BG 08.04 adhibhutam ksaro bhavah... cited

Expressions researched:
"adhibhutam ksaro bhavah" |"adhiyajno 'ham evatra" |"dehe deha-bhrtam vara" |"purusas cadhidaivatam"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 8.4, Translation and Purport:

O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly changing, is called adhibhūta (the material manifestation). The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajña (the Lord of sacrifice).

The physical nature is constantly changing. Material bodies generally pass through six stages: they are born, they grow, they remain for some duration, they produce some by-products, they dwindle, and then they vanish. This physical nature is called adhibhūta. It is created at a certain point and will be annihilated at a certain point. The conception of the universal form of the Supreme Lord, which includes all the demigods and their different planets, is called adhidaivata. And present in the body along with the individual soul is the Supersoul, a plenary representation of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The Supersoul is called the Paramātmā or adhiyajña and is situated in the heart. The word eva is particularly important in the context of this verse because by this word the Lord stresses that the Paramātmā is not different from Him. The Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, seated beside the individual soul, is the witness of the individual soul's activities and is the source of the soul's various types of consciousness. The Supersoul gives the individual soul an opportunity to act freely and witnesses his activities. The functions of all these different manifestations of the Supreme Lord automatically become clarified for the pure Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee engaged in transcendental service to the Lord. The gigantic universal form of the Lord called adhidaivata is contemplated by the neophyte who cannot approach the Supreme Lord in His manifestation as Supersoul. The neophyte is advised to contemplate the universal form, or virāṭ-puruṣa, whose legs are considered the lower planets, whose eyes are considered the sun and moon, and whose head is considered the upper planetary system.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 7.28-8.6 -- New York, October 23, 1966:

Nityaḥ means singular number, and nityānām means plural number. So plural number, we are plural number. Nityo nityānām, cetana. Cetana means living. I am also living. God is also living. He is also a living being like us, but He, His distinction is like this: eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That eka, that singular number Brahman, He maintains all these plural number Brahmans." Therefore, this plural number Brahman, this jīvātmā, these living entities, they are supported by the Supreme Brahman, Bhagavān. Just like government and citizens. Now, together that is a nation, but government supports the citizens. Similarly, Paraṁ Brahman and these ordinary living entities, Brahman, simple Brahman, they are qualitatively one, but the Supreme Brahman supports all other Brahmans.

Akṣaraṁ paramaṁ brahma. Akṣaram means that the Supreme Brahman, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, svabhāvo 'dhyātmam ucyate... Svabhāva, these qualities, they are called adhyātmā. Bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ. And the activities out of these three qualities of material nature, they are called karma, work. Adhibhūtaṁ kṣaro bhāvaḥ. Adhibhūtam. The material energy is kṣaraḥ. Kṣaraḥ means destructible. Kṣaro bhāvaḥ. Puruṣaś ca adhidaivatam. And the living soul, he's called adhidaiva. Adhiyajñaḥ aham eva atra dehe deha-bhṛtām.

Now, there, there are... We have several times explained in this meeting that there, there are two birds: the individual soul and the Supersoul. They're sitting in this tree of this body. So the Supersoul is called adhiyajña. These are all the technical names. You can remember. The Supersoul is called adhiyajña, and the soul is called adhibhūta. Now, Kṛṣṇa says... These technical terms, of course, one should know, but it requires very long description. We have to give our attention with separately for understanding. Generally, we can take out.

Now, the real fact is that why these things are to be known? Now, Lord Kṛṣṇa says,

anta-kāle ca mām eva

smaran muktvā kalevaram

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ

yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

(BG 8.5)

Now here is the critical point. The critical point is anta-kāle. Now, if you go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your, the ultimate result of Kṛṣṇa consciousness... What is the ultimate result? The ultimate result is described here. Now, anta-kāle: "at the time of your death." That is called anta-kāle—now end everything, all our activities, all this proprietorship, everything is now ended. Not end. It is just going to, just at the verge of your point of death... Anta-kāle ca mām eva (BG 8.5). Mām eva. Kṛṣṇa says, mām: "unto Me, Kṛṣṇa." So therefore one who is always, constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, naturally, at the time of his death he'll think of Kṛṣṇa. This is a practice. This is a practice. Just like that King, er, Kulaśekhara. He has got many nice verses about his devotional service, and in one verse he describes about his position.

Lecture on BG 8.1 -- Geneva, June 7, 1974:

Arjuna wanted to know from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, he has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master, and spiritual master means the authority. Unless you accept somebody as quite fit for becoming your authority, he cannot become a spiritual master. You must be satisfied by the authoritative statement of the spiritual master. You cannot argue. That is the principle of authority. Adhidaivam, the demigods. The demigods, they are controlling the universal affairs. Just like for rain, water supply, Indradeva, the demigod known as Indra, he is in charge. For heat and light, the demigod Sūryadeva, he's in charge. Similarly, the moon, Candradeva... They are all devas, demigods. He's in charge of, what is called, activating the vegetables, the moon, activating the vegetables. In this way, all these demigods have got different power invested upon them by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are agents. They are called demigods, Indra, Candra... There are thirty-three crores of demigods, and they are controlling our activities also. The astronomy means the astral influence upon us. And according to the astral influence, we act. Therefore horoscope is made. At the time of birth, a person's situation according to different astral influence, and then the astrology science can make his horoscope, his future activities, his future hopes. Everything is done. Adhibhūtam.

Then adhiyajñam. Adhiyajña, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa or Viṣṇu, Adhiyajña. Kathaṁ ko 'tra dehe 'smin madhusūdana: "Where the Adhiyajña, Supersoul, living within this body?" Prayāṇa-kāle ca kathaṁ jñeyo 'si niyatātmabhiḥ, niyatātmabhiḥ: "Those who are yogis or devotees, how do they meditate upon You, and at the time of death, prayāṇa-kāle, how he passes away?"

Śrī-bhagavān uvāca: "Bhagavān replied."

akṣaraṁ brahma paramaṁ

svabhāvo 'dhyātmam ucyate

bhūta-bhāvodbhava-karo

visargaḥ karma-saṁjñitaḥ

adhibhūtaṁ kṣaro bhāvaḥ

puruṣaś cādhidaivatam

adhiyajño 'ham evātra

dehe deha-bhṛtāṁ vara

So after explaining all these different items, adhibhūtam adhiyajñam, the Supersoul, the material creation, the Puruṣottama, everything, then Kṛṣṇa said,

anta-kāle ca mām eva

smaran muktvā kalevaram

yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ

yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ

(BG 8.5)

This is the ultimate end of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that anta-kāle, at the time of death, at the end of life, anta-kāle ca mām, "unto Me," anta-kāle ca mām eva (BG 8.5), "certainly," smaran, "remembering..." The Deity worship especially meant for this purpose, so that you go on worshiping the Deity of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, naturally you'll be practiced to think of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa always within your heart. This practice required. Anta-kāle ca mām eva smaran muktvā (BG 8.5). This is the mukti.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 1, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: As soon as you come to the material world, the ahaṅkāra is there, that "I... I belong to India." "I belong to America." "I belong to brāhmaṇa community, kṣatriya..." The ahaṅkāra is there. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. So long this ahaṅkāra is there, "I am this, I am that," all bodily concept...

Chandobhai: Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27).

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: But this karma. Here is the question of karma.

Prabhupāda: The karma... Karma means he is doing, but every, everyone is doing in his own way. Nobody, nobody cares to understand the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is doing in his own way. That is karma.

Dr. Patel: Kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo...

Prabhupāda: Ah, that will be explained. Karma, akarma, yes. (break) ...the same, material. Kṣara. Kṣara bhāvaḥ. That is perishable.

Chandobhai: Perishable.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Chandobhai: Puruṣaś cādhidaivatam.

Prabhupāda: Puruṣa. Puruṣa means the soul.

Chandobhai: Soul. Jīva.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the jīva. Puruṣa adhidaivatam. Then?

Chandobhai: Adhiyajño 'ham evātra.

Prabhupāda: Adhiyajñaḥ means Paramātmā.

Dr. Patel: Adhidaiva means jīva.

Prabhupāda: No.

Chandobhai: No, no. Adhidaiva, puruṣa.

Prabhupāda: Adhidaiva, jīva. Adhiyajña, Paramātmā.

Dr. Patel: That is what I said.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Chandobhai: Adhiyajña is... (break)

Prabhupāda: Karma means which produces result. And akarma means which does not produce result. So that they do not know.

Chandobhai: And the vikarma.

Prabhupāda: Just like these activities, devotional service, it does not produce any result. And the ordinary man... Suppose they are also selling books. An ordinary man also selling books. It appears to be the same. But they are not creating any result. But ordinary bookseller, he's creating his result, pāpa-puṇya. That is karma and akarma. And vikarma. Vikarma means against the...

Chandobhai: Vikṛta karma.

Prabhupāda: Yes, vikṛta.

Chandobhai: Vikṛta, against śāstra.

Dr. Patel: Although the actions which are prohibitory...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Dr. Patel: ...and if we do it, it is vikarma.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Chandobhai: Adhiyajño 'ham evātra dehe deha-bhṛtāṁ vara. Īśvara, īśvara.

Prabhupāda: Īśvara.

Dr. Patel: That means īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ... (BG 18.61). (break)

Prabhupāda: ...important thing, mām, Kṛṣṇa. They practice it, always remembering Kṛṣṇa. Then at the end of life, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛti. That is perfection of life. But how one will remember, ante, then? There is a verse of... Just wait.

Chandobhai: Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran... (BG 8.6).

Prabhupāda: No. Just wait. There is a verse by Kulaśekhara. Kulaśekhara. Adyaiva viśatu me mānasa-rāja-haṁsaḥ. He says. He says, "My Lord..." The idea is that "Now I am in quite fit order. So let me remember You and die. Because at the end of... At the end of... Kapha-pitta-vāyu, there will be disorder. Smaraṇaṁ kutas te (MM 33). At that time, it is..."

Dr. Patel: How can there be the smaran?

Prabhupāda: Yes. "Therefore, my Lord, I pray that adyaiva, immediately, because now I am fit."

Dr. Patel: Right now.

Prabhupāda: Right now. "Now I am fit. So let me remember You and die." So one must be fit. You see, even in daily, in dream, while sleeping, we forget so many things. Everything we forget.