SB 01.02.31 taya vilasitesv esu... cited

Expressions researched:
"antah-pravista abhati" |"gunesu gunavan iva" |"taya vilasitesv esu" |"vijnanena vijrmbhitah"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.2.31, Translation and Purport:

After creating the material substance, the Lord (Vāsudeva) expands Himself and enters into it. And although He is within the material modes of nature and appears to be; one of the created beings, He is always fully enlightened in His transcendental position.

The living entities are separated parts and parcels of the Lord, and the conditioned living entities, who are unfit for the spiritual kingdom, are strewn within the material world to enjoy matter to the fullest extent. As Paramātmā and eternal friend of the living entities, the Lord, by one of His plenary portions, accompanies the living entities to guide them in their material enjoyment and to become witness to all activities. While the living entities enjoy the material conditions, the Lord maintains His transcendental position without being affected by the material atmosphere. In the Vedic literatures (śruti) it is said that there are two birds in one tree.* One of them is eating the fruit of the tree, while the other is witnessing the actions. The witness is the Lord, and the fruit-eater is the living entity. The fruit-eater (living entity) has forgotten his real identity and is overwhelmed in the fruitive activities of the material conditions, but the Lord (Paramātmā) is always full in transcendental knowledge. That is the difference between the Supersoul and the conditioned soul. The conditioned soul, the living entity, is controlled by the laws of nature, while the Paramātmā, or the Supersoul, is the controller of the material energy.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.31 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

tayā vilasiteṣv eṣu

guṇeṣu guṇavān iva

antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti

vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ

(SB 1.2.31)

Translation: "After creating the material substance, the Lord expands Himself and enters into it. And although He is within the material modes of nature and appears to be one of the created beings, He is always fully enlightened and in His transcendental position."

Prabhupāda:

tayā vilasiteṣv eṣu

guṇeṣu guṇavān iva

antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti

vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ

Now, this material creation is possible when the Supreme Spirit enters into it. This is a problem to the modern scientist, how creation was possible. They cannot understand that without spiritual touch, there cannot be any creation. That is their poor fund of knowledge. The Darwin's theory, development, process of evolution, they are childish. They are concentrating on the matter: matter is evolving. Matter does not evolve; matter is dead. It is due to the presence of the spirit soul it evolves. That they do not understand, although actually we are seeing. Just like a child born. If the child is born dead, it is simply dead matter. It does not grow. It is our practical experience. But if the child is living, or the spirit soul is within that body, then it develops. Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation, this big universe, unless there is, in the center, the Supreme Spirit, how it develops? It cannot develop. Either you take this body or take this universal body—without the spirit being entered within it, there cannot be development. The modern scientists, they have no knowledge. They cannot understand this. They are so poor fund of knowledge. Practically we are seeing every day. This body has developed, your body, my body, how it has developed? Because I, the spirit soul, you, the spirit soul, enter into the matter. Therefore, it has developed. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1).

Lecture on SB 1.2.31 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

So deha upapatti, development of this body, is possible when the spirit soul enters. The man, the male and female, they have sex life, and the two secretions, they mix up, becomes emulsified, and the spirit soul takes shelter within that matter. And then the matter develops gradually. That is the development within the embryo. And when it is fully developed, with hands and legs, consciousness, at seven months, then child wants to come out. Then, by the natural process, on the tenth month the child comes out. But medical science or physiologist, biologists, they do not know this. They do not know this. They cannot explain how the body is developing, how the body is being formed. They do not know. But it is the fact.

Tayā vilasiteṣu guṇeṣu guṇavān iva. Now, the living entity wanted to enjoy this material world. We get different types of bodies on account of our desire to have such body. We want to enjoy the material, the matter, in a certain way, and Kṛṣṇa gives us the opportunity to enjoy as we liked Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is under control of Kṛṣṇa. Although the body's obtained by material arrangement, still, behind the matter, there is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is... As the living entity enters this material world, Kṛṣṇa is also there along with him. Sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they mistake that the soul and the Supersoul, there is no such difference: only the soul is the Supersoul, or the Supersoul is the soul; ātmā, Paramātmā, they are both one. But not they are not both one. They are two. That is stated in the Upaniṣads, that they are sitting in one tree like two birds, friendly birds. One is enjoying the fruit of the tree; other is only witnessing. So the witnessing bird is Paramātmā, and the fruit-eating bird is ātmā. These are the Vedic statements.

Lecture on SB 1.2.31 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

So guṇeṣu guṇavān iva. Now, the Supersoul does not become affected by the material qualities, but the individual souls, they are affected by the material qualities. Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. But the Supersoul is above these guṇas always. Antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. He's always full conscious. When Kṛṣṇa comes within this material world, He does not become affected by the qualities as we become. Therefore, those who are mūḍhas, those who are fools, they consider that Kṛṣṇa is also a human being like us. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). But Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa, it is said, vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. He's full, fully conscious. He knows. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). "I know everything," Kṛṣṇa says, "past, present, future." Just like Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "Formerly I spoke to the sun-god." So because He does not forget past, present, future... Vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. He's always conscious, fully conscious. Whatever was done in the past, what will happen in the future, and what is happening, everything is known to Kṛṣṇa. Vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. But we have lost our consciousness. We have lost our memory that we have past, that we are parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa, and we are identifying with this material world in different capacities. Somebody's identifying with this body; somebody's identifying with the society or community or nation or country. But Kṛṣṇa does not become such materially affected. Vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. He's always conscious.

So the Paramātmā... Although the Paramātmā is within this body, antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti, without Him... Both the Paramātmā and jīvātmā are within this body, and the intelligence is coming from the Paramātmā. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi-sanniviṣṭaḥ. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi-sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I have entered in everyone's heart." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi-sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. Remembrance, memory, knowledge—everything is coming from Him. Smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. And forgetfulness is also from Him. (loud kīrtana in background) (aside:) That's all right. Let them... Jñānam and apohanaṁ ca. Knowledge and forgetfulness, both are there. Both are coming from Kṛṣṇa. Knowledge...Suppose I wanted to enjoy something in my past life. So Kṛṣṇa has given me a type of body so that I can enjoy, and He gives me reminder also: "Now you wanted to enjoy like this. You have got this opportunity. You do it." This is the proof. You'll find even a, what is called, the cub, born of an animal, the dog, cats and dogs, they find out where is the mother's breast. The human child also, they also try to find out where is the mother's breast. Because they, they explain it as intuition. But we don't say it is intuition. Or even if you call "intuition," wherefrom it is coming? It is coming from Paramātmā. He's giving that "You find out. Here you'll find your mother's breast, and here is your food. Here is your food." Therefore even just after birth, the kitty, or a small child, finds out where is the food. This is the explanation of intuition.

But the modern scientists, they say "intuition," but they cannot explain how the intuition is coming. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). It is coming from Paramātmā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. But Kṛṣṇa, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi-sanniviṣṭaḥ, as Paramātmā, He has entered in everyone's heart. He is in His knowledge. He knows that "This individual soul wanted to enjoy this material world," so He gives him facility: "Now you enjoy." Those who have no discrimination of eating—all abominable things one can eat—he's given the chance of eating everything up to stool in the form of a hog. The facility's given. One who is shameless... Now this civilization has spread in the Western countries—they want to remain naked. There are so many nudie clubs. So next life they'll be given chance to become tree, to stand naked for thousands of years. This is laws of nature. They do not know how they're getting chance, different types of body for different types of enjoyments, material enjoyment. Sometimes he's put as a poor man; sometimes he's put as a rich man. Sometimes as demigod, sometimes as cat, sometimes as dog. In this way, it is going on. But they are..., there is no knowledge. The modern civilization, they do not take care of this Vedic information, neither they have got any sufficient knowledge how these 8,400,000 species of life are becoming possible. They have no science. But here it is stated: antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.2.31 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

As soon as you push some button, electronic button, immediately the picture and the speaking immediately become manifest. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is already there within your heart. You are also there. If we simply connect or link with Kṛṣṇa, that is called yoga. Yoga means connecting the link. So there are different processes of yoga system. The best yoga system, as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: always think of Kṛṣṇa within your heart. Always think. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). This is the example given by Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. You haven't got to practice so many aṣṭāṅga-yoga process—that is also one of the process—but this process, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa... Satataṁ cintayanto mām. Satataṁ cintayanto mām, satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). These words are there. If we engage ourself always chanting, hearing about Kṛṣṇa,

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

(SB 1.2.17)

Then gradually the dirty things within our heart will be cleansed, and there will be clear direction what to do in which circumstances and how to do it. Everything will come.

Because vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is there. He's full of knowledge, scientific knowledge. Vijñānena. This very word is used, vijñānena. Not only jñāna, but vijñānena. Tactfully, everything perfectly will come. Simply we have to link our lost relationship. We are always in Kṛṣṇa touch, but at the present moment, due to the illusory energy of māyā, we have forgotten that we are always connected with Kṛṣṇa. This has to be, this illusion, this dirty things has to be moved; then our original relationship will be established, and our life will be perfect. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.