Now, Bhāgavata, because it is interpretation of the Vedānta-sūtra, it begins from that sutra, janmādy asya yataḥ. Now, how that janmādy asya yataḥ? It is explained: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ.
If the original source . . . how the characteristics of the original source should be? The original source must be cognizant indirectly and directly of everything. The original Absolute Truth should be cognizant, abhijñaḥ. If He is the source of everything, then He must be cognizant of everything, either directly or indirectly.
Just like for example this body is my product. I am spiritual spark. This spiritual spark, as soon as takes shelter into the womb of a woman, it develops this body. The spiritual spark has that power, develops body. So I am a spirit soul, I have developed this body. That means I am a spiritual spark, which is source of this body, all mechanisms. And similarly, the whole creation, it . . . there is supreme spirit. The whole creation, janmādy asya yataḥ.
So He knows everything because He is perfect. But I do not know. Although it is by my energy this body is produced, I do not know how these veins are created, how these bones are created. I do not know. Therefore I am not God. I do not know . . . I say "my body," but actually this body has developed—me, as spirit soul—but I do not know how many hairs are there on my head and how it is growing. But He knows. That is a characteristic of the Absolute Truth. He must be knowing everything, and that is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vedahaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26): "I know everything in the past. I know what will happen in the future. I know everything." That is God.
When Arjuna was asked to Kṛṣṇa that, "How can I accept that You taught this philosophy to sun-god? Because You are my contemporary. We are born practically on the same date." So He replied, "Yes. Both you and Me, we took many, many births. But you have forgotten. I know everything." And that is God. That is God. Abhijñaḥ. God must be cognizant of everything. And I do not know everything, and still, I claim I am God, and people accept. How rascals.
The Bhāgavata explains that the Absolute Truth is cognizant of everything, abhijñaḥ. "So how His knowledge is so perfect?"—the next question. Because we become cognizant by taking knowledge or accepting knowledge from spiritual master. But how He has become so cognizant? The answer is svarāṭ: fully independent. He hasn't got to learn anything from anyone. I am . . . I am real . . . realize myself as God by taking knowledge from another Māyāvādī sannyāsī.
But He is God without taking knowledge from anybody. That is real God. Svarāṭ. In this way Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has explained the Vedānta-sūtras, that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the right explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrānām. The Brahma-sūtra means Vedānta-sūtra. And the real commentary and explanation is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, of Vedānta.
But these Vedāntists, so-called Vedāntists, they do not read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Even read, they make a different interpretation. Because to make them popular, they have to go through Bhāgavata sometimes. I see Akhandānanda also tries to explain. But they explain in their own way. Just like "This Kurukṣetra, this body, and this means . . ." I, in a . . . long ago in Bombay this Akhandānanda explaining one śloka—I just forget—but I remember his interpretation, that "When I am satisfied, God is satisfied."
He explained like that. And he is passing on as a great scholar and great sannyāsa. He said like that, "When I am satisfied, God is satisfied—because I am God." We say: "When God is satisfied, then I am satisfied." If you say that, "When the finger is satisfied, the whole body is satisfied," it is possible?
Guest (4): No.
Prabhupāda: So in this way, misinterpretation, malinterpretation, and people are gliding down to abominable condition of this material life. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a protest against all this nonsense. And therefore we . . . sometimes we are unpopular. But we don't care for that. Popular or unpopular, we must go on with our business. What do you think?
Śyāmasundara: Yes.
Guest (5): Do you mean one has to . . .
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest (5): Unpopularity also means you are creating something.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs) That is the reaction.
Guest (5): Here because . . . (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: So therefore so quickly we have become popular in the foreign country. Yes. Even the priestly class, the Christian priestly class, they have recognized that "We are preaching about God, Bible - we could not create such nice boys and girls. And all these young boys, they were Christians and they are attracted, attached to Swami, and they are so nice." They can appreciate that their character and their behavior, everything is so godly. They are astonished.
Guest (5): . . . (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: So therefore the Christian priests, they do not go against us.