These words, Vedic words, are there to indicate that "Qualitatively, I am as good as God. He is spirit soul; I am also spirit soul. He has got creative power; I have got creative power. He has got senses; I have got senses." Everything just similar, facsimile. In the Bible it is said, "Man is made after God." Is it not said like that? That means God has exactly the same form. And therefore man is made also, the same form. So in this way both God and the living entities, they are anādi. Anādi, there is no beginning.
Kṛṣṇa said that "The living entities, they are My part and parcel. They are as good as I am." But because the part and parcel of gold is also gold... It is nothing else. It may be small gold, but it is gold. Similarly, we may be very small fragmental part of the Supreme Person, Brahman, but we are Brahman. This is Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is Brahman realization. It is not very difficult. If you simply understand that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," that is Brahma-jñāna. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). It does not take very much time, but it requires little brain, that "If I am part and parcel of God, then I must be qualitatively the same." Part of gold is also gold.
Nitāi: "Visible forms are understood by analytical study of their constitution. The constitution of a certain object is appreciated by its internal action. For example, the form of salt is appreciated by the interaction of salty tastes, and the form of sugar is appreciated by the interaction of sweet tastes. Tastes and the qualitative constitution are the basic principles in understanding the form of an object."
Prabhupāda: So actually, everything has got form, and there is—why not?—the form of God also. He has got virāḍ-rūpa, and He has got small, also, rūpa. We have got experience of the virāḍ-rūpa in the Bhagavad-gītā. But that is not permanent rūpa. Permanent rūpa of Kṛṣṇa: Dvi-bhuja-muralīdhara. He has got two hands and playing on flute. That is permanent rūpa. Virāḍ-rūpa, as it was shown to Arjuna, it is called naimittika, "under certain conditions." That is not eternal rūpa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta... Anādi, eternal.
So similarly, as soon as you begin chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, you gradually become self-realized, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, simply by chanting. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, you can understand. Then, gradually, what is the duty... Simply to understand ahaṁ brahma, so 'ham, "I am spirit soul..." So 'ham means "I am the same spirit soul as Kṛṣṇa is, as God is," not that "I become Kṛṣṇa." That is mistake. That means it is not cleansed. You can become qualitatively one with Kṛṣṇa, but if you think that you have become Kṛṣṇa, Māyāvāda philosophy, that means your heart is not yet cleansed. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Those who are thinking that... It is called ahaṅgrahopāsanā, ekatvena, to become one. One in quality, not in quantity. We cannot become God. That is not possible. But we can attain God's quality. Now we are... We have all God's quality because we are part and parcel of God, but it is covered by the material modes of nature. Tri-guṇa. Manyate tri-guṇātmakam. Yayā vimohito jīva manyate tri-guṇātmakam: "Being covered by this illusory energy, the jīva, the living being, although it is transcendental, as good as Kṛṣṇa, but," manyate tri-guṇātmakam, "he is thinking that 'I am one of the products of this material world.' " This is called māyā. This is called illusion. This is called ignorance.
Everyone is Brahman, but there is no realization, neither they do know the method of realization. Brahman... Everyone is Brahman. There is no doubt about it. Because we are all minute part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore if Kṛṣṇa is Brahman, Para-brahman, we are also minute particle of Brahman. There is no doubt about it. Gold..., gold mine, big gold and a small particle of gold, they are qualitatively one-gold. But the gold mine is different from the gold particle. These rascals, they do not understand it. The gold particle is claiming to become the gold mine. This is Māyāvāda. And they are making people atheist. So 'ham. So 'ham, it is Vedic version. That is all right. "What is God, I am also the same thing." But not... "The same thing" does not mean that as God is powerful, I am also powerful. No. You are qualitatively the same thing. That's all right. But if you claim quantitatively that you are the same powerful as Kṛṣṇa, then you are mistaken. Kṛṣṇa can lift, when He is seven years' old boy, the whole mountain. And a seven years' boy, when he is here, he cannot even seven kilo.
So similarly, Lord Śiva has got fifty-five. Lord Nārāyaṇa has got sixty. But Kṛṣṇa has got in full sixty-four. Cent percent, hundred percent all the qualities. Therefore either Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā or the living entities, nobody can be equal to Him. This is the conception of God. Asamordhva. And in the Bhagavad-gītā you have seen that Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, My dear Arjuna, there is nobody superior to Me." So just like some heating agent. You have got several heating agent. You have got heater in your apartment, oven in your apartment. There are so many different varieties of heater. But the heat of the sun cannot be compared with any other heat. You cannot say that "Because I have got little heat, I have become sun." (laughs) This is ludicrous; it is not possible. So those who are claiming that "I am God," "Everyone is God," they are simply, what can I say? Less intelligent persons. (laughter) They have no conception what is God. They do not know what is God. This claim that "I am God," that means he has no idea what is God. Therefore he is falsely claiming. You may have minute quantity of God's quality, but that does not mean you are God. Just like the same example. You may have a minute quantity of the total heat of the sun, but that does not mean you are sun. So qualitatively we are one, everyone has got some temperature, 98 degrees. But not that a million degree. That is not possible. Why the million? If you rise your temperature to 107 degrees, then finished your life. These are practical.
Yes. There are stages of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. According to time, circumstances, and people, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is understood in different measure. Actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is that one should understand that God is great and we are minute particles of God. Just like the sun globe and the sunshine. The sunshine is the combination of brilliant molecular atoms, sunshine. Similarly, we are molecular sparks, spiritual sparks, but the quality of the molecule of the sunshine and the sun is the same—light. Similarly, we, although very minute particle of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but qualitatively we are one. Quantitatively we are different. So if one understands that we are small particles of the Supreme Lord and our business is to dovetail our consciousness with His consciousness, that is perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But it is not very easy also at the same time. To immediately accept that "My consciousness may be dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa's consciousness," then I become almost like Kṛṣṇa. The example I have given here in this class many times, that a car, motorcar, is running at seventy miles speed, but if a cyclist catches the motorcar, he can also run on the same speed. So although the cyclist is small... Similarly, although we are small particle... Just like in the fire, these sparks, the particle sparks, we can see they are very small in comparison to the fire, but when the fire and the sparks are together, everything is beautiful. Everything is beautiful. The sparks also looks very beautiful, and the fire also looks very beautiful. So God has become many. Eko bahu syāma. Why? Because as it is stated in the Vedānta-sūtra, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He is by nature ānandamaya, joyful. (end)
At the time of death the situation of mental situation, according to that mental situation he gets the next body. How? The example is: just like air passing over a nice rose garden. The air is carrying the flavor of the rose garden. And if the air is passing through some filthy place, stool, urine, then it carries the smell of stool and urine. The air is pure, but according to the blowing of the air under certain situation, it is carrying the flavor or smell, a bad smell or good smell. Similarly, we spirit souls, we are all parts and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, qualitatively we are one. If God is gold, then I am also gold. How can I be otherwise? Because I am part and parcel. If God is iron, then I am also iron. That is my position. But as I am carrying different airs by my association with this material nature, I am getting a different body. It is very simple to understand. We are getting different bodies, that's a fact. Even in our present life we have passed through so many different bodies: a baby's body, a child's body, a boy's body, young man's body. All those bodies are gone. Now I am undergoing in an old man's body. Similarly, when this body will be useless for any purpose, then I accept another body. This is called transmigration of the soul. So for another body, that will be created according to the mental situation we made here at the present body—just like the same air passing through rose garden and air passing through a toilet room.
So long one is in māyā... Now our beginning is that we accept immediately the great the great and the small the small. We understand from the Vedic literature: mahato mahīyān aṇor aṇīyān. Aṇu means atom. The atom, he is, the Brahman, or the spirit, is smaller than the atom. Aṇor aṇīyān, still smaller. And mahato mahīyān: and the greater than the greatest. We have the conception of the greatest, the sky. But Kṛṣṇa showed that millions of skies were within His mouth. So therefore mahato mahīyān. So actually we, the living entities, we are part and parcel of God, but we are very minute quantity, infinitesimal. And God is infinite. So infinitesimal, our magnitude is, I've several times explained, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. So you cannot even imagine with your material senses. Therefore aṇor aṇīyān, smaller than the atom. The same thing—we are also spirit, and Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, is also spirit. Qualitatively we are one. But we are the smallest and He is the greatest. So we accept it immediately from the Vedic information. Therefore our position is safe. We do not falsely declare that "I am God." Just give proof that you are God. Then claim. But some rascal claims that he's God, and other rascals, they accept that he's God.
But the thing is that we are living entities, and Kṛṣṇa is also the supreme living entity, and both of us after enjoyment... Because the same quality, we are qualitatively one. As Kṛṣṇa dances with the gopīs, we also try to dance in the ball dance, the same imitation. But the ball dance does not endure. We become frustrated, because it is only shadow. The reality is there. A shadow... Suppose you love a boy or girl. But if it is a shadow, it does not give you actual pleasure. Just like in your country, in the tailor's shop, there are so many beautiful women and beautiful man also, dressed, but nobody is attracted there because you know it is shadow. It is shadow. There is a very nice, beautiful girl in the window, and you pass on. You are not attracted, don't see even, because you know it is false, it is not reality. Again, suppose you love one girl, very nice, beautiful, and when she is dead, you are no more attached, because you know it is shadow. Why you are not attached to the same lover or beloved who is dead now? "No, no, here is your lover. Here is your beloved. Why don't you...?" "No, no, she is gone," or "He is gone." "Oh, where he is gone? He is lying there." (laughter)
Everything, whatever we see, it has got a source of generation, and that is Brahman, Absolute Truth. So these guṇas, these material guṇas, they are also generated from the Absolute Truth. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā also. But here everything is perverted reflection. Therefore we see in a different way it is represented. Guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair vibhāvyante yathā-tatham. And those qualities, guṇa-nāma, guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpaiḥ, when the qualities begin to act, they are represented in different varieties, these qualities. These qualities of goodness, passion, and ignorance, when they are interacted, they represent in different varieties of representation. Just like when there is quality of goodness, then it is brahmanism. That is the representation of the quality of goodness. And when the quality of passion is represented, that is the quality of kṣatriya. And when the quality of ignorance is represented, that is the presentation of the śūdras. And mixed-up quality of ignorance and passion, that is vaiśya. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "These four qualitative representation, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriya..."
So if one is actually intelligent, then he should consider that "I don't want this lamentation. Why it is forced upon me?" It is forced upon me—on my desire, on my desire. It is not forced by any external thing. It is my desire. I wanted this position, and I got it by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, but when I got it, then again... Because the nature is like that, material nature... Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). You can place yourself in any position—the whole thing is duḥkhālayam; it is miserable. We are simply changing, that "If I am posted in this position, then I will be happy. If I am posted in this position, then I will..." And we are changing different positions. Harṣa-śoka-bhayāpaha. But if we want to stop this, if we want to come to our original position... Original position means we are part and parcel of God. So qualitatively the same position... It may be small, but the position is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), eternal life of bliss and knowledge. If we want to come to that, then the process is that we should not any more desire or manufacture some ideas for becoming happy in this material world. This is intelligence.
Kṛṣṇa is fully independent. But because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are minutely possessing almost, not all, all the qualities of Kṛṣṇa in proportionately in minute quantity. Just like the particle of gold is also gold. That is nothing else but gold. But the value of that particle is different from the gold mine. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is like that. Kṛṣṇa is just like the gold mine, and I and you, just like gold earring. The gold earring or gold finger ring or any golden ornament, that is gold undoubtedly, but is not as big as the gold mine. That is the difference between God and ourself. That is the difference. Qualitatively, we are one, being part and parcel of the Supreme Absolute Truth, but quantitatively we are different. Therefore, simultaneously, we are one and different. This is called acintya-bhedābheda tattva. Acintya. We cannot conceive in our present status of life that one thing can be equal and different from another. But if we think over it (a) little soberly, we can understand. This is the example. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7).
So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme nitya, eternal, and we are also eternal. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśa jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). We are eternal, and Kṛṣṇa is also eternal. That is qualitatively one. Kṛṣṇa is cetana, living force. We are also living force. So in that way, we are one in quality. But His living force and our living force, different in quality. His creative power, my creative power, your creative power, they are different. You can create a few skyscraper buildings, but Kṛṣṇa has created millions and trillions of universes. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. We are simply experiencing one jagad-aṇḍa, or universe, but there are jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi, there are millions and trillions of universes. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat.
This Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he was a five-years-old boy, he became an authority in the devotional line. So his father was atheist. He wanted that his son should be politician. He should be taught how to cheat others, how to get money. But this boy was devotee. The difficulty was a devotee is not accustomed to all these tricks of materialistic way of life. They are not interested in such things. Purposefully, they avoid all these things. Because devotional life means coming to the original position. Original position is that we are part and parcel of God; therefore our original position is godly. Not exactly like God, but godly. Just like gold and a particle of gold is also gold. A drop of ocean water contains the same chemical composition. Similarly, qualitatively we are as good as God in our original position. Now we are covered by this material body, but as soon as we take to the devotional service, that is our original position. Then very quickly we develop our good qualities, original godly qualities. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇair tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12).
Śyāmasundara: Do different spirit souls have different activities, spiritual activities?
Prabhupāda: No. Spirit soul is one; therefore, only one activity, to serve the Lord. That's all. The Lord is one, and the spirit soul, qualitatively one, and the activities also one. That is our mission: one God, one mantra, one scripture, one activity. One God: Kṛṣṇa. One mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa. One scripture: Bhagavad-gītā. And one activity: to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all. There is no two. One. Yes?
Gargamuni: Swamijī, as the ages progress, the population in the ages, are they more conditioned?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Gargamuni: Are we more conditioned than the people in the Satya-yuga?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, certainly. Just like a particular type of body... Just like a dog and man, there is difference of condition. A dog's living is more conditional than a man's living. Animal and human being, there is difference of condition. Similarly, there is difference of condition between human being and demigods. There are different other living entities in the higher planets, their condition of life, or standard of life, is different. Just like your American, your standard of life, in other poor countries, their standard of life is different. So the same principle: according to the body you have got, the standard of so-called happiness and distress and everything is different. So this age, Kali-yuga, as it will increase, the distress of the people will increase. I shall, next day, I shall describe how the distress of the Kali-yuga will increase. You just remind me next meeting.
So we have got this opportunity, this human form of life with sense so that we can understand the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, or Bible or Koran. These are meant for civilized human society. So if we don't take care of these things and simply pass on in this dreaming... Just like animals. They have no sense, simply eating, mating, sleeping and defending. "Gow! Gow! Gow!" As soon as another dog comes, oh, he at once barks, "Gow! Gow! Gow!" So this is dog's qualification. So this defending is also like that. It is defending in its own way. We are defending in our own way. So we must be above this, transcendental, as advised by Kṛṣṇa. Nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna: "Just become transcendental to these qualitative activities." And what is that unqualitative, uncontaminated activity? Oh, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
- bhakti-yogena sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
"Anyone who takes to this business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness..." Māṁ ca yo avyabhicāreṇi bhakti. Avyabhicāreṇi means without any material contamination, pure devotional service: "The Supreme Lord is my Lord. I am His eternal servant. My business is to serve Him, nothing more." This is called pure devotion. Either you call Kṛṣṇa or Jehovah, or whatever name you like, you give, but God is one.
Similarly, the Supreme Lord, He may be far, far away. He's not far, far away, because He is present by His energy. Just like sunshine. Sun is far, far away from us, but he is present just before us by his shining. We can understand what is sun. Similarly, if you study the energy of the Supreme Lord, then you are in conscious, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you engage yourself in the energy of Kṛṣṇa, then you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. And as soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you become nonseparated. You become nonseparated from Him. Just like qualitatively the sunshine and the sun is hot, warm, similarly, you are also the same spiritual energy, or this whole world is spiritual energy, nothing but... There is nothing but spiritual... Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Everything is Brahman. But how to realize it? If everything is Brahman, then why we are separating, "This is material, this is spiritual"? This is māyā. This is called māyā. Māyā means illusion or forgetfulness. How it happens? It happens just like the sunshine is covered by cloud. Sunshine is covered by cloud—not all the sunshine. An insignificant part of the sunshine is sometimes covered by the cloud. And when it is covered by the cloud, there are so many inconveniences. Just like you say in New York when you find a sunshine in the sky, you say, "Oh, today is very nice."
No. It cannot be as perfect as Kṛṣṇa's. That is not possible. Because you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a drop of ocean water and the vast mass of water, quantitatively they are different. Qualitatively they are one. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa has knowledge and you have knowledge, but the quantity of Kṛṣṇa's knowledge and your knowledge is different. He is full of all knowledge. You are almost full of all knowledge, but not exactly like Kṛṣṇa. And especially in your conditional life you are covered. All your knowledge is covered. Even that fragmental knowledge is also covered. Therefore you are in illusion. Because we are fragmental, therefore we are subjected to be covered by the illusory spell. Just like the sky and the sun. Sometimes there is covering by cloud. The cloud covers a few miles or the cloud covers the eyes of living entities like us, but the cloud does not cover the sun or the whole sky. That is not possible. But a fragmental portion of the sky is covered by cloud, and because we are very teeny, if the cloud is spread only for ten miles we think, "Now the sun is covered." The sun is never covered.
In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same thing is ordered by Kṛṣṇa: sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Don't divide your energy, that "So much energy for God, so much energy for māyā, or matter." No. Sarvātmanā. Fully. Then whatever energy you have got, that is sufficient to approach God. It doesn't matter what you are. Sarvātmanā mahi gṛṇāmi yathā manīṣam. Yathā manīṣam means "as far as it is possible by me." Nīco ajayā, "although I am born low," guṇa visargam anupraviṣṭaḥ, "but as soon as the vibration of Lord's name will enter unto me, so I am, I may be qualitatively very low..." Just like there are three qualities. Someone may be in the quality of goodness, someone may be in the quality of passion, someone may be in the quality of darkness, or ignorance. But Kṛṣṇa, or God, is transcendental to all qualities, because He's Supreme Spirit. We are also transcendental to all qualities, but at the present circumstances we are under the clutches of this qualitative existence. Somebody is very good man, somebody is very passionate man, somebody is ignorant fool. These are all qualitative representation of this material world. But as soon as you come to the platform of God, you transcend all the qualities. All the qualities. There is no such distinction, "good man," "bad man," "this man" or "that man."
So that eko, that one, is the maintainer of these many so-called gods. We are also gods in this sense because we are part and parcel of God. Just like a particle of gold is also gold, but that does not mean that the particle of gold is equal to the gold mine. That is the real understanding of philosophy. We are gods undoubtedly. In which way? Qualitatively. God is gold. Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore we are also gold. But He is big gold. He is the greatest gold. God is great. We are smallest gold. And if we understand this philosophy, then we become naturally submissive and our constitutional position... And then our prayer as subordinate, submissive, it is very nicely placed, and God accepts, and then our lost friendship is reestablished. That is the highest perfection of life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached this philosophy, prema pumārtho mahān, that if you want success of your life, then try to achieve your lost loving relationship with God. Then your life is successful. If you want to have success otherwise, that is your defeat.
So if you study yourself, that "I am spirit soul and this body is external expansion only," then you can understand that within this external expansion of cosmic manifestation there is the Supersoul. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). The Lord says that "By My one portion I enter into this cosmic manifestation and thus I maintain it." Similarly, as we are maintaining this body by entering into this body, similarly God is maintaining this cosmic manifestation by entering into it. Therefore we are qualitatively one. As I enter into this material body and expand it and maintain it, similarly the Supersoul enters into this cosmic manifestation and maintains it and develops it. (disturbance in the background) (aside:) That's all right. Don't disturb. So as you have got consciousness, a small consciousness or limited consciousness, similarly the Supersoul has got unlimited consciousness.
Now, as I have already explained to you, that being qualitatively one, as we have got consciousness, God has also got... He is also conscious. He has got consciousness. So when this individual consciousness is in agreement with the superconsciousness, it is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that our consciousness at the present moment is misguided. We have to dovetail it with Kṛṣṇa's consciousness. This is called oneness, or agreeing with the superconsciousness. That is called oneness. For example, just like you are citizens of this German state. If you are in agreement with the state laws, your life is secure and safe. But if you are in disagreement with the state laws, your life is not safe. Similarly, when we are in agreement with the supreme consciousness, then we become immediately peaceful and happy. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says at the ultimate end, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "My dear Arjuna..." He is teaching to Arjuna—not only Arjuna, but all human society—that "You give up your all manufactured occupational duties. You simply agree to My proposal, and I shall give you all protection." It does not mean that we lose our individuality. Just like Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, "You do it," but He does not force him: "You do it." "If you like, you do it." Kṛṣṇa does not touch your independence. He simply requests you, "You do it."
So this sleeping of Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu is not extraordinary. We can... If we study our, I mean to say, inclinations, our sense of pleasure, if we simply study ourself, you'll find that the Supreme Lord possessing the same thing but in turya, without any touch of māyā or without any touch of the three guṇas. Then you can understand what is God. God means... Because we are part and parcel of God, so you study yourself. You'll find the same quality. Just like a small drop of sea water. You analyze it, what chemicals are there—the same chemicals are in the ocean. The difference is quantity. Quality, the same. That is called acintya-bhedābheda tattva. We are qualitatively one with God, not quantitatively. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think we are also quantitatively the same. That is mistake. That is not possible. Otherwise why it is said, sthito na tu tamo na guṇāṁś ca yuṅkṣe? This... He is so big that He is above these qualities. Just like we become infected in a filthy place, but the sun does not become infected. It, rather, sterilizes that infected place.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So He manifests Himself, manifests His energy... His energy and He, there is no difference. Śakti-śaktimator abhedaḥ. The śāstra says śakti and the śaktimat—means one who possesses the śakti (śakti means power, potency)—they are equal. There is no difference. Just like the sun. Sun is the powerful, and the sunshine is the power. So there is heat in the sun and there is heat also in the sunshine. There is light in the sun and there is light in the sunshine also. Therefore qualitatively they are one so far heat and light is concerned. But the temperature of the sun and the temperature of the sunshine may be different. May be not. Actually there is difference. This is the basic principle of all philosophies. Acintya-bhedābheda. Acintya means inconceivable, bheda means different, and abheda means nondifferent. The whole situation... The one is there, God, but He has expanded Himself in different way. Eko bahu syām.
So the distinction between energy and energetic we have discussed several times. Energy is almost the same qualitative as the energetic. The same example, that the sun planet is hot; therefore the energy of the sun planet, sunshine, it is also hot. Sunshine, the sun is illuminating; therefore the energy of the sun, sunshine, it is also illuminating. So there are so many qualitative equality with the supreme, I mean to say, living entity. But Śaṅkarācārya's statement that "We living entities, we are God, and now we are illusioned in māyā. As soon as we become free from this māyā, we become God," that is not fact. You do not become God, but you are already in godly quality, qualities, to some extent, not fully. So when you are free from these material clutches, you attain your original quality, spiritual quality. And that spiritual quality you can serve. Because service means the person who is served, he is also person, and the servant is also person. Otherwise there is no question of service. Service, whenever we say service, there must be a person to take, to accept the service, and there must be one person who renders the service. Therefore dvaita-vāda, duality, the, this predominator and the predominated.
Everyone can understand. When there is cloud... Suppose immediately there is cloud, say, two miles or three miles above the surface. So we do not see the sun or the sunshine. Does it mean the cloud has covered the sun? No. Sunshine is so great that cloud's father's, there is no capacity of the cloud's father to cover sun. It is not possible. Therefore ignorance... Here it is stated, avidya-karma-samjñānya. This ignorance cannot cover God. That is nonsense. Ignorance covers the God's energy, living entity. Therefore we say that "We are God, but now we have become dog." That is another ignorance. He's never God. He's the energy of God. This is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy. We should always know that we are energies of God, and because we are energies, we are, there are so many things qualitatively equal. Just the same example: The warmth and the illumination of the sunshine and the sun planet is practically the same, but the sun is never covered by cloud, but the sunshine is covered—sometimes, not always. Just like you see that the sunshine is..., the immense sunshine all over the universe, a part of the sunshine is covered, not all; similarly, a part of the energy, living energy, is covered by this māyā, and not all.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu is quoting from Viṣṇu Purāṇa. As I have told you the other day, there are eighteen purāṇas: sattvika-purāṇa, rajasic-purāṇa, and tamasic-purāṇa. The whole scheme of Vedic culture is to reclaim all fallen conditioned souls to the platform of transcendental realization. That is the scheme. There are different status of human understanding according to the association of the qualities. The living being is just like a spark of the complete fire. Brahman is the complete fire, and the living entities are just like sparks. The equality with Param Brahman and individual living entity is on the qualitative basis. The quality is the same. Brahman, Param Brahman. Jivātmā, Brahman, spiritual, and Paramātmā, or Parameśvara. He is supreme, complete.
Yes. Paramātmā is Param Brahman. There are two words, Brahman and Param Brahman. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is accepting Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna is accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Param Brahman, the Supreme Brahman. (Hindi) Brahman, every living entity is Brahman, because part and parcel of Supreme Brahman. Just like particle of gold is gold. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says that "These jīvas, they are My parts and parcels." So as part and parcel, they are also Brahman. Just like a particle of gold is gold, but it is particle, and that is mine. Spark. Spark of fire is fire, but that is qualitatively one, not quantitatively.
So except human form of life, there are eight million different forms of life. And there is little idea in the Darwin's theory of evolution. That is only imitation of the Vedic literature, and he wanted to credit for himself. He presented it pervertedly. But actually, in the Padma Purāṇa the evolution theory is there. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu. There are 8,400,000 species of forms in jīva-jātiṣu, the living entities. They're passing through. So this is the chance, human form of life, to get out of this cycle of birth and death. Actually, this is our miserable condition. Kṛṣṇa presents these four things as actually miserable condition. We are trying to remove miseries and get happiness. This is called struggle for existence. Manaḥ ṣaṣthānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūto jīva-loke sanātanaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says that "These living entities, they are My part and parcels, qualitatively as good as I am." So the Vedānta-sūtra says, "The living entities or God, they are meant for enjoyment." Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By nature ānandamaya. So "Why I am put into this miserable condition?" This is the questions by intelligent human being. And if he remains satisfied with the miseries of this material life, then he's no better than the cats and dogs. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).
There is no estimate. But He is the origin of all. Just like in your New York City there are so many manifestation of electricity, but the origin is the powerhouse, similarly, He is the origin, powerhouse. Sarvādi, sarvāṁśī. He is the whole, and everything is part. And He is always just like a young boy of sixteen years old. And His body is transcendental, spiritual, full of bliss, eternity, and He is the shelter of everything. On Him everything is resting, and sarveśvara, He is the Supreme Lord.
svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa, 'govinda' para nāma
- sarvaiśvarya-pūrṇa yāṅra goloka-nitya-dhāma
Now, that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is the original name of God, and Govinda is the qualitative name, transcendental qualitative. This Govinda, we have explained.
Now, this material world is created, it is, it stays for some time, and it is again annihilated. Just we have seen in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). This is the nature. This material nature is like that. Just like you have seen one lamp. Once it is extinguished; once it is light. Similarly, there is creation, there is maintenance and there is annihilation of this material world. Now, these three functions are controlled by three guṇāvatāras, qualitative incarnation of the Supreme Lord. What are they? Now, Viṣṇu... Viṣṇu is the incarnation of the modes of goodness, and Śiva is the incarnation of the modes of annihilation, and Brahmā is the in-charge. Brahmā is secondary. Brahmā is the secondary creator. First of all, the everything is, the principle, the material principle ingredients and the guṇas and the everything is created by Viṣṇu. Then, the secondary creation, with those ingredients, all these planetary system, everything, is created by Brahmā. So Brahmā is also a secondary creator. And then Viṣṇu maintains.
Several times just I have explained this thing, but this material, spiritual, or the qualitative differences, that is for us, not for Kṛṣṇa. How it is? Just like government has got different departments. There is criminal department, civil department, and this department, that department, so many departments. Now, for us the criminal department may not be so pleasing or civil department may be very much pleasing, but for the government both the departments are equal because they have to maintain equally, either criminal department or the civil department. The government has no distinction that "This is criminal department; therefore this department should be neglected," or "It is inferior." No. Rather, in criminal department the government may spend more than civil department. Similarly, these distinctions, these qualitative distinctions, matter, spirit, and the different kinds of modes, they are distinction for us, not for Kṛṣṇa. He is Absolute. He is Absolute. To the Absolute, there is no such distinction. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa comes, when Kṛṣṇa comes in this material, He is not affected by this.
So this supplying, God is supplying. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one... There are two living entities, one Supreme and others; one singular number, other plural number. We are amongst the plural number, nityo nityānām. Nityānām, this is plural number, "Amongst many eternals." So we are amongst the many eternals. We are also eternal. We have got that qualitative, I mean to say, thing. Eternity is the same quality as of God, as of ours. We are eternal; God is eternal. That's all. But we are amongst the plural number. Nityo nityānām. And He is the singular number. And it is particularly stated that eko, that singular number, eternal puruṣa, He is supplying everyone's necessities. So God is supplying everyone's necessities. Either you are cat or dog or demigod or President Johnson or anyone, everyone is dependent on God's supply. We cannot be independent. If God stops supplying, you cannot manufacture. If there is food grains, there is no food grain, you cannot chew your dollar notes. What you will do (with) your hundred dollar notes? So He is the supplier. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.
They simply destroy. And Viṣṇu, He has taken the charge of maintenance, because without God nobody can maintain us. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "One personality, one eternal personality, He maintains all other plural eternities." We are also eternities, but we are maintained by Viṣṇu. Even Brahmā is also maintained by Viṣṇu, and Śiva is also maintained by Viṣṇu. So these are three qualitative incarnations: Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva.
- bhakti-miśra-kṛta-puṇye kona jīvottama
- rajo-guṇe vibhāvita kari' tāṅra mana
Now, what is the constitution of Brahmā? Brahmā... Just there are so many innumerable living entities. If some of them, they are devotee, but they want to enjoy this material world... They want to enjoy. So they are devotee for taking some favor for God and want to enjoy this material world. He is called Brahmā. Brahmā's constitutional position is that.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
"One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What is there as illusion or anxiety for him?" This realization is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are different kinds of realization, but ekatvam, a qualitatively oneness, is always there. The brahmavādi, impersonalist, they think that we are cent percent one with the Lord or the Supreme Absolute Truth, but that is not a fact. If one is cent percent one with the Supreme Lord, then how he has come under the control of māyā? This question, they cannot answer.
So real identity is in the Vedic literature we find that just like the fire, big fire, and the sparks of the fire, they are of the same quality, but the small spark, when he goes out of the fire and falls elsewhere, then, at that time, its fiery quality becomes covered. So this covering becomes manifest according to different qualities. Just like the fire. If a fire spark, if it drops on the water, then it is, it assumes completely extinguished. Similarly, the living entity, although qualitatively the fire, with God, when it contacts the modes of ignorance, his spiritual quality becomes almost extinct.
So one has to come, therefore, to the platform of goodness in this material world. If one does not come to the platform of goodness... The platform of goodness is the brahminical qualification. That we are preaching. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to bring some men on the platform of goodness. The world requires it now. The world is need of some brāhmaṇas, qualified brāhmaṇas. Not that... You are being trained up to become qualified brāhmaṇas. So be always careful that you may not contact the quality of passion and ignorance. Passion and ignorance will induce you... Kāma lobha, lust and greediness. That is the sign of passion and ignorance. And when you are in goodness, then you can see things as they are. Then you can see yourself, that you are not matter; you are spirit soul. And if you make further advance, then you understand that "I am eternal part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, the fiery spark." So that ekatvam anupaśyataḥ, in this verse, ekatvam, that qualitatively one, not quantitatively. You are one with God qualitatively. You cannot be equal with God quantitatively. That ekatvam.
Festival Lectures
So the hand, unless it's serving its source, then it's useless. The servant must serve its master or the part must serve the whole. And our relationship with God is the same. Just like the hand is made out of bile, blood and air, flesh and bone, as all the body is. So similarly we're made out of spirit. Qualitatively the same as Kṛṣṇa, but quantitatively many millions of times less. Qualitatively the same, quantitatively different. Fragmental portion. So if we fragmental portions, separated parts and parcels, can serve the source or the whole, then we can be cured of this material disease which is rampant nowadays. And this is possible only by mercy. By mercy alone we can transcend this material existence and know that I am part and parcel of the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, or God, and I can erase all of my karma and situate myself in pure consciousness. But this consciousness cannot be purified unless there is mercy. And in this age, Kali-yuga, as we know, mercy is diminished to being almost nonexistent. And Kali-yuga is just beginning.
So there are two phases, prakaṭa and aprakaṭa, appearance and disappearance. So we have nothing to lament on account of disappearance because Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee... Not only devotees, even the nondevotees, nobody disappears. Nobody disappears because every living entity... As Kṛṣṇa is eternal... It is confirmed in the Vedic literature, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The description of the Supreme Lord is that He is also nitya, eternal, and the living entities are also eternal. But He is the chief eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. So qualitatively, there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and the living entities. And quantitatively, there is difference. What is the difference between nitya, the singular number nitya, and the plural number nitya? The plural number nitya is subordinate, eternal servants of the singular number nitya. Just like if you want to serve somebody, so the master is also exactly like you. He has got two hands, two legs, or the same sentiments. He also eats. Everything is same there. But the difference is the master and the servant. That's all. Otherwise, equal in every respect.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
As the big fire and the small fire, both of them are fire, but big fire and small fire... So far the fire quality is concerned, God and we are the same. So we can understand, we can study God by studying ourselves. That is another meditation. But it will be perfect when we understand that "Although qualitatively I am a sample of God or the same quality, but still, He is the great, I am the small." That is perfect understanding. Anu, vibhu; Brahman, Para-brahman; īśvara, parameśvara—this is perfect understanding. Because I am qualitatively one, it does not mean that I am the Supreme. In the Vedas it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). We are nitya, eternal; God is also eternal. We are living being; God is also a living being. But He is the chief living being; He is the chief eternal. We are also eternal, but we are not chief. Why? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Just like we require a leader, similarly, He is the supreme leader. He is maintainer. He is providence. He is providing everyone's necessities. We can see that there are elephants in Africa. Who is providing them food? There are millions of ants within the hole of your room. Who is feeding them? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kaman. So in this way, if we realize ourself, that is self-realization.
Initiation Lectures
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. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. It is not the statement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu; it is the statement of Bhāgavata, but He quoted this. His disciple, Rāmānanda Rāya, quoted this while discussing what is the objective of human life. So He recommends this objective. What is that? Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Don't try to be puffed up artificially by your speculative knowledge that you are the same God. Don't try for it. If you actually want to be happy, and if you want, actually, you want to be God realized or Kṛṣṇa conscious person, then the first thing is that you give up this nonsense habit—by speculation, you want to be God. Puffed up: "I am God. I am God. I am God." But you are not God. You are God qualitatively, not quantitatively. Why don't you understand this?
So this acintya-bhedābheda philosophy adjusts that "God and the living creatures, they are simultaneously one and different." They are one in quality, just like the energy and the energetic, the sun globe and the sunshine. In quality, in sunshine there is heat, there is illumination, light. In the sun globe also, there is heat, there is illumination. But the degrees are quite different. You can bear the heat and illumination of the sunshine, but you cannot go to the sun globe or you can bear the heat and temperature there. The scientist says that so many millions miles away, if somebody goes or some planet goes near the sun globe, it will immediately burn into ashes. Similarly, God and ourself, Kṛṣṇa and living entities, they are qualitatively one, but quantitatively, we are very minute. Aṇu. We are smaller than the atom. Nowadays there is atomic theory. We can see the atoms within the holes of the windows when there is focus of sunlight. That is called prasareṇu. Prasareṇu means six atoms combined together, then it is visible. Otherwise, atom is also not visible with our naked eyes. There is atomic theory, paramāṇuvāda, in Vedic literature also. And Bhāgavata says that the scientists may be one day able to count how many atoms are there within this universe. This is not possible, of course, but it is theoretically.
Wedding Ceremonies
It is stated, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The Lord says that "The four divisions of social order—namely the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, śūdras—these divisions were created by Me," and guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, "not by birthright but by identification of qualities and actual work." In the similar way, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, it is stated that yasya hi yad varṇābhivyañjakam, lakṣaṇaṁ syāt. Yasya hi yad lakṣaṇaṁ syād varṇābhivyañjakam, tat tenaiva vinirdiśet (SB 7.11.35). The whole Vedic system is to pick up qualitative persons. There is no such thing as birthright qualification. And Śrīdhara Swami, the greatest commentator on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he has commented on this verse, yasya hi yad lakṣaṇaṁ syād varṇābhivyañjakam tat tenaiva vinirdiśet, yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiśet: (SB 7.11.35) "If such qualities are found in another platform, then he should be designated in that position." Just like if a boy born of a brāhmaṇa family, he has got the qualities of a śūdra, he should be indicated as śūdra. And if a boy born of a śūdra family but he has got the brāhmaṇa's qualities, then he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Yes. So that is also our aim but that happiness is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat. Ātyantikam. Atyantikam means the greatest happiness. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya grāhyam (BG 6.21). That happiness can be perceived by transcendental senses.
Śyāmasundara: So you're talking about a qualitative happiness, the quality of happiness.
Prabhupāda: Yah, qualitative it must be. Ātyantikam. Ātyantikam means the actual, the greatest happiness.
Śyāmasundara: Greatest, highest happiness.
Prabhupāda: Happiness everyone wants. You are feeling happy by eating something but if you get another better thing, you feel more happiness.
Śyāmasundara: Quality of happiness.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Not the quality of happiness. You feel actually greater happiness. Just like you are taking ordinary sugar, but if you take rasagullā, it is also sweet but it is greater happiness.
Prabhupāda: Then if you come to the quality, then it will be the smallest, because quality... Suppose the whole population, two million population, if you pick up from the population quality, first-class population, you find very small number. In a mass meeting if you ask in the meeting, "Who has passed M.A. examination?" maybe three or four may come. Quality.
Śyāmasundara: But I mean the pleasure, the type of pleasure, he says it should be qualitatively and quantitatively the greatest.
Prabhupāda: Pleasure also, whatever you take, when you put the question of quality of pleasure... Just like ordinary people, they are taking pleasure in eating, sleeping, mating, drinking, like that. But Kṛṣṇa pleasure is transcendental pleasure. Very few people are taking it. Very small number. So the same question again, why he said that many number of people, they are taking pleasure, so-called pleasure in taking LSD? So will that be taken as pleasure or will that be accepted? We are talking of philosophy.
Śyāmasundara: Qualitatively that's not a very high pleasure, so he would not recommend it.
Śyāmasundara: But his idea is to find or to utilize those principles of life which give qualitatively and quantitatively the most pleasure to the most people. That means, he says, by quality he means... Like, for instance, he makes the statement, "It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied. It is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied."
Prabhupāda: But how many Socrates will you find? Then again he comes to the minimum. You cannot find Socrates on the street, loitering.
Śyāmasundara: But he says that that standard of pleasure...
Prabhupāda: Then where is the question of maximum men? A Socrates you will find in millions, one.
Śyāmasundara: But he says that that standard of pleasure that Socrates...
Prabhupāda: Then there is no question of maximum people. The number of Socrates is not maximum. That is minimum. That is minimum. If you come to the question of quality, the quality philosophy, quality understanding, that is for the minimum. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: (BG 7.3) "Out of millions and millions of persons, one person is trying to become perfect." And yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetthi māṁ tattvataḥ: (BG 7.3) "Out of millions of such perfect men, one may understand Me, Kṛṣṇa." That is not quantity, that is quality. That is quality.
Śyāmasundara: ...is better than a great quantity of low quality pleasure.
Prabhupāda: That is right. In Bhagavad-gītā: svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. If one executes devotional service a little, he can be delivered from the greatest danger. In another place it is said that if anyone by sentiment accepts Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without any much understanding... Sometimes we are led by the majority, "Oh, so many people are chanting. Let me also chant." Even in that way, by sentiment if one accepts Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and because he did not accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness very diligently, or he was not very strong, later on he may fall down—still he is gainer. Still he is gainer. While on the other hand, a person who is very intelligent, karmī, "Oh, what is this nonsense Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Let us do our duty. We have got our duty to serve our country, to our family, we must earn money," and so many things, that is called varṇāśrama. According to varṇa and āśrama we are working. They think to execute the duties of varṇāśrama is first class. They do not take to devotional service. For such persons, Bhāgavata says, "What do they gain?" What do they gain? That is our philosophy. That Kṛṣṇa consciousness qualitatively, it is so great that even taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness even for a few days, just like this boy, what is his name? He has come back...
Śyāmasundara: Hari-vilāsa.
Hayagrīva: Concerning individuality, Kierkegaard writes, "God is the origin and wellspring of all individuality. To have individuality is to believe in the individuality of everyone else, for the individuality in not mine. It is the gift of God through which He permits me to be, and through which He permits everyone to be."
Prabhupāda: That's the fact. He explains..., this fact is explained in the Vedic literature, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13), Kaṭha Upaniṣad, that He is also living being and we are also living being. So He is also eternal; we are also eternal. So qualitatively we are one, but quantitatively we are different, because eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: that one, singular number, eternal living being, Kṛṣṇa, or God, He is maintaining everyone. So that is the difference. The one living being, the Supreme Living Being, the great living being, is maintaining other living beings who are part and parcel of the Supreme. So both of us, we are the living beings, individual, eternal, but God is Supreme; we are subordinate. That is difference. So our natural position should be to love God, being part and parcel of God.
Prabhupāda: So then why he is distinguishing, discriminating between personal and impersonal? In the Absolute there is no such difference. That is defined in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, advaya. That is Absolute. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Vadanti tat tattva vidas tattvam yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). That is Absolute. Dvayam, dvayam means relative. That is not relative. So actually we are searching after the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is realized in different ways. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. The, just like the same example I gave the other day, that from a distant place you are seeing this mountain, something cloudy. You come a little forward, you will see it is green, and if you enter the mountain you will see so many varieties. The one is there, but it is due to my relative understanding by distant or nearer the Absolute is appearing in different way. Absolute is one. That is Absolute. But it is due to my position, qualitative position, we see imperson or all-pervading or Bhagavān. So actually He is Bhagavān. Brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. The impersonal feature is standing on Him. Yes. That just like this, this mountain, you see from distance impersonal, but you go to the mountain you will see so many houses, so many persons, so many animals, so many. So because I am looking the Absolute from very distant place, it looks impersonal. Actually it is not. It is my position to see. Although this impersonal is also the Absolute. What you are seeing like vague cloud, this same mountain or the same hill, but... (aside:) Oh, come on. You're feeling little... (end)
Prabhupāda: If we hear Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā regularly, then we become free from the effects of the modes of ignorance and passion, gradually, although it takes... But it is sure. The more you hear about Kṛṣṇa, or—Kṛṣṇa means His instruction or about Him, what He is—the more you become purified. So that is the test, that how one has become purified means one is purified from the base quality of passion and ignorance, means that he is no more attacked by greediness and passion. That is the test. That means he is free from the base qualities, and he is situated, ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. When he is no more disturbed by these base qualities of passion and greediness, then he is happy. Then he becomes happy. Ceta etair anāvi..., sthitasya, that is goodness. That is goodness. Then he is happy, happiness, that the ultimate stage of goodness is brahma-bhūtaḥ, to realize himself, realize God. So goodness, one must come to the platform of goodness. So we are therefore asking people to give up these base qualitative activities—illicit sex and meat-eating and drinking or intoxication and gambling. These are base qualities. So anyone gives up these qualities, he remains in the sattva-guṇa. And then if he is promoted farther, just like Socrates said that goodness is not all, that still you have to..., and that is bhakti. Then his realization is perfect.
Hayagrīva: Well, this..., thinking in this way Augustine writes, he says, "We do not apply 'Thou shalt not kill' to plants, because they have no sensation, or to irrational animals that fly, swim, walk or creep, because they are linked to us by no association or common bond. By the creator's wise ordinance they are meant for our use, dead or alive. It only remains for us to apply the commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' to man alone, oneself and others." So...
Prabhupāda: So that is imagination of Augustine. But Jesus Christ does not say such qualitative killing. He says frankly, "Thou shalt not kill." When he says that, he means, "You should not kill." But when there is absolute necessity, just like he says that "One life is food for the another life..." Does he not say it like that?
Hayagrīva: He says, uh... (break) He says..., this is, this is Augustine writing. He said, "Some people try to stretch the prohibition 'Thou shalt not kill' to cover beasts and cattle and make it unlawful to kill any such animal, but then why not include plants and anything rooted in and feeding on the soil? After all, things like this, though devoid of feeling, are said to have life and therefore can die and so be killed by violent treatment."
Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Lotus is blessing. And that disc and club is for punishing. Viṣṇu has to see two ways because He's the Lord. So, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Just like the state. State is meant for punishing the criminals and giving protection to the law-abiding citizen. Wherefrom this idea is taken? It is taken from Viṣṇu. Everything. Because He is the supreme maintainer. So everything is required for maintaining. So this gada, the club, and the disc is for punishing the disobedient, the demons, or those who are harassing devotees. To punish them the Viṣṇu-cakra is there. Just like Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was harassed by Durvāsā Muni, and Viṣṇu-cakra punished him sufficiently. Mahārāja Durvāsā... Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was a great king, but a great devotee at the same time. Because he was kṣatriya and householder, Durvāsā Muni, he was envious. Durvāsā Muni was brāhmaṇa and a great yogi. So he could not tolerate that a householder king... King is supposed to be dealing in politics, economics. Therefore, according to social position, he is lesser than the brāhmaṇa because they are simply engaged in the matter of transcendental advancement of life. But a devotee is above the brāhmaṇas. That is the position of devotee. Here, the highest qualitative position is to be situated in the modes of goodness or to acquire the qualities of brāhmaṇa, in this material world. Truthfulness, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, simplicity and knowledge, faith in God, there are so many qualifications which makes a person as recognized brāhmaṇa. But a devotee, never mind whether he's brāhmaṇa or a caṇḍāla, he automatically develop all these qualities.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Guest: In that expansion can't we take Durgā and Siva, even for...
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is śakti-tattva. We have to take expansion according to the tattva. Substance and categories; in which category. The substance is Viṣṇu, and all other tattvas are categories. So devatās, they are śakti-tattva, śakti category, the same category as you are. The same example. Just like here a government officer, he is also Indian gentleman, you are also Indian gentleman, but he has got his power on account of his high qualities. Similarly you can become also Durgā. You can become Indra, Candra, Sūrya. So qualitatively the ant, you are a learned brāhmaṇa, they are all the same category.
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
- brahmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
A paṇḍita knows that they are on the same jīva-tattva categories. Viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva, there are many tattvas. Brahman-tattva, paramātmā-tattva, and Bhagavat-tattva, they are the substance, and all other tattvas, they are jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva, like that. So Bhagavān is not jīva-tattva, but others, they are jīva-tattva. Demigods, they are jīva-tattva. Brahma is also jīva-tattva. Devī is śakti-tattva. Jīva is also śakti-tattva. In one sense jīva-tattva is higher than this material śakti-tattva.
| Page Title: | Qualitative (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 24 of Nov, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=125, Con=2, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 127 |