When you go to God, you must have a body like God. Just like if you want to enter into the water, then you must have a body like a fish. Otherwise you cannot enter into the water

Expressions researched:
"when you go to God, you must have a body like God. Just like if you want to enter into the water, then you must have a body like a fish. Otherwise you cannot enter into the water"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

When you go to God, you must have a body like God. Just like if you want to enter into the water, then you must have a body like a fish. Otherwise you cannot enter into the water. Similarly, when you enter the spiritual world, then you have a body like God. And if you don't want, if you want to enjoy unrestricted sense, then you take the body of a hog. So nature is open to everyone.

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:

So they do not know. They want freedom. In the freedom, in the name of freedom, they are becoming animals. That's all. This is the civilization. But here it is said, kovida, intelligent. Intelligent man should take up this sword to cut the knot of our attachment for this material enjoyment. What is that? Anudhyāsinā. Anu means always. Another anu means following. Anu means always, and anu means following. Following means spiritual master, or ācārya. Ācāryopāsanam. "How ācārya, how spiritual master dealing, let me follow that." Or, anu, as soon as he becomes accustomed, then anu, anukṣaṇa, always chanting. Anudhyāsinā. Asinā, asinā means by sword. Anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ, karma-bandha-nibandhana. We have to cut up this knot of karma-bandhana.

By the karma-bandhana, we are transmigrating from one soul, one body to another. This is not Darwin's theory. I am the soul. I am changing, I am selecting my body, in this life. Not that by nature there is a, I mean to say, gradual evolution. Not evolution; it is already there. This living entity simply enters a particular type of body. Actually, it enters, because . . . suppose I am doing something, my next life has to become a dog, that is my punishment. Then I'll have to enter into the womb of a dog mother, and she will give me the body of dog. Then I come out and enjoy like dog. This is the law. This is the law. Not that my body is turning.

So you can become dog; you can become God also. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). So you create your body at the present moment. You have got the facility, the human form of body. Now you can make your choice, whether you are going to be dog or whether you are going to be god. Both. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām: "Those who are devotees engaged in My devotional service, they come to Me." And when you go to God, you must have a body like God. Just like if you want to enter into the water, then you must have a body like a fish. Otherwise you cannot enter into the water. Similarly, when you enter the spiritual world, then you have a body like God. And if you don't want—if you want to enjoy unrestricted sense—then you take the body of a hog.

So nature is open to everyone. You can select your own. Not that you are forced. You can have your . . . therefore it is said kovida: one must be intelligent to select, "What is my next life? How I can get out of?" That is the whole instruction of the Vedas, how we can get out of these clutches of karma-bandhana, the knot of karma, one after another.

So the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, personally says that janma karma me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Simply one who understands what is God, or Kṛṣṇa, simply . . . not that, "Here is a God." No, he must . . . tattvataḥ, he must know what is God. Just like the rascal is advertising, "No book. I am God. You accept me." Then how can I accept you God without book?

But the people are so rascal, they're accepting, "Yes," and going after him. They have become so cats and dogs that anyone says that, "There is no need of understanding through book, through book of knowledge. I say. You accept me," the rascal will do that. Everything in the scientific world, there is book. In any science you take. Suppose in botany, they are mentioned, "This tree, this is the characteristic. A mango tree, the leaf is like this, the fruit is like this, the taste is like . . ."

Chemical. Take any chemical, there is characteristics. Just like, what is called, that potassium cyanide. There is no taste, and the chemical characteristic, there is no mention of taste, because potassium cyanide is not yet tasted by anyone, because the tasting means immediate death. Potassium cyanide. So chemical, there is "The color is like this, the taste is like this, the reaction is like this."

So everything has got a test. But these rascals, without testing, accepting another rascal as God. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was asked that how to accept one God, He said: "Well, there is in the śāstra mention, the characteristic. According to the characteristic, if it is corroborating, then He is God." This rascal is saying, "No, there is no need of God . . . ah, book. Simply I say; you accept it." The people are accepting. How foolish rascals they are. Just see. There must be a test. We are accepting Kṛṣṇa as God not blindly, but by tasting. By tasting. His character is mentioned in the books.

Therefore, we accept God not by blind faith, but by tasting. Although we cannot test, but śāstra gives us the chance of tasting. We accept spiritual master by tasting, not by blind faith. No. According to the Vedic instruction, tad-vijñānārtham.

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta

jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam

śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ . . .

(SB 11.3.21)

These are the qualifications, symptoms of guru. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. He has got full knowledge in the transcendental science. And without book, how he has got knowledge? Or without hearing from another authority?

So . . . so one must be intelligent. Then he can become free from this knot, hard knot of material life, by cutting it with the weapon, yad anudhyāsinā. And what is that? Chindanti ko . . . chindanti, cuts; kovidāḥ, intelligent. Tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim (SB 1.2.15). Kathā-ratim. One should be intelligent enough to understand or to hear kathā of Kṛṣṇa. Simply you have to do this.

Just like you are all sitting here—it doesn't require that you have to pass M.A. examination, Ph.D. examination. God has given you the ear. Simply you sit down and hear from a realized person. The words are there, the message are there. Just like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, especially. Everything is there to understand about God. Simply you have to increase your attachment for hearing. That is, that qualification required. Not that first of all you pass M.A. examination, then you come here and you can understand. No. Simply by hearing, hearing, hearing, you will become expert. Kovida. Simply.

That . . . this process has been approved by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ (SB 10.14.3). You can remain in your position, but try to hear the transcendental message from realized soul. Then gradually you will be enlightened and you will be free from this knot, this material bondage.