BG 10.41 yad yad vibhutimat sattvam... cited

Expressions researched:
"Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor" |"mama tejo-'msa-sambhavam" |"srimad urjitam eva va" |"tat tad evavagaccha tvam" |"yad yad vibhutimat sattvam"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase qeury: "10.41" or "Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor" or "mama tejo-'msa-sambhavam" or "srimad urjitam eva va"or "tat tad evavagaccha tvam" or "yad yad vibhutimat sattvam"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 10.41, Translation and Purport:

Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.

Any glorious or beautiful existence should be understood to be but a fragmental manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's opulence, whether it be in the spiritual or material world. Anything extraordinarily opulent should be considered to represent Kṛṣṇa's opulence.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.15.5, Translation and Purport:

Arjuna said: O King! The Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari, who treated me exactly like an intimate friend, has left me alone. Thus my astounding power, which astonished even the demigods, is no longer with me.

In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.41) the Lord says, "Anyone specifically powerful and opulent in wealth, strength, beauty, knowledge and all that is materially desirable is to be considered but a product of an insignificant portion of the complete whole of My energy." No one, therefore, can be independently powerful in any measure without being endowed by the Lord. When the Lord descends on the earth along with His eternal ever-liberated associates, He not only displays the divine energy possessed by Himself, but also empowers His associate devotees with the required energy to execute His mission of incarnation.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.1.12, Purport:

As far as distinguishing the Lord's holy name from the names of the demigods, the revealed scriptures disclose (BG 10.41) that all extraordinarily powerful beings are but parts and parcels of the supreme energetic, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Except for the Lord Himself, everyone is subordinate; no one is independent of the Lord. Since no one is more powerful than or equal to the energy of the Supreme Lord, no one's name can be as powerful as that of the Lord. By chanting the Lord's holy name, one can derive all the stipulated energy synchronized from all sources. Therefore, one should not equalize the supreme holy name of the Lord with any other name. Brahmā, Śiva or any other powerful god can never be equal to the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. The powerful holy name of the Lord can certainly deliver one from sinful effects, but one who desires to utilize this transcendental potency of the holy name of the Lord in one's sinister activities is the most degraded person in the world. Such persons are never excused by the Lord or by any agent of the Lord. One should, therefore, utilize one's life in glorifying the Lord by all means, without any offense. Such activity of life, even for a moment, is never to be compared to a prolonged life of ignorance, like the lives of the tree and other living entities who may live for thousands of years without prosecuting spiritual advancement.

SB 2.6.6, Translation and Purport:

The Lord's arms are the productive fields for the great demigods and other leaders of the living entities who protect the general mass.

This important verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is corroborated and nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.41-42) as follows:

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam

athavā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

There are many powerful kings, leaders, learned scholars, scientists, artists, engineers, inventors, excavators, archaeologists, industrialists, politicians, economists, business magnates, and many more powerful deities or demigods like Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, Candra, Sūrya, Varuṇa and Marut, who are all protecting the interest of the universal affairs of maintenance, in different positions, and all of them are different powerful parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the father of all living entities, who are placed in different high and low positions according to their desires or aspirations. Some of them, as particularly mentioned above, are specifically endowed with powers by the will of the Lord. A sane person must know for certain that a living being, however powerful he may be, is neither absolute nor independent.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.4.45, Purport:

From Lord Brahmā down, all the living entities engaged in the service of the Lord are extraordinary and are called vibhūti. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (10.41):

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam

"Know that all beautiful, glorious and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor." A living entity especially empowered to act on behalf of the Lord is called vibhūti, whereas the viṣṇu-tattva incarnations of the Lord, such as the Matsya avatāra (keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagad-īśa hare), are called vibhava.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.1.9, Translation and Purport:

The all-pervading Personality of Godhead exists within the heart of every living being, and an expert thinker can perceive how He is present there to a large or small extent. Just as one can understand the supply of fire in wood, the water in a waterpot, or the sky within a pot, one can understand whether a living entity is a demon or a demigod by understanding that living entity's devotional performances. A thoughtful man can understand how much a person is favored by the Supreme Lord by seeing his actions.

In Bhagavad-gītā (10.41) the Lord says:

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam

"Know that all beautiful, glorious and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor." We have the practical experience of seeing that one person is able to do very wonderful things whereas another cannot do those same things and cannot even do things that require only a little common sense. Therefore, how much a devotee has been favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be tested by the activities the devotee has performed.

SB 7.3.13, Purport:

The word bhūtyai means "for increasing opulence," and the word śreyase refers to ultimately returning home, back to Godhead. In spiritual advancement, one's material position improves at the same time that the path of liberation becomes clear and one is freed from material bondage. If one is situated in an opulent position in spiritual advancement, his opulence never decreases. Therefore such a spiritual benediction is called bhūti or vibhūti. Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā (10.41). Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ. .. mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam: if a devotee advances in spiritual consciousness and thus becomes materially opulent also, his position is a special gift from the Lord. Such opulence is never to be considered material. At the present, especially on this planet earth, the influence of Lord Brahmā has decreased considerably, and the representatives of Hiraṇyakaśipu—the Rākṣasas and demons—have taken charge. Therefore there is no protection of brahminical culture and cows, which are the basic prerequisites for all kinds of good fortune. This age is very dangerous because society is being managed by demons and Rākṣasas.

SB 7.8.7, Translation and Purport:

Prahlāda Mahārāja said: My dear King, the source of my strength, of which you are asking, is also the source of yours. Indeed, the original source of all kinds of strength is one. He is not only your strength or mine, but the only strength for everyone. Without Him, no one can get any strength. Whether moving or not moving, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahmā, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (10.41):

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam

"Know that all beautiful, glorious and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor." This is confirmed by Prahlāda Mahārāja. If one sees extraordinary strength or power anywhere, it is derived from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To give an example, there are different grades of fire, but all of them derive heat and light from the sun. Similarly, all living entities, big or small, are dependent on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One's only duty is to surrender, for one is a servant and cannot independently attain the position of master. One can attain the position of master only by the mercy of the master, not independently. Unless one understands this philosophy, he is still a mūḍha; in other words, he is not very intelligent. The mūḍhas, the asses who do not have this intelligence, cannot surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 7.8.32, Translation and Purport:

The hair on Nṛsiṁha-deva's head shook the clouds and scattered them here and there, His glaring eyes stole the effulgence of the luminaries in the sky, and His breathing agitated the seas and oceans. Because of His roaring, all the elephants in the world began to cry in fear.

As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (10.41):

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam

"Know that all beautiful, glorious and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor." The illumination of the planets and stars in the sky is but a partial manifestation of the Lord's effulgence. There are many wonderful qualities of different living entities, but whatever extraordinary things exist are but part of the Lord's tejas, His illumination or brilliance. The deep waves of the seas and oceans and the many other wonders within the creation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead all become insignificant when the Lord, in His special feature, incarnates within this material world. Everything is insignificant in comparison to His personal, all-defeating transcendental qualities.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.20.23, Translation and Purport:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When Mahārāja Duṣmanta passed away from this earth, his son became the emperor of the world, the proprietor of the seven islands. He is referred to as a partial representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in this world.

In Bhagavad-gītā (10.41) it is said:

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam

Anyone extraordinarily powerful must be considered a partial representation of the opulence of the Supreme Godhead. Therefore when the son of Mahārāja Duṣmanta became the emperor of the entire world, he was celebrated in this way.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 16.44, Purport:

To become a śruti-dhara, one who can remember simply by hearing, is a great achievement for a student. In the Bhagavad-gītā (10.41) the Lord says:

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ mama tejo-’ṁśa-sambhavam

"Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor."

As soon as we find anything extraordinary, we should understand that such an extraordinary manifestation is the special grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied to the champion, Keśava Kāśmīrī, that just as he was greatly proud of being a favorite devotee of mother Sarasvatī, so someone else, like Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, being favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, could become a śruti-dhara and thus memorize anything immediately simply by hearing it.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 20.375, Translation and Purport:

“"Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor."

This is a statement made by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.41).

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

When there is some specific qualification of a person, just like political leader or some spiritual leader... Leader there must be. So suppose a political leader or religious leader is there, and thousands of people are following him. So that is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, that they are invested with certain power of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. So everyone is following directly or indirectly the supreme leadership of Kṛṣṇa. And the perfectional stage of accepting that leadership is when we accept Śrī Kṛṣṇa as our direct leader.

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

When one man is famous... Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. Anything extraordinary, if you find Kṛṣṇa is the most extraordinary personality, but even within this world, if you find some great leader, great politician, great scientist, great businessman... There are so many. And he is very famous. So you should know that this fame and name of this person is due to Kṛṣṇa's mercy. You see Kṛṣṇa there. Nobody can be greater than any other friend unless he is specially bestowed the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. A little portion of Kṛṣṇa's mercy is there. Kṛṣṇa is most opulent. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. You can claim that you are proprietor of ten crores of rupees or other can claim that "I am proprietor of fifty crores of rupees," and other can claim hundred crores of rupees, but nobody can claim that "I am the proprietor of all the money that is available within this material world." Nobody can say that. Even Brahmā cannot say. But Kṛṣṇa, oh, His description is that samagrasya aiśvaryasya: "All the wealth that is conceivable, He is the proprietor."

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

So you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious while drinking any liquid or water, while seeing the sunshine, while seeing the moonshine, while, if you are a scholar, brāhmaṇa, advanced, while chanting the praṇava, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Or even if you, sound, if you hear the sound... There are so many sounds going on. If you remember Kṛṣṇa. And also, pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu. Pauruṣam. You meet so many men in your dealings with this material world. There are many very big, big men. Big, big industrialists, big, big scholars, big, big manufacturers, and big, big bankers. So this is pauruṣam, ode(?) who has attained perfection in the material world. So instead of envying him, if you simply think that "He has attained because he has got little power from Kṛṣṇa." Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. Anything wonderful that is done, that is done by any person, pauruṣam, that is also Kṛṣṇa's energy.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

Kṛṣṇa giving us all facilities. We have no power. But we are trying to discharge the duty sincerely. Then it is everything. There is no problem. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. And vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. And when a person is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he knows what is what. He knows what this learned scholar is. He knows what is this. Vidhi-mahendra. What to speak of ordinary scholars and big men. Vidhi, vidhi means Lord Brahmā, and mahendra means the king of heaven. So they are also treated as ordinary human being or ordinary living entities. They are not given any importance. "Well, as..." Ābrahma-bhuvana-stham. Ābrahma. For a devotee, as Brahmā is also living entity, a small ant is also living entity, all Kṛṣṇa's parts and parcels. They have no quarrel with anybody. As Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, we offer respect to everyone. So not that they are amazed with the greatness of a living entity. He thinks that his greatness is due to Kṛṣṇa's favor. Because Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad-gītā, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ tat tad eva mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. Nobody can become great unless... Just like the sunshine. The sunshine, what is the sunshine? It is simply a partial reflection of Kṛṣṇa's brahma-jyotir. Similarly anyone who is great in the estimation of this material world, there is some Kṛṣṇa's favor. That's all. Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ tat tad eva mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.367-84 -- New York, December 31, 1966:

So far Buddha is concerned, he's also considered śaktyāveśa avatāra. He preached this nirvāṇa philosophy. Although he did not speak about God, because it is considered that he was himself God, but the people amongst whom he preached, they were mostly atheistic people; therefore he did not preach about God. But he did not deny also. He simply wanted to make extinction of this present worldly activities. That was, yes... Nirvāṇa. And he represented the sacrifice of renouncement. He..., you may remember that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His six opulences, one opulence is renouncement. So Lord Buddha's life is renouncement. He was prince. He, he was in a very young time. He renounced the world and underwent severe penances. These are the symptoms by which we can understand that he's also śaktyāveśa avatāra. And the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam. Anyone, not only Lord Buddha or others, but anyone, Lord, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, anyone who has got some extraordinary power, uncommon power, he's to be considered vibhu. Śaktyāveśa avatāra, there are two kinds, one directly empowered for particular mission, comes from the transcendental spiritual sky, and others, those who are in this material world, but they have got some specific power, uncommon power, not found in ordinary man. They are called vibhūti. This vibhūti (is) explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo-'ṁśa sambhavam. That is out of the opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.367-84 -- New York, December 31, 1966:

We find in the history so many extraordinary, powerful men come and go. They are called vibhūti of the Supreme Lord.

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam

Anyone extraordinary. You'll be, I mean to..., pleased to learn that in India, the king is considered vibhūtimat sattvam. King. He is also considered as the incarnation of God, king.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: He says that it is God's will that a certain nation will be dominant at a certain time, so I'm just wondering what is the reason that God has made America dominant.

Prabhupāda: That is his philosophy. He says. God does not say. He has no connection with God that he can speak on behalf of God, "It is God's will, God's..." (indistinct), like this?

Śyāmasundara: No, he says that whatever is, is right, and that this good and this reason in its most concrete form is God. God governs the world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That also we admit because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvam, mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam, whenever there is some extraordinary power, it should be understood that it is derived partially from God's power. That we accept. So the dominance of American nation is God's favor. We can accept that. Now, if you put on the head representative like Mr. Nixon or some other, then it will deteriorate. If you spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if you make your president Kṛṣṇa conscious, then actually you will be God's empowered nation. Let the president become Kṛṣṇa conscious man. Why not? You are American, you can also capture the post. You can become senator, you can be congressman. So educate the American public (in) Kṛṣṇa consciousness, elect Kṛṣṇa conscious president and actually you will be God's favored nation is there. You have got the opportunity and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also in your hand, now it is up to you to utilize it and become actually the leaders of the world. That was my mission: "I shall go to America, and educate them, and they, if they follow, the whole world will follow." And that is coming to be true. You are all young men, it is in your hand. Now you make policy in that way. Just like the communists. A few communists, Stalin, Lenin, they formed a big communist party, now it is predominating all over the world. Similarly, you are so many nice, young, flowers, intelligent young Americans you have understood the philosophy, and now it is up to you to spread this "ism". You don't become stagnant—"Now I have understood Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I shall sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 11, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: I think in the beginning we should have kīrtana.

Allen Ginsberg: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And at the end we should have kīrtana. And in the middle we can speak, you can speak about Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.

Allen Ginsberg: I think you'd better speak because you're more eloquent on it and also you understand in the language...

Prabhupāda: I'll speak and you'll also speak.

Allen Ginsberg: You might not like what I say. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: No you say your experience, how you're experiencing. That's all.

Allen Ginsberg: Yes. Okay.

Prabhupāda: Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ. You have got Kṛṣṇa's blessings upon you. You are not ordinary man.

Allen Ginsberg: I'm not certain that I'm worthy of that, Swamiji.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But I know that you are not ordinary man.

Allen Ginsberg: Well... I've only recently stopped smoking, by the way, finally. With that car crash, I quit smoking. But I haven't stopped eating meat. So what is the intelligence of meat?

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1972, Mexico:

Martin: You, you say that... (break) ...who created this knowledge that this flower and the banyan tree is Kṛṣṇa. What place in the divine scheme do such great names as Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad have?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Buddha, we accept him as incarnation, as expansion of Kṛṣṇa. He's Kṛṣṇa working as Buddha, Lord Buddha. Keśava dhṛta buddha śarīra. He has accepted body of Buddha. That is our conception of Lord Buddha.

Martin: And Jesus Christ and Muhammad?

Prabhupāda: Everyone.

Martin: They were all the reincarnation of Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Martin: I see.

Prabhupāda: Yad yad vibhūti. Any, anyone who is showing some extraordinary power, he is supposed to be incarnation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. The brilliant energy. He represents the brilliant energy of Kṛṣṇa. And the energy is not different from the energetic.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 20, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...and happiness also. That is my experience. I always said that "You are so much graced by God in so many ways."

Dr. Patel: (Hindi)

Mr. Sar: What karma?

Dr. Patel: No, no. They, they (Hindi) ...servant. (break)

Mr. Sar: ...yad gatvā, tam eva āgaccha, mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam.

Dr. Patel: That is why they have got all these things. So God is there. He says.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mr. Sar: Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvam.

Prabhupāda: At least, preliminary condition for being in touch with God is there. Because Kṛṣṇa says, catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. So they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That means they are pious.

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There are two kinds of smell, bad smell and good smell. So when you smell a nice flower, puṇya-gandhaḥ, you remember Kṛṣṇa. "Here is Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa." Puṇyo-gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca.

Mr. Sar: Tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau.

Prabhupāda: When we, when you find vibhūtimat sattvaṁ, a very powerful man, a powerful elephant, you should, you know that "There is Kṛṣṇa. This power is Kṛṣṇa."

Dr. Patel: This is standard nyāya.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mr. Sar:

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam

Prabhupāda: So where is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa? (laughs) Every moment you can remember Kṛṣṇa. Every moment you can see Kṛṣṇa, provided you have got eyes. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Santaḥ. So you have to become a santaḥ, perfect santa. Then you'll see Kṛṣṇa always.

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Nītir, by argument, by logic, when one becomes victorious, that victory is Kṛṣṇa, nītī. Without Kṛṣṇa...

Chandobhai: It is God's victory, not his.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Yac cāpi sarva-bhūtānāṁ bījaṁ tad aham arjuna. "There is... Seed in everything is, I am."

yac cāpi sarva-bhūtānāṁ

bījaṁ tad aham arjuna

na tad asti vinā yat syān

mayā bhūtaṁ carācaram

Nothing that moves and not moves is without being.

Prabhupāda: Yes, because everything is His energy.

Dr. Patel:

nānto 'sti mama divyānāṁ

vibhūtīnāṁ parantapa

eṣa tūddeśataḥ prokto

vibhūter vistaro mayā

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam

"Whatever glorious thing you see, it is Mine."

Prabhupāda: "That is due to My influence, all these things."

Dr. Patel: Aham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekeśena sthito jagat.

Prabhupāda: This is only ekāṁśa vibhūti. All this described, this is only one part. The three parts—in the spiritual world. This is all description of the material world. Now, this is only one part manifestation, and the three part manifestation—in the spiritual sky.

Morning Walk -- April 6, 1974, Bombay:

Acyutānanda: In the last part of Kṛṣṇa Book, Mahā-Viṣṇu says that Arjuna is of the capacity of Nara-nārāyaṇa. So they are avatāras also.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Acyutānanda: But as Arjuna he acts as an ordinary jīva?

Prabhupāda: Yes, there are different types of śaktyāveṣa avatāra. So when an ordinary jīva is specially empowered, he is called śaktya aveṣa avatāra, śatktyaveṣa avatāra, vibhūti. Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvam. He is living entity, but especially empowered. Just like for certain business I give sometimes somebody power of attorney, that "He will do this. He will sign for me." Like that. He is also one of the disciples, but for particular purpose, he is given the power of attorney. In this way when a living entity is empowered specifically to do something, that is called śaktyāveṣa avatāra. Aveṣa avatāra. Kṛṣṇa śakti vinā nāhe nāma pracāra. That is explained in the... These are explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. (break) ...śaktya. Mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam. So śaktyāveṣa avatāra is not viṣṇu-tattva. He is jīva-tattva. So the Lord Jesus Christ or Lord Buddha, they come within the jīva-tattva especial power.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Discussion -- May 6, 1975, Perth:

Paramahaṁsa: Usually people don't have a very clear idea of what spiritual life is. So when they see someone who is a good musician or a good artist or something like that, sometimes they automatically think, "Oh, he must be spiritual, because he is so good at this. No one else can do it. He must be some spiritual power." So therefore someone like Ravi Shankar, a lot of people either they become envious or they worship him as being an incarnation or something like that.

Prabhupāda: That is also stated, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ.

Paramahaṁsa:

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam

"Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor."

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (offer obeisances)

Room Conversation with Reporter of The Star -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: Nobody would sincerely respect them. Only for some self-interest. But here, respect opportunity, it is out of love. That is not for any bargaining. So who can get this? So this is God's... So one has to see by the result. That is stated in the... I think we have described. The, what is called, container is understood by the quantity of contents. The container is understood by the quantity of the contents. The example is given of water-water, air, and bright. When there is good flame, then we can understand that the contents is very inflammable. Just like petrol. So that is in comparison like when there is big amount of, quantity of water; that means the container is big. Similarly, the big quantity of ether, then it is to be understood, quantity according to the content. So one has to understand, as Kṛṣṇa said, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo-'mśa... How much Kṛṣṇa's favor is there, we have to understand from the contents. Then we can understand, we can make an estimate of the container. By the quantity of contents we can understand the, what is called...?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Capacity.

Prabhupāda: Capacity of the container. This is described in the Bhāgavata and the Caitanya-caritāmṛta also. Kṛṣṇa śakti vina nahe kṛṣṇa nāme pracāra: "Without Kṛṣṇa's special power of attorney, nobody can preach His name." Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So these rascals, Godbrothers, they are envious that... What he has written? Bon Mahārāja. Just see what kind of men they are. They are not even ordinary human being. They are envious of me, and what to speak of make a judgment by estimation? They're envious. Enviousness is immediately disqualification of Vaiṣṇava, immediate. He is not a human being. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ (SB 1.1.2). This Bhāgavatam is meant for the person who is completely not envious. That is the beginning. Why a Vaiṣṇava should be envious for anyone? Everyone is working according to his karma. He is trying to rectify him, that "Be out of these clutches of karma. You come to bhakti." Why he should be envious? Vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca. A Vaiṣṇava should be like ocean of mercy to reclaim the fallen souls. That is Vaiṣṇava's qualification. So Vaiṣṇava should be envious? Just see. So these persons, they are not even human being, what to speak of Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava cannot be envious. Vaiṣṇava should be: "Oh, my Lord's name is being broadcast. He is getting, giving so much service to make Kṛṣṇa known." That man has appreciated, that "All these spiritual leaders, they are deriding. You are the only man... You are... It enthuses us, give us more encouragement, that you are keeping intact, love of Kṛṣṇa." This is an appreciation. Why he should be envious? He should be, rather, very much enthused that "This single man is keeping Kṛṣṇa all over the world." And everyone is deriding. Even Gandhi is killing Kṛṣṇa. Dr. Radhakrishnan is killing. Their only business is to kill Kṛṣṇa. He is also doing that, our, this Bon Mahārāja. He never speaks of Kṛṣṇa. His rascal, that Institute of Indian Philosophy, nobody goes to urine(?) there. We see practically. And our temple is always filled up, five hundred men. And he is trying for the last forty years. He is simply planning: "This will be playground. This will be this ground. This will be this ground." And it is becoming jungle. Still, he is so envious, black snake. So one circular letter should be issued to all our center, that "Any Bon Mahārāja or anyone, his representative, should not be received." They are envious. Yes. Quoting that. We have got several complaints like that. Satsvarūpa also complained. Sometimes our order was cancelled by Bon Mahārāja's propaganda.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...day one Hindi gentleman came. He presented a picture, India's map, and all the whole India is full of avatāras: Vivekananda, Ramakrishna, this, that. This is India.

Dr. Patel: They might be vibhūtis. You can call them, but...

Prabhupāda: No, no, same thing. What vibhūtis they have got? Vibhūti of cheating, that's all. (laughter)

Dr. Patel: They are vibhūti anyhow.

Prabhupāda: They have got some vibhūti, how to cheat. This vibhūti they have got.

Trivikrama: He was serious? He was serious about the map?

Prabhupāda: Yes. He came to me to support this movement. What is this nonsense map, all cheaters pictured here? All Bhagavān, so many thousands of Bhagavāns. Vibhūti of cheating, that's all.

Dr. Patel: Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvam.

Prabhupāda: That vibhūti you have got also.

Dr. Patel: Whatever it may be.

Prabhupāda: All right. Even an ant has got.

Dr. Patel: And that means if you... A bigger ant. There are in South America are some ants, you know, big.

Prabhupāda: So that is... That... That gift is given by God to everyone. That does not mean one is Bhagavān.

Jagadīśa: Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the cheating of cheats."

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)