BG 07.07 mattah parataram nanyat... cited (Lec)

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

So Kṛṣṇa is present everywhere because everything is resting on Him, on His energies. Just like in a big factory the proprietor may be out of the factory, but every worker is aware that "This factory belongs to such-and-such person."

So we have to understand Kṛṣṇa from the śāstra. Kṛṣṇa Himself speaking that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is nobody else greater than Me." And when Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he also accepted Kṛṣṇa like that. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are Parabrahman." So Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman. Brahman, we are all Brahman because we are part and parcels of Parabrahman, but we are not Parabrahman. We are subordinate Brahman. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We are supported by Kṛṣṇa. We are supported by God. He is one, God is one.

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "O conqueror of wealth (Arjuna), there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread."

Prabhupāda:

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat

kiñcid asti dhanañjaya

mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ

sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

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.

So that is, also explained in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa: parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat.

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner

jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā

parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis

tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

So now Kṛṣṇa is summarizing in this verse... Because the whole manifestation, tathedam akhilaṁ jagat, the whole universe is presentation of the energy of the Lord, therefore there is nothing but Lord. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Just like in this material world, we have got experience, the sun is the cause of all material manifestations. When the sunlight or sun heat... Just like Western countries, in this season, the sunlight and heat is practically not present. Therefore it is snowfall. There is no foliage in the trees. Every tree is deserted, due to the sun.

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. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Brahman is not supreme. Then Kṛṣṇa would have said not... "Brahman is the Supreme." But He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat. Brahman is the bodily effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Brahman is not the supreme cause. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. Brahman is existing on Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, Kṛṣṇa has the right to say, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: "There is no more superior cause." And in the Brahma-saṁhitā, Lord Brahmā also says, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

So it is not that Kṛṣṇa is saying only. It is accepted by the supreme Vedic authority, Lord Brahmā.

This is understanding of Bhagavad-gītā. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior being or superior authority than Me." If you accept that "There is no more superior authority or supreme being than Kṛṣṇa," then you study Bhagavad-gītā.

That is the difficulty. They'll not accept. Their brain has been full with hodge-podge things. Therefore they cannot take Kṛṣṇa consciousness so... Of course, at heart, in India, everyone feels for Kṛṣṇa, but they have been educated in such a wrong way, they cannot accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme, as Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). This is the difficulty.

And therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. And Kṛṣṇa confirms this fact: mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). This is required. This is required. We have to accept this. Kṛṣṇa says this. And Arjuna, who heard Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, he says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam ādyam (BG 10.12). Ādyam, "You are the original person. You are the original..." Puruṣam ādyam, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ādyam. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). This is all confirmed. The audience, Kṛṣṇa, I mean to say, Arjuna, is accepting, and Kṛṣṇa is confirming.

This is the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), mayi... Here Arjuna is addressed as Dhanañjaya. Dhanañjaya means the richest man, who has conquered over wealth. In other sense, only dhanañjaya, "a person who has conquered over wealth," he can understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhanañjaya, Arjuna's another name is Dhanañjaya, because after Battle of Kurukṣetra there was no money.

So by the order of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, he brought from the Himalaya range a great quantity of gold so that he could expend them for performing aśvamedha-yajña, rājasūya-yajña. So therefore from that name, from that person, this title was given by..., I mean to say, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to that Arjuna, Dhanañjaya.

So mayi sarvam idaṁ protam. The example is very nice. Mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva. Just like pearls. The pearls... Take it. Pearl is round, and the innumerable universes are also round. So all these universes are staying...

Just like the, all the planets are floating in the air in weightlessness... How this weightlessness comes? That is explained here. Mayi, "It is resting on Me." Kṛṣṇa says. Mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva.

So He is the ultimate cause, He is the cause of all causes. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Parama īśvaraḥ, the supreme controller. In this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then our life will be successful. Because our, this human life is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). This is the real knowledge.

Prabhupāda:

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat

kiñcid asti dhanañjaya

mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ

sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

The controversy about the Absolute Truth, whether the Absolute Truth is form or formless... There are many philosophers. They, some of them are impersonalists, and some of them are personalists. They... In India the impersonalists are known as Māyāvādī, and the personalists, they are known as Vaiṣṇavas.

So here the decision is given by Kṛṣṇa Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa means Bhagavān. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). This is the conclusion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And in the Ṛg Veda also it is said, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam: "Viṣṇu is the Supreme"; sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ, "Those who are demigods, or advanced in spiritual knowledge, they always look after the lotus feet of Viṣṇu." But the demons, they do not know that the Viṣṇu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Absolute Truth. They cannot. Because they have taken the atheistic attitude, they cannot understand the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Person.

Viṣṇu has ananta-rūpam, unlimited forms. Advaitam acyutam. They are not different. The other day I explained. The candle... First candle, second candle, third candle... But no candle is less powerful than the other candles. This is the conclusion. So either we say Viṣṇu or we say Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Balarāma, They are all expansions of the Supreme Person Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." This is the conclusion. Mattaḥ, "from Me," na anyat, "nobody else is superior." That is the conclusion of the śāstra. And Kṛṣṇa personally also says. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcit. "Nobody."

So śāstra says Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Kṛṣṇa Himself also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Therefore, as Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān... (BG 10.12). Arjuna has said that "I heard from the śāstras about Yourself, and You are personally speaking that You are the Supreme.

So Kṛṣṇa is admitted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all authorities. There is no doubt about it. And Kṛṣṇa personally confirms, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior being than Myself." So where is the difficulty to understand what is God? There is no difficulty. But if we are obstinate, if we do not try to understand what is God, that is a different thing. But everything is there.

So we should take it for acceptance that nobody is superior than Kṛṣṇa. Bhāgavata says, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Brahma-saṁhitā says, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So it is concluded. There is no controversy. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya, mayi sarvam idaṁ protam: (BG 7.7) "Everything is in Me."

It is already explained that Kṛṣṇa has got two energies. Just like heat and light, the energies of the fire. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is enjoying His spiritual, blissful life. He is spiritual, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ ānanda... (Bs. 5.1). Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). So He is in Vṛndāvana having His ānanda, spiritual bliss, enjoyment, with His associates, ever associ..., eternal associates, the gopīs, the cowherds boys, His mother, His father, mother Yaśodā, Nanda, Nanda Mahārāja.

That is also confirmed: goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). Still, He is present everywhere. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). He is within this universe, He is within your heart... Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). In one word: without Him, nothing can exist. Therefore it is said, mayi sarvam idaṁ protam: "Everything is existing in Me." Sarvam idam.

The two energies... In the material world, the two energies are working. The two energies are from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore everything is resting on Kṛṣṇa. In another place Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4). The same thing: "I am expanded." Tatam. Tatam means expanded. So He is expanded by His energy.

So as I am controlling over this body, so where is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is controlling over the whole universe. Where is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. But we'll not understand. That is the difficulty. Here it is clearly said, mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva. There is no difficulty. In another place also, Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Mayā, the original is person, mayā, aham. Mayā. So "by Me." Sarvam idaṁ tatam. How? That is already explained. By the two energies, the spiritual energy and the material energy. Parā and aparā-prakṛti. That is expanded all over the universe, creation.

So the living entity and this matter, two combination, makes the whole creation. Everywhere the creation is going on. So therefore the conclusion is mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam, "Everywhere I am expanded." Where is the difficulty to understand? Sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva. As the pearls are set up on a thread, standing... Everything is dazzling, but they're all resting on the thread. Similarly, everything is resting on Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the support. We are discovering so many laws.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

So any way you take what Kṛṣṇa says, mayi sarvam idaṁ protam, "Everything resting on Me..." Similarly, in the Ninth Chapter Kṛṣṇa said, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. The energies are avyakta. Energy. Just like there is light, but it is impersonal, but the lamp is personal, or localized, similarly, Kṛṣṇa's energies...

So the Vedas are there for education. So vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Ultimately Vedānta, Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. The end of knowledge. The end of knowledge is to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). So after studying Vedas, if he does not understand Kṛṣṇa, then it is to be understood, māyayāpahṛta-jñānaḥ, his knowledge has been taken away by māyā. So simple thing is that Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). There is no more better guru than Kṛṣṇa. So anyone who repeats the words of Kṛṣṇa, teach others, he is guru. Otherwise he's a rascal.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

In another place Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior personality than Me." This is... These are the facts. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ: (Bs. 5.1) "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." You can become God, I can become God, He can become God, but Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

We cannot understand God, what is God. We cannot make research (because) we do not know what are the symptoms of God, although everything is described in the śāstras. Here also, in the Bhagavad-gītā, the indications are there. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is nobody superior than Me." So this is the shortcut definition of God. Just try to find out a person... God is also a person, but He is the most superior person. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the chief amongst the living beings. Nityo nityānām. He is the wisest of all wise men. Cetanaś cetanānām. What is the difference between God and us? The difference is that He is the maintainer and we are not maintainer. This is the difference.

Lecture on BG 9.15-18 -- New York, December 2, 1966:

So this simultaneously one and different, this philosophy, is accepted by Lord Caitanya, but it is also accepted in the Bhagavad-gītā; mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). But this form, these two hands, with flute, Kṛṣṇa, form of Kṛṣṇa, there is nothing beyond this. So one has to come to this point. You may go in different way, accepting yourself as God, accepting everything as God, accepting the universal form of God.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Hyderabad, April 20, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). There is nothing superior than Kṛṣṇa. That is, if you accept that, then you immediately advance fifty percent in spiritual knowledge, immediately, if you simply accept this, that Kṛṣṇa said that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). And that is the verdict of the śāstra.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says for us, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, tat samāsena me śṛṇu: "From Me because I am the supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." So we get knowledge from superior authority. That is the process of acquiring knowledge.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:

First study Bhagavad-gītā, and when we are actually realized... What is realization Bhagavad-gītā? Realization of Bhagavad-gītā is to know Kṛṣṇa—the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is realization. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." If we accept that, that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority, then you'll learn Bhagavad-gītā. And if you try to make minus Kṛṣṇa, or if you want to take the position of Kṛṣṇa like the Māyāvādīs, then you become a rascal. There is no knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā means to accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Kṛṣṇa also demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is the authority.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, September 30, 1973:

There are īśvaras, rulers. That's all right. But the supreme ruler is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac cid ananda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). This is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, and Kṛṣṇa also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "There is nobody else superior than Me." That is the fact.

People are searching after Īśvara, "Can you show me God?" "There is no God." "God is dead." So many philosophers and theories are there, but actually there is God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānandaḥ vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that "Only īśvara is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme." Ekala īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142).

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, September 30, 1973:

Everywhere Kṛṣṇa stressed on His personality. Aham ādir hi devānām: (BG 10.2) "I am the origin of all the devatās." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

Lecture on BG 13.13 -- Bombay, October 6, 1973:

Everything is there. So sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66), mām, aham, "Me." So in every verse, every chapter, Kṛṣṇa... Mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mayy āsakta, "One who is attached to Me," āsakta-manaḥ, "mind attached to Me, that is yoga." Yogīnām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā. Mad-gata, again mat (BG 6.47).

Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Guru means heavy. If guru is as good as I am, then what is the use of taking knowledge from him? Guru must be heavier. So who can become more heavier than Kṛṣṇa? Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). There is nobody heavier. And Kṛṣṇa proved it when He was a child. When He was a boy of seven years old He proved how heavy, that He lifted the Govardhana Hill, and it rested on Kṛṣṇa's finger continually for seven days. Just imagine how heavy He is. So in this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. And if we understand Kṛṣṇa from that spirit, from that angle of vision, then we become perfect. As it is said here, jñeyaṁ yat tat pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvā 'mṛtam aśnute.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

Ask him, I do not know. (laughter) Call Vivekananda and ask him. You are devotee of Vivekananda, you do not know what did he mean? What kind of devotee you are? You are asking me? What? You do not know? This is going on. He does not know Vivekananda and he is a devotee of Vivekananda. This is not good. You must know what Vivekananda said, what is his ultimate goal of life. You must be intelligent.

Now we are speaking of Kṛṣṇa and the Supreme Person. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). So there is no need of Vivekananda. When the Supreme Person is speaking, accepted by all. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that "You are accepted by authorities." Vyāsa, Devala, Asita, Nārada. We have to accept authority who is accepted by authorities. Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Devala, Asita, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Caitanya, even Śaṅkarācārya—they have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme authority. You take the authorities statement. Don't go elsewhere. Then you'll be misled. When the supreme authority is speaking, take it and apply it in life. You'll be happy. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:

You should accept His word as it is. And because we are doubtful, we are presenting Kṛṣṇa in a different way. And there are so many commentators, so many swamis, they put Kṛṣṇa in a different way. But Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. Law of identity. You cannot comment on the Kṛṣṇa's personality. He says that "I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." We accept that. Then we can understand Bhagavad-gītā and take advantage of it; otherwise (it is) not possible. And that requires daivī sampat, godly characteristics.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

Therefore it is essential that everyone should read Bhagavad-gītā. Simply to know God is great, that is also good. He is accepting the greatness of God. But if you want to know in detail how great He is, to what extent great He is, how the actions of His greatness are going on, how His activities of greatness are going on, then you read Bhagavad-gītā.

Bhagavad-gītā says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "There is no more greater factor than Me." Everyone knows God is great. Great means everyone is small. He is great. Nobody is equal to Him. Nobody is greater than Him. That is the meaning of greatness. So how He is greater than everyone and nobody is equal to Him, everyone is subordinate, everyone is creation of Him—this knowledge, if you get... Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9).

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

That is our only business, that people may know that Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Lord, that's all. We have no other business. So for that purpose Kṛṣṇa wants. Therefore He comes. He teaches Bhagavad-gītā, that He is the supreme. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhan... (BG 7.7). He wants to... Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). He wants to spread this knowledge. We are spreading the same knowledge. We are helping Kṛṣṇa. Not helping, we are serving Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes for this mission. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). He preaches. What is Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission? He simply preached Kṛṣṇa, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 18.67 -- Ahmedabad, December 10, 1972:

This is tāttvika knowledge. Tāttvika knowledge means to understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior truth beyond Me. I am the Supreme Truth." Paraṁ brahma param... Arjuna understood it. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding. This is paramparā understanding. If you want to understand Bhagavad-gītā, if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you have to follow the footprints of the mahājanas. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). As Arjuna understood it. How Arjuna understood it? Paraṁ brahma, "the Supreme Brahman." We are all Brahman.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

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

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Visakhapatnam, February 20, 1972, At Ladies Club:

This Kṛṣṇa book, Bhagavad-gītā, is very well known, so take this opportunity, both ladies and gentlemen in India, and present Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any adulteration. Don't do this misservice, adding something rascaldom in Bhagavad-gītā. In Bhagavad-gītā it is simply mentioned, and it is described, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). There is no greater authority than Kṛṣṇa.

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

These things are there. So my request is that your South Indian people are very intelligent men, and you are benedicted by the blessings of all ācāryas. My sincere request is that you take up this movement seriously and spread all over the world. Join with us.

If you want peace, then you try to understand these three principles of life. What is that? That Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. No one else. All servants. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Everyone is servant. Not that "Oh, everyone is equal to Kṛṣṇa." That has become a cheap business. So many kṛṣṇa-avatāras and so many demigods, they are counted as good as Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "There is no more superior authority than Me."

So therefore this kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ, if simply people become inquisitive, what is Kṛṣṇa, and you simply try to answer them—we have got so many books now—then the whole world will be peaceful. Yena ātmā suprasīdati. Everyone is hankering after, "Where is peace? Where is peace?" You know, you European and American boys. You have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness because on account of your hankering, "Where is peace?" Is it not?

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

That is our only request, that in whichever position you are, it doesn't matter. You simply begin this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and reading of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Don't try to be ustad in interpreting. That is very dangerous. Ustadi is not good. Simply try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Bhagavān says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "My dear Arjuna, there is no more superior authority than Me." You accept it. That's all. You haven't got to interpret foolishly. No, then you are gone. Then you become condemned.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

his is inconceivable potency, to give an example of His inconceivable potency. And Rāma presented Himself as an ideal king. He did not manifest Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but from symptoms of authentic literature we understand that He is God. But Kṛṣṇa personally said that "I am the Supreme Personality of God." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no superior truth beyond Me." The Rāmacandra never said that, that... He never said that "I am God." But those who are intelligent, they understood that He is God.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

This is the Vedic information, that as we are all nityas, eternal, we are also living being, but there is another supreme nitya, eternal, and supreme cetana, or living being, and that is God. That is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior living being than Me." That is Kṛṣṇa.

So here it is said sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Dharma... You have to execute your occupational duty, but, as Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is real dharma. "I am this. I am following this dharma, that dharma"—that is not dharma. Dharma means the natural instinct. The natural instinct is to obey the superior person.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

So we should know that God is one. God is not different. There cannot be any competition of God. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). There cannot be any superior truth than God. Therefore God is called the great. God is called the absolute. So Religion means, first-class religion means, how the followers have developed the understanding of God. That is first-class religion.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:

God is not dead stone. God is like you and me. He is a living entity, but the chief living entity, singular number. Just like we have got leader. There are many hundreds and thousands of followers, but there must be one leader. You follow any cult, you have to accept one leader. Either you follow this philosophy, that philosophy, it doesn't matter. But you have to follow a leader. But Kṛṣṇa is the supreme leader, leader of the leaders.

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjayaḥ (BG 7.7). Leaders there are, gods are, there are. God means controller. There is controller always. So there are many gods. Anyone is god, because he is, somehow or other, he is a controller; a leader also. But we are meaning the supreme leader, the supreme controller. That is Kṛṣṇa. Leader you have to accept.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:

But nobody is supreme leader or supreme controller. That is Kṛṣṇa. Every leader is also controlled by some other leader. But Kṛṣṇa is such a leader that He is not controlled by any other leader. That is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat... (BG 7.7). "There is no one superiorly..."

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

That is the statement of the Vedic literature: the supreme controller, the supreme leader, is Kṛṣṇa. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is not formless.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

We do not find anyone equal to Him or greater than Him. That is God. God is great. "Great" means nobody should be greater than Him. And God says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no other superior authority than Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the origin of everything." So other demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, even Lord Viṣṇu, mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate—everyone emanates from Him. And from them emanate so many things.

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

If I am controlled by a dentist—a god has become affected with tooth trouble and goes to the... Then he is not God. Such kind of god we do not worship, that when there is some toothache, he goes to a doctor. So no, that is not God. God means īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). And Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." And Arjuna accept, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

I want to understand the Absolute Truth by exercising my mental power—that is called ascending process or inductive process. But our process is deductive process. We, Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). We take it, we immediately take it, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are not going to search out who is the Supreme. Because we are hearing from the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, then our business is finished: "Here is the Supreme." So this is very natural.

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974:

The Absolute Truth is person, a living entity. He is the supreme living entity. Similarly, the original Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). That is Absolute Truth. There is no more para-tattva, superior tattva. Here the question is vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). We want to know the Absolute Truth. And here is Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān. Bhagavān is the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa. Bālajī is Absolute Truth, Bhagavān, person.

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974:

So Bhagavān is the ultimate Absolute Truth. Therefore Kṛṣṇa confirms it, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat. You go, make progress. You understand the impersonal Brahman feature. You understand Paramātmā feature by yogic process. By yogic... The yogis, they try to understand the Paramātmā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). The Paramātmā is sitting in everyone's heart. The yogis try to understand the Paramātmā. And the jñānīs, impersonalists, they try to understand the all-pervading feature of the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

This ruci. Tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. First of all, śraddadhānasya. As it is stated here, śraddhā, faith. Kṛṣṇa is... Kṛṣṇa says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "There is no more superior authority than Me." Mattaḥ parataraṁ na anyat. Na, "Nobody else. I am the Supreme." So when we have faith in this explanation of Kṛṣṇa...

Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972:

He's transcendental. His person is not the same person, personality as we have got. There, that is... Para means that is adhokṣajam, beyond our sense perception. So... And there are so many other evidences. Kṛṣṇa says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7), "There is no more superior existence than Myself." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). "I am the origin." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). This verse, this code, is explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself that "I am the origin of everything." And Arjuna, who understood Kṛṣṇa, he said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣam (BG 10.12). He accepted the Absolute Truth a puruṣa, a person.

Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

That is described in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). Svarāṭ means completely independent. He's not caused by any, anyone. And He says also in the Bhagavad-gītā: mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So He's the origin, Vāsudeva. Therefore all activities should be targeted to Vāsudeva. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). This is the aim of life. Unfortunately, they do not know it. People in general, they do not know it. That is ignorance. This material world is full of ignorance.

Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

So those who are asuras or the narādhamas, their only business is to, how to kill Kṛṣṇa. Just like the great scholar is saying, when Kṛṣṇa says that man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), he's commenting, because he's a great scholar, "Not to Kṛṣṇa." Just see. "Not to Kṛṣṇa." This is going on. They are thinking there is something more exalted than Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is nothing more. I am the Supreme." So I do not know what kind of scholars they are. They are reading Bhagavad-gītā and decrying Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. Therefore our movement is Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We don't follow these rascals, duṣkṛtina, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ. We don't follow them.

Lecture on SB 1.3.19 -- Los Angeles, September 24, 1972:

The śāstra says, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). God is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, the original God. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda (Bs. 5.1). God, Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no superior authority than Me." The Vedānta-sūtra also says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The original source of everything. Who is that original source? God. Who is that God? Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). "I am the origin of everything." Iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. "Those who are budha..." Budha means one who knows, one who is in the knowledge. Bhāva-samanvitāḥ. Bhāva-samanvitāḥ, knowing everything in ecstasy, "Oh, here is God." Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

How that original source is for everything, that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata also. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the source of everything. I am the source of happiness, I am the source of distress, I am the source of all this Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, everything." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more supreme source than Me." Then why these two things, duality, distress and happiness?

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

So our business is to awaken that Supreme ātma-ruciḥ. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Supreme ātma-ruciḥ, supreme ātmā. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). You can take in different platform different kinds of attraction, but when our attraction is in Kṛṣṇa, that is supreme. So... Just like for bodily comforts, there are so many scientists, physiologists, biologists. They are trying to understand the constitution of the body. They are busy. And similarly, mental speculators, philosophers, they are also busy.

Lecture on SB 1.5.29 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

So you don't want to..., if you don't want to become a rascal, if you want to become a mahātmā, then you accept what Kṛṣṇa says and preach that. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." You say that. You say, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). "Here is... Kṛṣṇa is the cause." You understand or don't understand, if you simply pick up the words of Kṛṣṇa and talk like that, then you become mahātmā.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 23, 1975:

That is the verdict of all Vedic literature. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). He is īśvara, parama-puruṣa, the Supreme Person. Īśvara means the Supreme Person. In the English dictionary also it is said "God means the Supreme Person." God means the Supreme Person. So that Supreme Person is Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." But people do not understand, because ajānataḥ. Ajānataḥ means without any knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

Therefore two words are there: īśvara, parameśvara. In the Brahma-saṁhitā therefore it is described that īśvaras, there may be many, but not parameśvara. Parameśvara is one. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So these Māyāvādīs, they forget this, that īśvara, parameśvara, there are two words. Ātmā and paramātmā, there are two words. So they are not equal. And Kṛṣṇa says mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). He is the supermost īśvara. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Although both of us are nitya, eternal, and living entities, still, there is difference. He is supreme living entity, we are subordinate. Prabhu and aṇu. Vibhu and aṇu.

Lecture on SB 1.7.24 -- Vrndavana, September 21, 1976:

That Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is coming from Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is coming from Saṅkarṣaṇa. Saṅkarṣaṇa is coming from Aniruddha; Aniruddha from Pradyumna, like that. Ultimately-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is ādyam. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). There is no more. So that is God. You go on researching, researching, ādyam, ādyam, ādyam—when you come to a point, there is no more ādyam, that is God.

Lecture on SB 1.7.45-46 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1976:

Anyone who is extraordinarily powerful, he is addressed sometimes as bhagavān. Nārada Muni is also sometimes addressed as bhagavān. Lord Śiva is also sometimes addressed as bhagavān. We have explained the different features of bhagavān many times. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). So the Supreme Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa. Nānyat paratara... Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). There may be so many bhagavāns, but the absolute bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. Not samagra, but the Supreme Personality, He is samagra. The others, they have got to certain extent the qualities of bhagavān. In that sense they can be addressed as bhagavān. But they are not samagra. Samagra is, samagra means the complete. That is only attributed to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody else.

Lecture on SB 1.7.51-52 -- Vrndavana, October 8, 1976:

So in order to confirm Kṛṣṇa's position, here it is not Devakī-suta. Because one may doubt, that "Devakī-suta is ordinary human being or living being." No. Here it is said, catur-bhuja. Here it is said, bhagavān. Here it is said, catur-bhuja. So we should always remember that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. And Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Don't think that above Kṛṣṇa there is any other higher authority, either Brahman or Paramātmā or Viṣṇu. So many... Absolute Truth is manifested in so many features. But Kṛṣṇa is the original. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).

Lecture on SB 1.7.51-52 -- Vrndavana, October 8, 1976:

Dvitīya-catur-vyūha. Then next expansion, Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu. Next expansion, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And next expansion is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. In this way, there are different expansion, but kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ādyaṁ puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Kṛṣṇa is the original person. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "I am not expansion of anybody." Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). They are all īśvaras, controller. Viṣṇu-tattva is controller always. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Everywhere Viṣṇu is the Supreme Controller.

Lecture on SB 1.7.51-52 -- Vrndavana, October 8, 1976:

But Kṛṣṇa is the paramaḥ pumān, the Supreme Being, the Supreme Person. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Everywhere. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). This is the conclusion of the śāstras. So don't consider that Kṛṣṇa, because He has come, appeared in Vṛndāvana like a cowherd boy, never think...

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Los Angeles, April 23, 1973:

So this is another Kṛṣṇa's perfection, that although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead... In Bhagavad-gītā He says: mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "My dear Arjuna, there is no superior being above Me. I am the supermost." Mattaḥ parataraṁ na anyat. There is nobody else." That Supreme Personality of Godhead, above whom there is none, that Supreme Personality of Godhead is bowing down before Mother Yaśodā.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

These rascals says that Nārāyaṇa, Brahmā, Śiva, and all other, so many demigods, I, you, everything is equal, all, all the same, on the level. This is rascaldom. Nārāyaṇa is asamordhva. Nobody can be equal or greater than Him. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is no more superior thing above Me." Neither equal to Him, asamordhva. Asama, asama means no equal, and na ūrdhva. Everyone is down. That is the position. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8).

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

Just like law. Laws can be manufactured or can be given by the government. You cannot make any law at your home. That is not law. Law means the order given by the government. The supreme government is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 10.8). There is nobody better than Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the order given by Kṛṣṇa is dharma. Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that dharma. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all other so-called dharmas, this dharma, that dharma, so many dharmas. Simply just surrender unto Me."

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

This department, brain, head. Therefore it is called head, head office, head office. Why do you refer to the head office? It has come from this head. Why Godhead? The Supreme Godhead, the Supreme. Therefore we say, "Godhead. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior person than Me." So the divisions required. The divisions required.

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

Govindam, Govinda is ādi-puruṣa. So ādi-puruṣa means the original person. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said by Kṛṣṇa Himself, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "I am the Supreme Person." Now there are different forms of God, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). There are different incarnations.

Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:

So what is the nature of that Absolute Truth, animate or inanimate? That is also discussed: abhijña, animate. The origin, source of everything, must be animate. In this way, when one comes to the conclusion, as it is stated by Kṛṣṇa Himself personally, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, there is no more superior," I mean to say, "objective than Myself." So people will not accept this. If I say that "There is no more superior person than me," so people will laugh. It may be true or not true, that is also... But if anyone is very much proud of his personality and he says that "There is no more superior person than me," then at least in the beginning people will laugh. That is nature. But when Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior person than Me anywhere," so who will accept it? One who knows. He will accept, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:

So nobody can be Kṛṣṇa's father. Nobody can be controller of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can be master of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is superior than Me." But He accepts inferior position out of love. If you love Kṛṣṇa... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are very much eager to become one with Kṛṣṇa, merge into the existence of Kṛṣṇa. That is their perfection. And Vaiṣṇava philosophy is: "What is there becoming one with Kṛṣṇa? We want to become father of Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa philosophy. "Why I shall be one with my son? We want to become master of Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

So our principle is that Kṛṣṇa should be accepted as the leader because Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Kṛṣṇa is the supreme leader. Eko bahū..., nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Leader means he must... Just like father. Father is the leader of the family. And why father is the leader? Because he earns, he maintains the children, wife, servant, and establishment; therefore naturally, he's accepted the leader of the family.

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

That's all right. Not so many. I mean not everyone. Not pantheism, not like that. Bhagavān has got innumerable incarnations. They have been described, but particularly pointing out that "Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. And Kṛṣṇa also says in Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, I am the Supreme. There is nobody superior to Me." Aham ādir hi devānām: (Bg 10.2) "I am the origin of all the devas." Devas means, principle devas, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. So Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. And what to speak of others. Aham ādir hi devānām.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

They are all spiritual, therefore all one. But according to my angle... So ultimately Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead... But because I cannot see, sometimes I realize a impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā. But actually the Absolute Truth, absolute person, is Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "There is no more superior truth above Me." So you realize the Absolute Truth in different stages, in the beginning as impersonal Brahman, impersonal Brahman. Just like you realize the sun as impersonal sunlight, then localized sun globe.

Lecture on SB 2.9.9 -- Tokyo, April 25, 1972, Informal Class in Room:

Na yat-param. Therefore He is called Parameśvara. Īśvara means commander. There are many commander, controller, but Kṛṣṇa is called Parameśvara. "No more." And Kṛṣṇa says mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Para means superior. "There is no more superior than Me." Paraṁ na yat-param. This is meaning of. So have saṅkīrtana.

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

That's all. And out of those persons who are interested, some may understand what is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is not so very easily understood, but by the grace of Kṛṣṇa we can understand Him if we follow. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, there is no more superior power than Me, or greater than Me." So if we accept the statement of Kṛṣṇa, then we understand Kṛṣṇa immediately.

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

So God is one. God cannot be two. When there is competition of God, they are not God. Just like it has become nowadays—in every state there is a God. That is not... Kṛṣṇa is not that kind of God. He is the Supreme God. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is superior than Me." So that is... We are preaching. We are teaching people. These Americans and the Europeans, they have taken it seriously because they are fortunate. They have no information of these hodgepodge gods. That is their opportunity.

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

All the devas, demigods, or living entities, they are created after this cosmic manifestation is created. Therefore in the Vedas it is said, "In the beginning there was no Brahmā, no Śiva. Only Nārāyaṇa āsīt." Eko nārāyaṇa āsīt. That Nārāyaṇa is also another plenary expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

So we have to learn from the śāstra that Kṛṣṇa is the origin, Bhagavān. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). All the viṣṇu-tattvas, all the incarnations, they are plenary expansion of Kṛṣṇa, and... Or expansion of the expansion.

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

This is Paramātmā. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). That is one portion, partial understanding of the Absolute Truth. So far Brahman is concerned, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā: "I am the origin of Brahman effulgence." Amṛtasya śāśvatasya ca. This is described. And so far He is concerned, Kṛṣṇa, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). This is the understanding of Bhagavad-gītā. So far He is concerned, He says, "There is no more superior truth than Me." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

So everything is resting on Kṛṣṇa. That is to be understood. That is the Vedānta understanding. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything includes Paramātmā and Brahma, and what to speak of other demigods. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). This is the statement. Everyone reads Bhagavad-gītā, takes Bhagavad-gītā and takes photograph: "I am very good scholar of Bhagavad-gītā." But he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Just see. "I know everything—except Kṛṣṇa. This is my knowledge."

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

Vāsudeva is ādya. Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as all in... Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam ādyam: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Person, original person." Now, Brahmā says, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He says that "I worship the original person, Govinda." Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Everywhere you'll find. And the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa says also, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat... (BG 7.7). "I..." Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādir ādiḥ (Bs. 5.1). He has no ādi. Somebody will say, "Why not? Kṛṣṇa is born of Vasudeva. Vasudeva is His father." That is His acceptance, a devotee as father.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

Because we don't manufacture ideas. We take the idea and the words delivered by the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, or His incarnation, or His representative. His representative does not say anything which the master does not say. Representative is very easy. You can become representative of Kṛṣṇa if you do not interpret Kṛṣṇa's words in your whimsical way. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." And if you take it as it is, and if you speak to the people that "There is no more superior authority than Kṛṣṇa," then you become guru. You become guru. You don't change. Then you become guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed this.

Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:

The, some Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that "I am the same, so 'ham." So 'ham does not mean that I am equal to God. Nobody can be equal to God or greater than God. That is not God. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad..., mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

So nobody can be greater than God or equal to God. That is... That means greatness of God. Asamordhva. Asama. Asama means nobody is equal to Him. And nobody is greater than Him. That is God. If somebody claims to be God, then he has to prove that nobody is equal to him and nobody is greater than him. Then he's God. This is the simple definition of God, that nobody equal to Him and nobody greater than Him. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, Arjuna, there is no more superior authority than Me." And in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara. Īśvara means controller. So we small living entities, very minute, still, we are controller.

Lecture on SB 3.25.18 -- Bombay, November 18, 1974:

Anyone who has understood that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, Īśa... Īśa means Kṛṣṇa. Īśa or īśvara. There are so many īśvaras or īśa, but Īśvara, real Īśvara, is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). There are many īśvaras, or īśas. That is all right, but "Nobody is greater than Me." That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). So this is jñāna. So as soon as one comes to this conclusion, that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I am Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. I have got the same quality as Kṛṣṇa has got, but He is Prabhu, I am servant. He is master, and I am servant," this is perfect knowledge. Then jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena bhakti-yuktena (SB 3.25.18).

Lecture on SB 3.25.36 -- Bombay, December 5, 1974:

Faith means one who has got firm faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa. That is called faith. "I am reading Bhagavad-gītā, but I do not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead or He is a person, as He says in the Bhagavad-gītā..." He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Mattaḥ, when He says He's a person... So Kṛṣṇa says that "There is no more better personality or better superior existence than Myself." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). He says, "Me." Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Ahaṁ sarvasya... Aham, "Me," "I." He says everywhere.

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

Just like Kṛṣṇa said when he was present, He said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody's superior than Me." He proved it. So long Kṛṣṇa was on the planet, he proved it, that no one superior. Even from ordinary life as gṛhastha... Kṛṣṇa was gṛhastha, householder. Now he married 16,108 wives. So who has got this potency to marry sixteen thousand? One wife... It is very difficult to maintain one wife. One lady in America, she had a grown-up son.

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

The Govinda is within the atom, Paramātmā. So that is another feature, all-pervading. And another feature is impersonal jyoti. And the original feature is Bhagavān. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Finished. When you have come to this platform to understand Bhagavān, then your knowledge is perfect.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

Substance and shadow. So Kṛṣṇa is the substance, and the power derived from Kṛṣṇa, partially exhibited by the durgā-śakti. In the Upaniṣad also it is said, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of God, He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaḥ. Nobody is equal to Him. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcit: (BG 7.7) "There is nothing superior than Me, the Supreme." In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). That is the Supreme Truth.

Lecture on SB 3.26.25 -- Bombay, January 2, 1975:

We are also prakṛti. So ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa. So only one puruṣa, īśvara, enjoyer, controller, is Kṛṣṇa. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). All others, even incarnations, even demigods, even we are—we are all servant of Kṛṣṇa. And what to speak of ourself, even the expansion of Kṛṣṇa, viṣṇu-tattva, They are also serving Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so exalted. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Even the incarnation Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva, demigods, and others—nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa. Asamordhva, asama, nobody is equal to Him; nobody is greater than Him. Everyone is lower than Him.

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

So we may be very intelligent scientifically or mathematically or physically, biologically. That's all right. But when we compare with the intelligence of Kṛṣṇa, it is less by two cubits. It is less. That we should always understand. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). We have to accept this, that we cannot excel the intelligence of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. I may show varieties of magic and declare myself Kṛṣṇa, or God. But still, you cannot show as perfectly magical arts as Kṛṣṇa is showing. That is not possible. If we understand this fact and realize it, then we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Los Angeles, January 20, 1969:

But Kṛṣṇa has got in full sixty-four. Cent percent, hundred percent all the qualities. Therefore either Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā or the living entities, nobody can be equal to Him. This is the conception of God. Asamordhva. And in the Bhagavad-gītā you have seen that Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, My dear Arjuna, there is nobody superior to Me." So just like some heating agent. You have got several heating agent. You have got heater in your apartment, oven in your apartment.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

Prabhupāda: That is not recommended in the Vedic śāstra (laughter). Especially Śaṅkarācārya, he would not accept anyone unless he accepts sannyāsa. He never accepts anybody.

Acyutānanda: "There are many religious movements, how does Kṛṣṇa consciousness take priority?"

Prabhupāda: Because it is Kṛṣṇa's movement. He is the topmost. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "There is no more superior truth than Me." Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the supreme truth. There is no more superior truth than Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Acyutānanda: "When a person dies, his soul will take another body? Then why is the population today increasing?"

Prabhupāda: Because they are blocked-up, bottle-necked. They are not going back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore it is crowded.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

Sometimes demigods are also accepted. So they have also got power, but... Controller, they are also controller, but the ultimate controller is fixed up—īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). "The supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa." That is the verdict of the Vedas. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior controller or person than Me." So that is Absolute. Everywhere you will find. Suppose if you accept me God, but I am controlled by somebody else. So I am not absolute God. But if you can find out somebody—he is not only controller, but he is not controlled by anyone—then he is absolute. That is Kṛṣṇa. Yes. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.6.7 -- Vrndavana, November 29, 1976:

So Māyāvādīs are attractive. They are very educated. They can put things in jugglery of words. That capacity they have got. So people become amazed, and almost everyone... So therefore they are not very much pleased with this movement, that "Kṛṣṇa is God." We are preaching, and all full of Māyāvādīs, they are thinking, "What this nonsense is doing? Kṛṣṇa..." They think Kṛṣṇa is māyā. Viṣṇu-kalevara māyā. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā manuṣīṁ tanum āśritaḥ (BG 9.11). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Repeatedly He is saying what He is, and He is personally present and all the ācāryas confirming. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he also says sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

Just like the theosophists. They go on, simply searching. They have never come to the conclusion, "Here is the end." They cannot do that. But in Bhagavad-gītā you will find, "Here is the end." Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, here is the ultimate goal. I am—Kṛṣṇa. There is no more anything higher than Me." Nānyad asti kiñcid dhanañjaya. Mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-ganā iva: "Just like in a thread, the pearls are woven, similarly, everything is standing in Me."

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

It is very difficult to understand. Because Kṛṣṇa says out of many millions of people, one is perfect, and out of many millions of perfect men, one can hardly understand Kṛṣṇa. So it is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa. But if one is fortunate, he can understand. How? Now, Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). "There is no more higher truth than Me." So if one is fortunate to understand Kṛṣṇa, that there is no more higher truth than Kṛṣṇa. And if he follows the advice of Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), then he's fortunate. Fortunate means everyone has got his discretion. So one who has the fortune to discriminate, then he can understand Kṛṣṇa very easily.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

So therefore veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ. So how God is working, how His brush is moving, how the things are coming out so nicely, how much great brain He has got... Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat. Kṛṣṇa says, "There is no more good brain than Me." He says. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). The prakṛti, nature, is instrument. Nature is not brain. Just like nowadays you have got very complicated machine, computer. The computer machine is not brain; the man who is pushing the buttons, he has got the brain. So we have to learn like that. Therefore we have to take knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is giving knowledge directly in the Bhagavad-gītā. So if you read and accept it as it is without any foolishness, then you become perfectly in knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Los Angeles, June 11, 1976:

What Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā? First of all, He establishes Himself that "I am the Supreme Lord." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So, the Māyāvādīs, they also think that "I am also Kṛṣṇa. I can also speak." No, that you cannot do. Just like we are singing this song daily, gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. It is... Kṛṣṇa is playing with the gopīs.

Lecture on SB 6.2.7 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1975:

So it is our misfortune that we become doubtful about Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune. Otherwise, to become liberated, to go back to home, back to Godhead, very easy thing—provided we accept the Kṛṣṇa's version as it is, without any change. It is very easy. Kṛṣṇa, when He comes personally, He comes to bestow the mercy to the fallen souls, and He speaks very clearly that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more better positive truth than Myself." But we don't believe. That is the misfortune. But this man, although he did not know what he is doing, but very faithfully he chanted, vivaśaḥ, vivaśaḥ, without any hesitation. Vivaśaḥ. Vivaśaḥ means being forced. He was forced to chant. So yena tena prakāreṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:

So everything is explained there. We are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness not with empty hand. We are prepared to talk on Vedānta. We are prepared to talk on Upaniṣad. And the conclusion is kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaṁ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. This is the conclusion. Kṛṣṇa also confirms that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjayaḥ, praṇava (BG 7.7). Sometimes they take praṇavaḥ as the Supreme. Kṛṣṇa says, praṇavaḥ ahaṁ sarva vedeṣu: "This praṇava, oṁkāra, in all the Vedas, that is I am. That is My sound representation." So this holy name of Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that simply by chanting, one can become liberated. This is the blessing of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

Haṁsadūta: Nobody.

Prabhupāda: No?

Haṁsadūta: No one.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) There cannot be. As Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), similarly... Nanyāt: "There is no better personality or higher personality than Me," Kṛṣṇa says. Similarly, kṛṣṇa-bhakti also, in the, at the same position, there is no more higher activity than Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Guest (1): Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa-dūta is same. Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa-dūta is same thing or...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Guṇa-svabhāva. It is stated there. But the same means, does not mean that Viṣṇu, the associate have forgotten Viṣṇu's position. No. Although everything is there, same, still the Viṣṇudūtas know that "Viṣṇu is master; we are servant." But there are many instances in higher official circles. Let's say a high-court.

Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

So our aim of life should be how to understand Viṣṇu-tattva, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Viṣṇu-tattva. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). He is the origin. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). These are things. Aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇāṁ ca sarvaśaḥ (Bg 10.2). These are there. So Prahlāda Mahārāja, by the grace of Nārada Muni, he became a great devotee, and... From the beginning of his life. This is another advantage. If you become a devotee of the Lord, then your next life is guaranteed as human being. Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sanjāyate. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41). One who is a devotee but could not finish the devotional function in one life, he is given chance another, another chance to take birth in a very good family.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Vrndavana, December 2, 1975:

We are the only society in the whole world. Otherwise they are all misled, all misled. So anyway, others may cooperate or noncooperate, we don't mind. But we cannot change our policy. Our policy is: Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Supreme;" we must declare throughout the whole world that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). We shall declare to the whole world that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. There is no more superior anyone than Kṛṣṇa." This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). We are preaching this.

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

I have described the authorities. Brahmā is authority, Lord Śiva is authority, and Kapila is authority, Kumāra, four Kumāras, they are authorities, and Manu is authority. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja is authority. Janaka Mahārāja is authority. The twelve authorities. So Arjuna confirmed that "You are speaking, Yourself, that You are the Supreme Lord," mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7), "and from discussion of Bhagavad-gītā, I also accept You Parabrahman. And not only that, all the authorities, they also accept you." Recently, in our time, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, all the ācāryas, they also accept Kṛṣṇa. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he accepts Kṛṣṇa. Sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ. So Kṛṣṇa is accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all the ācāryas.

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

In the śāstras there are Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedas, in Atharva Veda and others, Kṛṣṇa name is there. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā—Lord Brahmā, he wrote Brahma-saṁhitā—it is clearly explained there, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), anādir ādiḥ. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). And Kṛṣṇa also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). Sarvasya means including all the devatās, all the living entities, everything. And the Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So Kṛṣṇa is the absolute Supreme Person, īśvaraḥ paramam, from Lord Brahma. He is the distributor of Vedic knowledge, and Kṛṣṇa says also, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). This is ultimate goal.

Lecture on SB 7.6.20-23 -- Washington D.C., July 3, 1976:

So we Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees, we try to understand the Absolute Truth by the grace of the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "I am the Supreme." Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). In this way, if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa as He is speaking, as they are stated in the śāstra, as it is accepted by the ācāryas, then we can have some trace of the Absolute Truth.

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa is never morose or full of anxiety. Why? Why God should be full of anxiety? Kṛṣṇa, you will never find that He is in meditation. Whom He will meditate? He is the Supreme Personality of God Himself. You will find Lord Siva is in the pose of meditation, but you will never find Kṛṣṇa in meditation. Therefore, He is the Supreme Lord. And He says personally that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "Dhanañjaya, Arjuna, just take it from Me. There is no other superior authority than Me." And that's a fact. So when Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, He showed that nobody in the history of the world is superior than Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.2 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1977:

So this has become a fashion, to equalize Nārāyaṇa with everyone. So in this way India's culture has been dismantled. Nārāyaṇa cannot be equal. Nārāyaṇa personally says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Another word is used: asamaurdhva. Nobody can be equal with Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu-tattva. No. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is Ṛg mantra. Viṣṇoḥ padaṁ paramaṁ padam. Bhagavān is addressed by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Paramaṁ bhavān.

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976:

So Rāmānanda Rāya, when, I mean to say, quoted a verse from Brahma's prayer, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ prāyeṇa ajita api jito... Kṛṣṇa is ajita. Nobody can conquer Him. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Nobody is greater in every respect. Not that "Kṛṣṇa is shorter at least in this respect." He is shorter in one respect, that He could not repay back the obligation He received from the gopīs. He was only shorter to the gopīs. That is His grace. He said that "I cannot repay you. It is impossible.

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976:

Please be satisfied with your own service." That is the gopīs. So He was shorter always, especially before Rādhārāṇī. He felt Himself shorter. Otherwise He is the Supreme. He is always the Supreme. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So if you want to conquer over this unconquerable Kṛṣṇa, then, according to the prayer of Brahmā and appreciated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ: "You remain in your place, it doesn't matter, but you become very humble.

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

Simply these things are required: you become innocent, accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and fall down at His lotus feet. Everything is complete. This is wanted, simplicity. Simplicity. Believe in Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañ... (BG 7.7), believe it! There is no more superior authority than Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

When I registered this society, some friend suggested that "Why don't you make it God Consciousness?" I said "No. God means Kṛṣṇa." Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇah (Bs. 5.1). God means..., the Supreme God means Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme God. If we say God, it remains a vague thing. It is not clearly understood. Everyone can be God. God, this word can be applied to everyone. God means controller. So everyone can be controller.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

You love him. That's all. Similarly, if you love Kṛṣṇa, that's all right. If you love Viṣṇu, that is also all right. But you cannot derive the same result by loving Kṛṣṇa and by Viṣṇu. Therefore it is your selection, whom should you love. Kṛṣṇa is cent percent and Viṣṇu is ninety-four percent. So if you want to worship or love ninety-four percent, that is also almost Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is cent percent, pūrṇam. Mattaḥ parataraṁ kiñcid asti dhanañjaya. In Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that He is the supreme.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:

Therefore Brahmā recommends, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). The Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā Himself that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, Dhanañjaya, oh, there is no better object than Me." Kiñcid asti. Nothing. Many places. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin, I am the fountainhead of everything." "Everything" means He's the fountainhead of Lord Śiva, He's fountainhead, the origin of Viṣṇu, He's the origin of Brahma, He's the origin of Lord Śiva, and what to speak of other demigods, and what to speak of other living creatures.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Mayapur, February 20, 1976:

Why you are searching after one God? Don't you see? All we are Gods, loitering in the street, especially the poor God, daridra-nārāyaṇa." This is all material conception. Lord is one, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, declares, in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." In many places... Asamaurdhva. Asama, nobody can be equal with God, neither anybody can be higher than Him. That is God. So God is one. There cannot be two Gods. Then there is no meaning of God. Now they manufacture God. In every street, every lane, there is a God.

Lecture on SB 7.9.30 -- Mayapur, March 8, 1976:

As there is no para-tattva above Kṛṣṇa, similarly, there is no para-tattva above Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior truth than Me." And the same Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. Namo mahā-vadanyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te, kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne (CC Madhya 19.53). Rūpa Gosvāmī... Therefore we have to follow Rūpa Gosvāmī. He says that "My Lord, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, You are Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Calcutta, March 23, 1976:

Now there are hundreds and thousands of temples. So it will increase. You cannot stop Kṛṣṇa's glories. You cannot stop Kṛṣṇa's supremacy. That is not possible. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So that cannot be. Therefore it is sure and certain that if you work very sincerely for Kṛṣṇa to spread His message, the message of Bhagavad-gītā, there cannot be any check. It is not possible. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means it cannot be checked by any material condition. You go on with your duty sincerely. There will be no power to check your progress. That is, Prahlāda Mahārāja says. But endeavor must be there, as Prahlāda Mahārāja says.

Lecture on SB 7.9.47 -- Vrndavana, April 2, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There are many expansion of God. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). He has got many forms, but this form which we know as Kṛṣṇa, that is the original Kṛṣṇa, or original God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Although I have got many forms, but the original, supreme form is Kṛṣṇa." But that does not mean that the other forms of Kṛṣṇa, not our manufactured, but as it is stated in the śāstra... Kṛṣṇa has got many names: Rāma, Govinda, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha. There are other forms.

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

So beginning is Kṛṣṇa. Aham ādir hi bhūtānām. He says, Bhagavad-gītā. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. This is the explanation Kṛṣṇa is giving. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). We should understand this. So beginning is the Kṛṣṇa, ādi. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ, anādir ādiḥ (Bs. 5.1). Anādi: He has no beginning. And everything has got beginning, and anta, but Kṛṣṇa has no beginning and anta. Ādy-anta.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

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

Impersonalist and personalist. But Śaṅkarācārya even, even though he was impersonalist, he accepted Kṛṣṇa in his commentary on Bhagavad-gītā. Sai bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no doubt about it. By all authorities. And Kṛṣṇa Himself says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is no more superior authority than Me."

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

Those who are actually budhās... Budhās means learned. So they know Kṛṣṇa is the original person. And it is confirmed by Brahmā in the Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara means controller. So everyone can become īśvara. Here, our minister Saheb is present.

Even Nārāyaṇa, He is ninety-six percent. And Lord Śiva is eighty-four percent. And Brahmā is seventy-eight percent. These are calculated by the Gosvāmīs. So Kṛṣṇa is cent percent Bhagavān. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Nānyat. Nobody. So simply you have to... Just like our little girl, Sarasvatī, she also preaches. She goes to some friend. She asks, "Do you know what is Kṛṣṇa?" If he says "No, I do not know very much." So she says, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead." That's all.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973:

Out of many such siddhas who have realized Paramātmā or Brahman, out of many such millions of people, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so difficult subject matter. But He's so kind also that He is giving us instruction personally in the form of Bhagavad-gītā what He is. What He is? He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, don't labor hard, simply that there is something beyond Me." Sometimes they say that "There is still more, beyond Kṛṣṇa." But Kṛṣṇa says, "No, there is nothing beyond." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya, mayi sūtre gaṇā iva (BG 7.7). "Everything is resting on Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). The Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Janma sthiti laya, where it is staying, where it is being conducted, that is Brahman. So Kṛṣṇa answers this question that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). He's the Supreme Brahman.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 9, 1973:

Devānām, from Brahmā, devānām means beginning with Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, then other devas, Indra, Candra. So Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām. I am the ṛṣīnām, all the ṛṣis, then prakṛti. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10), under my superintendence this material world is working. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Man-manā bhava mad-bhakta mad-yājī māṁ nama... Everything Kṛṣṇa is declaring, and the rascals say Kṛṣṇa is unknown. Just see the fault. And he's explaining Bhagavad-gītā. He should have explained that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, instead of his posing that Kṛṣṇa is unknown, He is black, dark.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

But actually it is not so. It is prakṛti. Prakṛti means predominated and puruṣa means predominator. And actually, that is our position. We are not predominator. Artificially I am thinking that I am predominator. That is my illusion. I am not predominator. Nobody's predominator. Predominator is Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataro nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya. He's predominator. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8).

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.1 -- Mayapur, March 25, 1975:

Anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa... What is that understanding? Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, there is no more superior authority or person or truth than Myself." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). These few words, if you simply understand... Blindly or openly, it doesn't matter. Because if you touch fire, either blindly or openly, it will act. It will act. It is not that because I blindly accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Person, that will not act. No, it will act.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.3 -- Mayapur, March 27, 1975:

That is the authenticity. "I have manufactured some way"—these are all rascaldom. The same thing you should... You can... Just like in your country it is said, "Old wine in a new bottle." Similarly, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching the same thing. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the same thing: yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). And we are saying the same thing, na kṛṣṇāt caitanyāt para-tattvam: "There is no more superior truth than Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." Why? Because He is talking the same truth as Kṛṣṇa said. This is called paramparā system.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.4 -- Mayapur, March 28, 1975:

As far as possible, at least if we understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this much is sufficient. This much is sufficient. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). These things are there, already stated, but the so-called scholars and politicians, they misinterpret in a different way and mislead the people. That is going on. Therefore, in spite of Bhagavad-gītā being read all over the world for the last two hundred years, not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.5 -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975:

So eko brahma dvitīya nāsti: "Brahman, Parabrahman, is one." Kṛṣṇa is one. There is no competition with Kṛṣṇa. Na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody can be equal with Him; nobody can be greater than Him." Na tasya samaḥ. Samaḥ means equal, and adhikaḥ means greater. That is Parabrahman. That is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa says also, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior entity than Me." So we have to very carefully study Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to understand Kṛṣṇa very scientifically. It is not sentiment. One must be very philosophically advanced with scientific knowledge.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.6 -- Mayapur, March 30, 1975:

That is strictly prohibited. You never find Kṛṣṇa is speaking about His pastimes with the gopīs or with Rādhārāṇī. No. He's officially speaking about Himself, "I am this, I am that." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). First of all try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Thoroughly study Bhagavad-gītā, and after studying Bhagavad-gītā, if you are fortunate enough to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then, Kṛṣṇa says, surrender.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.10 -- Mayapur, April 3, 1975:

This is not possible at all. You take knowledge from the śāstra, from the person who is perfect in knowledge. We have got knowledge. We have got knowledge. Somebody has got more knowledge than me, than you. But Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). You cannot find out a person who has got more knowledge than Kṛṣṇa. And God means one who has got full knowledge.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.12 -- Mayapur, April 5, 1975:

So Advaita, Advaitācārya, is Īśvara, but there are many īśvaras. Even in this material world there are īśvaras, innumerable. But the śāstra has analyzed that the supreme īśvara is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1): "There is no more higher īśvara than Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more. This is the end." You go on finding out īśvaras that... In material world, every one of us, īśvara. Īśvara means controller. So anyone controls, he can be called īśvara. But there are īśvaras over īśvaras.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

So try to understand. And Kṛṣṇa said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "No more superior." You don't misunderstand that there is something superior to Kṛṣṇa. That is rascaldom. So long we shall remain such rascal we shall not surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

That is the verdict of the śāstra. We cannot make any compromise. That is not possible, against the principle of the śāstra. If we keep one competitor of Kṛṣṇa, then we are mūḍha. Here it is said, advitīya. Not that there is another Kṛṣṇa, dini-Kṛṣṇa, no. There is no... There cannot be any competitor of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more anyone, bigger authority than Me." And here is also, Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaja, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says, advitīya: no competitor, sir. Here we are all gods, the rascaldom, that "Everyone is God." But there is competition of Gods. But in case of Kṛṣṇa there is no such possibility, no competition. Nobody can compete with Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was present He showed it by practical example. Nobody could compete Him in either knowledge, either strength or love affairs or any field of activities. There was no competition.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

That is the business. And unfortunately, they are busy in some other business. And if I criticize them, they become angry. So what can I do? I have to speak the truth. I cannot, I mean to say, amalgamate real and nonreal. That is not possible. So Kṛṣṇa... Try to understand. Here it is said that svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa also says. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is superior than Me." And how these rascals, they think that "I am equal to Kṛṣṇa"? Kṛṣṇa cannot be two. Kṛṣṇa is one. But He can expand. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu-kalā-niyamena-tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). Kala, aṁśa-kala, avatāra. There are description in the śāstra. So we have to understand how Kṛṣṇa expands.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.119 -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

So if we actually try to understand Kṛṣṇa from all points of view on the basis of Vedic literature, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam... (SB 1.3.28). And Kṛṣṇa personally says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Kiñcid. "Nobody. Nobody is greater than Me." How a foolish man can say that "I am greater than Kṛṣṇa"? So we have to give up all these foolish ideas. We have to take the real fact as it is. And then we become Kṛṣṇa conscious and our life becomes successful. That is our propaganda.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

Brahman is not ultimate. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). First realization is Brahman, impersonal Brahman, then Paramātmā, and then Bhagavān. So Bhagavān is the ultimate. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So brahma-tattva, impersonal brahma-tattva, is not ultimate. The ultimate is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the Vedic verdict.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

Prabhupāda: What he has done greater than Kṛṣṇa? Why do you accept like that? What he has done greater than Kṛṣṇa?

Guest (1): He says, one who goes in...(?)

Prabhupāda: Don't say like that, unauthorized, he is greater than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). And you say he's greater than Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can say like that, "I am greater than Kṛṣṇa." So why do you accept like that unless you see practically that he has done greater than Kṛṣṇa? Huh?

Guest (1): That is a... And he said, I said... It can be said the Aurobindo was greater than Kṛṣṇa.(?)

Prabhupāda: No, no. Suppose if I say "I am greater than the President of the United States." Will you accept?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977:

Just like Kṛṣṇa describes that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Now you study this one line that Kṛṣṇa says, "There is nobody greater than Me." Now you study Kṛṣṇa's life, Compare with anyone and you'll find, "Yes. Nobody is greater or equal to Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977:

Prabhupāda: Yes!

Guest (5): Then there are two Gods.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not two Gods. One God. One is servant. Not two Gods. There cannot be two Gods. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

Guest (5): Two kṣetrajña means two Gods.

Prabhupāda: Why kṣetrajña two Gods?

Guest (5): Because jña means God.

Prabhupāda: Then why two Gods?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977:

Prabhupāda: Puruṣa. Soul is described as puruṣa.

Guest (3): Greater than him. So that also establishes that...

Prabhupāda: Dvaitavāda.

Guest (3): Yes. God is different. And we cannot say that we are equal to God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And God says further, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is equal." Asamaurdha: "Nobody is equal to God; nobody is greater than God." That is God. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-99 -- Washington, D.C., July 4, 1976:

First of all guru means tattva-darśī, one who knows the Absolute Truth. He is guru. Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). All previous ācāryas, modern ācāryas, they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In India there are at the present moment... Within one thousand years, all the ācāryas who advented—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, even Śaṅkarācārya—all accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976:

Confusion... How you should be confused? Where is Kṛṣṇa says? The basic (indistinct) is in person? Kṛṣṇa's teaching personally. Where is the imperson? Why you should be misled unless you are also one of them. Kṛṣṇa is always person. He's always speaking aham. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Person. Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Mattaḥ. This, ahaṁ-śabdaḥ, is used. So they misinterpret just to mislead people; therefore whole India has become godless. This is the misfortune of India. On account of these impersonalists, Māyāvādīs, India is now godless. Very difficult position. So don't be misled by these rascals. Take real Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then you'll be benefited. That's all.

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

His potencies are acting. Na tasya kāryam karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tat-samas cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody can be equal to Him or greater than Him. Sama. Asama urdhva. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is explained that Kṛṣṇa is asama urdhva. Nobody is greater than Him, and nobody is equal to Him. So anyone who is claiming equal to Him, they are less intelligent. They have no intelligence. Asama urdhva. Na tasya samaḥ. Nobody is equal to Him, neither urdhva. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is greater than Me." Therefore God is great. If somebody is equal to Him or greater than Him, then he is not God. God is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.113 -- London, July 23, 1976:

And here is father. Who is father? Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda (Bs. 5.1). And the father comes personally and He informs, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). Then where is the difficulty? Is there any difficulty? But because we are rascals, will not believe mother, will not believe father. We, with our tiny brain, we shall make research and make things topsy-turvy and pass on as great scientist doctor. This is our position. Therefore śāstra says that "You rascals, do not waste your time in that way." Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-146 -- Bombay, February 24, 1971:

He fully manifested, or demonstrated, the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no other supreme power or supreme personality than Myself."

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the same thing. What Kṛṣṇa has said in the Bhagavad-gītā, what is spoken about Kṛṣṇa in all the Vedic literature, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the same thing in His teaching to Sanātana Gosvāmī. So we shall discuss further.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-146 -- Bombay, February 24, 1971:

arva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. And Kṛṣṇa also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ kiñcid asti, kiñcid asti dhanañjaya. "There is no more." Everyone is cause. You are... You are... Your cause for appearance is your father. The cause of your father's appearance is his father. You go on—father, father, father, father—you reach Brahmā, who is called the supreme forefather. Then Brahmā is also born of Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And the Garbhodakaśayī is also appeared from Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. In this way, go on, go on. And Saṅkarṣaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha—there are so many. And at last you reach Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.146-151 -- New York, December 3, 1966:

So this impersonal idea of God is for the less intelligent person, not for the intelligent persons. Those who are, I mean to say, favored with poor fund of knowledge, they cannot conceive about the Personality of Godhead. Therefore we have to approach authorities just like Lord Caitanya. He is putting something before us. Even in Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa also says that "I am person. I am person." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). And it is confirmed by Arjuna. What is that? Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. So the Bhagavad-gītā, the speaker of the Bhagavad-gītā, establishing Himself that "I am person," and the student of the Bhagavad-gītā, I mean to say, Arjuna, he is accepting, "Yes. You are person. I accept it." I do not know why these fools explain, from Bhagavad-gītā, impersonalism.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.313-317 -- New York, December 21, 1966:

This is the difference between Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa. How it is? Somebody may say, "Oh, Lord Caitanya is devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and you are all devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you are saying that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead." No. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find, Kṛṣṇa Himself says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid: (BG 7.7) "There is no more supreme than Me." "All right, He may say personally. He may advertise Himself." But there are many instances in the Vedic literature.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.318-329 -- New York, December 22, 1966:

Tad-vaśaḥ means we are under the control of the Supreme Lord. Nobody is free or independent. Only Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). You have this statement in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Ninth Chapter, that "Nobody is greater than Him." And another version is there, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is equal or greater than Him." There are so many statements in the Vedic literature.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.36-40 -- San Francisco, January 23, 1967:

So the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is the ultimate goal. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, "There is nothing more superior than Me." So this statement of Bhagavad-gītā is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by this verse. Ānanda-mātram. In the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is simply ānandam, blissful. We should note it that this body, our material body, is nirānandam, is without ānanda. We are trying to adjust to have ānanda, or pleasure, by the limited resources of our senses, but actually, there is no ānanda, bliss. It is all miserable. This miserable body is condemned in every, I mean to say, practically, chapter and every śloka, every verse.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti, asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). There is no more parā-tattva, superior source, except Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore..., we are trying to place before the civilized human society that the ādi-puruṣa, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are searching after God. There are so many societies—theological society, theosophical society—they are searching after God. But here is God. Why don't you take reference from the Vedic literature? God's reference is there in the Vedic literatures, and God Himself appeared, and He explained Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Festival Lectures

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day -- Hawaii, March 27, 1969:

That is one qualification of God. Nobody can say that "I am richer than God." You can say "I am richer than Ford or Rockefeller" or this or that. You can say. But nobody can say that "I am richer than God." Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Dhanañjaya is a name of Arjuna, and Kṛṣṇa said that, "My dear Arjuna, there is nobody greater than Me." So if anyone claims that he is God, he must prove by practical example that nobody is richer than him. That is the first. But unfortunately, we are accepting so many Gods. A rascal in the street, he also claims that "I am God."

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day, Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, April 1, 1974:

Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, is the ādi-puruṣa, original Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). In other śāstras also, like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is said, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. There are many expansions of Kṛṣṇa, but the original person, kṛṣṇas tu..., ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). So He is existing with His expansions. Lord Rāmacandra is also one of the expansions. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). All these expansions are existing eternally. There is no inferiority or superiority. All the expansions are of the same potency, same power.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Speech Excerpt -- Detroit, June 11, 1976:

...our process is, what Kṛṣṇa says, we believe Kṛṣṇa because He is the supreme authority. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority, accepted by all ācāryas. In our India the ācāryas are Rāmānujācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya. They all accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme.

General Lectures

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

If we take authorities of Vedic literature, it is stated in all Vedic literature, in Ṛg Veda, in Atharva Veda, in Brahma-saṁhitā, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and what to speak of Bhagavad-gītā... Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. He says, mattaḥ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

dhīra bhāva-samanvitāḥ

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

So He claims that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He exhibited, He manifested Himself, as the supreme independent Personality of Godhead. If we read His activities from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then we can see.

Don't claim in that way. There is no equal to God. Oh, there are so many equals to you, so many greater than you, lower than you. So you are not absolute. God is absolute. In the Bhagavad-gītā the same thing is described, that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanajaya, Arjuna, nobody's greater than Me." Anyat. Anyat means anyone. So this is the one of the symptoms of God, that nobody is greater than Him. So you have to prove that nobody's greater than you. If you simply think falsely that "Nobody's greater than me. Nobody's...I am moving this sun. I am moving this moon.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:

Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). These are the Vedic evidences. Kṛṣṇa Himself says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

That Supreme Personality of Godhead is always engaged in pleasure potency. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. This is explained by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī:

rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād

ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau

caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ

vande rādhā-bhāva dyuti-suvalitaṁ caitanya saṁjñākhyam

(CC Adi 1.5)

So Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when He wants to enjoy, He exhibits His pleasure potency. He is Paraṁ Brahman. For brahmānanda, for enjoying the transcendental pleasure, here we see many, many great saintly persons, sages, they give up this material enjoyment for enjoying spiritual enjoyment, brahmānanda, which is known as brahmānanda. Brahmānanda means unlimited, unlimited ānanda. Here in this world, there is a reflection of ānanda, of brāhmaṇanda, but it is flickering, temporary. Therefore it is said in the śāstras, ramante yogino 'nante. Those who are yogis... Yogis means who are realizing transcendental position, they are called yogis.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

The commentator says... The so-called learned commentator says, "It is not to the Kṛṣṇa person but it is the Absolute Truth which is within Kṛṣṇa." That means he is dividing Kṛṣṇa from the Absolute Truth. He does not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no other truth, great truth, than Myself." And he says, "Something greater than Kṛṣṇa within Śrī Kṛṣṇa." That means it is clear that he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, and he has the courage to comment on Bhagavad-gītā. That is the pitiable condition. One who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he is daring to write comments on the Bhagavad-gītā. That is misleading.

Aham, "I am." The Māyāvādī philosophers cannot accommodate this idea, how a person can be the cause of creation, maintenance, and annihilation. But Kṛṣṇa here says that ahaṁ kṛtsnasya. Ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), because He is the origin of all energies. We have already understood that the whole manifestation is nothing but, I mean to say, demonstration of the different types of energies of the Supreme Lord. That is confirmed in the Vedas: parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The Absolute Truth has varieties of energies, and they are so perfect and so perfectly working that it appears...Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca.

And similarly, there are counteractivities also. The counteractivities also kill our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we have to be very cautious not to accept the counteractivities, but we have to take the favorable activities. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167).

So Kṛṣṇa says that,

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat

kiñcid asti dhanañjaya

mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ

sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

"Everything is resting on Me just like the pearls are remaining on the thread." Kṛṣṇa is the thread, and all these universes, all this cosmic manifestation and their different activities in different planets, they are all resting on the thread of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is the original source of everything. How you can accept Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man? I do not know.

Therefore they are deviated. Therefore, after studying thousand times Bhagavad-gītā, they are as in darkness as they were in the beginning. That is the result. But if you take Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation, without exercising your brain to manufacture something out of Bhagavad-gītā, then naturally you become Kṛṣṇa conscious and our life is successful. Here it is stated, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior factor than Me." Then how we can think of Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being? What is your answer? How do you form such idea? These are the challenges by Kṛṣṇa. And I cannot understand how Kṛṣṇa is accepted as ordinary person. Then either you don't believe in Bhagavad-gītā... That is a different thing. But don't try to malinterpret, wrongly interpret Bhagavad-gītā in your own way. That will not help you.

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa says here that everything that is working in this material or spiritual world, they are different energies of Kṛṣṇa. He is the original source of creation, He is the original source of maintenance, and He is the original source of annihilation. Therefore nobody is greater than Him. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Na anyat: "There is no other greater elevated." Kiñcid asti: "Not even one." You cannot say, "Here is something which is greater than Kṛṣṇa." That is not possible. Na anyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya, mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva. Just like in your necklace, pearl necklace, all the pearls are situated in the thread, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the thread and everything existing...

And Kṛṣṇa says also in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "My dear Dhanañjaya, there is no other superior being than Me."

aham sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

Those who are devotees, they are not fools, they are actually a man in knowledge, budhā bhāva-samanvitaḥ. Bhāva-samanvitaḥ means that "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so great. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is bhāva. But this bhāva comes after many, many births. It is not so easy.

Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). He established Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but rascals and fools began to imitate Him and decry Him. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because He came as human being, so many persons represented that "I am God, I am Kṛṣṇa, I am this," no. God is one. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can become greater than God or equal to God. Therefore, God's another name is asamaurdhva, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Nobody can be equal with God, nobody can be greater than God. Everyone must be... Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142), that is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. God is only one, Kṛṣṇa, and everyone is servant. Of course, God's servant and God, there is little difference. Because sometimes servant has got greater power than God, that is different thing. But actually nobody can be greater than God, nobody can be equal to God.

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

Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā and other Vedic literature. Kṛṣṇa says Himself, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "There is no more superior authority than Me." There is no difference between Lord Rāma, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Nrsiṁha, Varāha, They are all the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972:

The dogs and hogs, they cannot understand what is the aim of life, but in the human form of life we can understand that this form of life is especially meant for understanding the Absolute Truth, or Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa therefore says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Absolute Truth means the Supreme. In the Brahma-sūtra it is indicated that the human form of life is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. We have to inquire about the Absolute Truth. That is human form of life, not to waste our time simply going to the market and inquire, "What is the rate of rice and what is the rate of dahl?" That should go on, but along with it there should be inquiry what is the Absolute Truth and what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God. That is beginning of human form of life.

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972:

That's all. So it is not difficult. Anyone can deliver a letter to you. It does not require any educational qualification. Simply he must be honest not to alter the text of the letter according to the peon's whims. That much we are doing. Therefore I am representative. Try to under... And anyone can do this. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, I am the Supreme. There is no better, no more anyone superior than Me." That's all right. We accept that. Now, you can say "How we accept?" I accept because it is Vedic injunction. That is the process of Vedic injunction: you have to accept without argument. Just like for practical life I will say some examples, that cow dung. In India cow dung is accepted as very pure. So in one place of the Vedic injunction you will find that "Any stool of animal is impure." That's a fact. Everyone knows. Even your own stool, what to speak of other animals'—impure.

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

First of all I want to become a big businessman, or I want to become a prime minister. I want to become the president. And when I am frustrated, then I want to become God. That want—"I want to become master"—is going on. So this is also māyā. How one can become God? Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can become equal to God or greater than God. Asamaurdha. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is described as asama urdha. "Nobody is equal to God, and nobody is greater than God." Asama urdha.

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

Budhā. Budhā means one who is actually in knowledge, one who is actually in understanding. Such person, he knows that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra gives hint that "Absolute Truth is that which is the original source of emanation of everything." That Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. He says further, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "Beyond Me, there is no other superior authority or truth."

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

I have seen so many editions, English editions, what to speak of other language editions. So anyway, the malinterpretation is going on. We have, therefore, published Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, without any malinterpretation. Our business is to present Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). We say that, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What Kṛṣṇa says Himself, we simply carry the message. That's all. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Just always think of Me," man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, "just become My devotee," and man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī, "just worship Me and offer your respectful obeisances unto Me. In this way you shall come back to Me." So we are teaching that, that... We are teaching our students that "Always think of Kṛṣṇa." Smārtavyaṁ satato viṣṇuḥ. Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa, the same category.

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, Arjuna, nobody is superior than Me." Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Try to find out your relationship (to) Kṛṣṇa and mold your life in that way. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

So that is called āstikyam. Āstikyam means to accept the Vedic instruction as it is. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. There is no need of interpreting. If we accept it, the truth, as it is, then we are benefited. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the Supreme." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "My dear Dhanañjaya, Arjuna,..." Arjuna is called Dhanañjaya. That's a background, how he became a dhanañjaya. So mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior person than Me." So we accept that way. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

University Lecture -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. "Always think of Kṛṣṇa," man-manā. Bhava mad-bhakto: "Just to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." And māṁ namaskuru: "Offer obeisances unto Me." Kṛṣṇa instructed, mām eva ya prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Kṛṣṇa instructed that He's the Supreme Personality. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Kṛṣṇa instructed to surrender. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching this instruction of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is the order of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne.

Lecture at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan -- Bombay, October 18, 1973:

There is a conflagration of flame all over the world on account of godless civilization, this nonsense civilization. We have to stop it. Then you will be happy. You cannot become happy without God. That is not possible. Therefore if you actually interested to spread dharma, you take the principles of Bhagavad-gītā, standard, Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Don't try to interpret in a fashionable way: "This means that, that means that." No. "Kṛṣṇa" means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means... Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, there is no more superior authority than Me." You have to accept that. Kṛṣṇa says, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. You have to accept that. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). You have to accept that. Then you will be able to... You will be successful. Otherwise it is useless waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Śrama eva hi kevalam.

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

We present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that's all. As Kṛṣṇa says, we say the same thing. We have no difficulty. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat, kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). "There is no more superior truth than Kṛṣṇa," Kṛṣṇa says. We accept that. We preach that, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). If you are searching after God, that is your duty. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is your human life's business, to search out the truth, Absolute Truth.

Pandal Speech and Question Session -- Delhi, November 10, 1973:

We are doing that. We have no other business. Simply Kṛṣṇa. Why? Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavata, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "I am the Supreme."

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhava

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

Lecture -- Vrndavana, March 14, 1974:

Only the learned scholars can worship Kṛṣṇa. Only the learned scholar, self-realized soul, can understand Bhagavad-gītā. Not by the politicians and the so-called scholar. No. It is not possib

Just see his position. Prabhu is Kṛṣṇa. Prabhu means īśvara. Īśvara means controller. A prabhu means proprietor. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat

kiñcid asti dhanañjaya

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). These words are there. And he's living in Vṛndāvana; he does not know who is his prabhu. This thing is going on. (aside:) You can go behind him. Yes. This man is... You are dozing. Hm.

The instruction of Kṛṣṇa is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Don't distort it, but put it as it is. That's your duty. If you do simply this thing... Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead... Kṛṣṇa says Himself that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ