Prajāpati: ...from politics to the world of theology. One of the most misunderstood passages in the western scriptures, things that are..., most speculation about, is the beginning of the Book of John, where it is said, "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God." And that Greek word is logos. And so many people have said so many different things about that passage. No one really understands it.
Prabhupāda: They cannot understand the Absolute. God and God's word are not different. Otherwise, why we are after Bhagavad-gītā? Because Bhagavad-gītā is the words of God. So as good as God.
Umāpati: Absolute?
Prabhupāda: Absolute, yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: We also say that. We say that the beginning the sound vibration oṁ was there. Oṁ.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Śabdād anāvṛtti. In Vedānta-sūtra, śabdād anāvṛtti. Śabdāt. By vibration.
Prajāpati: But it goes on to say, "Then the word then came down to earth and dwelt with man as Jesus Christ." They say Lord Jesus Christ was the word incarnate.
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Umāpati: Incarnate means flesh, having come down in flesh.
Prabhupāda: That's all right.