Absolute controller

Expressions researched:
"absolute controller" |"absolutely controller"

SB Canto 2

Three fourths of the Lord's energy are displayed in the spiritual world, and so what can the tiny scientist with a tiny brain know of the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa? The Lord says, therefore, "bewildered by such modes of material nature, they cannot understand that beyond these manifestations is a Supreme Person who is the absolute controller of everything."

SB 2.6.37, Purport:

Everyone thinks, in terms of individual capacity, that this universe, which is manifested before us, is all in all. And so the scientist in the human society of the twentieth century calculates the beginning and end of the universe in his own way. But what can the scientists know? Even Brahmā himself was once bewildered, thinking himself the only one Brahmā favored by the Lord, but later on, by the grace of the Lord, he came to know that there are innumerable more powerful Brahmās as well, in far bigger universes beyond this universe, and all of these universes combined together form ekapād-vibhūti, or one fourth of the manifestation of the Lord's creative energy. The other three fourths of His energy are displayed in the spiritual world, and so what can the tiny scientist with a tiny brain know of the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa? The Lord says, therefore, mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam: (BG 7.13) bewildered by such modes of material nature, they cannot understand that beyond these manifestations is a Supreme Person who is the absolute controller of everything. Brahmā, Nārada and Lord Śiva know about the Lord to a considerable extent, and therefore one should follow the instructions of these great personalities instead of being satisfied with a tiny brain and its playful discoveries such as spacecraft and similar products of science. As the mother is the only authority to identify the father of a child, so the mother Vedas, presented by the recognized authority such as Brahmā, Nārada or Śiva, is the only authority to inform us about the Absolute Truth.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.18.23, Translation:

O infallible one, Your lotus palm is the source of all benediction. Therefore Your pure devotees worship it, and You very mercifully place Your hand on their heads. I wish that You may also place Your hand on My head, for although You already bear my insignia of golden streaks on Your chest, I regard this honor as merely a kind of false prestige for me. You show Your real mercy to Your devotees, not to me. Of course, You are the supreme absolute controller, and no one can understand Your motives.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 11.3.25, Translation:

One should practice meditation by constantly seeing oneself to be an eternal cognizant spirit soul and seeing the Lord to be the absolute controller of everything. To increase one's meditation, one should live in a secluded place and give up false attachment to one's home and household paraphernalia. Giving up the decorations of the temporary material body, one should dress himself with scraps of cloth found in rejected places, or with the bark of trees. In this way one should learn to be satisfied in any material situation.

SB 11.5.10, Translation:

The Personality of Godhead is eternally situated within the heart of every embodied being; still the Lord remains situated apart, just as the sky, which is all-pervading, does not mix with any material object. Thus the Lord is the supreme worshipable object and the absolute controller of everything. He is elaborately glorified in the Vedic literature, but those who are bereft of intelligence do not like to hear about Him. They prefer to waste their time discussing their own mental concoctions, which inevitably deal with gross material sense gratification such as sex life and meat-eating.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

First of all you have to ascertain whether you are an absolute controller or you are controlled. First of all you answer this question. Are you absolutely controller?

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

Revatīnandana: In other words, you... Can you say that as a question? If you have a question, we can answer; otherwise, if you have a philosophy, then we can discuss it later. So what is the question? (man says more) Well, what is the contradiction? (man says more) Well, his question it is why must we do something to become God when we're already God?

Prabhupāda: You are not God, you are dog. Just the opposite. Do you know what is God?

Man: According to you, we are all parts of God in either language.

Prabhupāda: How you are God? God is the controller. Are you controller? You are controlled. Therefore the controlled cannot be God. God means controller. Anyone who is controlled, he cannot be God. Anyone who... If one is controller, then he is God.

Man: Yes, but I am also part of this controller.

Prabhupāda: Therefore, you are not absolutely controller. You are both controlled and controller. That everyone is. Just like you are controller in your family, but you are controlled in the office. Similarly, everyone is dualistic. He's controller and controlled. But if you find somebody that He's only controller, not controlled, that is God.

Man: If God is the controller and I am a part of God, then I'm a controlled part.

Prabhupāda: Yes, part of controller, part of God means you have got little power of controlling. But that you are not absolute controller. (man speaks—too faint) But first of all you have to ascertain whether you are an absolute controller or you are controlled. First of all you answer this question. Are you absolutely controller?

Man: I am not...

Prabhupāda: Therefore, nobody is absolutely controller. He's controlled by the laws of nature. How he's absolutely controller? You are controlled by death, you're controlled by birth, you're controlled by disease, you're controlled by old age. How you became controller? So therefore you are not God!

You are controller in your home, of your wife, children, servants. But you are also controlled. You are not absolute controller. Therefore Bhagavān means the absolute controller.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

So to understand Bhagavān, Parabrahman, that is the mission of human life. The cats and dogs cannot understand Bhagavān. That is not possible. A human being can understand. This Bhagavad-gītā is for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. So Kṛṣṇa says that "If you want to know Me..." It is not easy to understand Bhagavān, or God. God is not the exact word of Bhagavān; therefore we use the word "Godhead." "Back to Godhead." Bhagavān means the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Being. God means the ruler, the controller. But when we come to the supreme controller, He is Bhagavān. You are controller, I am controller. I am controller of my disciples within the Kṛṣṇa conscious society, but I cannot control the whole world. I have got some... You are controller in your home, of your wife, children, servants. But you are also controlled. You are not absolute controller. Therefore Bhagavān means the absolute controller.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

That is Bhagavān, supreme controller. He is controller over everyone, but He is not controlled by anyone. That is Bhagavān. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). He's svarāṭ. He's not controlled by anyone. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

God means controller, I have several times explained. But here in our experience we see that one controller is controlled by another controller. Nobody is absolute controller. Therefore nobody is Absolute Truth.

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- London, August 6, 1971:

Vyāsadeva says that "I offer my obeisances to the Supreme Absolute Truth." Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). There is no more truth beyond that. And as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Mattaḥ, "Beyond Me there is no more superior power." Mattaḥ parataraṁ na anyat. So Vyāsadeva is offering his obeisances to the person above whom there is nobody. God means controller, I have several times explained. But here in our experience we see that one controller is controlled by another controller. Nobody is absolute controller. Therefore nobody is Absolute Truth. But there is..., there must be the Absolute Truth. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), as it has begun, "the source of all emanations."

We are controller of some entities, but we are controlled also by something superior. Therefore we are not absolute controller. We are relative controller.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara means controller or the powerful man who controls. Take for example the president or the king. So there are many īśvaras, or controllers. You are also īśvara; I am also īśvara. Because you also control at least your family members or some animals. So this controlling capacity is there in everyone because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. But we are not supreme controller. We are controller of some entities, but we are controlled also by something superior. Therefore we are not absolute controller. We are relative controller. But about Kṛṣṇa, it is said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Paramaḥ means supreme. He controls everyone or everything, but He is not controlled by anyone. That is īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. We are īśvara, we control in our jurisdiction, but we are also controlled by somebody. Just try to understand. But in Kṛṣṇa's life you'll find that He controls everyone, but He is not controlled by anyone. Therefore He is called īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

So as soon as you have got senses, as soon as you have got sense organs, as soon as you have got brain, as soon as you have got activities, you are a person. This is the conclusion of the śāstra. Therefore the absolute controller cannot be impersonal.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

But in Kṛṣṇa's life you'll find that He controls everyone, but He is not controlled by anyone. Therefore He is called īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). He has got His form. God has got His form. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think the Absolute Truth is impersonal. Śūnyavādi. No. Absolute cannot be zero or impersonal because controller, controller must have brain. Without brain, how he can control? And as soon as you have got brain, you have got other limbs of the body to carry out the order of the brain. So as soon as you have got senses, as soon as you have got sense organs, as soon as you have got brain, as soon as you have got activities, you are a person. This is the conclusion of the śāstra. Therefore the absolute controller cannot be impersonal. By our practical life we see, government. "Government" is an impersonal word, but at the end of the government, there is a governor or president, a person. A person is required, who will apply his brain. So how is that that without brain the whole cosmic manifestation it is controlled? That is not very reasonable. And that is not according to śāstra.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

God means īśvara, controller. But there are different qualities of controller. I may be controller of my disciples, a few dozen or few hundred. But there are controllers, millions. They are controlling millions. Therefore my control and his control is not equal. Therefore you find out one controller of another. Everyone is relative controller. He controls and he becomes controlled. Nobody's absolute controller.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

Those who are actually budhās... Budhās means learned. So they know Kṛṣṇa is the original person. And it is confirmed by Brahmā in the Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara means controller. So everyone can become īśvara. Here, our minister Saheb is present. He's īśvara. Īśvara means controller. He is controller of a department. Similarly, there are many ministers in our country and other countries. Many presidents. They are īśvaras. And a common man, he is also īśvara. He's controlling his family. At least he's controlling his dog, cat. So everyone is īśvara. Just like the modern theory is going on. "Everyone is God." That's all right. God means īśvara, controller. But there are different qualities of controller. I may be controller of my disciples, a few dozen or few hundred. But there are controllers, millions. They are controlling millions. Therefore my control and his control is not equal. Therefore you find out one controller of another. Everyone is relative controller. He controls and he becomes controlled. Nobody's absolute controller. Just like our Minister Saheb. He's controller, but he's also controlled. So when you come to the point, if you find out some person that he's simply controller, not controlled, He's Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is simply controller, not controlled, He's Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is simply controller. When Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet... You see the history of His life. He simply controlled. He never became controlled. He was controller. Therefore the verdict of the śāstra, Vedic literature, is that īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). The supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ.

General Lectures

So everyone wants to be controller. That's a fact. But the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. Here the so-called controller is controlled by somebody else. I may control my disciples, but I am controlled by somebody else, by my spiritual master. So nobody can say that "I am the absolute controller." No. Here you will find the so-called controller, certainly controller to some extent, but he is controlled also. But when you find somebody that He is controller only, not controlled by anyone, that is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

Parabrahman is God. We are Brahman, part and parcel of God, fragments, but not the Supreme. Supreme is different. Just like you are American, but the supreme American is your president, Mr. Nixon. But you cannot say that "Because I am American, therefore I am Mr. Nixon." That you cannot say. Similarly, you, me, every one of us, Brahman, but that does not mean we are Parabrahman. Parabrahman is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Īśvara means controller. So every one of us is controller to some extent. Somebody is controlling his family, controlling his office, business, controlling his disciples. At last, he is controlling a dog. If he hasn't got to control anything, he keeps a dog to control, a pet dog, a pet cat. So everyone wants to be controller. That's a fact. But the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. Here the so-called controller is controlled by somebody else. I may control my disciples, but I am controlled by somebody else, by my spiritual master. So nobody can say that "I am the absolute controller." No. Here you will find the so-called controller, certainly controller to some extent, but he is controlled also. But when you find somebody that He is controller only, not controlled by anyone, that is Kṛṣṇa. To understand Kṛṣṇa is not very difficult. Try to understand that everyone is controlling, every one of us, but at the same time being controlled by somebody else. But we find a gentleman whose name is Kṛṣṇa. He is controlling everyone, but He is not controlled by anyone. That is God.

Everyone is relative controller. But if you try to find out who is the absolute controller, then He's Kṛṣṇa.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

The Supreme Person, or Īśvara... The word īśvara means controller. So everyone is controller. All of you are present here, to some extent, every one of us is a controller to a limited extent. But here it is mentioned, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Parama means ultimate. We are controller, every one of us, but we are controlled also. That is our position. Nobody can say... All the gentlemen, ladies present here, nobody can say that "I am controller absolute." That is not possible. Everyone is relative controller. But if you try to find out who is the absolute controller, then He's Kṛṣṇa. This has been analyzed by great scholars in the Vedic śāstras, by the Gosvāmīs, and this is the statement of Lord Brahmā, who's supposed to be the first creature within this universe. So he says, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1): "Īśvara, the supreme ultimate controller, is Kṛṣṇa. And He's vigraha." Vigraha means person, with body. Just like we have got body, similarly, the Absolute Supreme Person has also body. But His body is different from ours. Sac-cit-ānanda-vigraha. His body is eternal. Our body, this material body, is not eternal. Sat cit. His body is full of knowledge. Our, this body, is full of ignorance. And ānanda. He's full of joyfulness. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The Supreme Person is always joyful, abhyāsāt, naturally. So our, this body is not ānandamaya; it is, rather, always miserable. Therefore we must distinct the body of the Supreme Person from our body.

So here, you just analyze anyone; he may be controller, but at the same time he is controlled. Not that absolute controller. Nobody you can find. So if in this way you go on searching out where a person is not only controlled, controller, but He is not controlled by anyone, that is God.

Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

If He is God at all, then He must be attractive for all. That is the meaning of the word Kṛṣṇa, "all-attractive." So that is very nice word. Actually, God has no name, but we call Him by different holy names according to His activity. Just like we believe that God is great. So this is fact. The Vedic instruction is also there, na tasya samaś cābhkyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is equal, nobody is greater than Him." Therefore God is great. Now who is that great? That is decided: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Īśvaraḥ means controller. That is the exact equivalent for the word God. God means controller, supreme controller. So that supreme controller means He has nobody else to control Him. Here, in this material world or anywhere, we find one controller, he is controlling, but he is also being controlled. He is not absolute controller. Here we find some, say, a president, he's controlling the state, but he's also being controlled by popular votes. If the popular votes are against him, he cannot control any more. So here, you just analyze anyone; he may be controller, but at the same time he is controlled. Not that absolute controller. Nobody you can find. So if in this way you go on searching out where a person is not only controlled, controller, but He is not controlled by anyone, that is God. This is the simple definition of God. God controls everyone or everything, but He is not controlled by anyone. That is God. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

"Nature is controlled by Me." Therefore He is absolute controller. But He is not controlled by anyone. Therefore He is absolute controller.

Morning Walk -- December 7, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prajāpati: They would say it's under the control of the moon. The moon controls the tides.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the moon is controlled by whom?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They'll say, "By nature."

Prabhupāda: Nature is controlled by whom?

Bali Mardana: Who is controlling the moon?

Prabhupāda: That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Nature is controlled by Me." Therefore He is absolute controller. But He is not controlled by anyone. Therefore He is absolute controller. Just like a, what is called? Magnetic stone?

Hṛdayānanda: Magnet?

Prabhupāda: Magnet, it attracts.