BG 07.04 bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh... cited (Lec)

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

Earth, water, fire, air, sky, these five elements are gross material, everyone can see, gross. We can see earth, we can see water. We can see fire, air, or we can perceive the sky also. But there is subtle matter also. Mind, intelligence, ego. We cannot see the mind. We cannot see intelligence. I understand that you have got intelligence, or everyone knows we have got mind, but we cannot see. This is subtle.

So this egotism is there, but we cannot see it. They are very fine things. There is existence, but our this present material eyes, material senses can have experience of the grosser type of materials, not of the subtler or finer types of material. So there are three finer types of material and five gross materials, altogether eight. bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). These are the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything that we experience, they are different energies of the Lord. Just like we can feel there is fire when we feel heat or light. We don't see the fire directly but when we feel warm, we consider there must be fire. Or if there is heat, I mean there is light, that is fire. Similarly, we can experience the presence of the Lord by His different energies.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

There is another nature which is spiritual nature, para, superior. The spiritual nature is described as parā. Parā means beyond this aparā. There are two energies working, material nature and spiritual nature. Material nature, it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). These eight types of material nature—earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego—these are material nature. Bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. They are separated energies. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Beyond this. These are inferior, aparā. And beyond this aparā-prakṛti, there is another, superior prakṛti. What is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). That is the living entity.

Lecture on BG 2.23-24 -- London, August 27, 1973:

Where is the difficulty to understand? He can produce unlimited quantity of water which may be known as ocean and sea. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. Therefore, Vedas say that "From whom all these five elements have come into being?" And Kṛṣṇa says,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

"That is my energy." So everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy. He can produce. Try to verify from the example. Because you are little sample of Kṛṣṇa. You can study what you are doing, what you are feeling, what you are acting. The same thing in unlimited quantity, Kṛṣṇa has got the power. That's all.

Where is the difference between this planet and that planet? This is also made of five elements. And that is also meant of, made of five elements. Here, the earthly element is very prominent. And the sun globe, the fire element is very prominent. So this material world is made of these five elements. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). So Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-gataḥ. The living entities are everywhere. Kṛṣṇa is also within everyone. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Kṛṣṇa is within this universe. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Not only your heart, but in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Now, if you are a great scientist, take one insect.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

They have been enamored by the external feature of Kṛṣṇa's energy. This is also Kṛṣṇa's energies, this material world. But we are attracted by this material energy. We should be attracted by the spiritual energy. That is perfection of life. Both energies are Kṛṣṇa's. Apara, para. This is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. So we are now attracted by the apara energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (. 7.4), these material elements. We want. Because we are attracted by the material energy, therefore, when we construct a very nice stone house, oh, we think, "Now, yes, my life is successful. I have got a very nice house, made of stone." Are you stone? No. Still, my attraction is for the stone.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

They have been enamored by the external feature of Kṛṣṇa's energy. This is also Kṛṣṇa's energies, this material world. But we are attracted by this material energy. We should be attracted by the spiritual energy. That is perfection of life. Both energies are Kṛṣṇa's. Apara, para. This is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. So we are now attracted by the apara energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (. 7.4), these material elements. We want. Because we are attracted by the material energy, therefore, when we construct a very nice stone house, oh, we think, "Now, yes, my life is successful. I have got a very nice house, made of stone." Are you stone? No. Still, my attraction is for the stone. Therefore Kṛṣṇa gives me facility. "All right, you take the stone and try to... But you'll never be happy. Happy you'll be when you surrender to Me." Just like a child is given by the father all facilities to play, but at the same time, the father says, "My dear child, don't play like this. It is not good."

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Bombay, March 21, 1974:

The body there, the body is made of fire there. Just like here the body's made of earth. Similarly, there are planets where the body's made of water, the body's made of fire, because these are the material elements. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). Either earth, water, fire, air... They are all material things. So I may have got a suitable body to live in this material, or this earthly planet. The fish has got a certain body to live in the water. You cannot live in the water. The fish cannot live on the land. That does not mean that it is impossible to live in the water.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

If you artificially try to become Kṛṣṇa, that is your unhappiness. Artificial thing will never give us any pleasure. Prakṛti and puruṣa. Kṛṣṇa is the puruṣa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ divyaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). He is puruṣa, we are prakṛti. Aparā-prakṛti, parā-prakṛti.

This matter, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4)—earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and false ego—they're all material. That is described. And apareyam. These are inferior material nature and there is another superior nature. That is also described. Or energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). We living entities, we are prakṛti. We are not puruṣa.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:

We do not think microphone is material. The microphone is made of matter, namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. So all these material energies are coming from Kṛṣṇa. It is described in the Bhagavad-gītā,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

God says that "This earth, water, fire, air and ether, the mind, intelligence and ego, they are My eight different, separated energies from Me." The energy cannot be separated from the energetic. Just like the sunshine and the sun. The sunshine, although it appears to be separated from the sun, it is not separated from the sun. As the heat and light from heat from fire, although heat appears to be separated from fire, suppose there is fire in the corner of this room, and we are feeling the heat. It is apparently separated from the fire, but it is not separated from the fire.

Bhāvam means nature also. Just like we call nature, sva-bhāva, sva-bhāva. So mad-bhāvam... This is one nature, this material nature... This is also Kṛṣṇa's bhāvam, means Kṛṣṇa's nature. Nothing is beyond Kṛṣṇa, but this is external nature. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ... (BG 7.4). bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā means separated energy. The energy is working. Although it is Kṛṣṇa's nature, still, it is separated nature.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Calcutta, September 23, 1974:

So today is Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's birthday, Rādhāṣṭamī. So we called you for meeting. This Rādhārāṇī, about some, Rādhārāṇī... Because this Rādhārāṇī is the source of spiritual inspiration. Source of spiritual inspiration. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho... Prakṛtiṁ parām (BG 7.5). The aparā-prakṛti is this material world, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4).

And there is another prakṛti, parā-prakṛti. That is also mentioned here: mad-bhāvam. Mad-bhāvam means the nature in which Kṛṣṇa is there. In this material nature, although Kṛṣṇa is there, but we do not understand. We cannot see Kṛṣṇa. That is material, forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. But when you remember Kṛṣṇa even in this material world, then it becomes spiritual.

Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

So that bīja, that spiritual spark, is given by Kṛṣṇa, and the material nature, kṣitir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca... This body is, in this way we have got. So because we are now in the material world, we have got the propensity to enjoy, to exploit the resources of material nature. Kṛṣṇa has given us the opportunity. Therefore He said in the previous verse that ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If you want... Because material nature is also Kṛṣṇa. Or Kṛṣṇa's energy. Not Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energy, there is no difference.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- August 4, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Brahma or absolute truth is that from where everything is emanating. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). "I am the source of everything." Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. "Everything is coming from Me." So in another place, to make further clear, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. "These eight energies, they are My energies." Aṣṭadhā, eight. Earth, water, air fire, sky, mind, intelligence, ego. Bhinnā separated.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: (BG 7.4) "These eight elements, they are also My prakṛti, but bhinnā, separated, separated prakṛti." Prakṛti means subordinate to the puruṣa. As soon as the prakṛti... Generally, we understand that the husband and wife.... Wife is called prakṛti, and the husband is called puruṣa. So puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. So similarly, when Kṛṣṇa says, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā, that all these elements, gross and subtle, earth, water, air, fire, and these are gross elements, and the mind, intelligence and ego, subtle elements....

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

So here everything is duality, relative knowledge, relative world, but in the absolute world everything is one, spirit. Here... because here we have got experience two energies, spiritual energy and material energy, working. The material energies are the physical elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ: (BG 7.4) earth, water, fire, air, sky, and, in subtle form, mind, intelligence, ego. They are all material. Mind is also material, intelligence is also material, but they are subtle forms. And spiritual existence is the living entity, as we are. These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. The material, physical elements, they are inferior quality of, inferior quality, energy, of Kṛṣṇa. But the superior quality of energy we are, living entities. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5).

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hong Kong, January 25, 1975:

So Bhagavān creates by His energy. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). He can create. Just like, take for example, water. Water... Sometimes we also create water by perspiration. Perspiration, we may create one satap(?), one ounce or two ounce water, or say four ounce, five ounce. So similarly, this same creative power is of Kṛṣṇa, but He can create millions of Pacific Oceans.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

Indian man (7): Idea of avatāra? (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: We have already explained. The idol, it is not idol. It is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. He can present Himself in a manner which you can see, because Kṛṣṇa is everything. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). He is everything. God is everything. So you cannot see at your present status the God. But you can see His form, and the business will be done. If you offer everything, Kṛṣṇa will eat. Business will go on. There is no difference. It is His mercy that He presents Himself in a form which we can see.

Indian man (7): Gurudeva, the question I wish to ask is: whence did we come, why are we here, and what is the true reason for our existence, and where are we going?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The question is from where did we come, why are we here, and where are we going?

Prabhupāda: Wherefrom just now you are coming? (laughter) Hm? Tell me wherefrom you are coming. You cannot say? Who can say wherefrom he is coming. Huh? Wherefrom you are coming? You cannot say? Hm? You cannot say wherefrom you are coming just now?

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

So it is not possible to describe all the verses. One or two, three verses we can explain. Then He says,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Prakṛti, nature. Now, first of all we have to study the material nature. Just like the scientists, physicist and chemists, they are trying to understand the material nature. So what is this material nature? The material nature is described here as eight varieties. Five varieties gross, and three varieties subtle. The five gross varieties are the bhūmi... Bhūmi means this earth. Āpaḥ, the water. Bhūmir āpaḥ anala, the fire. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, the air. And bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ kham. Kham means the sky, ether. Then manaḥ, mind. Then buddhi, intelligence. Ahaṅkāra, then self-consciousness, "I," "I am." "I am American," "I am Englishmen," "I am Swedish," and... This "I" consciousness.

That is analyzing the earth. Similarly, somebody is studying the light or the air—they are all material things. There is no spiritual understanding. So bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ manaḥ. Mind... Psychologists, they are also studying the mind, the activities, thinking, feeling and willing, and their varieties. That is also material. And ethereal understanding. So many things are going on, but they are all material. Kṛṣṇa says,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa is claiming, "They are My manifestation of energy." So there is connection with Kṛṣṇa with this earth, water, physical science. But we do not know Kṛṣṇa. We simply (are) studying externally. Just like medical science. He is studying the external body, but within the body there is a spiritual spark, soul. He does not know that.

He knows that cement is the property of Kṛṣṇa; it should be used for Kṛṣṇa. This is siddhi. He knows perfectly. The cement comes from Kṛṣṇa, iron comes from Kṛṣṇa. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ (BG 7.4). Everything comes from Kṛṣṇa. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni. Therefore it should be used for Kṛṣṇa. That is siddhi. That is siddhi. This secret, they do not know, and they claim they have become siddhas. No. Siddhi means that nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. Everything should be used for Kṛṣṇa. That is siddhi. That is known to the bhaktas. Not so-called karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, no. They are not siddhas.

Pradyumna: ...fire.

Prabhupāda: Is it ?

Devotee: No.

Pradyumna: "Vāyuḥ... (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies."

Prabhupāda:

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Prakṛti means energy. So, because we are in the material world, our material science is simply studying the material energy of Kṛṣṇa. Physical, chemical, light, sound, these are the subject matter of the scientists to understand. But they do not know wherefrom these material elements come.

We have become subjected to the resultant action of our karma. That is called karmaṇā. By the activities, daiva-netreṇa, by the superior authorities' superintendence, daiva-netreṇa, jantur deha-upapatti, the living entity gets a type of body. What is this body? The five elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. Eight elements. Earth, water, fire, air, and sky, the mind, intelligence and ego. Ego, false ego. The false ego is that "I am this body." Ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." These are all false ahaṅkāra. Neither I am Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian nor American nor Indian. I am living entity.

Sodium chloride. Sodium chloride. So sodium chloride, wherefrom it comes? It comes from your body, and body comes from the soul. Therefore the original cause of sodium chloride is the soul. So as you can analyze a little quantity of chemicals from your body, from tree's body, from any body, so you just imagine the unlimited body, gigantic body of Kṛṣṇa, virāṭ-puruṣa, how much chemical it can produce. Therefore, don't take it that this is all imagination. Kṛṣṇa says,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

"These eight kinds of materials, gross and subtle, they are My energy." It is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not talking any nonsense. He's not bluffing you. At least those who are advanced, why you are reading Bhagavad-gītā? Because it is authoritative; Kṛṣṇa is speaking. That is fact. The most exalted authority. We have to take knowledge from the authority; we cannot manufacture knowledge. That is not... That is imperfect knowledge, because our senses are imperfect.

So, so this is the process. This bhūmir āpaḥ, this material, it is not a fact. People are so much attached to this material world. That is called ignorance. Mūḍha. They are called mūḍha. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). Their knowledge has been taken away. These things will be explained in the later verses, that do not try to take knowledge from imperfect person; take knowledge from the perfect person, perfect Supreme Personality. Who is perfect? God is perfect. And who carries the word of God, he is perfect. This is the definition of perfection. So Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). Matter is produced by Kṛṣṇa's energy. It is not automatically produced. Just like I have given the example that this body, this material gross body, is produced out of the soul which is put into the womb of the mother by the semina of the father. These are... These descriptions are there in the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, very nicely, you consult.

So long you have this material body, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ (BG 7.4), then... Material world means suffering. You cannot avoid suffering. But the endeavor is how to get out of suffering. That is called struggle for existence.

Pradyumna: Translation: "Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies."

Prabhupāda: So

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Bhinnā means separated. Separated means... Kṛṣṇa explains in the Bhagavad-gītā that mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. As it is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā,

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ

yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ

aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.35)

Kṛṣṇa, by His one plenary portion... When we say of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is not alone. Kṛṣṇa has unlimited expansions. Just like one expansion is Paramātmā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa expands Himself. There are millions and trillions of living entities.

Water is not coming from matter. Just like your perspiration is not coming... When the body is dead, the water is not coming, but so long you are living, the perspiration is there. Therefore the source of all material elements is originally the supreme life, not matter. That is explained here. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). But they are separated. How they are separated? That is explained in a different verse.

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ

jagad avyakta-mūrtinā

mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni

na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

It is separated because in this material world you cannot directly perceive the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ. "I am not present there. Although it is coming from My energy, still, I am not present there." This is simultaneously-one-and-different philosophy. So Kṛṣṇa says that ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭa... Everything is finer. Just like the earth is grosser than the water. Water, finer. Earth you cannot move, but water can move. Therefore it is finer. And finer than the earth is the fire, and finer than the fire is air, and finer than the air is ether, and finer than the ether is the mind, and finer than the mind is intelligence, and finer than intelligence is my identity, ahaṅkāra. And finer than the ahaṅkāra is the soul. You have to study soul—finer, finer, finer, finer, finer. It is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in another place that indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhiḥ... (BG 3.42).

So these five elements, gross elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ kham..., kham. And finer than..., manaḥ, buddhiḥ, ahaṅkāraḥ, mind, intelligence and false ego. False ego means I am identifying with this matter, which I am not. Therefore ahaṅkāra. This ahaṅkāra is false ahaṅkāra, which I am not. I am accepting that I am this body, but actually I am not. Therefore I am saying, it is false ego. Real ahaṅkāra is ahaṁ brahmāsmi.

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore says, kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi' anācāra. If you enter into the society, friendship and love of Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection of life. Not in this false, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). They are separated energy. This is also made by the Kṛṣṇa's energies, but it is separate, reflection, false representa... Chāyeva. Chāyeva means just like shadow. Just like you see your face in the mirror, but it is not actually the face. It is simply... The face is here, and the shadow is there. Similarly, this material world, made of bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ, they are just like reflection of the real life in the spiritual world. Therefore it is called separated energy. Why Kṛṣṇa says? Kṛṣṇa says here that bhinnā. Bhinnā means separated. The example I have already... Sometimes I give.

As the Māyāvādī philosopher says that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. No. Why jagan mithyā? Just like this temple is constructed. If somebody says, "Yes, it is very nicely constructed, but it is all false," shall I be happy? No. And actually, why it is false? It is not false. It is Kṛṣṇa's energy, the bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ. What is this temple? This temple is combination of this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ. This brick, what is this brick? Brick means you take earth, mix with water and put into the fire—it becomes brick. And there is air. So it is Kṛṣṇa's energy. It is not material. It is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Because the philosophy is that Kṛṣṇa's energy should be used for Kṛṣṇa's purpose. Then it is spiritual. That is our philosophy.

So separated energy, in this way you have to understand, that although this energy is separated from Kṛṣṇa, it can be used for Kṛṣṇa. And when it is used for Kṛṣṇa, then it is spiritual. It is no more material. Material means forgetfulness. Karmīs are constructing big, big houses, skyscraper houses. The purpose is to enjoy himself. The same thing, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, mixing together, brick or stone or cement, if it is used for Kṛṣṇa, then it is yukta-vairāgya.

anāsaktasya viṣayān

yathārham upayuñjataḥ

nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe

yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate

So our philosophy is that. Although this material world, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), they are separated from Kṛṣṇa, we can use it for Kṛṣṇa. Just like the same example: The tape recorder, it is material, but it can be used for Kṛṣṇa's purpose. We are writing books, recording in the tape recorder. That nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. There is no need of giving up this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, as the Māyāvādī philosopher says. You can utilize. After all, it is Kṛṣṇa's energy. This is the best philosophy, that one man's property should be used for the proprietor. That is the best use.

So we do not neglect this bhūmir āpaḥ..., although it is separated energy, but when we reconnect in the service of the Lord, it becomes spiritual. It requires little time to understand. And the example, as we have given many times, that you put one iron rod in the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, warmer, warmer. Then, when it is red-hot, it is no longer iron rod, but it is fire. Similarly, everything in this material world, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), although it is separated from Kṛṣṇa, if you engage it in the service of Kṛṣṇa, it is no more material. It is spiritual. This is the philosophy of Vaiṣṇavas. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate.

So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you always remember that everything, whatever we are using, that is Kṛṣṇa's energy... We are also Kṛṣṇa's energy, jīva-bhūta. That will be explained in the next verse. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Another prakṛti, parā-prakṛti, spiritual energy. What is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate (BG 7.5). So both of us... The matter is also Kṛṣṇa's energy, and the spirit soul is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. And there is another, spiritual world. That is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy. So when the spiritual energy is engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, even this material energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, that also becomes converted into spiritual energy exactly like that iron rod converted into fire.

Harikeśa: "Earth, water, fire, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies."

Prabhupāda:

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. God is explaining what is God. That is real knowledge. If you speculate on God, it is not possible. You cannot understand. The God, Kṛṣṇa, in the beginning said, asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). Samagram. Samagra means whatever... Or samagra means complete. So whatever subject for study and knowledge there is, God is the sum total of everything, one. God is the sum total of everything. Therefore He begins to explain Himself that...

Mind, everyone knows you have got mind, I have got mind, but you cannot see the mind, neither I can see your mind. Here is the subtle. First gross: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, up to ether. Ether also we cannot see, but we can understand here is ether by (claps) sound. As soon as there is sound, this is the understanding of ether. Ether, vāyu, you can touch, but you cannot see. Then fire, you can see. And then water, you can see also, and then earth—gross. From the finer, we are coming to the gross. Begins from the finer.

So finer than the ether is the mind, and finer than the mind is intelligence, ego. And finer than the intelligence and ego is the soul. So how you can see soul? You cannot see even the material things, as soon it becomes finer. How you can see the soul? They cannot see, but soul is there. Therefore when the soul departs from the body we see the bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhi-ahaṅkāra... (BG 7.4). Buddhi-ahaṅkāra The man, the dead man, is lying. The gross thing we are seeing, but the mind, intelligence, ego, which is carrying that soul, that we do not see. How transmigration of the soul takes place, that we have no knowledge, poor fund of knowledge. We can simply think gross.

Kṛṣṇa explains that bhinnā me prakṛti: "This is My energy, My energy." How these different chemicals and earthly matters became manifested, everyone is inquisitive, any thoughtful man. Here is the answer. Here is the answer, that

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Just like I am speaking, it is being recorded, recorded. But in my absence, if the record is played, it will exactly vibrate the same sound. So that is my energy or anyone's energy, but bhinnā, separated from me. You have to understand like that. So everything is energy of God, Kṛṣṇa, but this material world means we are missing Kṛṣṇa.

This prakṛti, this material world, is composed of these things: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). So wherefrom this came? That Kṛṣṇa explains, that "They are My energies." Because we have to know, so... To understand Kṛṣṇa means one must know what is this earth, what is this water, what is this fire, what is this air, what is this sky, what is this mind, what is this ego. These material things, they should know that wherefrom these things came.

This is the statement of the śāstra, "These rascals, they do not know that what is the goal of life, to understand Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa." Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). In the external energy of Kṛṣṇa, this bhūmir āpo... Bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir artha means this external, separated energy, material en... They are trying to become happy by adjustment of this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). They are implicated with this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, external. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. So they are andha, blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. And they are leading other blind men. That's all.

So now He's explaining Himself, how He is sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam.

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

We materialistic persons, materialist scientists, they can study all these material elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ kham... And then, little higher than that, material scientists, there are psychologists or philosophers. They study mano buddhir ahaṅkāra, thinking, feeling, willing—different stages of the mind. But Kṛṣṇa says that itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā, "These eight kinds of material elements, they are separated energy from Me." Separated energy, you can understand very easily. Just like I am speaking and it is being recorded in the tape recorder. When the tape recorder is replayed again, you'll find that I am speaking again. But that speaking and my present speaking is different. Therefore that speaking is separated energy. Now I am speaking directly. That is not separated. But when it is transferred to another matter, that is separated energy.

Now, Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). When we cannot accommodate that how from a person all these material manifestation, the gigantic sky, the innumerable planets with different varieties of energies, how it is possible that it is produced from a person... Therefore, those who are in poor fund of knowledge, they think just the opposite way. Because personally, how it is possible? Therefore they think of the Supreme Absolute Truth as imperson, but that is not fact. Person. We can again study. Just like your body, my body, although it is gigantic... J

So the material existence, external feature of the Lord, is the, are these eight elements, namely bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). They are subtle forms. Ahaṅkāra, egotism, mind and intelligence. They are also material. They are not spiritual. One who thinks that mental speculation is spiritual speculation, that is wrong. Here from Bhagavad-gītā we understand the mind is also subtle form of matter, and actually that is so.

We forget this material body. Similarly, after death, my mind and intelligence carry me to another separate body according to my thinking at the time of death. So false ego. This false ego is that "I am something of material product." This is called false ego. Actually, though, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman."

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Bombay, February 20, 1974:

So if we think over all these material objects, then actually, at the end we come to the platform of spirit soul. And the spirit soul, being part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, then ultimately you come to Kṛṣṇa. As such, Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything—janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1)—both material and spiritual.

Kṛṣṇa has explained the material elements: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). But these material elements cannot work independently. It must be added with the superior energy, or the living energy, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). This Bombay city is important because there are so many living entities.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

So the gross and subtle material energy are already explained in the previous verse. (aside:) The children must go. So the bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4)—earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego—these are all material energies. It has nothing to do with the spiritual energy, and because it is not spiritual energy, it is called aparā, inferior.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

The superior energy and the inferior energy, this is the material world, combination of two energies. Just like this body, your body, my body, everyone's body. What is this? The combination of these two energies, the superior energy and the inferior energy. The inferior energy—bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, the gross body, earth, water... This gross body means earth, water, air, and ether, and then the subtle body, mind intelligence and ego, these eight combination, so this is not actually I. I am soul. Therefore this is aparā, inferior. But what I am, that is superior. That is explained here, jīva-bhūta. Beyond these two gross and subtle energies there is another, superior energy.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

So the material and spiritual world, everything is manifestation of two energies. That is explained by Kṛṣṇa. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. On these verses we have discussed two days that etad yonīni sarvāṇi, whatever is manifested, material or spiritual, both of them are coming from the energy of the Supreme. Just like heat and light, these are two energies of the fire.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

So as the sun is the supreme cause of this material world, similarly the supreme cause of... There are many millions of universes and millions of suns. They are all caused by the supreme energy of Kṛṣṇa, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ and apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām (BG 7.4). Two prakṛtis, parā-prakṛti and aparā-prakṛti. So the Vedānta-sūtra, that janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the original source of everything, Brahman, that is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.11-12 -- Bombay, February 25, 1974:

So everything can be employed. Just like I was explaining to George—just now he came—that actually there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual. As Kṛṣṇa is explaining from the very beginning: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir...prakṛtir me bhinnā aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Prakṛti, "My nature." Nature I have already explained. Just like nature of fire. How do you understand the nature? By heat and light. That is the nature. Wherever there is fire... Parvato bhānumān dhumāt.(?) The example is given.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

That is also Kṛṣṇa, but indirect. Everything is there, mat-sthāni sarva..., but you cannot find out Kṛṣṇa there. So this material world is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). "They are also My energy, but they're separated." So although separated, because it is coming from Kṛṣṇa, it is also Kṛṣṇa. Because everything coming out of gold, that is also gold. So in higher sense, practically there is no...

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

Just like here we are worshiping Deity made of stone. Everyone knows that the Deity is made of stone. That atheist class will say, "How is this? These foolish people are worshiping a stone statue." But no, that is not same stone statue. Stone is also Kṛṣṇa, because bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). So one who knows the art, by worshiping stone also, he can worship Kṛṣṇa. By worshiping stone also. It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Because at the present moment, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By your blunt senses, you can not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa's name, what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's activity.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa, by His causeless mercy, has come before us in the form of stone so that we can see Him. Because we cannot see beyond stone. We cannot see beyond wood. And wood and stone is also not beyond Kṛṣṇa. That is also Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa has given us the facility to worship Him in the way as we can understand. It is not that Kṛṣṇa.... Kṛṣṇa is stone, because Kṛṣṇa says bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ. He can take service from this, any form. There are eight kinds of forms. Either you paint, either you make a form from wood, from stone, from jewels, and according to Vedic system there are so many different types of Deities.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

Similarly, God's effulgence is the cause of material things also. That is explained in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). The five elements... (break) ...have been summarized into three: external energy, internal energy, and marginal energy. The external energy is this material expansion, manifestation. Similarly, there is internal energy, the spiritual world manifestation, and in between them there is another energy called marginal energy, taṭastha, that we are, we living entities. We are His marginal energy.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Well, when someone is having some kind of mental problem the psychiatrist analyzes it from the medical viewpoint, sometimes from the psychological viewpoint.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Psychiatrist.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: This is an expansion of the energy known as mind. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. These are subtle matter. So different division. God's creation is wonderful that even if you take the atom, there are so many things. That is... Scientists are... So what to speak of mind, thinking, feeling, willing, and there are so many divisions. So what is your question about the psychiatrist? It is a material thing and very subtle, and there are so many divisions. So what is your question about it?

Guest (1): I just wanted your views on your concept of...

Prabhupāda: Yes, everything is resting on God. This is also resting on God.

Lecture on BG 9.10 -- Calcutta, June 29, 1973:

A devotee is seeing a palatial building, but he does not see the palatial building. He sees Kṛṣṇa. Because he knows that the ingredients of this palatial building, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), all this earth, water, air, fire, that is Kṛṣṇa's energy. From Kṛṣṇa, this earth, water, air, fire, everything has come out. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. The original source of anything, of everything, is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

The brick, stone, wood, iron—where you have got it? It is Kṛṣṇa's property. You cannot produce these bricks or the iron or the wood. It is Kṛṣṇa's property. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). These five elements of material ingredients... earth, water, air fire, all these things, even mind, intelligence... The mind... Unless you have got intelligence, you cannot manufacture anything with this material things.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

Just like in America. Before the Americans, the Europeans or from other countries, mostly Europeans, they went to America... And the American land was there. The ingredients were there. But because the red Indians, they had no sufficient intelligence, they could not make America like present time. Lack of intelligence. So we are manufacturing so many things industrially, but the intelligence is also given by Kṛṣṇa. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ. The buddhi is also given by Kṛṣṇa. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15) "From Me, one gets intelligence, memory, and also forgets."

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973:

There are eight material elements: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khāṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). That is stated in the seventh chapter. This earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, and ahaṅkāra. This is creating my different types of body.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973:

We have got inconceivable power. Because we are minute particle of God, we have also minute inconceivable power. We do not know how the hairs are growing, but the energy is there within me. Similarly, so many things come out from the inconceivable power of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa claims,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkara itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973:

"They are My separated energy." So this whole earth is creation of these five elements, gross elements. So it is Kṛṣṇa's property. How we can claim, "This is our property?" That is illusion. We are claiming, "This portion is American," "This portion is Indian," "This portion is Pakistani," but we do not know that no portion belongs to us; everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa.

We are not Māyāvādī philosophers that we say, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. No. Why jagat should be mithyā? If Kṛṣṇa is truth, God is truth, the jagat is also truth because it is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). Therefore our Gosvāmīs prescribed,

prapañcikatayā buddhyā

hari-sambandhī-vastunaḥ

mumukṣubhiḥ parityago

phalgu vairāgyaṁ kathyate

Prapañcikatayā buddhyā. (sharp cracking sound; aside:) What is this sound? Prapañcika-buddhyā, by accepting something as material, hari-sambandhī-vastunaḥ, but it has connection with Hari, so if we give it up, then it is phalgu-vairāgya.

Lecture on BG 13.14 -- Bombay, October 7, 1973:

So both the bodily platform and mental platform, they are material. Because the body is also matter and mind is also matter. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, apareyam, prakṛtir me bhinnā aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). This body is made of five elements: earth, water, fire, air, sky, and mind is there, subtle body, mind, intelligence and egotism. So both platform are material platform. Therefore it is said harāv abhaktasya. Those who are devotees of the Lord, they are not acting on the mental or the gross material platform. They are not working on that platform. They are working on the spiritual platform.

Lecture on BG 13.14 -- Bombay, October 7, 1973:

Just like this whole material world. What is this? This is only expansion of the energy of the sun, heat and light. Those who are scientists they can understand. Physics, heat and light. Similarly, the whole creation, that is Kṛṣṇa's energy, heat and light, material energy and the spiritual energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). That is the superior energy, living entity.

Lecture on BG 13.16 -- Bombay, October 10, 1973:

Now here Kṛṣṇa says, bahir antaś ca bhūtānām. The Absolute Truth is there, bahir antaś ca, not that it is in a different position or different angle of vision. You are already in the Absolute Truth, even materially conception. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). These are the material elements, five gross elements and three subtle elements. So even taken materially, so what is this material? We have already explained. The materials are different energies of the Supreme Lord. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Kṛṣṇa says, "These eight kinds of material nature, subtle and gross, they are My energy, inferior energy."

Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

We are all prakṛtis. And because, being prakṛti, we are trying to become puruṣa, that is called māyā, or illusion. Just like if a woman dresses like a man and wants to act as man, as that is illusion, similarly, we are differently dressed in the material ingredient, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). Everyone's body is made of these five elements and mind, intelligence, they are also subtle material elements, and with this combination we have got this body, and I am the spirit soul. I am trying to enjoy. This is material world. We have forgotten that we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Our business is not to enjoy but to help Kṛṣṇa to enjoy. That is our business, part and parcel.

Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

Because one who is not in the transcendental plat... (break) So this material nature is also eternal. It is not... As the Māyāvādī philosopher says, "It is mithyā," jagan mithyā, we don't say. Why it is mithyā? It is fact. Because Kṛṣṇa says that bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Kṛṣṇa says, "It is My prakṛti, My energy." If Kṛṣṇa is fact, why His energy should be mithyā? This is nonsense. The jagat is not mithyā. We don't say. If Kṛṣṇa is truth, then this world is also truth. But the fact that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, we are trying to be enjoyer, that is not true. That is mithyā. The jagat is not mithyā, but the propensity to enjoy this world, that is mithyā because we cannot be enjoyer.

Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

So here prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva. Although prakṛti is also Kṛṣṇa's nature, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ (BG 7.4). He said, apareyam: "This is inferior nature." So apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "Another superior nature there is." What is that? Jīva-bhūtaḥ: "this living entity." So we are also prakṛti, and the material nature is also prakṛti. It is inferior prakṛti, and we are superior prakṛti. As we are now under the control of this inferior prakṛti, we can transfer ourself under the control of the superior prakṛti. That superior prakṛti is spiritual world. This material world means it is made of this inferior prakṛti, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ.

Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Bombay, October 28, 1973:

The superintending deity of this material world is goddess Durgā, durgā-śakti. So she creates this material world. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekāḥ. Kṛṣṇa's energy. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). This material energy is His energy. The energy is always compared with feminine part. And the energetic is always compared with the male part. Male part and female part. Kṛṣṇa also said in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). So He is the seed-giving father. Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (Bg 7.10). So He is the original seed of this material world. And from there, from the spiritual world, it has expanded.

Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Bombay, October 28, 1973:

There are three kinds of energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: the material energy, the spiritual energy and the marginal energy. From the material energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, this material creation is effected. And the spiritual energy, the Vaikuṇṭha-loka, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ avyaktaḥ avyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). That is eternal. So that is spiritual world. And in between the two worlds, material and spiritual, there is one energy. That is living energy. We living entities, we are marginal energy. We are also energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Kṛṣṇa describes the marginal energy, the jīva-bhūta, the living entities.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

So asatyam apratiṣṭham. And the so-called sannyāsī, because they are atheist, they say that asatyam: "This material world is māyā. It has no truth. What you are seeing, it is illusion." Asatyam. But we do not say like that. We say as we learn from Bhagavad-gītā, we say that Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Kṛṣṇa says, "They are My prakṛti, My energy." Bhūmir āpaḥ analaḥ. So because it is Kṛṣṇa's prakṛti...

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:

This stone, wood, air, fire, water—five gross elements—it has connection with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). These eight kinds of material elements, five gross and three subtle, namely the earth, water, air fire, sky—these are gross elements—and the subtle elements, mind, intelligence, and ego... So these are subtle. Mind is also material, and intelligence is also material, and ego, the false ego that "I am this material body," that is also material. And above this, that is spiritual.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

What is the position of the living entities, what is our constitutional position? We are all living entities, and Kṛṣṇa is God. What is Kṛṣṇa's position? What is our position? What is this material nature? What is the time factor? What is our activities? These things are very nicely explained. Prakṛti, puruṣa, jīva, and time, and karma. These five things are very nicely described. So prakṛti is also eternal. Prakṛti means the energy, energy of the Supreme. That is described in the Seventh Chapter, that

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

These are, these material energies—earth, water, fire, air, sky—and subtle energy—intelligence, mind, intelligence and ego—bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. And another prakṛti: apareyam. These are inferior energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. There is another, superior energy. What is that superior energy? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). The living entities. That is superior energy.

Prabhupāda: So Śaṅkarācārya admits Kṛṣṇa is the authority, but Kṛṣṇa says that this material body is prakṛti. How you can say it is puruṣa? Kṛṣṇa says that bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: (BG 7.4) "These eight kinds of prakṛti, they are My separated energy." How you can say it is puruṣa?

Guest (2) (Indian man): Sir, may I... Some reference(?) were written by Lord Kṛṣṇa in Gītā. He told us that api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

If you want actual peace, ātmā, suprasīdati, then you have to accept paro dharma. Para means supreme or superior. There are two kinds of dharmas, parā and aparā. Aparā means this material world. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). There are two natures, one spiritual nature and one material nature. People do not understand what is spiritual nature. But Kṛṣṇa explains very nicely, and one can understand very easily what is spiritual nature and what is material nature. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the matter, five elements, earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence, ego, these are material nature. Prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. Apareyam. Then Kṛṣṇa says this is aparā. Aparā means inferior. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ. The modern scientist or philosophers, they are engaged in studying this inferior nature. They have no information of the superior nature. But Kṛṣṇa says that these five elements, eight elements. Five gross and three subtle. The mind is also material. Khaṁ mano buddhir. These are material.

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

Why I shall bother God for daily bread? Let me learn how to love God." God is giving us so many things without asking. God is giving us light, God is giving us water, God... Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ... (BG 7.4). Everything He is giving you, without which cannot live. And He will not give us our bread? So Bhagavad-gītā says they are also pious, even one goes to God for asking something for some material profit. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛtino 'rjuna (BG 7.16). Sukṛtina. Sukṛtina means they are pious. Just the opposite number, duṣkṛtina, they'll never go to God.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, the same Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa can appear because everything is Kṛṣṇa, everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy, so He can appear in His energy. So He has appeared in this material energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). So He has appeared just like stone, because we cannot see except stone. Therefore He has appeared like stone, but He is not stone, He is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means we cannot perceive Kṛṣṇa by direct sense perception but He is so kind, so merciful that He appears before us as we can perceive Him directly.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

Devotee: Vāyu.

Prabhupāda: Vāyu, vāyu. Khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā me prakṛti. This bhinnā means separated. This material nature—earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego—Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "They are My nature, but separated." Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā (BG 7.5). They are inferior nature, this material nature, inferior, but there is another superior nature. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Para means superior. What is that? Jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5)—the living entity.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, July 23, 1973:

So here also, what is spoken by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā, that is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Here it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para and apara. Para means superior or transcendental. There are two kinds of prakṛtis: parā-prakṛti, aparā-prakṛti. That is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Material, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Material things, earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, ego. Prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Kṛṣṇa says, "They are My prakṛti. My nature, My energy." Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says, next verse, apareyam: "This material prakṛti is inferior. But beyond this material prakṛti, there is a superior prakṛti." What is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat: (BG 7.5) "That is living entity." So living entity is also prakṛti, another energy of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, April 18, 1974:

Therefore here it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para and apara—these two words are there, para and apara. Para means spiritual, and apara means material. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā in another place, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Apara, this material nature, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), this earth, water, fire, air, mind, intelligence, they are material. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Apareyam. But they are apara. Apara means material, inferior. There is another, spiritual nature. What is that? Jīva-bhūta, that living entity. Living entity's para. So Kṛṣṇa is also para. So when the living entity engage himself in the service of the supreme spiritual, Kṛṣṇa, that is called paro dharmaḥ, spiritual religion, not apara. Apara means material, and para means superior or spiritual.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Mauritius, October 5, 1975:

We cannot see five elements properly. Five elements: bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir ahaṅkāra (BG 7.4). We can see earth, we can see water, bhūmir āpo. We can see fire, analo. But we cannot see the air, but we can feel that air is blowing. That is also sense perception. We can see... We can perceive. We cannot see what is that sky, but we know, "Here is sky-vacancy." Then we cannot see even mind. We cannot... I know that you have got mind, you know I have got my mind, but you cannot see where is my mind, I cannot see where is your mind. Bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā prakṛti me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). These are different energies of God, and the whole material world is composed of these five gross elements and three subtle elements. This is called material world. And Kṛṣṇa says further, apareyam: "These material energies, they are inferior energy, aparā." Beyond that, there is a superior energy.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

Because they do not know what is his self-interest. He thinks that his self-interest is to give comfort to this body, the senses, sense-gratification. That is his misguided self-interest. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir-artha means external energy. This body, gross body and the subtle body, they are made of the external energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4).

So people, having no information of the spirit soul, they are interested in body and mind, and they have created some concocted religious system for benefit of the body and mind. So the varṇāśrama-dharma, beginning... Dharma begins from the varṇāśrama-dharma, which is now going on in the name of Hindu religion. Actually there is no such word "Hindu" in the Vedic literature. It is a concocted word given by the Muhammadans. Real Vedic system of religion is varṇa and āśrama.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

So original proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. He says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. Bhinnaṁ me prakṛtir aṣṭa... (BG 7.4). Me, "My." The earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence... Even your intelligence is Kṛṣṇa's. With your intelligence, with ingredients of Kṛṣṇa, if you manufacture something, the proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. Because the...

Lecture on SB 1.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, September 17, 1972:

Therefore He is original father of everyone. Not only of the living entities, but also stones, woods, earth, water, fire, everything. He has created. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva..., prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). In the Bhagavad-gītā. So He has created everything. He is actually the father. But out of love, the devotees, they accept the father as son, to give more service. Father is obliged to give service to the son. He has given birth; therefore he has obligation to maintain the son, to give service.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969:

Para means transcendental, and avara, avara means this material, inferior. Avara means inferior. And para means superior. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Itas tu me... Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mano eva ca, itas tu me... (BG 7.4). Aparā. Apareyam. This material nature, consisting of earth, water, air, ether, mind, intelligence, ego: eight. This is avara. Avara means inferior. And there is another nature. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ (BG 8.20). In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, there is another nature. That is para. Para. Tasmāt. Tasmāt means out of this avara, inferior nature, there is another, superior nature, para. The same thing is here also. Parāvareśaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Take, for example, these material things. Material things, this table. It is... How it is caused by Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Bhūmi, this earth... Bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā: "That is My energy." So, so bhūmi, the earth, is the cause of the tree, wood, and the wood is the cause of this table. Therefore, originally, Kṛṣṇa is the cause of the table. There is no doubt about it. Anything you take. Either you take this wood or you take this water or this ether or chemical, the original cause is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:

Prāpañcikatayā buddhyā. "Because it is material advancement, I therefore... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. This world is mithyā. This, any material thing, is mithyā." No. It has got some relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is to be seen. What is that? What is this motor car? It is material. But what is this material? Bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Where they have got this metal? This iron, wood, metal, everything, they have got from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it has got relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Now, when it is manufactured, use it for Kṛṣṇa. That is yukta-vairāgya. So we do not hate anything, material advancement. We can utilize everything for Kṛṣṇa's service. Our only preaching is that "Don't forget Kṛṣṇa." That is our business. And if you have got a special talent, utilize it for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.26 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1976:

With poor fund of knowledge, they think that "I see the body is now burnt into ashes. Then where is the soul?" So "There is no soul, there is no God, it is all imagination." But that is not the fact, not that is the fact. The fact is that the gross body is finished, but the subtle body is there. Mano buddhir ahaṅkāraḥ. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. So the action and reaction of the subtle thing, subtle matter... Mind is also matter, but subtle matter, very fine. Just like sky, ether. Ether is also matter, but it is very subtle, fine. And finer than the ether is the mind, and the-finer than the mind is the intelligence. And finer than the intelligence is my egotism: "I am," this conception.

Lecture on SB 1.7.28-29 -- Vrndavana, September 25, 1976:

So when there is no material obstacles, then the spiritual world can be utilized for any purpose. Here, because we are covered with the material body... There are two energies, it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: material energy and spiritual energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). This is material energy. And Kṛṣṇa says apareyam; this is inferior. Aparā. Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. There is another, superior energy. What is that superior energy? Living. It is not dead. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Without spiritual energy, this whole universe is useless, anywhere you go.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

In the Bhagavad-gītā, you understand, there are two kinds of nature: parā and aparā. So this material nature is aparā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Apareyam. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). The land, water, fire, air, sky, these five elements, they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: "They are separated energy, inferior quality energy. But beyond this inferior quality energy, I have got another superior quality of energy." What is that? Jīva-bhūta. You can understand that jīva-bhūta, the living entities. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5).

Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Los Angeles, April 18, 1973:

The carpenter cannot say that: "Because I have transformed this wood into such nice closet, it is mine." No. It is not yours. Similarly, who is supplying the ingredients, rascal? That is Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa says: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva... prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). "This is My property." You have not created this sea, the land, the sky, the fire, the air. It is not your creation. You can transform these material things, tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayaḥ, by mixing and transforming. You take earth from the land, you take water from the sea and mix it and put it in the fire. It becomes a brick. And then you pile up all this brick and make a skyscraper building. But wherefrom you got this ingredient, rascal, that you are claiming this skyscraper yours? This is intelligent question. You have stolen the property of God, and you are claiming that it is your property. This is knowledge. This is knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Mayapura, October 28, 1974:

Materially, we can understand that. But spiritually, this body belongs to Kṛṣṇa because the body is made of, I mean to say, prepared by the eight elements. We have got the five elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). There is earth, water, air, fire, and the mind and the intelligence and the false ego. This is the eight combination of the matter. Then, the matter being agitated, there are ten senses and then sense objects. In this way this body is composition of twenty-four elements. But all these elements, Kṛṣṇa says, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: (BG 7.4) "That is My energy." This body is made by Kṛṣṇa's property. Earth, water, air, fire—this is all Kṛṣṇa's property.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

All these things, wherefrom they are coming? They do not know. Can the scientist say wherefrom so much water has come, so vast ocean, seas? But it has come from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

Bhinnā me prakṛtiḥ. It is Kṛṣṇa's energy, Kṛṣṇa's energy.

Pradyumna: (leads synonyms, etc.) Translation: "The rivers, oceans, hills, mountains, forest, creepers and active drugs in every season paid their tax quota to the king in profusion." (SB 1.10.5)

Prabhupāda: Yesterday we discussed, sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. Sarva-dughā mahī. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. This land, mahī, can give you everything. Actually it is giving. We cannot manufacture anything. The land is there. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). These are the gifts of Kṛṣṇa. These are the ingredients. In this material world, whatever you see, they are preparation of these five gross ingredients. Nothing more. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ kham. Land, water, bhūmir āpaḥ anala, fire, vāyuḥ, air, and kham means the sky, ether. This is the ingredients of all material civilization, grossly. And subtle: mano buddhir ahaṅkāra, mind, intelligence, and egotism. These are the eight gross and subtle elements. Now, by the mixture of these things, we find so many things.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

So similarly, this body is dead. That's a fact. It is dead from the very beginning. Because it is matter. Matter is always dead. So this body made of matter, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4)—earth, water, fire, air. This external body is dead, but it is living on account of that small spark of spirit. That is the real meant. That we understand from Bhagavad..., dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Dehinaḥ, the small spark, spiritual spark, he is within this body. This is the first understanding of spiritual knowledge. You must know. This is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. When Bhagavad-gītā was taught to Arjuna, Arjuna was lamenting for this body. So Kṛṣṇa, when He was accepted Arjuna's spiritual master, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7), then He advised him that "You are talking like a very learned scholar." Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). "You are talking just like you know..."

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- Los Angeles, December 5, 1973:

Just like the sunshine, or like the illumination of this light. It is the energy of this lamp. So it is not different. Similarly, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), this earth, water, air, fire, anything material, that is expansion of His energy.

Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). He is defining very nice. You read book. Kṛṣṇa says, "There are two kinds of nature: inferior nature and spiritual nature. The inferior nature is matter." Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), and superior nature is the living entity. So why superior, living entity? Because the living entity can manipulate the material nature.

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

These rascals, mūḍhas, one who does not know that Kṛṣṇa has no distinction, as we have got distinction body and soul, Kṛṣṇa has no such distinction. Kṛṣṇa has no distinction between this Kṛṣṇa's form of stone and Kṛṣṇa Himself. Because the stone is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). The earth, water, air, fire, everything is Kṛṣṇa energy. That we have already explained. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Everything Kṛṣṇa's energy. So He can appear in any form from anywhere from anything. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.42 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1973:

So therefore there are two kinds of energy from the Supreme Soul, God. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

Aṣṭadhā. Aṣṭadhā means eight. So tritve, three, and pañcatvam, five, that means eight, the eight kinds of material energy. Earth, water, fire, air, sky—these are gross. The gross, amongst the gross also, the finer material energy, the sky, we cannot see. This is also gross. Then mind. Everyone knows I am thinking, I have got mind. You know, I know.

Mother Durgā, she is the mother. And God is the father. Just like father and mother gives birth to a child, similarly, we spirit soul, the part and parcel of the supreme father, and the material elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), they're the recipient. Tasmin garbhaṁ dadāmy aham. Just like father gives the seed in the womb of the mother, then the child gets a body and it grows and come out, similarly this body is given by mother, material, material energy, but the father is the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). This is the factual position. We are not this material body.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Melbourne, June 26, 1974:

Hari-śauri: Śrīla Prabhupāda, earlier you were speaking that Kṛṣṇa means everything past, present and future and...

Prabhupāda: Everything, whatever you can think of. Kṛṣṇa includes everything. Without Kṛṣṇa, there is nothing. Because... Take anything. Take this table. This is stone. But the stone is also Kṛṣṇa. You have read in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Kṛṣṇa says that "These five gross material elements—earth, water, air, fire, ether—mind, intelligence and ego, they are My separated energies." Just like I am speaking. Now, this speaking recorded, when it will be replaced, the same sound will come. So that is my energy, but separated. I am on there, but still, the vibration is exactly what I am speaking because these words are emanated from me. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says that "This earth is emanation of My energy. So therefore this earth... The stone is also earth, another form of earth. Therefore it is manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore it is Kṛṣṇa. Energy and the energetic—no different.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Melbourne, June 26, 1974:

When one understands that everything is manifestation of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's energy, the... Exactly the same: just like the fire is situated in somewhere, but the fire exhibits or demonstrates its energy, the light and heat, although fire is far away, just like the sun is far, far away, but still, by sun's light and heat, he is spread all over the universe, similarly, Kṛṣṇa, by His two energies, material energy and spiritual energy... That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ

prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām

jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho

yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

(BG 7.5)

So there are two energies, exactly like heat and light. One, the spiritual energy, and the other is material energy. The material energy is inferior energy and the spiritual energy is the superior energy. What is the spiritual energy? Jīva-bhūta, these living entities. The living entity is superior because it is controlling the inferior energy, matter. These are very scientific. It is not sentiment.

Prakṛtiṁ parām. This material world is aparā-prakṛti, and prakṛti, nature or energy, this is inferior energy, the matter, dull matter. But apareyam. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), earth, water, air, fire, they are inferior energy of the Lord. But there is another, superior nature. That is described. Apareyam. These energies, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, earth, water, air, they are inferior. There is another superior. What is that? Jīva-bhūtām, these living entities, mahā-bāho, yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat, who are controlling now.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

Guest (5): What is a simple solution to understand soul? I would like to understand soul in a simplified form.

Prabhupāda: This is very simple, but we are educated so foolishly that we cannot understand. This is our defect. Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: (BG 7.4) "Arjuna, there are eight material elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, ego." Apareyam: "But these are inferior elements." Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "Beyond this there is another, superior element." What is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). "The living entity is superior element." Without the living entity, what is the value of this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ? This distinction we can experience every day. Here is an important man. Now he's finished. And if you kick on his face, he won't protest. What is the wanting? That—jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho—that living force is wanting. So anyone, any child, can understand that "Something is wanting. Therefore this important body is nothing but a lump of matter." Anyone can understand. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, but we are not serious to understand.

Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Bombay, March 24, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

Indian man (4): What is the difference between mind and soul?

Prabhupāda: Mind is material; soul is spiritual. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, apareyaṁ bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). They are also elements, but bhinnā means material, separated from Kṛṣṇa. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "These material elements, they are inferior quality, and beyond this, there is another, superior quality. That is soul." Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). So you have to know from the books. That you now understand?

Indian man (5): Swamiji, they read a lot that Bhāgavata says that our body is a temple for the soul, and the soul is a temple for the spirit. Would you kindly enlighten us on this point?

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa has appeared as we can see Him. Because we cannot see more than stone, wood, metal, therefore Kṛṣṇa has appeared as stone statue. But He is not stone statue. That we have to understand. He is Kṛṣṇa, but He is so kind that He has appeared before us as we can see Him. This is the philosophy, not that stone is Kṛṣṇa. Stone is also Kṛṣṇa in the ultimate sense because stone is the expansion of energy of Kṛṣṇa, material energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva..., bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). This is called philosophy of inconceivable one and different. The same example can be given: just like the sunshine. In the sunshine there is heat and temperature. (break) ...say the sunshine has come... (aside:) Why you are standing? If you stand... This side. "If the sunshine has entered my room, therefore sun has entered my room." This is Māyāvādī philosophy.

Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:

So we are all Brahman; simply we have to understand it. It is not that we are abrahman; by some practice we become Brahman, no. Just like gold is gold, but if it is covered with some dirt, the dirt can be removed, and the gold is gold; similarly, we are Brahman, spirit soul. Somehow or other we have come in contact with these material elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), and we have got this body, covered, and I am thinking, "I am this body." This is ignorance. This is ignorance. So unless one is enlightened by the spiritual knowledge, he remains only just like cats and dogs. And to understand spiritual identification, that is called dharma. Dharma means that. And the ultimate goal of dharma is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:

Everything has got relation with the Supreme Person or the Absolute Truth. Just like this microphone. It is made of metal. But what is metal? It is another form of earth. So Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). It is His energy. So His energy... He is the source of energy. So energy, how it can be untrue? That is not untrue. We don't say that "This metal has no connection with Kṛṣṇa." Yes, it has connection. Because it is production of His own energy.

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

This is the expansion of energy of Kṛṣṇa. So this energy, you are not utilizing for Kṛṣṇa, but you are utilizing the energy for your sense gratification. That is mistake. But otherwise, how it can be false? It is not false. It is creation of God. Mama... Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Me. It is Kṛṣṇa's energy. How Kṛṣṇa's energy can be false? If Kṛṣṇa is truth, Kṛṣṇa's energy is also truth. But it may... Just like the cloud. You cannot say the cloud is false. Cloud is fact, although it is temporary. The cloud does not remain in the sky permanently; it appears and again disappears. But when it appears there is rain, there is reaction of the rain, vegetation on the ground, on the field. How you can say it is false? But it is temporary. That is actual philosophy.

Lecture on SB 3.25.11 -- Bombay, November 11, 1974:

After many, many births struggling, when one comes to real perfection of knowledge, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Why? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Because at that time he understands perfectly that Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything. This is Bhagavad-gītā lesson. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca prakṛtir bhinnā me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā... Everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Whatever we are seeing, that is exhibition or manifestation of two energies. Just like the sun has got two energies, heat and light. Everyone knows. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa has got many energies.

Lecture on SB 3.25.11 -- Bombay, November 11, 1974:

So out of many energies, three energies have been taken into account. One is the external energy, another the internal energy, and the other is the marginal energy. The external energy is this material world, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. This is material world. And internal energy is the spiritual world. And marginal energy-we, the living entities. Marginal means we may remain in this material world or we may remain in the spiritual world, living entities. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā there are two kinds of living entities who are living in this material... Kṣara, they have fallen down.

Lecture on SB 3.25.26 -- Bombay, November 26, 1974:

So how He is Kṛṣṇa, that will require your bhakti. Here it is said, bhaktyā, anucintayā. If you are thoughtful, if you are philosopher, and plus bhakti, then you will understand that even Kṛṣṇa is present here just like a stone, but stone is also Kṛṣṇa. How stone is also Kṛṣṇa? Now, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

Me prakṛtiḥ: "It is My nature." Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. So stone is another formation of earth. Earth, water, air, sky, mind, intelligence—they're all Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa says, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. (aside:) That's all right. Get up. Nothing is different from Kṛṣṇa. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy.

Kṛṣṇa is enjoying in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, expanding Himself in so many gopīs, so many cowherds boys, so many trees, plants, water, land—everything Kṛṣṇa's expands. Here also it is Kṛṣṇa's expansion, this material world. Bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ. That is bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. That is separated energy. Apareyam, this is inferior. Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. That information is there. There is another prakṛti, parā-prakṛti. And what is that parā-prakṛti? What is the sample? Jīva-bhūta, living entities. That prakṛti is living, and this prakṛti is dead. That is the difference. Anyone can understand. There also, the trees, they are living tree. Here also living tree, but covered by the material body, his life is not manifested.

Lecture on SB 3.26.40 -- Bombay, January 15, 1975:

So if we keep Kṛṣṇa consciousness very active always, that means try to understand Kṛṣṇa from different angles of vision. Here also, as we are studying analytically the functions of agni, but what is this agni? This is also Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā. Anala. Anala means agni. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. They are not different from Kṛṣṇa. Just like sunshine: sunshine is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Whenever there is sun, wherever there is sun, there is sunshine. Similarly, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, the Kṛṣṇa's energies are also there. Therefore Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu means all-pervading. So Kṛṣṇa's energies are spread everywhere, just like the illumination, dyotanam.

Lecture on SB 3.26.45 -- Bombay, January 20, 1975:

As there are separated energies, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), the five elements, material elements, mahā-bhūta, they are also forms of Kṛṣṇa. This big mountain, Himalayan mountain, that is also form of Kṛṣṇa. The big Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, that is also form of Kṛṣṇa. He says bhūmir āpaḥ. Āpaḥ. Āpaḥ means water. So not only water in this planet, but there are millions and trillions of Pacific Ocean bigger than that in other planets. So inconceivable. Therefore God is inconceivable, acintya. Acintya-guṇa. Acintya, inconceivable.

Lecture on SB 3.26.46 -- Bombay, January 21, 1975:

They have no other desire. Others, the jñānīs, they have desire to merge into the existence of the Lord. They want that. And the yogis, they, by the grace of the Supreme Paramātmā, they want to get some siddhis, aṣṭa-siddhi. But the bhaktas, they do not want mukti or siddhi; they simply want to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is pure devotion.

So in this life also, we can utilize these earthly things, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). We can utilize all these material elements in the service of the Lord. So with the earth, we can prepare the forms of the Lord, we can prepare the temple of the Lord, so many things. That is required. That is sāttvika. It is called here bhāvanaṁ brahmaṇaḥ sthānaṁ dhāraṇaṁ sad-viśeṣaṇam. Sad-viśeṣaṇam. Sad-viśeṣa and asad-viśeṣa. This is asad-viśeṣa. This is to be understood. Asato mā sad gama. That is the Vedic injunction.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

Everything belongs to God; the land, water, sky. It is said, bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ. This is expansion of the energy of God. So what is the use, claiming God's property as my property? That is mistaken. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape. This body is also God's property. Everything God's property because Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). This microphone, what it is? It is made of some earthly metal, wood, but the material belongs to God. I may have taken advantage of taking this material and manufactured something. That does not mean it is mine. If a carpenter makes a good furniture and the wood is supplied by somebody else and the carpenter is paid his wages, when the nice furniture is made, to whom it will belong? To the carpenter or to the person who has supplied the ingredients? It is very commonsense question.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:

This material world is matter, bhūmir āpo 'nalo-vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). They are described as prakṛti, prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. And again He says that apareyam, "These are inferior prakṛti." But there is a superior prakṛti. Apareyam itas tv viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Who is that? Jīva-bhūtam, the jīvas, living entities.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

So the atheist class man will always think that Deity is a doll: "These people, crazy fellow, they are worshiping doll." But not for a devotee. For a devotee, the Deity is prepared to talk, and offer His blessings. So therefore, we should consider either the picture or the Deity not as such, but... This is very reasonable, because in the Bhagavad-gītā we see Kṛṣṇa says that,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

"It is My energy, it is My energy. The earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence, they are My separated energy." So it is emanation from Kṛṣṇa. Either you take the earth, water, fire, air, anything. It has come from Kṛṣṇa. So they are not different. The energy and energetic are not different: identical. And Kṛṣṇa, being omnipotent, He can do anything by His energy. That is the meaning of omnipotent.

And in the Bhagava... Arjuna also addresses Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). You are the only puruṣa, śāśvata. So we are simply thinking of becoming puruṣa, enjoyer. But we are not puruṣa. We are all prakṛti. It is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, the jīva-bhūta. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Prakṛti, another prakṛti is there. This material prakṛti, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), they are My bhinnā prakṛti, bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. But besides that, there is another prakṛti. Prakṛti means, who is that prakṛti? Jīva-bhūta, the living entities. The living entity's prakṛti. He is not puruṣa. Constitutionally, prakṛti means the things which are enjoyed. That is called prakṛti. And the enjoyer is called puruṣa. So nobody of us, either men or women. We are not puruṣa. We are all prakṛti constitutionally.

Lecture on SB 5.5.27 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1976:

Mind and the indriyas combined together, we are trying to be happy in this material world, but there is no happiness, simply struggling. Prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho bhuṇkte prakṛti-jān guṇān. He is put into this prakṛti, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhi, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). So we are put into this prakṛti. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhi mano. These are material. There is also mana. Mind is subtle matter; it is not spirit. So in this way, separated energy and the jīva, the living entity, although he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, he wanted to enjoy life separately or independently without Kṛṣṇa, and that is called material world, struggle for existence. Without Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he has to come to Kṛṣṇa if he wants to stop his struggle for existence with mind and senses, then he must come to Kṛṣṇa. That is the natural position.

Lecture on SB 5.5.28 -- Vrndavana, November 15, 1976:

That is mahā-bhāgavata. What is that verse? Sarva... Mayi paśyati. Yo mām... He is mahā-bhāgavata. He is mahā-bhāgavata. He is broad-visioned. Everything. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4). In everything He sees Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's hand, Kṛṣṇa's energy. Actually that is the fact. What is this microphone? This is also Kṛṣṇa because what is this? This is made of this material gross matter. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva (BG 7.4). Bhūmi... From earth the iron comes, the aluminium comes, the wood comes. So this is combination of bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ, Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore it is Kṛṣṇa. Śakti śaktimatayor abheda. There is no difference between śakti and śaktimat. Śaktimat is Kṛṣṇa, and śakti, the manifestation of His energy, of, I mean to say, gross energy Prakṛtir me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā... Just like I am speaking, and this is recorded in the tape recorder, but when replayed, you will find that I am speaking. But I am not there. Bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. This is bhinnā, originally coming from Kṛṣṇa, but it is an energy where you cannot find Kṛṣṇa directly. But it is Kṛṣṇa's energy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

We are very happy." (laughter) This is going on. This is called varāta māninaḥ(?). They are enamored by the external energy of the Personality of Godhead. These material things are products of the external energy of the Lord. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Bhūmi, the earth, the iron, stone, wood, they are nothing but transformations of earth. Similarly, apo, water. So whatever we are manufacturing here, they are simply combination of earth, water, air, fire, that's all. Nothing but. Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayam. Exchange of teja, fire.

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Prabhupāda: Why? Why not outside? Suppose if one cannot begin from inside, then his beginning is not substantial? If it says by Kṛṣṇa Himself that sarva-loka-maheśvaram, "I am the proprietor of all planets," so if I say "This planet is Kṛṣṇa's property," what is the wrong there? What is the wrong? Kṛṣṇa says bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir prakṛti me, bhinna me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). "This earth, water, fire, everything, is My energy." So if I say "This water is Kṛṣṇa's, the fire is Kṛṣṇa's," what is the wrong there?

Guest: What is the light?

Prabhupāda: What is the light? It is common sense. The sea water, Kṛṣṇa says, "It is Mine." And if I say, "The water is Kṛṣṇa's," what is the wrong there? Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "This bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, this bhūmir, this pṛthvī, is Mine." So if I say that "Land is Kṛṣṇa's," then what is wrong there? Then why should I go to inside? Outside (indistinct) Kṛṣṇa's property. Why you bother for inside? Inside is very difficult to understand, but outside I can see directly.

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Honolulu, May 28, 1976:

There is discussed in psychology also how this remembrance comes all of a sudden. The example is given just like in a lake all of a sudden you'll find there is a bubble. So similarly, the mind is the subtle matter. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano (BG 7.4). This gross is this land, bhūmi, earth, straw. Water is a little more subtle. Just like in land you can stand, but in the water you cannot stand. It has become little subtle. Then fire, then air, and then ether. This is the position, from gross to subtle. And then mind. Still finer than the ether is the mind. And then intelligence. And then false ego, and then the soul. These are the different position.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- Honolulu, May 30, 1976:

What is this body? Bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir.... (BG 7.4). It is constituted of these things: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego. And Kṛṣṇa says, bhinna me prakṛti aṣṭadhā: "These are Mine, My things." You cannot create water. You cannot create earth. You cannot create fire. You cannot create ether. Nothing. So this body is pañcabhūta, five elements. So you have not created. Kṛṣṇa has created.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, July 23, 1975:

We can see anything by his energy. Just like if you feel heat here, then immediately you becomes alert, "Oh, there must be some fire." If there is some smoke, immediately you can understand that there is fire. So by intelligence and by the energy of God, you can see God. That is intelligence. So Kṛṣṇa says,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itī me

bhinnā prakṛtiḥ aṣṭadhā

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:

"It is My energy." So stone is also energy of Kṛṣṇa, but you have not eyes to see Kṛṣṇa in the stone. That is your defect. Kṛṣṇa says that "This is My energy." Just like you can see, by energy, you can see the energetic, similarly, by seeing Kṛṣṇa's energy, you can see Kṛṣṇa.

That is human life. Kṛṣṇa is educating the human society. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parāḥ. First of all He described the material energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). This is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. Kṛṣṇa is everything—the material, spiritual, marginal, everything. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Somewhere He is personally present. Somewhere He is present by His energy. So everything is energy of Kṛṣṇa. Parasya brāhmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

This house, if you use for making a club, dancing club, that is material. And if this house is used for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and dancing, that is spiritual. That is the difference, because actually everything is emanation from the supreme spirit soul, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says bhūmir āpo 'nalaḥ vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, apareyam. What you say material, that is also expansion of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. So actually it is not material. But when you use it for other purposes than Kṛṣṇa, that is material. You should know this philosophy very nicely.

Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:

The senses are there, sense objects are there, but without mind it cannot work. Therefore the mind is the sixteenth item. And everything is being used by whom? By the soul. Therefore seventeenth. And in this gross body there are five elements and three subtle elements. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). In this way there are twenty-four elements which is covering the twenty-fifth, living entity, and he is packed up in this way.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

Purusa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. So here the prakṛti, this material nature—earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence, and ego, egotism—these are eight material things. So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā prakṛtiṁ me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). These are eight kinds of material energy. Material energy is one, mahat-tattva, but they have been divided. Mahat-tattva, when it is separated... Just like some philosopher says, "There was a chunk, and it became broken, and the creation took place." This can be applicable... The mahat-tattva, the total material energy, by, when the three guṇas break them, they become twenty-four elements, five material, and three material, subtle, and the ten senses, and the ten object of senses. In this way twenty-four elements is become.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

Acyutānanda: Another question. (break—repeating question) This is a world of śakti or energy. There is a worldwide rise in prices of energy resources, like oil, coal, gas, and electricity. This means that there is a depletion of these energy resources. Naturally, there will be worldwide destruction of mankind and other living beings and materials in the near future. What are your views?

Prabhupāda: So yes, these material things, they are energies. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). The petrol is also another form of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Any energy. There are many millions of energies. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do because everything is being done by His energy. Although He is the ultimate source of everything, but He is doing everything by His energy. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svabhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. And it appears that it is being automatically done. Not. It is not automatically done. It is done by Kṛṣṇa's energy. So this material energy is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. It is not a different energy. Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ. Now, this petrol is liquid thing, so āpa. It is a kind of liquid thing, āpa, so it is Kṛṣṇa's energies. So our Vaiṣṇava philosophy is that Kṛṣṇa's energies should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So everything can be utilized for service of Kṛṣṇa. So when you use this petrol for Kṛṣṇa's, spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we can use one thousand or one hundred thousand motor cars using petrol for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the proper utilization of petrol. (applause)

Acyutānanda: (repeating lady's question) Kṛṣṇa says to perform your sva-dharma, so how does one know what is his sva-dharma? Am I correct?

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:

The material is also Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is everything. God is everything. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). What is this material world? Kṛṣṇa says, "This bhūmi, this land, āpaḥ, the water, the ocean, that is My energy." There is no difference between the energy and the energetic. Just like the sunshine is the energy of the sun. The sunshine is also heat and light, and the sun is also heat and light. Similarly, this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, these material things are the energy of Kṛṣṇa; therefore these energies are also Kṛṣṇa. So if we study about bhakti-mārga, about Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then we shall gradually understand. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "Begin to understand bhāgavata-dharma, what is God, what He is like, what is His relationship with Me."

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

Guest: But this part of the world "Mahāprabhu" (Address to Prabhupāda) is very materialistic, as you know. In Europe we always talk about science and technology. The part of the world that you come from, spiritualism has the highest place. I would like to ask you is there any possible way of a balanced combination between spiritualism and materialism.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Actually, there is nothing as materialism. Materialism means forgetfulness of God, that's all. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, aparā, prakṛtir me bhinnā aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Materialism means that you are dealing with earth, water, fire, air, or the ether, or mind, intelligence, so far. These are the subject matters of studying materialism. But God says: "They are My separated energies." These matters, you have not produced this earth, water, air, fire. That's a fact. That is produced by the energy of God. So while dealing with material things, if you remember that this material thing is produced by God then you are perfect.

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Vrndavana, December 7, 1975:

So similarly, if we understand parasya brāhmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat, "Everything, whatever we see, it is distribution or manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy..." That is explained:

bhāmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

bhinnā me prakṛti aṣṭadhā

Lecture on SB 7.7.19-20 -- Bombay, March 18, 1971:

apareyam itas tu

viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā

jīva-bhūtā mahā-baho

yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

(BG 7.5)

Everything is explained. So if you simply try to understand Bhagavad-gītā and don't play rascaldom by interpreting in a different way, then your life is successful. Simply. Kṛṣṇa has left, therefore, before His leaving this world. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmi (BG 4.7). He comes when you forget all these things. He comes again. He establishes dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. What is that dharma? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "All this rascaldom, cheating dharma, give up. Simply surrender unto Me."

Aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ, eight material elements, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā-bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4)—earth, water, fire, air, sky, and the mind, ahaṅkāra, mind, egotism and khaṁ mano buddhi, and intelligence. These are gross and subtle material elements. Aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ proktās traya eva hi tad-guṇāḥ, and these material elements are moving by the interaction of the three material qualities—sattva-guṇa, raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

So... (pause) So we have discussed this aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ..., eight different, differential elements, material elements. What is that? Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. And these eight elements are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as separated energy. Separated energy you'll understand: just like I am speaking, and my speech is being recorded in the tape recorder. So even I am not here, if you apply the machine, it will exactly speak like me. That is my energy, but now it is separated. It cannot be changed.

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1977:

We are thinking that this Deity is something made of brass. Even it is brass, a brass is not God? Brass is also God. Because Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir..., apareyam..., bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Everything is Kṛṣṇa. Without Kṛṣṇa there is no existence. So why Kṛṣṇa cannot appear as He likes? He can appear in brass. He can appear in stone. He can appear in wood. He can appear in jewel. He can appear in painting. Any way He can... That is all-powerful. But we have to take it that "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Don't take it that "Kṛṣṇa is separate from this Deity, and here we have got a brass form Deity." No. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Advaita. He has multi-expansion, but they're all one.

Lecture on SB 7.9.6 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1977:

Prabhupāda: Otherwise there was no spiritual knowledge. They do not know. That's a fact.

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:

These materialistic persons, scientists, physicists and other speculator, they're dealing with these elements, material—earth, water, fire, air, ether, up to mind, psychology, or, little advanced, intelligence, but no more. They are dealing in their university, colleges, educational institution. They are concerned with these elements, material. They have no spiritual knowledge. Kṛṣṇa said... We get information from the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam: "These eight elements, they are inferior."

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "All these qualifications are not good assessment for approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead." He is nullifying. Do not think that because you have got good education or scientific knowledge, then you can understand what is God. That is not possible. Just like the other day we were, I was reading one magazine. In the Bible it is said that God said "Let there be creation," and there was creation. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā also, we understand that Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca: (BG 7.4) "These eight gross and subtle material elements, they are My differentiated energy." So these statements of Bible or Bhagavad-gītā... We can understand that God created this cosmic manifestation. But in the paper we read the other day that the scientific men believe that there was a chunk in the beginning, and all of a sudden it burst out and the planets came out. (break) So anyone can understand that God is all-powerful. He can create. But the scientist says that "There was a chunk, and creation took place from the chunk."

Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:

Prakṛti means female, enjoyed. So jīva is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti. The first prakṛti is the material elements, eight.

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ buddhir mano eva ca

aparā...

prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā

Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

These are separated energy. But apareyam, they are inferior. Apareyam itas tv anyā parā. Besides this material nature, this dull matter, there is another nature: prakṛti, parā prakṛti, the jīva. So the real life is to be enjoyed by the Lord. Enjoyed. That means real life is to become eternal servitor.

The blood is nothing but red water. You cannot say that injecting some red water, you can bring life. Analyze it very intelligently. Then what is the composition of this body? The air or the water, the same. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). It is said here, mahad-ādayo. Mahat-tattva and its expansion. Even in the subtle mind, manaḥ prabhṛtayo. Mind, intelligence, egotism. You analyze everything, but you won't find there the life. No. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

These are material qualification. And the yoga, aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, that is also material. By exercising the body to concentrate the mind, that is also material. Because mind is material, subtle form of matter. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Mind, intelligence, ego, ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. So they are subtle form of matter. So yogic exercise means to control the mind, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā. In order to make the mind controlled and fully fixed up on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is required in yoga meditation.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

Everything is prakṛti. The jīvas, they have been described as prakṛti. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says that these material elements—earth, water, air, fire, mind, intelligence, ego—they are bhinnā me prakṛti aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Prakrti. He is puruṣa. Prakṛti means female. So they are also energy, energy. Just like here, try to understand, the karmīs, unless they have got a wife, they cannot work, they are not very enthusiastic. Therefore, according to the karmīs, when the boy is developed, immediately the parents get him wife for him. Otherwise he will be dull, he cannot work.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

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

. So Kṛṣṇa's energy cannot be false. It is eternal. Kṛṣṇa is eternal. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that this material world, bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mana eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). "These are eight kinds of separated energy of Me, Kṛṣṇa." So Kṛṣṇa's energy... Kṛṣṇa is truth. So Kṛṣṇa's energy is also truth. Because form truth, false cannot come. If Kṛṣṇa is truth, this energy is also truth. But it is not false. Therefore we do not accept this Māyāvādī theory that the world is false, jagan mithyā. We say that Brahman is satya, and this world is also satya.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

A devotee, mahā-bhāgavata, highly advanced devotee, he sees trees, but he does not see the tree. He sees Kṛṣṇa. How? Has he gone mad? No. Actually he sees. But what is this tree? The tree, outwardly, is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Your body, my body, the trees's body, the dog's body, the cat's body. What are these bodies? The bodies are made of the external, material energy. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). The material elements, they are simply Kṛṣṇa's external energy. So as soon as a devotee sees anything material, he sees immediately the energy of Kṛṣṇa, and along with the energy of Kṛṣṇa, he sees immediately Kṛṣṇa. Reactory. He actually. With reference to the context.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:

Just like we are using this microphone. This is material, scientific advancement. Sometimes they criticize that "You are not materialistic. Why you are using the modern appliances? Why you are flying on the aeroplane?" So practically, our vision is that everything is Kṛṣṇa's and everything must be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is, that is our philosophy. Actually, it is so. This microphone is manufactured by Kṛṣṇa's energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, prakṛti bhinnā me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). So this metal portion, or the rubber portion, or any portion of this microphone is made of the five elements, earth, water, fire, air. So Kṛṣṇa says, "They are My separated energy." So although separated energy, we are dovetailing with the service of Kṛṣṇa. That, we do not see that this matter is separate from Kṛṣṇa. Actually it is not so. When we see the matter is separate from Kṛṣṇa, that is materialism. When we see the matter is energy of Kṛṣṇa, that is not materialism. That is spiritualism. So it is our intellect how we can utilize everything with Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.9 -- Mayapur, April 2, 1975:

And because the living being takes the superior position for explosion of matter or reaction of matter, therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is admitted that the matter is handled by the living being; it is inferior energy. Both of them are energies of the Supreme Lord, but one is superior energy, another is inferior energy. That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), this material things, earth, water, air, fire, they are inferior energy. And Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam: "They are inferior. There is another, superior energy." Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "There is another, superior energy." And what is that superior energy? Now, jīva-bhūtām, "These living entities." Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho. The superior energy is not produced by the inferior energy. That is nonsense. The inferior energy is produced by the superior energy.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.15 -- Mayapur, April 8, 1975:

We are thinking that we are made of something of these material elements: "I am this body. The body is made of this material element," bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). So this is our manda-mati. Manda means bad. This conception, bodily conception of life, is the cause of our conditional life, subjected to the stringent laws of material nature. This is our position.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.5 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1974:

We have studied. But in another sense, soul is not different from the body, another sense. How? Because the body, the material body, is also coming from the same source, and the spiritual soul is coming from the same source, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam. Kṛṣṇa said, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva (BG 7.4). "These material elements, they are My bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā, eight kinds of separated energy." Even though it is separated energy, it is the energy of the Supreme Lord. We have discussed many times. Just like the fire and the heat and light. Light is separated from the fire, heat is separated from the fire, but at the same time, heat and light is not different from the fire. This is to be understood. This is called simultaneously one and different, inconceivable.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.151-154 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

That "Kṛṣṇa has got, by nature, innumerable energies, and they are divided into three: cit śakti and bahiraṅga śakti, antaraṅga śakti, and tatasta śakti." All the... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva. All the śaktis, or energies, they are summarized in three divisions. One is called spiritual energy, and the other is called material energy, and the rest is called marginal energy. In the Bhagavad-gītā these three energies are stated. Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). "These eight kinds of energies are My separated energies." How separated energies? Try to understand what is separated energy. Just like in the tape record, I sing or speak, it is recorded. But when the tape record plays, I do not speak, I do not sing, but it is my energy. It is working. That is separated energy. And when I speak directly, that is not separated energy. That is also the same thing. So they are from Kṛṣṇa, the whole material... Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). "Everything is created from Me. I am the creator of everything." How He is creator? This bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mano... These eight separated energies, that is the material energy. And apareyam, they are inferior because they are material energies; therefore, inferior energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "Beyond this, there is another, superior energy." Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. "There is another, superior energy." What is that superior energy? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). These jīvas. So jīvas are energies.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.111 -- New York, July 19, 1976:

Para, the Supreme Absolute Truth, has many potencies, and all the potencies have been summarized into three. That is stated here: cic-chakti, jīva-śakti and māyā-śakti. Cic-chakti means spiritual potency, and jīva-śakti, living entities. We are also śakti, prakṛti; we are not puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. We cannot be the enjoyer; that is not possible. So śakti... In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is confirmed, apareyam itas tv prakṛtim viddhi me parām. When Kṛṣṇa described about the material energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), earth, water, air, fire... These are material energies, gross. And there are subtle material energies, mind, intelligence and egotism. Beyond that, apareyam... These are inferior energies. Beyond that, there is spiritual energy. What is that spiritual energy? Jīva-bhūtaḥ. That you know. (?) That is spiritual energy.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- Bombay, November 24, 1975:

There there is no forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious. So if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then immediately you become parā. Kṣetrajñam ākhyā tathā parā. Immediately you become parā. Otherwise you remain in the aparā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), this material contamination. Kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

This body, gross body, is made of earth, water, air, fire, ether, and the mind. Don't think that dog has no mind. Everyone has got mind. Everyone has intelligence. A dog know(s) intelligently how to secure his food, as we know. There is no scarcity of these things, material things, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4).

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ordinary living be... He is complete; we are not complete. We are incomplete, fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we must be controlled by Kṛṣṇa. If we do not agree to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa, then we shall be controlled by the material energy, this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). Actually, we are spiritual energy. We should voluntarily agree to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa. That is devotional service. That is devotional service. We are spiritual energy, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Spirit. So if we agree to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa, then we are promoted to the spiritual world. If we agree. Kṛṣṇa does not interfere with your little independence. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Kṛṣṇa say to Arjuna, "Whatever you like, you can do." That independence we have got.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

This is our relationship, that we are part and parcel. We are not non-important: the factory is going on, or the whole world is going on, on account of the living entities. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Kṛṣṇa says that "Beyond this material energy," bhūmir āpo' nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4), "these eight kinds of prakṛti, they are my separated energy. But there is another kind of superior energy," yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtim. Just like same example: in the factory there are ingredients and there are workers. So the ingredients are compared with the material energy, bhūmir āpo' nalo vāyuḥ. They are also the property of the workers, because they are living being, jīva bhūtaḥ mahā-bāho yayedam dhāryate jagat, those who are working for development of this material world. The same example.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

Stone is also Kṛṣṇa; simply you have to be qualified how to talk with stone Kṛṣṇa. That is your qualification. You have to qualify yourself; otherwise Kṛṣṇa is stone, Kṛṣṇa is water, Kṛṣṇa is sky, Kṛṣṇa is everything. So this is the philosophy. Kṛṣṇa says bhūmir āpo' nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca: (BG 7.4) "I am everything." That's a fact. So why do you say there is stone Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is everything, if you have got the eyes to see, you can see Kṛṣṇa everywhere and everything.

Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda Deity Installation -- London, August 21, 1973:

How is that they are worshiping God, Kṛṣṇa?" That is atheist view. But from the śāstra, we understand Kṛṣṇa, if He is within the atom, why not within the marble? It is simply understanding. Not only within, the marble itself is also Kṛṣṇa. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). These material elements, earth, earth, water, fire, air, they are Kṛṣṇa's energy. Kṛṣṇa says bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. They are My energies, separated energy. So even if you consider that here is not Kṛṣṇa but a marble. No, that marble is also Kṛṣṇa. Marble is also... And Kṛṣṇa is, being omnipotent, even for your logical argument... Even if you say that this is a marble statue, still Kṛṣṇa is so powerful, omnipotent, that He can accept your service even through this marble.

Six Gosvamis Lecture, Sri Sri Sad-govamy-astaka -- Los Angeles, November 18, 1968:

There are two kinds of potencies. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You should read Bhagavad-gītā very carefully. You'll understand everything. Aparā and parā. These are stated. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca... bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). The Lord said, material world, what is this material world? This material world is composition of earth, water, air, fire, ether. And this is gross element, gross ingredients. But there are finer, subtle ingredients, mind, intelligence, ego. So these eight gross and fine elements which is the material world, that is expressed in the Bhagavad-gītā that bhinnā me prakṛti aṣṭadhā, "These eight kinds of prakṛti, nature, is my separated inferior energy."

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Paris, June 8, 1974:

If the soul is important in this body, why there shall not be bigger soul, the Supersoul, in this gigantic body? What is this universal body and this body? The same thing. It is only small, and that is very big. The same material construction. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). This earth, water, air. Just like you have got your bones, the huge earth mountain, that is also another bone of this gigantic body. As you have got your hairs on the body, the millions and millions of trees and plants, they are also the hairs on the gigantic body. So as you have got holes in your body here, there, and the navel, similarly these oceans and seas, they are also different holes. So they are described—it is not my imagination—they are described in the Bhagavad-gī..., Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, to conceive the gigantic body. As you have got your skull, the round skull, the whole, I mean to say, hemisphere is also skull of this gigantic body. It is similar.

Arrival Address -- Paris, June 8, 1974:

The active principle is everything. From His energy, material energy, this huge gigantic material man..., cosmic manifestation is there, from His energy. And we are also His energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). The five material elements are also Kṛṣṇa's energy, and we living entities, we are also. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā, jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Everything is explained there. But the mūḍhas, these duṣkṛtinas, the narādhamas, they cannot understand. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. Why? Because cats and dogs cannot understand this philosophy. But a human being can understand. He has got the brain. Nature has given the fertile brain, but they are misusing it, duṣkṛtina, only for sense gratification. The brain was given to understand God, but the rascal is using for illicit sex, meat-eating, drinking, and gambling. This is the position of the whole human society.

Arrival Address -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

Their theory is: "By chemical evolution there is living symptoms." But it is not possible. The soul is different from these material elements. Soul is different from the material elements. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find the... First of all, material elements, they have been described, Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛti aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jaga.... Jīva-bhūta (BG 7.5), the living entity, is completely different from this matter.

Arrival Talk -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

There are 8,400,000 different species of life. So any form of life, we are bound up by the laws of nature, and bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān. The puruṣaḥ... Puruṣaḥ means the living entity. Puruṣaḥ... Actually, nobody is puruṣaḥ. Everyone is prakṛti. Apareyam itas tv viddhi me prakṛtim parām. Parā prakṛtim. The material, matter, is the aparā-prakṛti, and spirit soul is parā-prakṛti. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly explained, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). This is... Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. This is separated. This is also nature, but inferior. Apareyam itas tv viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. There is another prakṛti. What is that? Jīva-bhūto. This living entity. So living entity is also prakṛti, but because he has the tendency to enjoy this material world, he is sometimes described as puruṣaḥ. Puruṣaḥ means enjoyer and prakṛti means enjoyed.

General Lectures

Lecture at Krsna Niketan -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is everything. The bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ kham... (BG 7.4). Kṛṣṇa says, "My energy." As you cannot separate energy and the energetic, Kṛṣṇa is everything. So Kṛṣṇa can accept your service through everything. Don't consider that "This is metal." The metal is also Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we should know bhūmi..., bhūmi... Metal, what is metal? Metal means earth. Kṛṣṇa says, first of all says, bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ: "They are My all energies." So from argument's point of view, Kṛṣṇa is everything. Therefore Kṛṣṇa can accept service through everything.

Lecture -- London, August 11, 1971:

As the post office kindly places a box before your house to facilitate your business, similarly Kṛṣṇa, goloka eva nivasati, He is living in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, but He expands Himself as Deity to accept your humble service. Never consider that the Deity is made of stone or brass or wood or like that. Brass, wood, stone—everything is Kṛṣṇa because everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Me, "It is Mine." So everything is Kṛṣṇa's, and from everything, Kṛṣṇa can appear and accept your service. This is the philosophy. He can appear Himself through stone because stone is His energy. Just like if the electric power is running on, from anywhere you can take electricity, energy. Similarly, his energy is running on everywhere, and you can take the facility of His energy from anywhere, provided you know how to take it. Electric, where insulation is there, but one who knows... I have seen in your country. The telephone man immediately comes and joins telephone. But he knows how to do it. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa can be manifested from anywhere, everywhere, from anything, provided you know how to do it.

Speech at Gaudiya Math Center -- Visakhapatnam, February 19, 1972:

So this jīva-tattva is accepted as prakṛti, not puruṣa. There are two kinds of prakṛtis or energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One is called inferior energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ (BG 7.4), these material elements, earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego, they are inferior energies of the Supreme Lord. And the jīva-bhūta, that superior energy world, because the superior energy tries to lord it over the material energy. Just like we are jīvas. Every one of us trying to utilize the material resources of the material nature. We are simply trying. Actually we are not bhoktā. Bhoktā is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Bhūmir āpo...

Pradyumna: (chanting)

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture Engagement at Birla House -- Bombay, December 17, 1975:

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ

prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām

jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho

yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

(BG 7.5)

Prabhupāda:

mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

(BG 7.1)

The duty of human life is to understand God, Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedānta-sūtra, the first aphorism is athāto brahma jijñāsā. Athaḥ, "therefore." Because we have got this human form of body, so this is the time for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. In the other life, animal life, beast life, tree life, plant life... There are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and through evolutionary process we have passed through 8,000,000 forms of life or a few thousand more forms of life, because human beings, they are of 400,000 forms of life.

That is first-class religion. We are fighting in this material world. "You are Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Sikh," "I am Jain," "I am this," "I am that," but this not paro dharma; this is aparo dharma. Parā and aparā, there are two qualities, just like material and spiritual. Material is called aparā, and spiritual means parā, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam.

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Lecture Engagement at Birla House -- Bombay, December 17, 1975:

These material elements—earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, and false ego—these are eight material elements, out of which five are gross-bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyu—and three are very subtle. Just like everyone: I know you think with your mind; you know also I think with my mind. But mind is subtle. I cannot see your mind, neither you can see my mind, neither I can see my mind, nor you can see your mind. This is subtle. And the finer than the mind is intelligence, and finer than the intelligence is egoism or egotism, and finer than egotism is the soul.

If one takes to chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then he becomes relieved or freed from the all contamination of this age, and mukta-saṅgaḥ, he becomes liberated and he goes back to home, back to Godhead. Simply by chanting. That is mukti. Mukti means, we are now under the influence of this material energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), this is aparā prakṛti. So aparā prakṛti, we have to give up the association of the aparā prakṛti, and we have to take shelter of parā prakṛti. This is our aim of life. The subject matter was how to become successful in life. That we are trying to explain. The success is that we have to give up the control, we have to become freed from the control of the aparā prakṛti, and we shall voluntarily submit to be favored by parā prakṛti. This is our business, aim of life. Then our life will be successful.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Hayagrīva: He writes that "Man alone can be regarded as nature's own end or highest product, because on earth only man is capable of complying with the categorical imperative, the moral law."

Prabhupāda: So it is accepted that nature creates man, and that is not very good philosophy. Nature creates man, then nature is supreme. There is no such thing. And nature is ultimate. Nature is dull matter. What do you call nature? Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ: (BG 7.4) earth, water, fire. They cannot create. Nature cannot create. Otherwise the materialist scientist, they could do it by combining, combining this earth, water, air, fire. So nature is dull, lifeless. How nature can create life? What is the logic? What is the philosophy?

Hayagrīva: He wouldn't say that. He would say that man is nature's final end...

Prabhupāda: No.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: Matter cannot act independently. In the Bhagavad-gītā, as (indistinct), the difference, what is the difference between matter and the living being. The difference is the matter is being handled, controlled by the living being. Therefore living being is the superior nature, and matter is inferior nature. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). This earth, water, air, fire, etc., everything, these are inferior nature. Just try to understand nature. And above this inferior nature there is superior nature. That, the inferior nature, is a vast ocean, but the superior nature, man, has a big ship. The ocean will not allow to walk over it, and they have control over the ocean, not exclusive control, but little control. Because he is living being, he can cross over the big mass of water by inventing some means, so that at least they are controlling to some extent.

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So whatever there is in this world, even this house, this big house, this is also temporary.

Śyāmasundara: But what about a principle, like "Two plus two equals four"?

Prabhupāda: Principle is truth, but the manifestation is temporary. Principle... Just like earth. Just like we hear from Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca: (BG 7.4) "This earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, ego, they are My separated energies." And because it is Kṛṣṇa's energy, and Kṛṣṇa is true, therefore that energy is true. But this interaction of the energy, manifestation of different things out of that energy, that is temporary. Therefore it is called material energy or external energy, temporary manifestation.

Śyāmasundara: What about the proposition that "Two plus two equals four"?

Prabhupāda: That is also temporary.

Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:

Prabhupāda: So Socrates or any other philosopher, they cannot understand the potency of God, how He can remain in His own place, simultaneously in every atom. That is the conception of God. So everywhere He is staying. Everything is His expansion, His energy, the bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). The material world is bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ-land, water, earth, air. So these are different expansion of God's energy. So He can be present everywhere because His energy is expanded everywhere. So energy and the energetic, they are not different, but at the same time energy is not the energetic. This simultaneously one and different, acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, this is perfect philosophy.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

Hayagrīva: Well, but the material universe must have been created out of nothing, because it could not have arisen out of God's spiritual nature.

Prabhupāda: No. The material nature is also inferior nature of God. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Apareyam, the material nature, means earth, water, fire, air, ether, and the subtle materials, mind, intelligence, ego. They are all emanation from God, so actually they are not unreal but inferior. They are, it is called, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. They are separated material energy. We can have a little idea, just like we are speaking in the microphone, and it is being recorded in the tape recorder. When the tape recorder is replayed, the sound coming from exactly like the original person's sound, but it is not in touch with the person, but it has come from the person.

Philosophy Discussion on Benedict Spinoza:

Hayagrīva: Yes. Spinoza is impersonal. He asserts that God cannot be a remote cause of the creation. He says that the creation flows from God in the same way that conclusions flow from principles in mathematics. God is free to create, but He is the eminent cause. That is to say, the creation is an extension of Himself.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is, He creates by His energy. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated,

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

bhinnā me prakṛtiḥ aṣṭadhā