Cosmic manifestation (Lectures)

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Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

Everything, the whole universe, whole cosmic manifestation is full of different activities. The living beings especially, they are all engaged in different activities. So we have to study from the Bhagavad-gītā, īśvara, what is God, jīva, what are these living entities, and prakṛti, what is this cosmic manifestation, and how it is controlled by time, and what are these activities?

Now out of these five subject matter, in the Bhagavad-gītā it establish that the Supreme Godhead or Kṛṣṇa or Brahman or Paramātmā... You may call whatever you like. But the supreme controller. There is a supreme controller. So the supreme controller is the greatest of all. And the living beings, they are in quality like the supreme controller. Just like the supreme controller, the Lord, He has control over the universal affairs, over the material nature, how the... It will be explained in the later chapters of Bhagavad-gītā that this material nature is not independent.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

Therefore we shall find in this Bhagavad-gītā that the complete whole, comprising the supreme controller, the controlled living entities, the cosmic manifestation, the eternal time, and the activities, all of them are completely explained. So the whole thing taking together completely is called the Absolute Truth. The complete whole, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is therefore the complete Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. As I have explained, that the manifestation are due to His different energies, and He is the complete whole.

Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:

The plan is already known to everyone how the management of the cosmic manifestation is going on. The cosmic manifestation is there. This material world. It is, although temporary, it has got a purpose. The purpose is to give chance to the living entities who are rotting in this material world to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or original consciousness, and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the plan. This material cosmic manifestation is there, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The nature is, it is sometimes manifested and sometimes it is dissolved, annihilated.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

We have to learn how to act only for Kṛṣṇa, how to love only Kṛṣṇa. Then our life is successful. And the human life... Because we have also come down from Vaikuṇṭha some millions and millions of years ago. Anādi karama-phale. Anādi means before the creation. We living entities, we are eternal. Even the creation is annihilated after millions and trillions of years, the living entities, they are not annihilated. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). They remain. So when this whole cosmic manifestation will be annihilated, the living entities will remain in the body of Viṣṇu. Then when again another creation will take place, they will come out again to fulfill their desires. The real desire is how to go to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

There is manipulator behind this red light. So this is intelligence. Anyone who is concluding that "On the street the red light and green light is working automatically; there is no brain behind it," he's a rascal. Simi larly, the whole material cosmic manifestation is working... Even the big sun planet, it is also working under certain direction. Yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. Without sunrise nobody can see, not only in this planet, in other planets also, sakala-grahāṇām. So this sun planet is so important... Day and night, year and millions of years—everything is being calculated on the solar system. So this powerful planet is described as the eyes of everyone. Without sunshine nobody can see. Yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā. It is to be considered as the king of all planets, rājā, sakala-grahāṇām. All the planets, they are moving, rotating on the heat of the sun, heat and light, and they are working on the light of the sun. Sun is so important.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

So this is knowledge. This is knowledge. So the Supreme Person is Bhagavān. Bhaga means six kinds of opulences: the richest, the most powerful, the wisest, the most beautiful, and the most influential, and the most renounced at the same time. Just like this whole cosmic manifestation is created by the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but you will not find him here. Disinterested. Many millions of universes are working by His will, but He is not interested. The example is just like a big capitalist. He has got many factories, and if you go to the factory—there is a Tata factory, iron factory—you will find huge factories going on, but Mr. Tata is not there. Things are going on. Similarly, all cosmic manifestation going on, it is under the will of Kṛṣṇa. But He is not present here. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni: (BG 9.4) "Everything is resting on Me." Any factory, every worker knows that the whole factory function resting on that supreme person. He knows that. So actually fact is that mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ: "But I am not there. I am not there." Similarly, Bhagavān means that. Under His will, under His power, everything is working so nicely, systematically, but if you want to see God, Kṛṣṇa, you cannot see Him. He is not there. He is in Goloka Vṛndāvana, but His influence is so extensive that even without His personal presence, things are going on so nicely. This is called Bhagavān. Bhagavān means this.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

In this material nature, everything is annihilated. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Here, just like your body is produced at a certain date by the father and mother, and it will be finished at a certain date, similarly, this whole cosmic manifestation, this material world, innumerable universes, they have been produced at a certain date and they will be finished at a certain date. Everything will be finished. But there is another nature, where the planets are everlasting. They are called Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Vaikuṇṭhaloka, vaikuṇṭha means vigata-kuṇṭha yasmāt. Kuṇṭha means anxiety. Here we are full of anxieties—"What will happen next?" Fearful always. When my death will take place? What will be the political situation? What shall I eat? Where shall I sleep? Always full of anxieties. Anyone—bird, beast, animal, human being—full of anxieties, because the material world is like that. You have to be full of anxieties. But there is another world, where there is no anxiety. That is called Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha, vigata-kuṇṭha, kuṇṭha means anxiety.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- Hyderabad, November 22, 1972:

Therefore as this universe, material cosmic manifestation is working very nicely, you have to accept there is God. You cannot deny. So that consciousness, superconsciousness, that is different. You cannot say that "I am the same. I have got superconsciousness." That is not possible. Then, if you have got superconsciousness, why don't you feel about my pains and pleasure? The superconsciousness is of Viṣṇu. That is all-pervading consciousness. That is also the same. Nature is the same. As I have got my consciousness all over this body, similarly, the superconsciousness is there all over the universe. As I feel pains and pleasure on account of some disturbance on this body, similarly, as soon as we create some disturbance with this universal atmosphere, the supreme consciousness is disturbed. That disturbance is going on. Therefore, in spite of all arrangement... Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). That, by God's creation, everything is complete. There is no flaw. But because we are creating disturbances, the world situation is different.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:

Similarly, this material cosmic manifestation is working very nicely—the sun is rising; the moon is rising; the seasons have changes; the air is blowing; the light is there; heat is there—why? Because there is big consciousness. And that small consciousness in your body and my body, keeping this body fit, similarly, there is another, greater consciousness which is keeping this material world fit and working order. So what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the spread of the soul. Just like example: you take a small grain of arsenic acid, or potassium cyanide, you put in your tongue, immediately it spreads all over your body and you die. So you can just understand the potency of a small grain of material thing. So how much potency is there of the spiritual thing? Because, we have already discussed, material things are inferior and spiritual identity is superior. So you study these material things, a small grain of poison or the sun, how much powerful they are. A small grain of poison immediately can finish the body, and the small disk, although it is not small... It looks... We can see. The sun globe is spreading the light and heat all over the universe. Similarly, the potency of the soul is so powerful that it is maintaining the whole body. Similarly, the potency of God is maintaining the whole universe. Just like on account of the presence of the soul the body is maintained, similarly, on account of presence of God the whole universe or the cosmic manifestation is maintained. As I am, a small particle of spiritual identity, I am maintaining this body so sound and healthy, similarly, the presence of the Supreme Soul Kṛṣṇa, or God, is maintaining the whole material cosmic manifestation. Every one of us can perceive the presence of the soul and presence of God.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:

Another feature is that your consciousness and my consciousness is different. Therefore we are all individual. Similarly, God is also individual. That has been explained in the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says that "Arjuna, you, Me, and all these people who have assembled in this battlefield, they were individual in the past, individual at present, and they'll continue, individual, after death also." Now, that individuality... God is great because His consciousness is big. He is maintaining the whole cosmic manifestation. And I am very small. Therefore my consciousness is also limited, and I am spreading all over this body. So any sensible man, intelligent man, can understand the presence of God by seeing this cosmic manifestation in orderly being maintained. It is said in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, just like fire remaining in one place spreads the heat and light, similarly, the soul also, being present in some part of our body—it is said in the heart—it spreads his heat and light, the consciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:

I don't believe in God? You believe in God? (break) Why I'll not believe? If you can believe, I can believe also. It is not believing; it is fact. We are explaining the fact, how the existence of God is there. There is no question of believe or not believe; the fact is fact. Just like if there is fire, you believe or not believe; the fire is there. That I have already explained. The fire is there, and the heat and light is expanded. If there is smoke, you can understand there is fire. This is knowledge. It is not that you have to see the fire, but because there is smoke, you can understand fully that there is fire. Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation is working in order. That is explained as heat and light. Therefore there is fire or God. There must be. So it is not the question of believe or not believe. Fact is fact.

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

So everything on this planet will be finished. And then, being warmer, warmer, there will be fire. In the fire, all planets of the universe will be burned into ashes. Then there will be rainfall. Another. For hundred years. So the whole universe will be filled up with water. Then it will be evaporated, and the whole universe, cosmic manifestation finished. This is called annihilation. So in Bhagavad-gītā there is a statement that when everything is annihilated, the spiritual world is not annihilated. Na vinaśyasi. So as the spiritual world does not annihilate, similarly the soul, the spirit, by any such disturbances, the soul is never annihilated. Avyayam indestructible, immutable. So Kṛṣṇa is explaining in different ways the nature of the soul. We have to take it seriously, then we get perfect knowledge.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

The sunshine is not different from the sun. But still, it is not the sun. This is the philosophy, inconceivably, simultaneously one and different. The sunshine is not different from the sun, but still, it is different. Similarly, the whole manifested, the cosmic manifestation is God, but still He is..., it is not God. This is, therefore it is called inconceivable, acintya. With our teeny brain, we cannot accommodate how it is one and different. Therefore it is called acintya. Acintya-bhedābheda: different and separate, simultaneously. Everything. Idaṁ hi viśvo bhagavān ivetaraḥ. The whole world is Bhagavān, but it appears different from Bhagavān.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

The whole world is moving by combination of matter and spirit. That's all. The whole material world. Just like my body is moving due to the presence of my self as soul, similarly—it is very easy to understand—the whole cosmic manifestation is working due to the presence of the Supreme Soul, whom we call God or the Supersoul or Paramātmā or Bhagavān. Whatever name you may call, that doesn't matter. But you must understand that as without presence of the soul, the body cannot move, similarly, the whole materialistic world, cosmic atmosphere, is moving due to the presence of the Supersoul. Now, in Bhagavad-gītā you will find that we individual souls are parts and parcels of the Supersoul. So we have got eternal relation with the Supreme Soul.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

Just let us have some estimation what is that supreme consciousness. Now, supreme consciousness... Consciousness is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. The consciousness is distributed throughout your whole body. That we can make an experiment. But this consciousness is not, I mean to..., spread over all the cosmic manifestation. That is also a fact. My consciousness is spread over my body. Your consciousness is spread over your body. I do not know what you are thinking now, and you do not know what I am thinking. Therefore my consciousness, individual; your consciousness, individual. But there is the Supersoul who knows what you are thinking and what I am thinking, what he is thinking, everyone thinking. That is superconsciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

Whenever there is something painful or something itching in any part of my body, I am conscious of it. I know it, where and how it is being done. I do not know how it is being done, but I know where it is. So that consciousness, as I am conscious in any part of my body, but I am not conscious of your part of your body. Therefore my consciousness is limited. Similarly, you take the whole cosmic manifestation and the external body of the supreme consciousness. Therefore supreme consciousness is, I mean to say, conscious of anything which is taking part in any part of the conscious, supreme, I mean, manifestation. And you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that the supreme consciousness knows the past, present and future, but we, we are not, I mean to say, conversant in that way, that I know the present, past and future. That is my deficiency.

Lecture on BG 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

Yes. This material creation, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that... Just like our body. This body is created at a certain period by the father and mother, and it remains for some time, it grows, it gives some by-product, then it dwindles, then vanishes. Just you can study from... Similarly the whole cosmic manifestation, this is a huge body. So it has a time of creation, its development, its by-products, its activities, then dwindling, then it will also vanish. It will also vanish.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

This physiological condition is present in your body. You are taking your foodstuff. The necessary juice, vitamins, are taken by the stomach. It is distributed, and the exhaustion of your body is supplemented, and the unnecessary things evacuated by stool, urine. The nice thing is going on. Now, as soon as this consciousness is stopped, will this function go any more? No. You will find the same brain is there; the same heart is there; the same stomach is there by dissection of the body. You will see the same veins. Everything is there complete. But only thing is wanting—that consciousness. Therefore everything is stopped. This is a common factor. Everyone can know it.

Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation which is present before you, so nicely going on, don't you think there is a consciousness behind it? How can you deny that there is no consciousness in the matter of sun rising, moon rising, seasonal changes, and so many planets floating in the air? So many wonderful things are being done in the material nature. Do you think it is without being done, consciousness? No. There is also consciousness. Just like for the management of your own body, due to the consciousness everything is being well done, similarly, everything that you see very nicely well done in the material nature, that is also being done by superior consciousness. This is human reasoning. How can you deny it? Can you deny it? I don't think any sane man can deny it.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

God is present within your heart, God is present within this universe, God is present within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Aṇḍa, aṇḍa means this universe. God is within this universe. Just like in your body, you are present, as I was going to explain, dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe, within this body, there is the proprietor of the body, the soul. Similarly, this gigantic body of universe, cosmic manifestation, there is the Supersoul, therefore it is working. Just like in your body or in my body, because the soul is there, therefore it is active, it is moving. Similarly, this gigantic universal body, there is God, Supersoul. Two kinds of soul, one Supersoul and one individual soul. We are living entities, we are individuals, and God is Supersoul.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

Similarly, the statement of Bhagavad-gītā, that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10), this material world, this cosmic manifestation, is working very wonderfully, and controlling the moving and the not moving... We have got experience. Just like we are moving, man, animals. But there are certain other things, just like trees, mountains. They do not move. So moving or unmoving. But everyone is being controlled by the laws of nature. Carācaram. Cara means moving; acaram means not moving. Hetunānena kaunteya: "Because I am on the background," kaunteya, "my dear Arjuna, for this reason..." Hetunānena kaunteya.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Festival at Maison de Faubourg -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

Just like the fire has got two energies, namely, the heat and light, similarly, God has got two nature. One is called material nature and the other is called spiritual nature. So this cosmic manifestation which we experience is combination of material nature and spiritual nature. The material nature is called inferior nature, and the spiritual nature is called the superior nature. The material nature is inferior because the superior nature living entity controls over it. We have got experience. Just like a big machine, computer, or any other machine, it is combination of matter, but it cannot work independently until and unless there is touch of the spiritual nature, a human being. The big airplane is floating in the... (break) ...I mean to say, mechanical arrangement. But unless there is the pilot, it cannot work. Similarly, you try to understand that this material nature, cosmic manifestation, however wonderful it may be, unless there is direction of the Supreme Being, it is useless.

Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

So this is the nature. Everything is born and it develops, it stays, and it gives byproduct, then it dwindles and then vanishes. These are the stages, different six stages. So after vanquishing, after annihilation, where does it stay? It stay in God. Then again takes birth. The whole material cosmic manifestation, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The creation is coming into existence. It stays for some time, it develops, gives some byproduct, then dwindles, then vanishes. And after vanishing it stays in the same principle, the absolute truth. That is being explained.

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

So that is stated in the Vedas, that parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Kṛṣṇa's knowledge is so perfect. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). This nature's work is going on not whimsically, but under the guidance of pushing the button of Kṛṣṇa, by Kṛṣṇa. It is not going... Any scientist can understand that no machine, however nicely made, finely made, without pushing the button, it cannot work. So the huge machinery of the cosmic manifestation, which is working so nicely and perfect, perfectly... Our Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara has mentioned in his book very nicely. So... There must be some brain. All big, big scientists... Even Professor Einstein, he also admitted. So there is brain. That brain is Kṛṣṇa. That brain is Kṛṣṇa. So people are working.

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:

Why he should have any desire? He can create anything, without any effort, simply by His willing. Simply by His willing. Sa īkṣata, sa asṛjata. These are the Vedic information. Simply by His glancing, there was the whole material cosmic manifestation. So if we understand Kṛṣṇa like that...

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says... Study Kṛṣṇa. Study Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is describing Himself. There is no difficulty. You can study Kṛṣṇa. If you know now, "What Kṛṣṇa says is all right," simply if you know definitely, then iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti, simply by knowing this, karmabhir na sa badhyate, he is no more under the condition of this fruitive resultant action. He is free. So why don't you do that? So nice thing. Simply study. Now how can I study? Here is Krsna's instruction, you study and you become devotee. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Don't require education. If you cannot read, if you are illiterate, it doesn't matter. You hear. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. You hear from the realized soul. God has given you ear you can hear.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

So those who are actually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they can understand that everything is Kṛṣṇa. That is really Brahman realization. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. This is the Upaniṣad. If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then you understand what is Paramātmā, what is Brahman, what is material cosmic manifestation. Everything you understand. And when you understand Kṛṣṇa properly, then you will see that everything is Kṛṣṇa because everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy.

Just like heat and light. I have already explained. That is sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, that understanding. But that does not mean the Supreme Brahman, Kṛṣṇa, is lost. No. Kṛṣṇa, in spite of expanding in so many ways—as Paramātmā, as Brahman, as cosmic manifestation, material energy, everything, still, Kṛṣṇa is there, person.

Lecture on BG 4.25 -- Bombay, April 14, 1974:

Similarly, this material world, universe, it is covered by seven layers, and one layer, the first layer is there, and the second layer is ten times thicker than the first layer. The third layer is ten times thicker than the second layer. In this way, this universe is covered tight, very fortified. And there are innumerable universe. They are clustered together. And all these universes together is called the material world. And this is a very fortified place, and the predominating deity of this material world... Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44). There is a power. That is called Durgā. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā, icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā (Bs. 5.44). Although this Durgā is so powerful that she can create, she can maintain and she can dissolve, the whole cosmic manifestation... It is so powerful. At any moment it can dissolute.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, January 13, 1973:

God is personally canvassing here, Kṛṣṇa. How you can say God is not there? God is there. God must be there. Otherwise, how things are going on? Just like because you are within this body, although you cannot see yourself. We cannot see ourself, where I am in this body. But I am in this body. As soon as I go away from this body, this body's useless. Not even worth farthing. The such nice brain, such nice dress, such nice activity, as soon as I go away, I leave this body... Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As I leave this body and accept another body, this body's useless, immediately. Similarly you are seeing the whole cosmic manifestation, the gigantic body of this material world. So there is something, soul. Just like in this body, there is soul. Similarly this gigantic body has got a soul. That is God.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

This samagram, this word, is very significant. Samagram means "complete." To understand Kṛṣṇa means to understand the whole cosmic manifestation, God, the material nature, the time factor, the living entities, their respective relationship, everything. That is called samagram. Not that a Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not know about the creation of the material manifestation. He knows, by his reason. That will be explained in this chapter, Seventh Chapter, how this material creation is going on. The modern scientists, they put up creation, that "There was a chunk, and it was burnt into pieces. Then the planetary systems came into existence." But if we inquire, "Wherefrom this chunk comes?" that they cannot answer. Therefore the so-called scientific knowledge always remains in doubt. Darwin's theory... There are so many passages: "It may be, perhaps."

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

It is not blindly accepted, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. With considerable deliberation, we take the decision. All the ācāryas, they have taken decision. Therefore in the next verse Kṛṣṇa says, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam. This knowledge, with practical understanding, sa-vijñānam. Vijñānam means practical application. We understand Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme. He's the creator of this cosmic manifestation. He's the Supreme. We are all subordinate. This is jñānam. And sa-vijñānam, when it is practically applied, that means when you take to devotional service, then it is practically application, practicing.

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

If you understand scientifically what is God then you understand everything. Because God is everything. God is the central point of everything. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. These are the Vedic versions. "From whom all this material cosmic manifestation has come into being." In the Vedānta-sūtra it says janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Absolute Truth is that from which everything has come down. So if you understand the Absolute Truth, kasmin vijñāte, sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, then you can understand all other departments of knowledge. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ: "Explicitly, elaborately I am saying." Yaj jñātvā, "If you understand," na iha, "in this world," anyat bhūyaḥ, "again," anyat, "anything else," jñātavyam avaśiṣyate, "there is anything remains to understand. Everything is understood."

Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971:

So if we think over all these material objects, then actually, at the end we come to the platform of spirit soul. And the spirit soul, being part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, then ultimately you come to Kṛṣṇa. As such, Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything—janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1)—both material and spiritual. There are different kinds of energies of Kṛṣṇa. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). This material energy is one of them. It is called external energy. Just like my body, your body is external energy, similarly, the whole material manifestation, cosmic manifestation, is manifestation of the external energy of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 9.7-10 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

Kalpa-kṣaye punas tāni kalpādau visṛjāmy aham. Now, this verse we have been discussing the last meeting that this whole cosmic manifestation, it is not permanent. It is created, and it is again annihilated, and the whole energy is wound up into the body of the Supreme Lord. It comes out, and again it is winded. Now, jagad avyakta-mūrtinā... Sarva-bhūtāni kaunteya prakṛtiṁ yānti māmikām. The prakṛti... Prakṛti is not independent. Prakṛti means nature. It is dependent on the Supreme Lord. When He desires or when the time is, He gives us chance. This prakṛti, this material cosmic manifestation, is meant for the conditioned souls.

Lecture on BG 9.7-10 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

Now, we are concerned how to get out of this temporary life. We are hankering after eternal life, how to get out of this temporary life. That should be our problem. There is no use calculating for how many years one kalpa, one duration of this cosmic manifestation, is maintained. But our concern is that whether we can get out of these clutches of material nature and get into our spiritual nature and have our eternal blissful life. That is our problem. That we can make solution. If we culture the Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, then even after annihilation of this body, we can get into the spiritual nature and spiritual nature, and we are also spirit. Therefore there is no difference; there is no question of birth and death. That is the problem.

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

Therefore, we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, without any interpretation. Kṛṣṇa says: "I am the Supreme Person," we say: "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person." Kṛṣṇa says that He's the background of this cosmic manifestation. We present: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all material cosmic manifestation." This is our program. So our only request is those who are intelligent persons, let them understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not meant for the foolish person. Because foolish person cannot understand. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). The foolish person, after endeavoring many thousands of births, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, if he's actually inquisitive, jñānī,... Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna ārto arthārthī jñānī jijñāsuḥ ca bharatarṣabha. Four classes of men, they become inquisitive to understand Kṛṣṇa or God. Ārto arthārthī jñānī jijñāsuḥ. So ārto arthārthī, ordinary men, when one is in need of money, when one is in distress, they go to God for relief. But although they go to God for, with some motive, still they have been described as sukṛtinaḥ. Sukṛtinaḥ, pious. Background is piety. Otherwise, nobody can go. And those who are duskṛtinaḥ, always engaged in sinful activities, they cannot go to Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15).

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Paris, August 10, 1973:

This is the special prerogative of human being, that he can understand the nature, this cosmic manifestation, and the enjoyer of the nature, and he can be fully conversant about what is the object of knowledge, jñeyam.

There are three things, jñeyam, jñāta, and jñāna. The object of knowledge, the knower is called jñāta, and the object of knowledge is called jñeyam. And the process by which one can understand, that is called jñāna, knowledge. As soon as we speak of knowledge, there must be three things: the object of knowledge, the person who is trying to know and the process by which the object of knowledge is achieved.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Paris, August 10, 1973:

Suppose if you construct a very nice house. So I can ask you: "What is the purpose of constructing this nice house?" You will say: It is for purpose." Either we shall reside, or rent it. "It is meant for residential purpose." Similarly why this cosmic manifestation, this universe... Not only one universe, millions of universes. Material world is also not very small. Material world is only one-fourth manifestation of the whole creation. And that one-fourth... Ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Kṛṣṇa says: "The whole material world is only one-fourth creation." What is that one-fourth creation? That is replied in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. When Kṛṣṇa, you have seen Kṛṣṇa's, what is called? Aureum?

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Paris, August 10, 1973:

This is the purpose. But nobody knows. Ask anybody. They'll say, "God created this universe or this cosmic manifestation." That's a fact. But why He created? That why question is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā. Everyone wants to enjoy this material world according to his whims and purpose. Kṛṣṇa gives facility to everyone. So that facility is given according to his desire, a particular type of body. One who wants to eat anything nonsense, no discrimination, so he's allowed to get a body of a hog. Because a hog can eat even stool. He has no distinction. Here is halavā, here is stool. But he'll like to eat stool. That is hog life.

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

Before this universal creation, Kṛṣṇa took the form of Mahavisnu, and Mahavisnu's breathing period is the creation and annihilation. So long the breathing goes on, exhaling, that is the creation period; inhaling, the destruction, annihilation. So the whole cosmic manifestation is being maintained within the breathing period of Mahavisnu.

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

Just like a machine, computer, a very subtle machine. It is working wonderfully. But there is a person who is pushing the button. Without that the machine is useless. It is lump of matter. Similarly this gigantic universe, cosmic manifestation, nature, is working very wonderfully. The sun is moving, moon is moving and the earth is moving, everything in right direction and minute time, and not a single inch is moving here and there. Everything is going on nicely. How? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā,

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ

sūyate sa-carācaram

hetunānena kaunteya

jagad viparivartate

(BG 9.10)

It is under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

Similarly, there is another world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20), another cosmic manifestation, spiritual manifestation, where there is no need of sunshine. Na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ (BG 15.6). There is no need of sunshine. There is no need of moonshine as here in this darkness, material world. There is arrangement by God to illuminate the darkness of this world. There is sun; there is moon; there is electricity; there is fire. But in the spiritual world, which is tamasaḥ param, which is beyond this darkness of this material world, there is jyoti.

Therefore here it is said, jyotiṣām api taj jyotiḥ, param. There are different kinds of illumination, sunshine, moonshine, electricity, fire. But that jyoti which is directly emanating from Kṛṣṇa's body, that is the real jyoti. So on account of Kṛṣṇa's bodily rays, the whole creation is coming out. That is Kṛṣṇa's inconceivable power, brahma-jyotir. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Athāto brahma jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra, you have to inquire about that paraṁ jyoti, brahma-jyotir. And from that paraṁ jyoti, everything is coming out. Just like from the sunshine.

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

The material energy, this cosmic manifestation, as we see one universe and each universe is filled up with many planetary systems, suns, moons, and other planets. This is one universe. Similarly there are many millions of universes. We get information from Vedic śāstra, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40).

Jagad-aṇḍa means this universe and there are hundreds and millions. Numberless. And each universe is filled up with innumerable planets. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). Vasudhā, planets. So all these manifestations of material energy.

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

This is the atheistic theory, asatyam. They say that this material world is false. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Jagat, jagat means this cosmic manifestation which is gacchati, going. In the material world, everything is going. Just like in your city you see the cars, motor cars. They are going here and there, gacchati, very busy. Every man is going here and there. Similarly, the whole planetary system also, beginning from its birth up to the annihilation it is going, moving, orbit. It is going. Everything is going, moving. Even the sun, it has got its orbit. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta..., aśeṣa-tejāḥ, yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. The... Just like the earth has its orbit—it is rotating—similarly, every planet is rotating. The sun is also rotating. And so far I calculate, it is sixteen thousand miles per minute or second. I calculated once. The sun is rotating sixteen thousand miles either per minute or per second. I forget now.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. You cannot say it's by chance. And who is making this chance arrangement, that one is born so exalted, one is born so low? Then again we have to accept somebody is. So these are all foolish theories, "By chance, by kāma-haitukam." No, there is great arrangement. As the same... Just like the traffic control. There is a very big, great arrangement behind this. It is not by chance. By chance there has been not line, and they pass the car in certain line. No, it is not chance. How you can say, "chance"? So these theories are made by the demons. Read the purport.

Nitāi: "The demoniac conclude that the world is a phantasmagoria. There is no cause, no effect, no controller, no purpose: everything is unreal. They say that this cosmic manifestation arises due to chance material actions and reactions. They do not think that the world was created by God for a certain purpose. They have their own theory: that the world has come about in its own way and that there is no reason to believe that there is a God behind it. For them there is no difference between spirit and matter, and they do not accept the Supreme Spirit. Everything is matter only, and the whole cosmos is supposed to be a mass of ignorance."

Prabhupāda: Therefore they say chemical evolution. They cannot think of spirit.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

So as soon as you have got senses, as soon as you have got sense organs, as soon as you have got brain, as soon as you have got activities, you are a person. This is the conclusion of the śāstra. Therefore the absolute controller cannot be impersonal. By our practical life we see, government. "Government" is an impersonal word, but at the end of the government, there is a governor or president, a person. A person is required, who will apply his brain. So how is that that without brain the whole cosmic manifestation it is controlled? That is not very reasonable. And that is not according to śāstra.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

This is called acintya-bhedābheda philosophy: "simultaneously, inconceivably, one and different." So everything is God. That is a fact. And still, everything is not God. That is also fact. So we have to understand this philosophy. Everything is God. Without God's energy... The same thing, that the whole material world is existing on the sunshine. All scientists know it. But at the same time, the sunshine is different and nondifferent from the sun. Similarly, whatever we are experiencing, that is energy of God. Brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. These are energies of God, tathedam akhilaṁ jagat (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.22.53), the whole creation, cosmic manifestation. But when there is question of love, you have to find out the origin of this energy. That is Kṛṣṇa.

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

Now God has created this universe, God has created the cosmic manifestation, innumerable universes but He is not interested in it. He is interested because He has created. He has given us facility to live here, but He is not coming here to enjoy this. He has got better. Or He doesn't care for all these opulences. That is another qualification of God. So this human form of life is meant for understanding God and scientifically, with full knowledge. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore we are preaching this Bhāgavata discourse. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam what is the nature of God? That has been described, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). God, God is cognizant, He knows everything. He is a sentient being. Not that a dead stone.

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

The Absolute Truth is a person, it is very difficult to understand. "Beyond our sense perception." They, generally they think that "How a person can create such huge cosmic manifestation?" That is their bewilderment. They cannot accommodate, accommodate in the teeny, poor brain that the original Absolute Truth is a person. That is their problem. So their idea is that by personal worship, one has to reach again to the impersonal transcendence. But we don't find from the śāstra like that. Now, the most authentic śāstra is Vedānta. Vedānta is accepted by all classes of men. Because without accepting Vedānta, nobody will be bona fide. Generally they think that the impersonalists are Vedantists. Generally they think, but that's a wrong conception. They... All the Vaiṣṇava—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya—they are also Vedantists. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Vedantist. We are also Vedantist. It is not that Vedānta is the monopoly of the impersonalists.

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

"The Absolute Truth knows everything, directly and indirectly." My knowledge is imperfect in this sense that I am eating something, it is being digested in the stomach. So many secretions are coming out. How they are forming into blood, and so many things are going on within the body, I am not directly concerned. Neither I know directly. But the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Being, He knows everything, in any corner of the cosmic manifestation. Therefore His consciousness and my consciousness is... As, so far possessing consciousness, the Absolute Truth and myself are one, but His consciousness is all-pervading. My consciousness is limited. So the Absolute Truth cannot be limited, but we are limited.

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

Creation cannot be possible from void or impersonal thing. We have several times discussed this point, that the government, this word, appears to be impersonal, but actually, behind the government there is a person—the president or the king, like that. So this creation, cosmic manifestation, is possible through the creative power of the Supreme Person; therefore God cannot be impersonal. Impersonal feature is one of the manifestation of God. God must be a person. This is the conclusion. Sa eva idam: this cosmic manifestation was created. In another place it is stated, aham evāsam agre: before creation, there was God, Kṛṣṇa. And when this material creation will be finished, He will remain.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa, or God, is not one of these created, material created things. That is admitted even by the staunchest impersonalist, Śaṅkarācārya: nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Vyakta avyakta, this mahat-tattva, from which this material cosmic manifestation is there, but nārāyaṇa-para, Nārāyaṇa is above.

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

So here it is clearly said that sa evedaṁ sasarjāgre bhagavān ātma-māyayā: "Bhagavān created by His energy." It is not that Bhagavān is finished after this creation. The Māyāvāda philosophy is that everything is God; therefore there is no separate existence of God. That is impersonalism. But here it is said that bhagavān ātma-māyayā: He created this cosmic manifestation by His energy. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). His full energy, even it is taken away from Him, still, He is full, He's complete. He's not exhausted. So sa evedaṁ sasarjāgre bhagavān ātma-māyayā, sad-asad-rūpayā. The māyā is displayed... Māyā means energy. That is displayed in two ways: material and spiritual. Material is asat, and spiritual is sat. Asat means which does not exist permanent, permanently. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It is created, again it is annihilated.

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

There are many shastric evidences. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām (Bs. 5.34). So by speculation, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. By mental speculation, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. We have to understand Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says, or Kṛṣṇa's devotee says, the Gosvāmīs says, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. Then we can understand how this cosmic manifestation is created, who created, how it is created. Everything will be clear. This is the beginning of such understanding.

Lecture on SB 1.2.31 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

That they do not understand, although actually we are seeing. Just like a child born. If the child is born dead, it is simply dead matter. It does not grow. It is our practical experience. But if the child is living, or the spirit soul is within that body, then it develops. Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation, this big universe, unless there is, in the center, the Supreme Spirit, how it develops? It cannot develop. Either you take this body or take this universal body—without the spirit being entered within it, there cannot be development. The modern scientists, they have no knowledge. They cannot understand this. They are so poor fund of knowledge. Practically we are seeing every day. This body has developed, your body, my body, how it has developed? Because I, the spirit soul, you, the spirit soul, enter into the matter. Therefore, it has developed. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1).

Lecture on SB 1.2.32 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

Creation, maintenance and annihilation. Janmādi. Asya, anything you take, asya. Janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1). Janmādy asya yataḥ. From whom everything is emanating, everything is taking birth, this cosmic manifestation, it is being maintained in Him. And again, when it is annihilated, it enters into His own energy. Prakṛtiṁ māṁ gacchati. From His prakṛti, from His energy, Kṛṣṇa's energies, external energy, these five elements come out—earth, water, fire, air, sky. Five gross elements and three subtle elements—mind, intelligence ego. This is the eight, these are the eight elements of material creation. Then all the living entities, those who wanted to enjoy this material world, they are impregnated within this material energy and they come out with different bodies for enjoying different types of sufferings of happiness. There is no happiness; it is all suffering, but we take: "It is happiness." That is called illusion.

Lecture on SB 1.2.33 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

This bhāva, this material creation, it is also bhāva. Another bhāva, that is sanātana. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ. Anya means other. Avyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Here the mahat-tattva, the total material energy, is called avyakta. Then, when it is agitated by the glance of the Supreme Lord, the three modes of material nature acts. And by interaction of these three modes of material nature, the whole cosmic manifestation comes into being. This is the... Not theory. This is the fact of creation. Creation, there is machine, or there is electronic working and the buttons are pushed by the Supreme Lord. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His electronic machine is so subtle and powerful that we cannot understand. We say "nature." Because, due to our ignorance, we cannot explain how the nature is working, we give an evasive reply. Just like a flower is coming from the seed. The tree is coming, the flower is coming, the fruit is coming. So we simply give an evasive reply: "By nature, it is coming." But we cannot explain how it is coming.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

It is said at the time of destruction, first of all there will be no rain, no rain for hundreds of years. So everything will dry up and die, practically by continuous sunshine. And it is said the sunshine will be very, very powerful. Twelve times powerful. So everything will be ablaze, blazing into fire. Then there will be rain. As we have experience, after excessive heat, there is cloud and rain, so there will be rain, and everything will be absorbed into water, and the water will be evaporated. In this way, this material world, cosmic manifestation will be no more. Again there will be creation, mahat-tattva. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). That is stated in the... This material world comes into existence and stays for some time, again becomes annihilated.

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

So sāṅkhyam. Sāṅkhyam means... Sam means complete, khyam means description. "Complete description of creation." Kāla-viplutam, there is complete description how the cosmic manifestation is created, but people forget it, kāla-viplutam. So this knowledge is existing since the time of creation. Everything materially created has got six stages. The first stage is creation, and the second stage is growth. The third stage is maintenance, the fourth stage is production, the fifth stage is dwindling, and the sixth stage, vanishing. This is anything material.

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

To talk of God is a primitive idea. Now we are advanced in science; why we shall talk about God?" This is the tendency. This is the tendency. But how you can solve all these questions without accepting God? Without accepting a supreme source of everything, how you can solve? It is not possible. You are simply a product of this cosmic manifestation. Your brain, your teeny brain is composed of some muscles and veins. That is product of this material world. You cannot even produce a brain. Just consider. Can you produce a brain? You are eulogizing a great scientist like Professor Einstein. All right. Why not Professor Einstein creating a brain like him? Why? What is the difficulty? He may create a brain like him and keep it in the glass case so that there will be no shortage of scientific men. But why he dies? Why he dies? Who is forcing him to death? Why he becomes diseased? Why he becomes old man? Who is controlling?

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

If you have to manufacture these leaves, one after another, and set up in the tree, just see, how much difficult it will be. But by the laws of nature, by God's energy, immediately, within a few days, millions of trees are getting their leaves again and millions of trees, they are falling. Millions of fruits are coming out. Similarly, all this cosmic manifestation came into existence simply by the will of God. Not that... Just like in season, there are hundreds and thousands and millions of fruits. You haven't got to create each fruit. When the season is there, the fruits are all ready, immediately. Similarly, when God says, "Let there be creation," millions of planets, immediately created. That is God. Not that cheap God, "I am God." In your country they come, and you become cheated. We don't accept such cheap God. We want this God. Simply by His will, millions of universes are created.

Lecture on SB 1.3.24 -- Los Angeles, September 29, 1972:

This is our process. You don't require to research. What research you will make? You are yourself insufficient. What research you can make? Your senses are insufficient. You try to see the cosmic manifestation with your microscope or telescope, but that is also manufactured by you. You are imperfect, so whatever you have done, that is all imperfect. How you can know? If you are imperfect... The four defects of the conditioned soul... One is sure to commit mistake. Anyone, any big man of this world, he must commit mistake. He is illusioned. He is accepting something for something. Every one of us, we accept this body as "I am," self. And we are fighting on this basis. "I am American, you are Indian," "You are Hindu, I am Muslim." Only on this bodily concept of life. But Bhāgavata says, as soon as we find a person on the platform of bodily concept of life, he is animal. That's all. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Go-kharaḥ. Go means cow, khara means ass. So anyone who is under the bodily concept of life, he is fool, rascal. That's all.

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

You can explain "therefore" in so many ways according to your knowledge. But scientifically, this "therefore" means we are trying to find out the original source of everything. We are trying to find out what is the original source of this cosmic manifestation, why we are hankering after happiness, why we are confused. So many things.

What is the original source? The original source is replied immediately in the next sūtra, next code. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The original source, either of happiness or of distress, everything original source is that. Simply giving original... Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Wherefrom everything emanates. Distress also emanates and happiness also emanates. This cosmic manifestation also emanates.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

If you give a swan milk mixed with water, he'll, he has got some tactics, he'll simply take the milk case in and the water will be there, remain there. Similarly, haṁsa means one who has taken the essence of this cosmic manifestation. What is that essence? Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Everything, all manifestation, all activities, they're all Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the center. Just like the same way: what is this material cosmic manifestation? It is the sun. That's all. Similarly, there are millions of suns. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate. Kṛṣṇa-sūrya. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1), cause of all cause. So one who takes Kṛṣṇa, he's paramahaṁsa.

So every Vaiṣṇava, every devotee of Kṛṣṇa, pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, is a paramahaṁsa.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:

Therefore those who are paramahaṁsas, those who have understood the essence of this cosmic manifestation, they are not interested in such literature. On the other hand it is said that tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavaḥ. (commentary) Vināpi pada-cāturyaṁ bhagavad-yaśaḥ-pradhānaṁ vacaḥ.(?) Śrīdhara Svāmī gives note that there may not be any poetic, metaphorical, or analogical, ornamental language, but vināpi pada-cāturyam. Pada-cāturyam. Pada means composition. In every language there are rules and regulations for composing poetry or prose, grammatical, rhetorical. So even such knowledge, even without such knowledge, pada-cāturyaṁ bhagavad-yaśaḥ-pradhānam. Just like we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we are not training our students any way about musical science, that "We have to chant in this way or that way, we have to dance in this way or that way." Without any musical knowledge, without any poetic understanding, even a child can take part in it, and he becomes immediately absorbed in ecstasy. Why? This is because we are chanting the glories of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

So tad eva bhagavad-līlā pradhanarena anuvarṇaya; ity uktam bhakti-bhāvam ka ca kasya līlā iti apekṣama ilam bhagavān eva satu asmad iti araha.(?) So Nārada Ṛṣi, Nārada Muni says, "You just try to describe the glories of Kṛṣṇa." And what is that? The question may be, "Then how shall I glorify Him?" He says, idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ: "You study everything and dovetail with Kṛṣṇa." Idam: "This world, this cosmic manifestation..." Idaṁ jagat. Jagat means this cosmic manifestation, idam, this, bhagavān... "It is Kṛṣṇa." That means, "Try to preach or try to teach the people in general that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, everything is manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy." But not impersonalism. If... The impersonalists' view is that if everything is Kṛṣṇa... That is the... That is their material way of thinking. Just like if you take a big paper and, I mean to say, cut into pieces and the pieces are distributed, strewn over, then the original paper is lost. So their theory is, "If Kṛṣṇa is everything—Kṛṣṇa has expanded in this world, in cosmic manifestation—then Kṛṣṇa has no form, separate form." That is their theory. But the Vedic injunction is: "No, it is not like that." Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate: (Īśo Invocation) Kṛṣṇa is so full that even Kṛṣṇa expands million times, still, He's the same thing, Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is person. And even He expands, Kṛṣṇa, in many ways... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). This is the fine philosophy. One has to understand how Kṛṣṇa, in spite of His being a person—He's person, without any doubt—He has expanded in so many universes, so many manifestations.

Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

So he, he sifted all the cows and cowherds boys from the pasturing ground, and again he saw that millions times the same cows, boys and cowherd, cows and cowherd boys, are present there. So that is Kṛṣṇa. He can expand. Bṛhatvad bṛhannatvad. Brahman means He can expand unlimitedly. And He can shrink also to the minute. Just like we are very minute. We are also part and parcel. And this cosmic manifestation is also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He's called paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

So in this way we have to study to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. The, everything is there. Simply we have to become little serious. Then we can understand what is this world, what is Kṛṣṇa, what we are, how they have expanded, how this world is created, everything. All answers are there. It is not a sentiment, that we are accepting something by sentiment. All reasons, all philosophy, arguments, are there. We shall discuss by and by.

Lecture on SB 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

Our, this life, at the present moment, because this body is false, so whatever we are acting, it is just like dream. Just like in dream at night we also work. So this is gross dream and that is subtle dream. But real life is spiritual life. But we foolish people, we are taking this life as permanent life, permanent settlement. It is not permanent settlement. Here is..., Nārada Muni's saying, ahaṁ purā atīta-bhave abhavam. Atīta-bhave. This nature... Just like everything material... Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It appears for some time like bubbles in the ocean, few seconds. Again finished. The whole cosmic manifestation in which we are millions and millions of years, it is just like a bubble in the ocean. It is just like a bubble. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā.

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

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said that this whole cosmic manifestation is combination of material energy and spiritual energy. So therefore in the Vedas... Veda means knowledge, vetti veda vido jñāne. In the Sanskrit verb vid, vid-dhātu. Vid-dhātu means knowledge, "to know." Vetti veda vido jñāne vinte vid vicaraṇa(?). Labhe vindati vindate. So vid-dhātu. From vid-dhātu the Veda has come. Veda means knowledge. So from the Vedas you can have all different types of knowledge, namely material knowledge and spiritual knowledge, both, perfectly. Because we have now forgotten our spiritual energy, we do not cultivate spiritual energy; therefore the Veda is there.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :

We are so minute. Still we are thinking, "Where is God? I am God." So, Kṛṣṇa is not that kind of God, imaginative. He is real God. Therefore He is prakṛteḥ param. Prakṛteḥ means this cosmic manifestation, beyond that. He is creator of this. God is creator of this cosmic manifestation. Therefore it is said prakṛteḥ. Prakṛteḥ means this material nature. Param, superior, beyond. Prakṛteḥ param alakṣyam: but not visible. God is not visible to everyone. He is visible—"Here is God"—but those who have not developed the eyes to see God, they think "Here is a doll, and these foolish people are worshiping a doll." No. He is God, Kṛṣṇa. He is Kṛṣṇa. This is called arcā-vigraha. Kṛṣṇa agrees to accept your service. If you want to serve the universal form of God, that is not possible. Where you will get so big dress to cover Kṛṣṇa, if He appears in His universal form.? (laughter) But He is so kind that He has come in a form. Because He is almighty, all powerful, so whatever you can provide, you can dress Kṛṣṇa, you can feed Kṛṣṇa, you can decorate Kṛṣṇa. It is His mercy, to become handy for your service. This is called arcā-vigraha.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Chicago, July 5, 1974 :

Govinda, because He has entered within this universe, therefore the cosmic manifestation is possible. Otherwise it is not. Just like I am the soul, you are the soul. Because you have entered this body or I am entered this body, therefore the movement of the body is possible. As soon as I or you leave this body, it is dull, no more, no movement. It is very easy to understand. Similarly, how the movement of the cosmic manifestation is going on, the so-called scientist, philosopher, rascals, they do not understand, because Kṛṣṇa has entered. It is very easy to understand. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, very minute part. Still, because I have entered this body, therefore the body moves, the activities of the body going on. Is it very difficult to understand? So, anyone can understand that this lump of matter, big cosmic manifestation, until a thing like me, soul, is there, how it is going on nicely—how the sun is rising in due time, the moon is rising in due time, the oceans are flowing in due order.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Chicago, July 5, 1974 :

So you have to require..., you have to acquire that knowledge how to understand the existence of God, Kṛṣṇa, everywhere-inside and outside. So Kuntī Devī says that "You are within and outside." Kṛṣṇa is within, within your heart, and Kṛṣṇa is outside also. Otherwise how this big cosmic manifestation is going on? Huh? Not only that, He is everywhere, even within the atom, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayān... Still we can not understand where is Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune. Duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, they can not understand. Why they cannot understand? That because they are duṣkṛtinaḥ, always engaged in sinful activities. Who can see Kṛṣṇa? Who is not sinful. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam (BG 7.28), one who has finished his life of sinful activities, he can understand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.22 -- Los Angeles, April 14, 1973:

The banyan seed, you have seen the fig fruit. There are hundreds and thousands of seeds. And each seed, there is a banyan tree. Each seed. If you simply study a fig of banyan tree, you can study the whole cosmic manifestation. If you simply think over... This is a small seed, insignificant. And there are millions of seeds like that, millions of fruits. And each seed containing the potency of fructifying into big banyan tree. So who has made it? How much His brain is sharp that He has made it? It is, it is, it is done by brain. It has not come out automatically. This is rascaldom. Whatever... What is coming, rascaldom... No. There is brain. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says that everything is coming from Him, coming from His brain. Big brain. Kṛṣṇa has got big brain. We haven't got such brain. Still we rascals, we claim that "I am as good as Kṛṣṇa. I am God." What nonsense. You are God? You cannot create anything.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

Viśvarūpa, as Kṛṣṇa showed, the Viśvarūpa, external feature. This gigantic cosmic manifestation. That is Kṛṣṇa's external body. These are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The, the hills, the mountains, they are described as the bones. Just like we have got in our body some part raised by the bones, similarly these big, big mountains and hills, they have been described as the bones. And the big, big oceans they have been described as different holes in the body, down and up. Similarly the Brahmaloka is the skull, upper skull.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

You can think of. That is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you think that: "This mountain is the bone of Kṛṣṇa," that is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually that is so. If you think that big Pacific Ocean is the navel of Kṛṣṇa. These big, big trees, plants, they are hairs in the body of Kṛṣṇa. Then the head, the skull of Kṛṣṇa, is the Brahmaloka. The sole is the Pātālaloka. Similarly... This is mahato mahīyān. When you think of Kṛṣṇa as the greater than the greatest, you can think like this. And if you think Kṛṣṇa is both, smaller than the smallest. That is also greatness. That is also greatness. Kṛṣṇa can manufacture this gigantic cosmic manifestation and He can manufacture also a small insect, smaller than the point.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972:

Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya. Sṛṣṭi means creation and sthiti means maintenance and pralaya means destruction. These three things nature can do. Just like this creation, material creation is natural, nature, cosmic manifestation. It is being maintained. By nature's mercy, we are getting sunlight, we are getting air, we are getting rains and thereby we are growing our food, eating nicely, growing nicely. This maintenance also being done by nature, But at any time everything can be finished simply by one strong wind. Nature is so powerful. So for killing these demons, nature is already there. Of course, nature is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). So if Kṛṣṇa says that these demons may be killed, then nature's one blast, one strong wind will, can kill millions of them.

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

Such a nice creation. Everyone can appreciate this created cosmic manifestation, how it is nicely working. The sun is rising exactly in time. Without any division even 1/10,000 part of a second. The moon is rising, the seasons are changing. In the season, the fruits and flowers coming. So in this way the whole cosmic manifestation is going on, very orderly, systematically. Everyone can understand that. So unless there is some abhijña, very clever brain who knows everything, how it is created? But they say that it has come out of nothing. What is this nonsense? Can such thing come out of nothing? Is that very good reasoning? No. Bhāgavata says no. It is coming from the person who is abhijña, very experienced. And that abhijñaḥ tene... Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu abhijñaḥ tene (SB 1.1.1). Tene means He broadcasted knowledge. To whom? Ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavaye, the original creature.

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

No, you, it, find the difference that the dead body is more weight. Why? Why? Because the spirit soul is not there. These are experimented even by the scientists. So the, the, this world is floating in the air because the spirit soul is within it. Therefore it is floating. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Gām āviśya (BG 15.13). "I enter" and dhārayāmy aham ojasā. So as soon as the spirit soul will be off, everything will be destroyed. The destruction of this cosmic manifestation is like that.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :

Now, bhave 'smin. Bhava, this bhava means this material world, cosmic manifestation. Bhave 'smin kliśyamānānām. Anyone who is within this material world must work. This is material world. Just like in the prison house, it is not possible that he will sit down and he will be honored just like son-in-law. No. In the, in our country son-in-law is very much worshiped. Worshiped means flattered. Never divorce the daughter. Therefore, nobody should expect that we may speak something humorous about son-in-law in India. Formerly... It is still the system that the daughter must get married. That is the responsibility of the father. It is called kanyā-dāna. A father may not get his son married.

Lecture on SB 1.8.38 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1973:

So the sunshine is working because the sun globe is there, the sun-god is there. Similarly, the material energy is working. This cosmic manifestation made of earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego, these are the eight ingredients of this material manifestation. So these eight material elements, they are energies, separated energies. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. And, because the energetic is there behind this energy... Just like electric power. We are using electric power, but behind this electric power there is the powerhouse and there is the engineer who is producing the power. The rascals, they do not understand this. They simply see the power. But behind the power there is the power-maker, the source of power. They do not understand it. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes and says that "I am the power-maker. I am behind this power." Kṛṣṇa personally comes, because we have no eyes to see Kṛṣṇa, neither we can understand Kṛṣṇa. He therefore comes. What kind...? God, we are simply contemplating God. What is the form of God? God must be very old man. Because He has created millions and millions of years ago, therefore He must be very old man. This is our contemplation. We are going on. Therefore God comes before you: "Here, see what is God." He's so kind. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7).

Lecture on SB 1.8.38 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1973:

How He can be imperson? Imperson has no brain. The... Just like so many machines now we have invented, very wonderful machines. But the machine is not the brain. The operator is the brain. Why do they not understand? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "You are seeing the energy or the wonderful action and reaction of this material cosmic manifestation. But don't think that they are working independently. No. I am behind there." So what is the difficulty to understand? Or from example you can understand how things can go on nicely without a nice brain behind these things? It is conclusion. Mayādhyakṣeṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says further, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4). Avyakta, avyakta is also mūrti, a form. Just like the sky. The sky is avyakta, not manifest, but it has also a form, a round form, the universe. Without form there is nothing. Everything has form. The so-called impersonal, that is also form. Just like you go to the ocean, you will find a form, a big circle. That is also form.

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1973:

That picture wanted, not these cheap pictures, imitating our rubbish behavior with boys and girls. These pictures we do not want. We want picture how Kṛṣṇa is controller, how He is controlling the universal affairs. Viśveśa. Viśveśa viśvātman. Ātman, the living force. The living force must be there. Unless there is living force within this body, as this body cannot move, cannot work nicely, similarly, within this universe, cosmic manifestation, there is the living force, Viṣṇu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, or Paramātmā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Therefore He's viśvātman. We should know that, how this world is moving, how this universe is acting. But these rascals do not know. They should learn from this Bhāgavata. Viśvātman viśveśa, viśva-mūrte. And His manifestation, universal form. Just like Kṛṣṇa exhibited before Arjuna. Arjuna wanted to see His universal form, and Kṛṣṇa immediately showed him.

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

Religion means the laws of God. There must be laws. God is the Supreme. As the state laws are there, now the so many affairs in the cosmic manifestation is going on, how they can think of that there is no law? There is law. The sun is rising exactly in time. The Pacific Ocean is exactly in its position. It is not coming even a few yards beyond the area. Such a huge water, it can overflood immediately the whole Los Angeles city in a second. But why it is not coming? You are sure. We are walking by the beach. We are sure that "The water cannot come here." By whose order? By whose law? But these rascals they cannot understand. They are saying, "Nature." They give the explanation, "Nature." But nature is dull. Nature, material nature is dull. We do not find anything... Material nature... Just like this is a material thing. But it is being manipulated by a living being.

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

Just like the sun is there and the sunshine is there, and the sunshine is working everything. By the sunshine, the trees are coming out, the leaves are coming out. They are dropping when there is no sunshine. Everything is depending on sunshine. That is explained in the Vedic literatures:

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner

jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā

parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis

tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Whatever you are seeing in this cosmic manifestation, they are simply demonstration of the potency of the Lord. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

This cosmic manifestation is going regularly. The sun is rising exactly at the time, it is setting exactly..., the seasons are coming exactly, under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So when the king is a debauch or the president is a debauch, and the citizens are also debauch, there is restriction of supply by nature, under the order of the Supreme. Just like there is now petroleum problem. Now, by the order of the Supreme, the restriction is there. Now they are howling, cowling. You see? So everything will rest, tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭa. If you keep Kṛṣṇa satisfied, if you all become devotees, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no question of scarcity. There is no question of scarcity. There is immense supply. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

So we have got senses to acquire knowledge. So five knowledge-acquiring senses, five working senses, and five sense objects, and I am there. This is called sixteen elements. And then five material elements, earth, water, fire, air, and three subtle elements, eight. So in this way the whole world, this universe, cosmic manifestation, is a composition of these eight elements, er, twenty-four elements. And beyond these twenty-four elements, I am the soul, and beyond myself, there is the Supersoul. This is knowledge. This is knowledge.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- New York, April 10, 1969:

Gargamuni: Page one. "Similarly, in the Second Canto, the post-creation cosmic manifestation is described. The different planetary systems are described in the Second Canto as different parts of the universal body of the Lord. For this reason, the Second Canto can be called "The Cosmic Manifestation." There are ten chapters in the Second Canto, and in these ten chapters the purpose of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the different symptoms of this purpose are narrated. In the first chapter the glories of chanting are described and the process of meditation on the universal form of the Lord by the neophyte devotees is hinted. In the first verse Śukadeva Gosvāmī replies to the questions of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who asked him about one's duty at the point of his death. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was glad to receive Śukadeva Gosvāmī and he was proud of being a descendant of Arjuna, the intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa. Personally, he was very humble and meek, but he expressed his gladness that Lord Kṛṣṇa was very kind to the sons of Pāṇḍu, or his grandfathers, especially his own grandfather Arjuna. And because Lord Kṛṣṇa is always pleased with His family, therefore at the verge of Mahārāja Parīkṣit's death, Śukadeva Gosvāmī was sent to help him in the process of self-realization."

Prabhupāda: This is confirming the statement of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Two things required, Guru and Kṛṣṇa, to advance in the spiritual realization or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So here it is, Kṛṣṇa is pleased in the family of the Pāṇḍavas. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was going to die. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was grandson of Arjuna, and he was also a devotee. So therefore by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, a bona fide spiritual master is sent to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Guru-Kṛṣṇa. When one is sincere, then Kṛṣṇa is sitting within everyone. As soon as He sees that "Here is a sincere soul. He's seeking after Me," so He manifests Himself out externally as spiritual master. The spiritual master is therefore representative of Kṛṣṇa. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Two things. Without being representative of Kṛṣṇa, nobody can become spiritual master. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana. Without being empowered by Kṛṣṇa, nobody can preach, nobody can become a spiritual master.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

So this is the prescription given by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, "If you want to become without any fear..." Because the material life means we are all full of fearfulness. And therefore Kṛṣṇa, the supreme father of everyone, of all living entities, in all forms, sarvātmā, He says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I am the seed-giving father of all these living entities." Just like father impregnates the mother by giving the seed, similarly, this material world, material nature, is our... This body is also material. Similarly, this huge material cosmic manifestation is supposed to be the mother, and the father is God, or Kṛṣṇa, who impregnates this seed of the living entities, and therefore, when there is creation, they come out as children of this material world. Just like a woman is pregnant and the child comes out, similarly, this material world is impregnated by the seed-giving father. So that is a different article from this matter. Otherwise, why a woman does not become pregnant automatically? Why? Can anyone answer? Why the seed-giving father is necessary? Let women produce children automatically. No, that is not possible.

Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

Later on, one atheist, he also assumed the name of Kapila and discussed sāṅkhya-yoga. That is materialistic analysis. The sāṅkhya-yoga system of philosophy is very much liked in Europe and Western countries because it is a system of metaphysics, analyzing the whole cosmic manifestation. There are twenty-four tattvas. Just like these five tattvas, elements, material: earth, water, air, fire, ether. Then ten senses: five senses for acquiring knowledge and five senses for enjoying. And the five, five, ten. And five elements, fifteen. Then five principles of enjoyment. They are called talk, touching, smelling, like that. Anyway, there are twenty-four elements, and mind, intelligence, ego, and the principal, soul. In this way there are twenty-four elements. The sāṅkhya yogis, they very much analyze this study. They are of the opinion that besides these twenty-four elements, there is nothing more. No. There is. The twenty-four elements, one who is combining and annihilating, that is the Supreme Lord, pradhāna, Viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Los Angeles, June 16, 1972:

Because material and spiritual, they are two energies only, but they are energy of Kṛṣṇa. So for Kṛṣṇa, there is no such distinction, material or spiritual. He can convert the material into spiritual and the spiritual into material because He is the original source of these two energies. He is the original source. The same example: just like an expert electrician, he can convert the heater into cooler and the cooler into heater, although they are two opposites. Because he knows how to utilize the electrical energy. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says that "These material elements, they are also My energy. And the spiritual energy, the jīva-bhūtas, they are also My energy." And the whole cosmic manifestation is combination of this material and spiritual energy. Therefore ... But Kṛṣṇa is Absolute.

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

Then immediately, Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced him, that "You are... Your reading of Bhagavad-gītā is perfect. Because you have understood the essence of the Bhagavad-gītā." The scholars, they will say... When Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), the scholars will say "It is not to Kṛṣṇa the person, it is to the impersonal Brahman which is within Kṛṣṇa." They cannot conceive that the Supreme Absolute Truth can become a person. They cannot conceive. Such a huge cosmic manifestation is created by a person like us, resembling like us, two hands, two legs—their poor brain cannot accommodate. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā. Mūḍhāḥ. "Fools and rascals," avajānanti, "deride at Me, thinking Me as ordinary man." Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ, "He does not know what is the transcendental potency behind Me."

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

The most important devas are Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. Creation, in the beginning of creation, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. From Viṣṇu, Brahmā is born; from Brahmā, Lord Śiva is born. And they take charge of the three modes of material nature. Brahmā... Viṣṇu takes the charge of sattva-guṇa, and the Lord Brahmā takes the charge of rajo-guṇa, and Lord Śiva takes the charge of tamo-guṇa. But in the creation, before the creation, when there was no Brahmā, no Śiva, there was Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). 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).

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

Just like this microphone. It is made of metal. But what is metal? It is another form of earth. So Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). It is His energy. So His energy... He is the source of energy. So energy, how it can be untrue? That is not untrue. We don't say that "This metal has no connection with Kṛṣṇa." Yes, it has connection. Because it is production of His own energy. So... Just like this material world, this cosmic manifestation, is the production of the sunshine. The sun and the sunshine—you cannot say the sunshine is false and the sun is true. That is not nice philosophy. If the sun is true, then the sunshine is also true. So we don't say that this jagan mithyā. No. It may be temporary, but it is not mithyā. Therefore our Gosvāmīs, they instruct, or Kṛṣṇa also instructs that everything belongs to Him. Therefore everything should be utilized for His purpose. That is wanted.

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

So there is the Supreme Person, Bhagavān. Originally, the... It is very common sense. Just like we require a leader. To organize some business, some nationality, any group of organization, it requires a leader. Without leader, you cannot organize anything. Nobody has got any such experience that without direction, without leader, anything has sprung up automatically, by nature. The foolish philosophers say like that, that the whole cosmic manifestation has come out of a chunk. They say like that. The rascals say like that: "There was a chunk." And wherefrom this chunk came? No, that is not fact. Fact is that there must be a good brain behind all this organization. This cosmic manifestation, there must be a leader. That is the information we get from Vedas. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Nitya, we living entities, we are nitya. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We do not die. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. Neither we take birth or we die. We simply change the body. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). As old garments, old shirts and coats, we change, similarly, when this body becomes old enough, not to be used, we change to another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). This is real knowledge.

Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:

So these are needed. So anyway, even if you go to the Brahmaloka, that is not also perfection. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). There is no benefit. Because there also the four principles of miserable condition, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), they are there, even in the Brahmaloka. Brahmā also dies. Brahmā also takes birth. You know it. Brahmā, he also took birth from the lotus flower generated from the navel of Viṣṇu. So there was birth. And when Brahmā will die, whole material cosmic manifestation will be finished. So he has also birth and death and old age and disease. And the small ant or insect, it has also the same disease, old age, birth and death. So one has to become free from this bondage, because we are eternal. Na jāyate na mriyate. Bhagavad-gītā says. The living entity never takes birth, never dies.

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

"How long I shall go on speaking about Myself? Simply summarize." What is that? "Now, simply by one part of My opulence is maintaining the whole cosmic manifestation." Ekāṁśena sthito jagat: "Only one little portion of My opulence. You just understand. Otherwise how much?"

So a little of... There are innumerable universes. Athavā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna, ekāṁśena sthito jagat. Jagat means this universe. There is not one universe. We are only seeing one universe. There are millions of universes. All together that is called jagat. Gacchati iti jagat. So ekāṁśena sthitaḥ. This is also confirmed in many other Vedic literatures.

Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:

There are many creations. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Just like this body: it is created, everyone knows. It is created by the father and mother. And it will be annihilated in due course of time by nature's way. Similarly, anything material... This whole universe, cosmic manifestation, is also created. This is a bigger body, that's all, virāṭ body. And it stays for millions and millions of years during the lifetime of Brahmā. We have got information, Brahmā's one day: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). We cannot calculate even one Brahmā's day. Such one day means daytime, twelve hours; then night, twelve hours. In this one day, such month, such year, such hundred years, Brahmā lives. So this cosmic manifestation, brahmāṇḍa, universe, will stay up to that time. So there is no difference in the manipulation with this body and the Brahmā. It is the same principle. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). So this is saṁsṛtiḥ, anādi-bahirmukha.

Lecture on SB 3.26.10 -- Bombay, December 22, 1974:

There is another bhāva, or nature. Bhāva, svabhāva, or nature—the same word. So that is sanātana. When everything will be annihilated in this material world... Because material world... Anything in this material world, it will be annihilated at a certain stage. Just like my body will be annihilated. Anything. This table will be annihilated. This microphone will be annihilated. Anything will be annihilated. But there, the same things are there, but they are eternal and spiritual. They are eternal; they are never to be... Even after annihilation of this whole cosmic manifestation, the spiritual varieties will not be annihilated. This information we get from Bhagavad-gītā and other Vedic literature.

Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:

So saṅkhyāta, saṅkhyāyati iti sāṅkhya. This is Sāṅkhya philosophy, to know analytical study of the whole cosmic manifestation. That is called Sāṅkhya philosophy. It is physical. And the kāla is via media. And then the soul and the Supersoul. So if we understand thoroughly this analytical study of the whole thing, then we know Sāṅkhya philosophy, saṅkhyāta, Sāṅkhya, in its numerical count.

So twenty-four elements we have discussed yesterday: the five gross elements, and the five sense objects, and five knowledge gathering senses, and five working senses—twenty—and four internal senses—twenty-four—and then again, all under the control of time, the fifth, or twenty-fifth. And above these there is the soul and Supersoul. That is spiritual. These are all material, analytical study of the material composition of this cosmic manifestation. This is called Sāṅkhya philosophy.

Lecture on SB 3.26.17 -- Bombay, December 26, 1974:

So this zero, void philosophy, when one becomes very much disgusted, they want to make it zero, finish everything. So this nirviśeṣa or zero is undeveloped stage. Just like a girl, unmarried girl, is undeveloped stage. But when she comes in contact with a puruṣa, then she develops with so many children. So that beginning of motherly life is called time. The time is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Puruṣa. Now, prakṛti herself cannot produce anything. This material manifestation which we see, so beautiful cosmic manifestation, that is not alone by the prakṛti, as the materialistic scientists think, that "There was a chunk, and there became manifested." These are foolish theories. Real is that in contact... Sa aikṣata. That is the Vedic information. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead glanced over the prakṛti, mahat-tattva, then the three guṇas agitated, and she begins to give birth in so many varieties of the twenty-four elements.

Lecture on SB 3.26.17 -- Bombay, December 26, 1974:

So you should not be misled that prakṛti itself has given so varieties of manifestation, cosmic manifestation. That is not possible. You have to accept the puruṣa theory by your practical experience, that without puruṣa, no prakṛti can give birth anything. Similarly, these varieties of manifestation in the world, in the material world, it is due to the combination of prakṛti and puruṣa.

So the atheistic philosopher, they think that this combination of prakṛti and puruṣa is without any aim, without any idea, just like a man and woman meets and they may have sex. There was no idea, but they have sex. They give this example. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, Sixteenth Chapter. There is no aim, and that puruṣa becomes subdued by the prakṛti, and the manifestation comes. But this Kapiladeva, you will find, and we Vaiṣṇava philosophers, we do not admit this, that "without any aim." There is aim. Why Kṛṣṇa says that this material world, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19)? Bhūtvā bhūtvā. There is aim. The manifestation of prakṛti, cosmic manifestation, is there to give the living entities another chance for liberation. One chance is given. Just like we have got. Śrī Prakṛti is now manifested, and we are living entities. We are here, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ (BG 14.4), in many varieties. So what is the aim? The aim is God realization. By evolutionary process, gradually, we come to the human form of life. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva jīva-jātiṣu, jīva-jāti. Jīva, under different species of life, they are evolving.

Lecture on SB 3.26.17 -- Bombay, December 26, 1974:

So this civilized nation should take advantage of this Vedic literature. The Kardama Muni is teaching Sāṅkhya philosophy, Kṛṣṇa is teaching Bhagavad-gītā, and if we do not take advantage of these thing, then again we are in the oblivion. Again this cosmic manifestation will be annihilated, and we will remain in slumbering state for many millions and millions of years. Again there will be creation: bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). This is the mode of creation. So we should take advantage of this Vedic literature. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One, everyone, should approach the bona fide spiritual master and take lessons from the Vedic literature. Then this life will be successful. We are rotting in this material world. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Getting one short type of body, live there for some time, again it is annihilated, again another body. And we do not know what kind of body. That will depend on our karma. So... But you have to accept. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13).

Lecture on SB 3.26.18 -- Bombay, December 27, 1974:

"You just try to understand My potency in this way, that the whole material creation, cosmic manifestation, innumerable universes..." What are these universes? Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). In each and every universe there is a prime lord or the creator, Lord Brahmā. So there are innumerable universes, and there are innumerable Lord Brahmā, innumerable Lord Śivas, everything innumerable. So yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). And these innumerable universes are coming out from the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu. That Mahā-Viṣṇu is partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.20 -- Bombay, December 29, 1974:

Nitāi: "Thus, after manifesting variegatedness, the effulgent mahat-tattva, which contains all the universes within itself, which is the root of all cosmic manifestations and which is not destroyed at the time of annihilation, swallows up the darkness that covered the effulgence at the time of dissolution."

Prabhupāda:

viśvam ātma-gataṁ vyañjan

kūṭa-stho jagad-aṅkuraḥ

sva-tejasāpibat tīvram

ātma-prasvāpanaṁ tamaḥ

(SB 3.26.20)

Viśvam ātma-gatam. This body, everyone's body, is also a small universe. Whatever the arrangement is there in this body, the similar arrangement is there in the whole universe. The principle is the same. The same arrangement is within the seed of a banyan tree. We have got practical experience that a small seed of banyan tree, very small, but the potency within the seed is there, a big tree.

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

There is spiritual world. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ: (BG 8.20) "There is another bhāva, nature." What is the nature? Sarveṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati: "When the material world, this cosmic manifestation, the phenomenal world, will be finished, that will stay. That will not be finished." There are many example. Just like mirage in the desert. Sometimes you see there is vast mass of water in the desert. The animal runs after the water, being thirsty, but there is no water. Therefore the animal dies. But human being should not be like the animal. They should raise their standard. They have got special consciousness. They can raise their standard of understanding by these literatures, Vedic literatures given by God. Vyāsadeva is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, so he has given us the Vedic literature. Therefore his name is Vedavyāsa, incarnation of God, Vedavyāsa. Mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā paraiḥ. There is no need of speculating. Just follow Vyāsadeva in the disciplic succession. Vyāsadeva's disciple is Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni's disciple is Vyāsadeva. So in this paramparā system: if we receive knowledge, then that is perfect knowledge. So we have to accept it. Niścayātmikā.

Lecture on SB 3.26.32 -- Bombay, January 9, 1975:

So originally everything is coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, simplifying the matter and informing us—"You fools, you try to understand." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin." And Vedānta-sūtra says that janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). "Janma ādi, from whom, that is Brahman." That is Kṛṣṇa. Janma, this janma or the creation of this material cosmic manifestation, phenomenal world, who is the cause of janma? The cause is Kṛṣṇa. Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Then He is the cause of Brahmā, devānām, Śiva. Padma-palāśa-locana, padma, padma-nābha. Therefore Viṣṇu's another name is Padmanābha. Padmanābha, He causes the lotus flower from His navel, and there is Brahmā. And then Brahmā creates whole universe. The original creator is bhagavad-vīrya-coditāt, not this material. The material, there was no existence of the material. The materials are created by the Supreme Living Being. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is to be understood. So the modern theory that the phenomenal world or this cosmic manifestation is due to chemical combination... They have written books, Chemical Evolution. The same example, that a solution of soda bicarb and solution of citric acid, mixed together, there is effervescence. But who is mixing? The mixture is bhagavad-vīrya-coditāt. This is to be understood.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

So God has innumerable expansions. By His one expansion, eko 'py asau racayitum, one expansion, Mahā-Viṣṇu, is responsible for the cosmic manifestation. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭim (Bs. 5.35). Innumerable universes. The universe which we see generally, up to the sky cover, a round sky, this is only one universe. And there are innumerable universes. Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Koṭi means one hundred thousand multiplied by another hundred. So innumerable. And all the jagad-aṇḍas, or brahmāṇḍas, or universes, taken together is called the material world. The material world does not mean this tiny planet. This tiny planet on which we are living, it is very, very insignificant. There are millions of planets within, and it is one out of many. So similarly, there are this universe, and millions of universes also. So within all the universes, all these planets, there are living entities. We cannot understand why there is no living entity on the moon planet. According to our Vedic literature, the moon planet is one of the heavenly planets. So there is description that every planet has various types of living entities. Even in the sun planet there are living entities.

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

So Ṛṣabhadeva said that "I have got My body," idaṁ śarīram, when He appears to solve our problem, whether God is personal or impersonal. Impersonal is there, there is no doubt, but what is that impersonal? Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4). That is impersonal. No, He's Māyā: "By Me." That means His energy. His energy is distributed throughout the whole creation, cosmic manifestation. But He is still there. Māyā. Unless He is there Not that because He is spread everywhere—vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19)—it does not mean He is finished. That is material understanding. In the materially, if you take a piece of paper and make it a small pieces and throw it, then the original paper is no longer existing. That is material conception. But spiritual conception? Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). That is spiritual idea. If you take cent percent God from God, still He is cent percent. That is pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate. Īśāvāsyam idam. So Kṛṣṇa says that māyā, "In My another feature, Vasudeva feature," mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Everything is God, but everything is not God. That is explained by God.

Lecture on SB 6.1.38 -- Los Angeles, June 4, 1976:

This material world is like that. It is not permanent. Everyone got such experience. Your body, it has a beginning at a certain date from your father and mother. It stays for some time, it develops, it gives some by-products, then it becomes old and you finish. This is material body. Everybody knows it. Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation, what you are seeing, so big things—it may be very big thing, but the process is the same. Either you take the body of an ant or you take the body of Brahmājī or... The process, the same rules and regulations. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). There is no change. So that is God. God is producing by His exhaling, inhaling, so many universes. Why should you take such a cheap God? As soon as the God has got some toothache, he goes to the dentist. And he's God! Don't take such cheap Gods. We don't take them. At least, we Kṛṣṇa conscious persons.

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

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning also, it is described, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1), abhijñaḥ. Now, God created this world. Everyone knows, those who are religious, either Hindu, Muslim, Christian, that God has created. Now, creation means He must be very expert. You do not see that this cosmic manifestation, the earth, water, air, fire, so nicely arranged, and they are being mixed up and so many other things are happening. Everything is perfectly, perfectly being done. So this perfect knowledge, how Kṛṣṇa or God received? Wherefrom He got this perfect knowledge? That is the difference between our knowledge and Kṛṣṇa's knowledge, God's knowledge. That is called abhijña: He knows everything perfectly, without going to anyone else. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport).

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

So here the Yamadūtas says that dharma means what is spoken or directed in the Vedas. And what is Veda? Veda nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt. Veda means God Himself. Just like... We can understand very easily. Just like the king and the king's law. What king has said, that this should be done like this, keep to the right, king or government, whatever it may be, authority... So that is Veda. What is... Just like the law means what the government says. You cannot manufacture law. Similarly, veda nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt. What Nārāyaṇa says, that is Veda. There is no other authority. And one who follows the Nārāyaṇa, he is also authority. Śaṅkarācārya says, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa is transcendental. He's not anybody of this material world. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Avyaktāt anasambhavaḥ. Avyakta. The cosmic manifestation, this is called vyakta, and when it is not manifested, it is called avyakta. Just like a house is manifestation of the five elements: earth, water, air, fire. So earth, water is there already, but that is not manifested as the house. But the same combination, it becomes a house, big skyscraper building. This is difference between vyakta and avyakta. Avyakta means the whole material energy, when it is not manifested, that is called avyakta; and when it is manifested it is called vyakta. Nārāyaṇa paro 'vyaktāt. That means Nārāyaṇa is not of this material world. God is nothing of this material world. He's transcendental. Para, nārāyaṇa paro 'vyaktāt. Para means superior, transcendental.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

Therefore by sense perception, by so-called mental speculation, whatever he creates, that is defective. That is not perfect knowledge. Perfect knowledge is there, Veda, because Vedas existed before the creation. And whatever there is within the creation, they're imperfect. Therefore it is clearly said that vedo nārāyaṇa sākṣāt. As Nārāyaṇa is beyond this created, manifested cosmic manifestation, similarly Vedas also are like that. Don't think it is written by... It is called therefore apauruṣeya. Apauruṣeya means it is not written by any mundane creature. Brahma, he is the supreme creature within... No. It is said that he is not created. Tene brahma hṛdā ya, hṛdā ya ādi kavaye. He was instructed the Vedic lessons by Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa. He did not manufacture it.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41 -- Los Angeles, June 7, 1976:

Devotee: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "The supreme cause of all causes, Nārāyaṇa, is situated in His own abode in the spiritual world, but nevertheless He controls the entire cosmic manifestation according to the three modes of material nature—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. In this way all living entities are awarded different qualities, different names such as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya and vaiśya, different duties according to the varṇāśrama institution, and different forms. Thus Nārāyaṇa is the cause of the entire cosmic manifestation."

Prabhupāda:

yena sva-dhāmny amī bhāvā

rajaḥ-sattva-tamomayāḥ

guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair

vibhāvyante yathā-tatham

(SB 6.1.41)

So supreme controller is Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also explains... Here in the śāstra, we understand that Nārāyaṇa is the supreme controller. In many other places the same thing is explained.

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

These desires are also being generated from the soul, but by the infection of three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So just try to understand how the nature's law is working very finely and immediately. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). And above all these things, the nature's working, there is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). The prakṛti, nature... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is being done. Just like the big airship is floating in the sky, but the pilot is pushing the button, similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation is working, but the button-pusher is Kṛṣṇa. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate. His knowledge is so perfect, and He has made this machine so perfect. A man can make so nice perfect machine, so what to speak about God? So mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).

Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:

So, before claiming oneself as the Supreme, one should consider how he is the Supreme. There are different controllers. And the supreme controller, as is explained by Yamarāja, is one who creates this cosmic manifestation, maintains, and again annihilates. He is the supreme cont... And this is confirmed by Bhagavad-gītā, that this prakṛti, or the nature, is not working independently. The scientists take it, a platform, that the nature is doing out of its own accord. That is not a very scientific proposal. Anyone knows that nothing takes place automatically unless one living force adjusts the materials. The house does not come automatically, although the ingredients are there. It has to be handled by a living entity, and then the house is appearing as one of the product of this material world. Similarly, we have to consider that this big cosmic manifestation is not creation of blunt material energy. No. That is not possible. There must be. How one can deny God? There is no possibility of denying God.

So Yamarāja is explaining that "He is above me, the supreme controller, and He is the..., He is such controller that He creates, He maintains, and He annihilates also." We become so much harassed even for creating a family and maintaining them. We have become so much harassed. And foolishly we claim that we are the Supreme Personality of Godhead who creates the whole cosmic manifestation. And Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, the directors of creation department, maintenance department, and annihilation department... Annihilation also required. That annihilation is one of the business of Kṛṣṇa, or God, for this material world. Not in the spiritual world. There is no annihilation.

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

"This whole material manifestation, cosmic manifestation, is maintained by one of My plenary portion, Paramātmā." That is also confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi

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

aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.35)

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971:

That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: Daivī hy eṣa guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). It is not possible to overcome the stringent laws of material nature. It is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā: "It is My energy. I am controlling." Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: (BG 7.14) "But if somebody surrenders unto Me..." The whole process, whole material activities, the cosmic manifestation, situation, is going on just to bring these rebelled souls to come back to Godhead. That is the situation. The māyā, the stringent laws, are there. Just like what is the purpose of this police force or material force or military force? The purpose is to keep the citizens obedient to the state. That is the purpose. So long... At any time, if a citizen becomes disobedient to the state laws, he is immediately put into the police custody. And if he is more powerful, then under military custody. Similarly, anyone who has rebelled against the superiority of God, he is put into the stringent laws of material nature and he is suffering. That is the position. Therefore his self-interest is to seek out the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrender unto Him. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That will make you happy. Otherwise, if you simply try to adjust material things and become happy, that is not possible. This is the explanation of Prahlāda Mahārāja.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1968:

Just like the sun. Sun is localized. You can see every day. Sun globe is located at a certain place in the outer space, but the sunshine is all-pervading. Sun is present everywhere by his all-pervasive sunshine. Similarly, Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is in His abode which is called Viṣṇuloka, or the kingdom of God, or Kṛṣṇaloka, whatever you may understand. He has got His particular abode. But at the same time, by His different energies, He is all-pervading. There is another example of this all-pervasiveness of God in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa that "Just like fire is located in one place, but its light and heat is distributed long, long distant, similarly, whatever we see within this cosmic manifestation, that is diffusion of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Now at the present moment in a godless civilization, if some great scientist proves... Just like Professor Einstein, he also said that as we are making advance in science we find that there is a big brain behind this cosmic manifestation. That is acceptance of God. What is that big brain? That big brain is God. The Vedānta-sūtra says janmady asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Just like when you see a wonderful bridge or wonderful engineering work, you must think that there is a brain behind it. This nice construction, there is a brain behind it. Similarly, those who are sane men, they'll see that with this cosmic, in this cosmic manifestation, so wonderfully working. The sun is rising in due time, the moon is rising in due time, the seasons are being changed in due course, the rain is there, the produce is there, the fruit is there, everything is nicely arranged. So don't you think that there is a brain behind it? Must be. The Bhagavad-gītā says mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Don't think that this material nature is working automatically or independently. There is a brain behind it.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Just like there is affection, attraction. This gentleman, my friend, who was begging from the doctor, "Doctor, another four years duration of life." Why? He has got so much attachment. So once we are attached to this material way of life it is very difficult. It is very difficult. So brahmacārī is trained that this cosmic manifestation in which we are put by chance, this is temporary. Everything will be finished today or tomorrow or after a hundred years. But just try to understand that you are eternal. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Na jāyate na mriyate kadācit. You have no death, you have no birth. Your, the birth and death is due to this body. That's all. Just like I told you, death means sleeping for seven months, again rise up. Suptotthito nyāya. Just like in the morning, while sleeping, you forget everything, but as soon as you get up from the bed you remember everything, "Oh, I have to do this, I have to go there, I have to do this." So many things you remember. Similarly, as soon as we get our again consciousness in next body, then our another batch of duty begins according to the body.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

They are thinking in that way, that "I require instrument. Kṛṣṇa requires the hammer and the saw to manufacture this comic manifestation." I am thinking in that way. Therefore I cannot believe it, how the cause of this cosmic manifestation can be a person. They are thinking imperson. Impersonal bigness, they think it is very important. Actually, it has no value. Background is person. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭha: "The impersonal Brahman, I am the cause. I am the source of impersonal Brahman."

So these things cannot be understood by ordinary brain. It requires a different brain. That brain is created by devotional service, these finer tissues. Just like those who are dull materialists, their brain is congested with so much rubbish thing, they cannot understand that it is through the bodily effulgence of the Lord the potential manifestation is this cosmic manifestation. They will think that like Dr. Frog, "If it is created by God, where He got so much ingredient, so much instrument, that He created?" Yes. But God's creation is not like that.

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

And the Brahma lives only during the exhaling and inhaling time, that's all. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ, viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kāla-viśeṣo (Bs. 5.48). This Mahā-Viṣṇu is portion of the portion of Kṛṣṇa's expansion. Just like Kṛṣṇa says... This Mahā-Viṣṇu and Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. When Kṛṣṇa... When Arjuna was asking Kṛṣṇa about His vibhūti, about His power. So He summarized, athavā bahunaitena kim jñātena tavārjuna, "How much I shall explain about My power and energy?" Vistabhya aham ekamsena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Aham, "I enter in one of My plenary portion, that is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, I maintain the whole material cosmic manifestation." Ekāṁśena sthito jagat.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

So this is the process. God not dead. God cannot be dead. This is all foolishness. God is there. How you can conceive, how you can perceive that God is not dead? There is sufficient symptom that God is not dead. Just like your body. If you are breathing, if your bodily functions are working nice, if there is blood, and if you are feeling, thinking, willing nicely, will the doctor say that you are dead? No. He will say, "No. All the symptoms of life are present there, so he is not dead. He is alive." Similarly, if you have got that talent to test how God is alive, that is very simple. The whole cosmic manifestation, the whole gigantic body of God is working so nicely. The sun is rising in time, the moon is rising in time, the seasonal changes are taking place in time, the planets are moving. Everything is in order. How you can say that God is dead? What is your reason? No. God is not dead. God is alive, and you can meet also God because He is a person and you are a person. Just like here, if you try, you can meet the greatest personality of this material world, say, the president. It is not difficult. You have to simply arrange your meeting. Similarly, you can meet God face to face, just we are meeting here face to face. Simply you have to make arrangement. That's all.

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

We can understand that God created this cosmic manifestation. But in the paper we read the other day that the scientific men believe that there was a chunk in the beginning, and all of a sudden it burst out and the planets came out. (break) So anyone can understand that God is all-powerful. He can create. But the scientist says that "There was a chunk, and creation took place from the chunk." Just see. When you say that God created, one can understand that God is... If a man can create such nice things, skyscraper buildings, very complicated bridge, engineering work, so God is great, He may have greater brain, so He has created this cosmic manifestation. There is a, I mean to say, standard to believe. But how the scientists believe that there was a chunk? And what is the explanation? I cannot understand. From the chunk everything come out. And who made the chunk? The next question should be that "Wherefrom this chunk came?" There is no answer. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says that all these material qualification cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "All these natural rules and regulations, they are being conducted under My superintendence." It is foolishness to understand that there is no director or no supreme controller or superintendent in these affairs. This is scanty explanation, that "Nature is doing." No. Nature cannot do. Nature is dull. Nothing can move without spiritual touch. Matter is dull. A stone, however great it may be, without touch of a spiritual individual soul, the stone cannot move. So similarly, the whole gigantic material cosmic manifestation is being moved by the spiritual touch, and there are different departments, and they are called vidhi-karāḥ. Vidhi means regulative, and karāḥ means the performers. So he says, sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno brahmādayo. And he specifically mentions now, brahmādayo, headed by Lord Brahmā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.18 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1976:

That's not possible. But if you take the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam... Anyone who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa... What is that lotus feet? Mahat-padam. It is... It is the shelter of the whole material creation, Mahat-tattva. Mahat-tattva. From mahat-tattva, the total material energy... That is called mahat-tattva. From mahat-tattva the whole cosmic manifestation has come. Therefore the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa means there is also mahat-tattva, many, many mahat-tattva. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Murāri. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Murāri. Puṇya-yaśaḥ, always... Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Then this... Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padam. This great ocean of nescience becomes a small spot of water as it is made by the footprint of the calves, vatsa-padam.

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Hamburg, September 7, 1969, (with German Translator):

So if you study yourself, that "I am spirit soul and this body is external expansion only," then you can understand that within this external expansion of cosmic manifestation there is the Supersoul. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). The Lord says that "By My one portion I enter into this cosmic manifestation and thus I maintain it." Similarly, as we are maintaining this body by entering into this body, similarly God is maintaining this cosmic manifestation by entering into it. Therefore we are qualitatively one. As I enter into this material body and expand it and maintain it, similarly the Supersoul enters into this cosmic manifestation and maintains it and develops it. (disturbance in the background) (aside:) That's all right. Don't disturb. So as you have got consciousness, a small consciousness or limited consciousness, similarly the Supersoul has got unlimited consciousness.

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Translation: "My dear Lord, You alone manifest Yourself as the entire cosmic manifestation because before the creation of this cosmic manifestation You were existing, and You exist also after the annihilation. Therefore, between the beginning and the end, You are the maintainer. All these things are being done by Your external energy through the action and reaction of the three modes of material nature. Therefore the conclusion is that whatever is existing, it is You only, externally and internally."

Prabhupāda:

ekas tvam eva jagad etam amuṣya yat tvam

ādy-antayoḥ pṛthag avasyasi madhyataś ca

sṛṣṭvā guṇa-vyatikaraṁ nija-māyayedaṁ

nāneva tair avasitas tad anupraviṣṭaḥ

(SB 7.9.30)

Very interesting. This is realization of God. There is difference, varieties; at the same time they're one, unity in variety. So in the Brahma-saṁhitā also it is stated, eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. There are many millions of universes, jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means this universe, and koṭi means millions. Don't think this is the only universe. There are many millions' universes. In God creation there is no limitation.

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

Still, even a man or even a demigod... Just like demigod Indra: he's managing the affairs of rains, how to collect the clouds, how to disperse them, how... And there are management, so many managements. But all these managements are going on on the supreme management, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He says in the Bhagavad-gītā that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). This is to be understood. That one Supreme Person, He is managing everything. The material and spiritual world, everything is being managed by Him. That is God. God is not so cheap. This is God.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, Vaiṣṇava, he understands that "You are the only origin of everything." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Ekas tvam eva jagat. The cosmic manifestation is changing, but the real cause is ekas tvam eva: "My Lord, You are the..." Ekas tvam eva jagad etat amuṣya yat tvam: "The cause and effect both You are, the cause and effect." There is no different cause. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on SB 7.9.31 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1976:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Lordship, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the whole cosmic creation is caused by You, and the cosmic manifestation is the effect of Your energy. Although the whole cosmic creation is Yourself, still, You keep Yourself aloof from it. The conception of 'my' and 'yours' is certainly a kind of illusion, māyā. Because everything is emanating from You, it is not different from You. The manifestation is also not different from You, and the annihilation is also caused by You. In this connection, the example is of the seed and the tree, or the subtle cause and the gross manifestation."

Prabhupāda:

tvaṁ vā idaṁ sad-asad īśa bhavāṁs tato 'nyo

māyā yad ātma-para-buddhir iyaṁ hy apārthā

yad yasya janma nidhanaṁ sthitir īkṣaṇaṁ ca

tad vaitad eva vasukālavad aṣṭi-tarvoḥ

(SB 7.9.31)

Cause and effect, sad-asad. One disappears, the cause appears, disappears, and the effect comes into being. The very good example is given here, aṣṭi-tarvoḥ. Aṣṭi means seed, and the... From the aṣṭi, from the seed, a big banyan tree comes out. At that time the aṣṭi, the seed, disappears.

Lecture on SB 7.9.33 -- Mayapur, March 11, 1976:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "This cosmic manifestation, the material world, is also Your body. By Your potential energy known as kāla-śakti, this total lump of matter is agitated, and thus three modes of material nature are manifested. In this way You become awakened from the bed of Ananta-Śeṣa, and from Your navel a small transcendental seed is generated, from which the gigantic universe becomes manifest. Exactly like the small seed of banyan tree, the lotus flower of the cosmic manifestation is grown up."

Prabhupāda: These verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are Vedic mantras. They're not ordinary wording, set of wording. It is not. Veda-mantra, saṁhitā. So every one of you must try to chant. This is required. Each verse of Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are Vedic mantras, veda-mantra. So simply by chanting them we become purified. So every one of you... There is diacritic marks, literation, transliteration, so everyone should try to chant the mantra. That is very beneficial. That is kīrtana. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya (SB 12.3.51). Everything is being chanted in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, with reference to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.33 -- Mayapur, March 11, 1976:

The secret, the people, they do not know. They... But Prahlāda Mahārāja knows. Ambhasi. This is the beginning of creation, ambhasi. Ambhasy ananta-śayanāt. Anantadeva... Ananta faces, there are. On that Ananta-naga, the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is lying on. So from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu there is a lotus flower, and... Vaṭavat-mahābjam. So, so there is Brahmā, and Brahmā created other thing. So it is just like the... In previous verse it has been explained, "Just like the seed of the fruit of the tree." Seed is the cause of the tree, and tree is the cause of the seed. In this way the whole material cosmic manifestation is there, and vapur idaṁ tava te. So everything of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava's, I mean to say, conception is that everything at least Kṛṣṇa's, so everything should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's benefit. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not "my benefit." "I also belong to Kṛṣṇa, so I must be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's benefit." So in this way, if we develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we'll be benefited.

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

Puṣṭa-Kṛṣṇa: "...authorized Vedic knowledge one can see the cause and effect of the cosmic manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because the cosmic manifestation is also His energy. Both of them are different energies of the Lord and nothing else. The wise man can see how the fire is spread within the wood by consideration of cause and effect. Similarly, persons engaged in devotional service understand, O my Lord, how You are both the cause and effect."

Prabhupāda:

rūpe ime sad-asatī tava veda-sṛṣṭe

bījāṅkurāv iva na cānyad arūpakasya

yuktāḥ samakṣam ubhayatra vicinate tvam...

In this book it is vicinate. I think that other book, vicikṣate?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Vicakṣate? And in the other book it says.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It doesn't make any difference.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Yes. One who knows this tree, he knows the Vedas. That means the Vedas says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). That is the Vedānta-sūtra. Wherefrom this material world is coming? That is Absolute Truth. The atheist class men, they cannot think that there is a cause. In the Sixteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā: jagad āhur anīśvara. Jagad āhur anīśvara. What is that? Find out. Sixteenth Chapter. They say that this material cosmic manifestation, manifestation, this world is... Uh? Uh?

Pradyumna: Could we have the verse again?

Devotee: Jagad ahur anīśvaram (BG 16.8).

Prabhupāda: No, that is the last word. You find out, Sixteenth Chapter.

Pradyumna: Tasmāc chāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. In the beginning. Beginning, read, Sixteenth Chapter.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

This is their first proposition. There is zero, asatyam. (pause) I, I... Asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te. They, they do not find out that there is a cause of this material manifestation. Without any cause. The materialistic scientists say, "There was a chunk, and..." What is that? Chunk theory? Come on. So that all of a sudden the chunk became disturbed and there was... And the creation came into existence. So jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). "There is no God. There is no existence of God." Every religion says... The Christian religion also says, the Muhammadan religion says, the Hindu religion says that God created this cosmic manifestation or this material world. But the asuras will say, "There is no God. There is no creator."

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

So we are given chance when there is creation, another cosmic manifestation. We are given chance. Now, you take another chance. Come back home, back, go back to home, back to Godhead. But we misuse this chance. On account of our ignorance, we misuse this chance, especially this human form of body. Here is a chance. We can go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore the śāstras are there. The Vedas are there. The Upaniṣads are there. Why? To give us information. To awaken us. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibhodata. The Vedas say, "Now you wake up, take advantage." Prāpya varān. "You have got this book. You fulfill your mission. Don't rot in this material world." Kṛṣṇa Himself comes, He..., to recall us. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). But still we cannot understand Him. We say Kṛṣṇa is dark, Kṛṣṇa is unknown. Why Kṛṣṇa is unknown? Kṛṣṇa, He is giving His own identification, and I am authority of explaining Bhagavad-gītā, I say Kṛṣṇa is unknown. Just see the fuss. I am writing comments on Bhagavad-gītā for misleading others, and personally when I'm asked, "What you know?" "That Kṛṣṇa is unknown to me." This is going on.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not material. The Lord has generally three energies, namely, the external energy, the internal energy, and the marginal energy. The living entities are called marginal energy and the material cosmic manifestation is the action of the external or material energy. Then..."

Prabhupāda: So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The Supreme Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, has got innumerable, multi-energies. Out of that, learned scholars, devotees, they have divided the whole energy into three, external, internal, and marginal. So the living entities, they are production of the marginal energy. The living entity is energy, prakṛti. Not the puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. We are all prakṛtis, all living entities. Prakṛti means predominated, and puruṣa means predominator. Just like we see, ordinarily, husband and wife, the husband is predominator and the wife is predominated. Although there is no difference between husband and wife. They are one, divided into two. Similarly, prakṛti and puruṣa, they are one. They are not two.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

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

So actually the original person for material creation, Mahā-Viṣṇu, through the agency of māyā, He has created. Māyayā sṛjaty adaḥ. All this cosmic manifestation is created in that way. Those who are not devotee, they cannot see that over the chunk, total material energy, there is the vision of Mahā-Viṣṇu. That they cannot see. Just like you'll find on the ground, so many flowers and grasses are coming up. How? By the sunrise, the glance of the sun. Where there is no sunshine, there the vegetables do not grow. We have got practical experience. Similar... Therefore the field or the earth is not exploding with the vegetation. It is due to the sunshine. Therefore it is coming out. It is the real cause. Similarly, accepting that chunk, the total material energy, it is agitated by the glance of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Then it explodes and things are coming out. We can accept that in that way, but not that automatically there was explosion. That is not fact. Therefore to the foolish person, the power behind the explosion is not visible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "I am not visible to everyone, they being covered by the curtain of yoga-māyā." Mūḍhāḥ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. Tribhir guṇamayir bhavair mohitaḥ.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.15 -- Dallas, March 4, 1975:

So here, if you take one boat and if you want to cross the Pacific Ocean or Atlantic Ocean, it is very difficult. It may not... The boat may not go up to the end. But if you... Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. If you take shelter of the lotus petal boatlike of... What is that lotus flower? Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Murāri, Murāri means Kṛṣṇa. If you take shelter of the boat of the lotus feet of Murāri... What is that feet? Mahat-padam. Mahat-padam means the whole universal creation, the cosmic manifestation, is also resting there. It is not only a small thing. Mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ: "And who is famous very piously." Then what the result? Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padam. Bhavāmbudhiḥ means the great ocean of material existence. We are struggling here, trying to swim. That becomes vatsa-padam. Vatsa-padam. Vatsa means calf. So you have no experience. In our country, the, in the... The calf walks, and the hoof makes some hole, and there is some water also.

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

There are many multipotencies. Because the original is Absolute Truth, in one sense everyone is in the same absolute platform. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a verse, idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ: "This viśva, the whole cosmic manifestation, is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Just like Kṛṣṇa manifested His universal form. So every part and parcel is Bhagavān, but still, it is different. This is the philosophy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's acintya-bhedābheda: simultaneously one and different, inconceivable. We cannot conceive at the present moment how one thing can be the same, at the same time different; therefore it is called acintya, inconceivable. But bhedābheda... Just like we are—everything—you study. It is acintya-bhedābheda, one and different. Take for example your own body and you, soul. The soul is different from the body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). The dehi, the soul, is within the body. The body is not the soul. So this is different. Soul is different from the body.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.66-76 -- San Francisco, February 6, 1967:

Now, what is the nature of that Brahman? Is it impersonal or personal? Now, Vyāsadeva says, abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. No. "That Supreme Truth is cognizant. He knows." And Bhagavad-gītā also confirms that, vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). The Lord says, "I know everything. I know..." Unless He's cognizant, unless behind this mani..., cosmic manifestation, if there is no brain, if there is no cognizance, how nicely it can be made so regulation, I mean to say, timely, everything is working? The planets are working. Do you think there is no brain behind this? There must be. Therefore Bhāgavata says yes, abhijñaḥ... Abhijñaḥ means He's cognizant; He's not a fool. Therefore He's a person.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.109-114 -- San Francisco, February 20, 1967:

"The whole cosmic manifestation is rolling on under My superintendence." Mayādhyakṣeṇa. "Under My order, under My supervision," prakṛtiḥ, "this, oh, the huge, gigantic material nature, is working under Me," hetunānena, "and, on this account, there is rules and regulations, everything is being done nicely." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Because Brahman, or the Supreme Lord, is the greatest, therefore His body cannot be made of this material nature." Because material nature is created at a certain interval, and who creates? Creates, the Supreme Lord. The creator, therefore, cannot be under the material nature. If I am creator of something, so I cannot be under the, that particular thing which is created. It is logical.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.113-17 -- San Francisco, February 22, 1967:

So His vision, His presence, His activities, they are all spiritual. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: "Anyone who understands the absolute nature of My birth, of My appearance, disappearance and activities," tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), "he becomes immediately liberated." Sa aikṣata. Sa imāḻ lokān asṛjata. This is Aitareya Upaniṣad. What is that? Sa aikṣata. The same thing: "He saw. He put His glance." Sa aikṣata. Sa imāḻ lokān asṛjata: "He has created all this material manifestation, cosmic manifestation." So tad vā īśan vijato tebhya ha prabhur babhūva. In this way, there are so many instances, so many quotations.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110 -- New York, July 17, 1976:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu is going to explain the potency of the Lord—three potencies: spiritual potency and material potency and the marginal potency. How they are acting, throughout the whole cosmic manifestation, beyond that also, that very simple word, everyone can understand. The light is here, the bulb is here, localized, but the illumination is spread. And we can take advantage of the illumination. By the sun's illumination we see practically how trees are growing their leaves, their color. Everything is due to the sunshine, we have got practical experience. Where there is no sunshine, especially in these countries, all the leaves fall down, and as soon as there is sunshine, immediately millions and trillions of leaves come out. Immediately. Not that waiting. Immediately. At least in this way you have to understand how Kṛṣṇa's potency is working. That is the Vedic information, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktir. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110 -- New York, July 17, 1976:

So this whole cosmic manifestation is nothing but expansion of the potency or energy of Kṛṣṇa. This is the conclusion. This expansion of the energy, that is impersonal. Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal: the original source, brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. The sunshine is coming from the sun globe, but the sun globe is more important than the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's personality is more important than His impersonal feature, expansion of His energy. In this way, if we understand, then it is very easy, what is the difference between impersonal and personal understanding of the Absolute Truth.

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

He is the original cause of everything. So he has got... He is working the whole cosmic manifestation is exhibited by His potency. That is described here: viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā (CC Madhya 6.154). That is spiritual potency.

Originally the God's potency, Kṛṣṇa's potency—cit-śakti, sat-cit-ānanda. God is sat, eternal; cit, full of knowledge; and ānandamaya. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). You'll never see Kṛṣṇa nirānandamaya. Even if He is killing a demon, He is smiling. That is also ānanda. So the potencies of God, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu-viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā—they are not these ordinary potencies, material potency. Spiritual potency. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñaḥ (CC Madhya 6.154). Ksetrajña means jīva. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṣetra-kṣetrajñaḥ. The living soul is kṣetrajña, and this body is kṣetra. Kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānam, yad jñānaṁ tad jñānaṁ mataṁ mama.

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

So here is also another statement from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This was spoken by Brahmā to his disciple Nārada. Nārada questioned him that "So far we know, that you are the supreme, but you also sometimes meditate and worship somebody." So in that connection Brahmā explained that "We are not supreme. We are all appointed agents. Supreme is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Viśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpeṇa paripāti triśakti-dhṛk. Viśvam, this cosmic manifestation, is being maintained by His threefold energies. Triśakti-dhṛk. Triśakti means three kinds of energies. When it is materially conceived, the three kinds of energies are the modes of goodness, the modes of passion and the modes of ignorance. And when they are spiritually conceived, the same three kinds of energies are manifested as spiritual potency, material potency and marginal potency. So anyway, the Lord is always full with different kinds of energies, of which these three are main divisions.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.19-31 -- San Francisco, January 20, 1967:

So we should not make progress in the negative way, leaving aside... Just like you do not know what you are. You are studying this body. If I do not find out who is the proprietor of the body, who is sitting in the body so that this body is so nice, fresh, and walking and moving... That you do not find. But you simply... You're studying, what is called? Physiological condition, anatomical condition, and metabolism, this or that. There are so many big, big names. But real, the proprietor of the body... The doctors are sitting, analyzing. But as soon as the soul passes, they cannot explain what happened, what happened to this meta..., I mean to say, anatomy and physiology. They stand fools. So this is going on. The essence of the thing, the essence of the manifestation, cosmic manifestation they have missed. They're simply analyzing the outward cover. That's all. That sort of analysis is compared here as simply beating the bush. That's all. (laughter) It has no value.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 -- New York, July 26, 1971:

Therefore God's body is described here that aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti. Each and every part of the body has got the capacity for other parts of the body. Just like if you want to eat, we have to taste it through the tongue, through the mouth, but Kṛṣṇa, or God, if He simply sees only, He can eat, simply by seeing. This is spiritual body. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti, paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). In another sense, this whole cosmic manifestation is also the body of God; therefore you cannot hide anything from God's vision. In the Brahma..., the same Brahma-saṁhitā, it is said that yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. Savitā. Savitā means the sun, the sun-god, or the sun planet, is the eye, one eye of God.

Festival Lectures

Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

Therefore she was, by yoga-māyā, she was always covered. Although Kṛṣṇa playing child just like a common child, at the same time showing that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was eating clay. Some friends complained to Mother Yaśodā that, "You gave Him nice foodstuff, and He is eating clay." So mother called Him: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, You are eating clay?" Kṛṣṇa said, "No, mother. They're all liars." (laughter) "Oh, Your elder brother Balarāma is also saying." "Oh, He is angry upon Me. He is angry upon Me; therefore He is also speaking lie." Then the boys still stressed, "No, mother. He has eaten clay. We have seen." So mother said, "All right. Open Your mouth. I'll see." So Kṛṣṇa opened His mouth, and she saw the whole material cosmic manifestation. Not only Yaśodā, thousands of Yaśodā and thousands of planets, sun, moons, and everything saw. Mother's thought, "Must be something jugglery. All right. Forget. Don't do it again." (laughter)

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

So she is very powerful, Durgā. How much powerful? Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktiḥ. She can create, she can maintain, and she can destroy the whole material energy, whole material cosmic manifestation. She's so powerful. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva (Bs. 5.44). Still, she is working not independently. Chāyeva. Just like chāya, or reflection, or shadow. Not independently. The material scientists who think that the material energy is working independently, they are mistaken. Material energy cannot work independently. We have got experience. However gorgeous a machine may be, unless there is touch of the spirit soul, the machine cannot work. Similarly, the big machine, cosmic manifestation, everything is going on very nicely, but it is being worked out by the plan of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated by Kṛṣṇa Himself, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10), and similarly it is confirmed by Brahmā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44), yasya hi... Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā, icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā. Sā durgā yasya icchānurūpam api ceṣṭate. Now, not independent. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead desires, she works. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

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

So both the spiritual energy and material energy, the source is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the conclusion should be that life does not come from matter. Matter comes from life. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Kṛṣṇa is life, and from Him these material energies—earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego—has come. So the huge, gigantic material cosmic manifestation is caused by the supreme life. Not that life has come from matter.

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

So Kṛṣṇa is adventing today. There is stotra by the demigods. We should read, how Kṛṣṇa protects the demigods or the devotees. We should seek protection of Kṛṣṇa. This world is so dangerous. It is said, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Every step there is danger. But if we take shelter, samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ, if we take shelter of the lotus feet of Murāri, under whose lotus feet the whole mahat-tattva, cosmic manifestation, is resting, then this big ocean of birth and death, we can cross very easily. Vatsa-padam. Vatsa-padam means the impression by the hoof of a calf and the water contained in it. The whole ocean becomes like a spot, a small spot, created by the impression of the hoof. That is called vatsa-padam.

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- London, August 29, 1971:

When Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was trying to understand about different potential existence of Kṛṣṇa, so He explained in the Twelfth Chapter, "I am this. Amongst them, I am this. Amongst them..." Like that. And He concluded that "How far I shall go on? Better try to understand that only one plenary portion of Me, by entering this universe, the whole cosmic manifestation is existing." Ekāṁṣena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Jagat. This material world is existing on one plenary portion of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa enters, aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramānu-cayāntara-stham, He enters within this universe. Without His entering, this universe cannot exist. Just like without the spirit soul's entering within this body, this body cannot exist. As soon as the spirit soul goes out, immediately the body's useless. However the body may be prime minister or anything else, as soon as the soul is out of this body, it is not worth even a farthing. Similarly, because Kṛṣṇa enters within this universe, therefore the universe has value. Otherwise it is simply a lump of matter; it has no value. Ekāṁṣena sthito jagat.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Paris, June 8, 1974:

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

Arrival Address -- Los Angeles, February 9, 1975:

So if you want satisfaction, then you have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Compulsory: "You must." There is no other alternative. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I have simply wasted my time." Actually, anyone who has not taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness—simply wasting time. This is fact, scientifically true. But they do not know it. Māya-mohita. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). Being covered by the illusory energy, they do not know the background of this gigantic cosmic manifestation. That is Kṛṣṇa. So intelligence means to find out Kṛṣṇa. In the Īśopani..., Īśo, it is stated that "My dear Lord, please wind up Your, these dazzling rays so that I can actually see Your face." Within brahma-jyotir the Kṛṣṇa is there. So Kṛṣṇa can be seen only by service. You cannot challenge Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, come here. I shall see You." No. That is not possible. You have to submit. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is the way. You have to surrender. So long you don't surrender, that is up to you. Kṛṣṇa will not force you. He is almighty, He can force you, but He does not do that. He says, "You do this. If you do not do it, that is your business. But I say you do it."

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture and Bhagavan dasa's Marriage Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, June 4, 1969:

Of course, we daily discuss these things, that "I am not this body," and what are the problems. The sum and substance of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that we want to go back to Kṛṣṇa. There is another nature. Just like you are seeing this material nature, so many stars and planets. We are very much busy studying, but we have no knowledge practically about this material world even. But we get information from Vedic literature that this material world, cosmic manifestation, is only one-fourth part of the whole God's creation. So there is another nature, which is called spiritual nature, and there is spiritual planets, Vaikuṇṭhas, and Kṛṣṇaloka, the highest planet.

Initiation Lecture -- Hamburg, August 27, 1969:

So actually, there is one energy, spiritual energy. Kṛṣṇa, or God, is the whole spirit, and the energies emanating from Him, that is also spiritual. Śaktiḥ śaktimator abhinnaḥ. In the Vedic language we understand that the śaktimān, or the energetic, Kṛṣṇa, and the energy, they are nondifferent. So this material energy is also nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. In other words of Vedic language it is said, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: "Everything is Brahman." In the Bhagavad-gītā also, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that māyā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Sarvam means all; idam, this manifestation, this cosmic manifestation, whatever you are experiencing... Kṛṣṇa says that "I am expanded as this cosmic manifestation." Māyā tatam idaṁ sarvam avyakta-mūrtinā. This impersonal feature, avyakta, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ: (BG 9.4) "Everything is resting on Me, or everything is expansion of Myself." Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ: "But I am not there."

Initiation Lecture -- Hamburg, August 27, 1969:

There is atomic theory, paramāṇuvāda, in Vedic literature also. And Bhāgavata says that the scientists may be one day able to count how many atoms are there within this universe. This is not possible, of course, but it is theoretically. The Vedic, er, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that "It may be possible one day by scientific research, one can count how many atoms are there within this cosmic manifestation. Still, it is not possible to know the Supreme Personality of Godhead by our ordinary sense perception." Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Kṛṣṇa, or God, is not perceivable by your material senses. It is not possible. Ataḥ, therefore, śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Nāmādi. Nāmādi means "beginning from His name." Because we try to understand Kṛṣṇa beginning by chanting His holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then, after chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, when our heart is purified, then we can understand His form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1).

Initiation Lecture -- Hamburg, August 27, 1969:

So God has made you or given you little independence. That independence does not mean that you shall misuse it. You shall use it properly. And what is that proper use? To be engaged in His loving service. Just like you citizens of this German state, what you are meant for? You are meant for rendering service to the state. Similarly, the whole... This is a small state. America is a small... Or this planet is a small state. But there is a huge state which is called the cosmic manifestation. That state belongs to Kṛṣṇa, or God. So naturally, you have to render service to the supreme state, supreme will. Then it is all right. Your independence is there. So long you are rendering service to the state properly, your independence as citizen is there. But as soon as you rebel against the state, your independence is gone. Similarly, our, this conditional life is due to our rebellious condition towards God. As soon as we agree surrender and be one with Him by transcendental loving service, the whole thing becomes adjusted.

General Lectures

Speech to Indian Audience -- Montreal, July 28, 1968:

Unfortunately, people in the present age, they think that God is dead. And what is the use of chanting something, somebody who is dead, chanting the holy name of God, who is already dead? The other day I was speaking in the church that God is not dead. God cannot be dead. Neither you or me cannot be dead. There is living symptom in your body, and there is living symptom in the cosmic manifestation also. Just try to understand what is God. Then place your verdict, whether God is dead or not. How God can be dead? Just like when a man is lying on the floor, if his vital condition, his pulses, his heart is going on, then how you can say that that man is dead? Similarly, if you study the cosmic manifestation... Of course, it is a subject matter to be learned very scrutinizingly with calm head, that as your body is functioning nicely by physiological arrangement, similarly, the body of the cosmic nature, by physical arrangement it is also moving nicely.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

Now, this is very simple. Try to understand. Just like this fire, this lamp, is located at a certain place but the illumination is distributed all over this room, similarly whatever you see, display of this cosmic manifestation, they are display of the energy of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is situated in one place. That we cite in our Brahma-saṁhitā: govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He's a person. Just like your President, Mr. Johnson, he's sitting in his room in Washington, but his power, his energy, is acting all over the state. If it is possible materially, similarly Kṛṣṇa, or God, the Supreme Person, He is situated in His place, abode, Vaikuṇṭha or kingdom of God, but His energy is acting. Another example, the sun. The sun, you can see sun is located at a certain place, but you see the sunshine is overflooding the whole universe. The sunshine is within your room. So similarly, whatever you are using, you yourself also, we are all display of the energy of the Supreme Lord. We are not different from Him. But when the cloud of māyā or illusion covers my eye, we cannot see the sun. Similarly, when the material concept of life covers me, we cannot understand what is God.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

Different means that is all spiritual. The difference of spiritual matter we can understand that spirit is the basic principle of movement of matter. Because the spirit soul is within this body, therefore it is moving. Because the spirit soul is there within this body, therefore it is growing. So spirit soul is the basic principle of all material expansion. Similarly, God being full spirit, whole spirit, He is the basic principle of all cosmic manifestation, but He is person. These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll read. Arjuna says that "It is very difficult to understand Your personality." People are bewildered, but He is person. And in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad and many other Upaniṣads it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "He is the chief eternal amongst all eternals." That means we living entities, we are also eternals, but He is the chief eternal.

Press Release -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1968:

You can find out the background of this body as the soul and the soul's presence as perceived, perceivable by consciousness. Similarly, the presence of Supersoul and superconsciousness in the universal body of cosmic manifestation is perceived by the presence of the Supreme Lord, or the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is systematically experienced in the Vedānta-sūtra, generally known as the Vedānta philosophy, which is elaborately explained by a commentary by the same author of the Vedānta-sūtras known as the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to understand the constitutional position of the Supreme Lord, or the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding, namely as Brahman, or the impersonal universal soul; Paramātmā, or the localized universal soul; and at the end as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. An individual soul is understood in three aspects, namely first in the consciousness pervading all over the body, then as the spirit soul within the heart, and ultimately exhibited as a person.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 19, 1969:

The definition of God is given there, and the qualification of God is given there, that He instructed Brahma. Brahmā is calculated to be the prime personality within this universe, but he was also instructed by God. Tene brahma, ādi-kavi. Ādi-kavi. Ādi-kavi means the first man, the first man of knowledge. So you may question that "In the creation, first, there was only one living creature, Brahma. Then where he went to take lessons? Who instructed him? There was no other living creature." That is also another qualification of God. God created. That also you know. You have read in your Bible. God created, but He is not one of the created beings. He created. Therefore, before creation, He was there. It is to be concluded. Before creation of this cosmic manifestation, He was existing. That information you'll have from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), in Vedānta-sūtra, "the original source of all emanation."

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 30, 1969:

So even from historical references, there is not a single person who can be compared with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is all-attractive. And everything that we experience, that is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His energies are differently manifested. Similarly, in Viṣṇu Purāṇa also, it is said, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathaiva akhilaṁ jagat. Akhilaṁ jagat means the whole cosmic manifestation is a display of the multi-energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So because He is fully energetic, therefore He is attractive and the cause of all causes.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 30, 1969:

So His attractiveness is evidently presented by the wisdom of Bhagavad-gītā. So He is all-attractive. There is no doubt about it. And in the Vedic literature we also understand: tasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati: "If you can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the Absolute Truth, then sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, you can understand everything, how it is working." Because everything is display of His energy. So if you can understand how His energy is acting, then you can understand the whole cosmic manifestation. That is explained in the Vedic literature. Just like in our presence we have got practical experience, the sun. The whole material world is maintained by sunlight. The planets are rotating by the heat of sunlight; the vegetation, the water, everything is being conducted by the sunlight. It is by scorching sunlight the water is evaporated from the sea. It is formed into gas, cloud, and it is distributing all over the land. Then vegetation is coming, and it is becoming green, yellow, many colorful. So actually, the sun is the cause of all material manifestations. So if anyone can study what is sun, then he can understand how everything is appearing. That is practical.

Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969:

You cannot find out. No historian can give. So therefore it is called sanātana-dharma. And in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says that "There is another nature, which is sanātana." Sanātana means there is no history of its creation or... But this material creation, as you know... We say, "God created." "God created" means before creation, God was existing. "God created"—this very word suggests that before this creation of this cosmic manifestation, God was existing. Therefore God is not under this creation. If God is under this creation, then how He can create? He becomes one of the object of the material creation. So God is not under creation. He is the creator. Before creation, He was existing. That is called sanātana. That means He is also sanātana. And there is a spiritual nature, sky, where there are innumerable spiritual planets also. And there are innumerable spiritual living entities also. And some of them, those who are not fit to live in that spiritual world, they are, I mean to say, sent to this material world. The same idea is expressed in Milton's Paradise Lost.

Northeastern University Lecture -- Boston, April 30, 1969:

So we have to transfer our love from so many dogs to God. That is the perfection of life. And we are not teaching any particular type of religion. We are simply teaching that you love God. And this is possible simply by chanting these three names, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare... It is sixteen names. Actually there are three names: Hare, Kṛṣṇa, and Rāma. Rāma means the supreme pleasure, Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive, and Hare means the energy. Then it is perfect. Energy and the Lord, that is whole sum and substance of all creation, cosmic manifestation, anything. They are detailed in this Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but that is the sum and substance of everything.

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

Well, that energy is so perfect. Just like you are feeling some itching. You want to itch it. Immediately hand goes. It does not require that you have to train the hand to itch it. So you have got such energy. So just imagine—He's complete. He's full—how much His energy is perfect. He doesn't require. Immediately He desires... Just like in Bible it is said, "God said, 'Let there be creation,'—immediately there was creation." So His energy is so perfect that He wanted to see this material cosmic manifestation—immediately there was. But because we haven't got such energy we think this is all illusion or fictitious or something like that. Because if you want something immediately, you have no such energy that, immediately, the same thing is done. That is not possible. That is possible also when you are also in spiritual life. But now you are conditioned by the matter; therefore that is not being perfected. But when you are also in pure spiritual life, you can do like that, like God. Immediately, whatever you want, you can do. Immediately, wherever you want to go, you can go. That is the... That perfection is there.

Lecture -- Bombay, November 2, 1970:

Just like our body, your body, my body: It has got a date of appearance. It is going or changing from one state to another. It will stay for some time. From this body, some by-products will come out, sons and daughters. And then, it will become old, dwindling, diminishing, and then it will vanish. One day it will come, no more this body. Similarly, this material world is also like that. It is a gigantic body only. Whole cosmic manifestation has a date of its creation. It is expanding and it is giving so many by-products. Then time will come which is called devastation. There will be no more rain, and everything will dry up. All living entities will die. Then there will be devastating rainfall; everything will be absorbed in water, and then vanish. We have got this information from Vedic literature. So this is not sanātana-dhāma. This is not eternal dhāma. This is temporary. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It comes into existence and it disappears. Therefore it is not sanātana-dhāma. But there is another dhāma, sanātana, eternal. That is also... There is information in the Bhagavad-gītā: paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20).

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:

So Kṛṣṇa is the original cause of the material energy, the spiritual energy. And by combination of this material energy and spiritual energy, the whole cosmic manifestation is there. There are two kinds of energies working. Everyone can experience. Just like in my body, I am the spirit soul, and the body is matter, material. When combined together it is working wonderfully. A man is becoming a great leader, a great scientist, a great philosopher, how? So long the spiritual spark is there. As soon as the spiritual spark is gone, the same very body is no longer a great leader, a great scientist, or great philosopher. So both these energies are products of Kṛṣṇa's body. Just like the sunshine is the energy of the sun globe, and within the sun globe there is the sun-god also.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:

"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. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). They are described as mūḍhas. They do not know. Although it is all explained here in the Bhagavad-gītā, but they will not accept Kṛṣṇa in that way. They will manufacture a different way of understanding Kṛṣṇa. 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.

Speech at Olympia Theater -- Paris, June 26, 1971, (with translator):

So it is the duty of every human being to understand his constitutional position, his relation with God, and understanding the relation, to act accordingly, and then our life becomes successful. This human form of life is meant for that purpose. We are missing the point. So long we are living, sometimes we challenge that "There is no God," "I am God," or somebody says, "I don't care for God." But actually this challenge will not save us. God is there. We can see God in every moment. But if we deny to see God, then God will be present before us as the cruel death. There are different features of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He is the original root cause of all cosmic manifestation. In the Bhagavad-gītā there is nice description how you can gradually understand and see God personally, face to face.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:

A foolish man cannot see behind the machine a driver. That is our defect in vision. A machine, there is electronics working very wonderfully. But behind that electronic work, there is a great scientist who is pushing the button. It is very simple to understand. Machine is matter. It cannot work out of its own accord. It is working under some spiritual direction. Just like this machine, the tape recorder, is working, but it is working under the direction of a living entity, a human being. The machine is all complete, but unless it is manipulated by a spirit soul, it cannot work. Similarly, take it for granted that the whole cosmic manifestation is a great machine, nature.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:

So you cannot search out by your material... That. Therefore all these universities, they are setting aside, very difficult subject. They are very much proud by creating a horseless carriage. That's all. Formerly horses were drawing carriages. Now there is motorcar. So they are very much proud: "We have invented horseless carriage." Or wingless bird. There is wing, imitation wing of the aeroplane. But you invent that a soul-less body. Then there is credit. That cannot be... No machine can work without a soul. I was talking of this computer. What is called? Computer? Eh? Computer. But still, a trained man requires to handle the computer. Then what is the meaning of this computer? Whatever machine you make... Similarly, we should understand that this great machine, which is known as cosmic manifestation, material nature—there is a supreme spirit which is manipulating. That is Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says. It is confirmed. So our process of knowledge is very easy and perfect. The scientists, they are searching out what is the ultimate cause or ultimate control of this material nature, and they are putting, theorizing different propositions. But our means of knowledge, very easy and perfect because we are hearing from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. And He says, mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10). So immediately we know that all this cosmic machine, which is working so nicely and wonderfully, behind this machine the driver is Kṛṣṇa. Exactly behind a machine here, there is a machine driver, similarly, behind this big machine of material nature, there is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:

So the point is that behind this material, big material nature, cosmic manifestation, there is God. That is Kṛṣṇa, and accepted by all authorities. We have to accept things which is accepted by authorities. That is our education. We go to teacher. We go to school. We learn from father, mother. They're all authorities. And our nature is to learn... "Father, what is this?" in childhood. Father says, "This is this, pen. This is spectacle. This is table." So he learns from father, mother, "This is table. This is spectacle. This is pen. This is this. She is my sister. She (He) is my brother." So similarly, if we get information from the authority, and if the authority is not a cheater, then our knowledge is perfect, and very easy. Just like father, mother, never cheats. When the son inquires from the parent, the parent gives exact information, right information. Similarly, if we get right information from the right person, that is perfect knowledge.

Lecture at Caitanya Matha -- Visakhapatnam, February 19, 1972:

If one tries to understand Kṛṣṇa, as He is, not by fiction, not by speculation, not by so-called scholarly, foolish commentation, but Kṛṣṇa should be understood as He is. Then, that is right Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then one will be able to understand how Kṛṣṇa is working, how the whole world, material atmosphere, and material, cosmic manifestation is working. Then you will understand. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10), under my supervision. To understand Kṛṣṇa, and anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa, scientifically, then he, Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Not the foolish man, the intelligent man, who knows Kṛṣṇa actually, then the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Immediately he becomes liberated. So after giving up this body, he never, no more comes back to accept another, this material body. He goes back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

So this planet is an insignificant planet within this universe and within this planet, say, America is one country. And in that country, if there are so many attractive features, just imagine how much attractive feature must be there in God, who is the creator of the whole cosmic manifestation. How much He must be beautiful, who has created all beauties. Then aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Śriyaḥ means beauty. Jñāna, and knowledge. If one man is perfectly advanced in knowledge, he's attractive. Some scientist, some philosophers, because they give nice knowledge, they're attractive. And Kṛṣṇa's knowledge, they're described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. You can study. You are studying. Now we are presenting in English translation sublime knowledge. There is no comparison in the world. And at the same time, vairāgya, renouncement. Not that because He has got so many things...

Practically, Kṛṣṇa is not here within this material world. Just like a big man, his factory is going on, his business is going on, but it not necessarily he has to be present there. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's potency is working. His assistants, His so many demigods, they are working. They're describe in the śāstra. Just like the sun. Sun is the practically cause of this material cosmic manifestation.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

So who can read Vedānta philosophy? A very learned scholar he must be, at least, he must be very learned scholar in Sanskrit. He must have sufficient brain substance to understand what are these Vedānta-sūtras. Because everything is there in a small aphorism. Just like the first aphorism of Vedānta-sūtra is athāto brahma jijñāsā. In three words: atha, ataḥ, brahma, jijñāsā. Four words. So it contains volumes of philosophy. The next aphorism is janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Janma, ādi, asya, yataḥ. "From whom," asya, viśvasya, "of this universe, cosmic manifestation." From where this cosmic manifestation has come, and where it rests, and where it will dissolve. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). In this way, Vedānta-sūtra means, gives you the whole purpose of Vedas, knowledge, in small code words. So to understand these code words, one must have very big brain, or very highly standard educational qualification.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

Just like electric energy. The energy is coming out from the powerhouse, and by utilizing that electric energy, we are working in so many ways: heater, cooler, this microphone, tape recorder, so many things. But the energy is coming from that powerhouse. Similarly, whatever you are seeing, wonderful action of the material action and reaction, they are simply interaction of different energies of the Lord, heat and light. Any scientist will understand that this whole cosmic manifestation is creation of heat and light, two energies. The two energies are coming from the sun, and the material world is creation of the sunshine, heat and light. Similarly there are two energies of God, heat and light. So one is called material energy, another is called spiritual energy, although both of them coming from the supreme spirit, exactly like heat and light is coming from the sun. But heat is not light; light is not heat.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

Similarly, there must be one chief, leader of the whole creation, and that is Kṛṣṇa. There must be. By logical conclusion, there must be a leader. That is... That indication we get from Bhagavad, yes, Vedas, Kaṭhopaniṣad: nityo nityānām. Who is God? God means the chief of all living entities. It is not very difficult to understand. Just like in order to manage the whole government, we require a chief man. In order to manage a big establishment, we require a chief man. So why not this cosmic manifestation, the whole cosmic, cosmology. Why not a chief person? That we do not know. Still, we are passing on as advancement of education. That we do not know, who is the chief.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 14, 1973:

Just like our body, your body, my body. It has got a date of appearance. It is growing or changing from one shape to another. It will stay for some time. From this body, some by-products will come out, sons and daughters, and then it will become old, dwindling, diminishing, and then it will vanish. One day it will come—no more this body. Similarly, this material world is also like that. It is a gigantic body only. Whole cosmic manifestation has a date of its creation. It is expanding and it is giving so many by-products. Then time will come which is called devastation—there will be no more rain and everything will dry up. All living entities will die. Then there will be devastating rainfall. Everything will be absorbed in water and then vanish. We have got this information from Vedic literature.

Lecture -- London, August 23, 1973:

As there are laws given by the state, similarly, the supreme state, supreme governor is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. God means the supreme being, supreme person. So... Or the supreme authority. Supreme means the greatest authority. As in a state the greatest authority is the government, similarly, throughout the cosmic manifestation, throughout the whole creation, there must be some supreme authority. So that supreme authority is God, and whatever He gives, the rules and regulation, that is called religion. You cannot change it. That the law whimsically, you cannot change. Then you will be punishable. Similarly, the laws or the words (are) of the regulative principles given by God. That is religion. And if you do not follow it, then you'll be punished.

Lecture -- London, August 23, 1973:

That will not be religion. That may be something else, but that is not religion. Religion must be given by God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād (SB 6.3.19). Denied here in this verse: na vai vidur ṛṣayo nāpi devāḥ. Vidur, vidur means knowing; ṛṣaya, great saintly person. Na vai vidur ṛṣayo nāpi devāḥ. Devāḥ means demigods. There are very, very big powerful demigods, just like Indra, Candra, the sun. Sun is also demigod. The sun is distributing the light, that is by the order of God, not independently. Anything you find, they are abiding by the laws of, or by the order of God. The whole total cosmic manifestation which is called material energy, that is also acting by the order of God. Many śāstras, we have to take knowledge from the śāstras. And if you judge from good sense and intelligence, you'll have to admit what is said in the śāstra. Now just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). We are very much astonished to see the activities of the material nature wonderfully working. But we do not know that behind the material nature there is God. Under His direction the material nature is working.

Lecture -- London, August 23, 1973:

So it acts very wonderfully, but there must be a expert man to push the button. Otherwise, it will not act. Without that expert man, this wonderful machine is lump of iron. That's all. It has no value. Take any machine. Similarly, this huge, gigantic machine of cosmic manifestation where innumerable planets are floating in the sky just like cotton swabs, don't think that it is so acting automatically. No. There is direction behind it, or there is brain behind it. And that brain, that big brain, is God. God is also like us, a being, but He is Supreme Being. As we are being, we have got our brain, we have got our creative power, we can do something, we can manufacture something like airplane, sputnik, but God has got big brain. We may float one mechanic airplane in the air, but by the God's brain, millions and trillions of heavy planets are floating in the air. That is God's brain. He has got also brain; He has got also creative power. We have also creative power, but we have got little and He has got supreme power.

Lecture at St. Pascal's Franciscan Seminary -- Melbourne, June 28, 1974:

The questions "What is God? What I am? What is my relationship with God? What is the ultimate goal of life?" These questions and answers should be in the human society. Unless these questions arises—"What is God? What is this material nature? Who has created it? How it is created? How it is going on?" so many things... The main principle is naturally, if we are philosophical minded, we inquire that "How this world is created? Who has created?" And there are many different ways of answering. But the Vedānta-sūtra answers that the, whatever we are seeing, all this cosmic manifestation, the creator is God, Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So God, or the Supreme Truth, Absolute Truth is that from whom everything has come. So that is the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), "Absolute Truth is that from whom everything has come into existence." So the common platform is therefore, if we try to understand the Supreme Soul, and we turn our loving propensities to that Supreme Soul, that is called religion.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: But foolish people, they are thinking that things are coming automatically out of it, without any background. They don't think there is God. They think that nature, there was a chunk, and the creation was there. And wherefrom the chunk came? That is imperfect observation. Perfect knowledge is you take Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ: (BG 9.10) "under My superintendence." And that is our practical experience. When I manufacture this table, the raw materials, matter, is there, but it has not automatically become table. I have made it by instrument, by my brain. Similarly, this cosmic manifestation has not come out automatically; it is the brain of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is the creator. That is nature. Nature is instrumental. Just like the potter: his wheel is going around and the clay is making a pot, but the original cause is the potter. He has given force to the wheel. After the wheel is running, then so many pots are coming out.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My direction the whole material nature is working, and everything is going on," hetunānena kaunteya, jagat viparivartate. On this account, everything in this cosmic manifestation is going on regularly. All Vedic śāstras describe like that, that behind these phenomena there is a direction of a person, and He is the Supreme Person.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: This is by reason only. I see everything is growing; therefore the whole cosmic manifestation must have grown from a source. This is reason.

Śyāmasundara: This is transcendental reason.

Prabhupāda: No. Common reason. Every matter is growing from a certain source, so therefore this material world must have grown from a certain source.

Śyāmasundara: How could some people look at the seed of a tree and come to a different conclusion?

Prabhupāda: From a source. Therefore the perfect reason is that this cosmic manifestation. Also we get from authoritative books, Vedic literature, how it has grown.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: The scientist, he'll say that the father begets the child. Why it is not related? It is simply lunacy not to believe this. Where is the instance that without father some child has taken birth? Where is such instance? He himself is talking such nonsense. He is born by his father. The cause is his father. Similarly, his father is also the effect of his father. Therefore there is supreme father, father of this cosmic manifestation. How you can deny it? That is the defect of the speculators: they contradict themselves.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: Without fixed up conclusion, there is contradiction. Our fixed-up conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes. How, one after another, the categories are developed, that is in the Vedic literature. But it is summarized that Kṛṣṇa desired or He put His glance over the material nature and the material nature became impregnated, and then He delivered so many things. Matter and spirit have combined together, and the whole cosmic manifestation has come into being.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: But because both, we say that both of them are ignorant about the beginning. So if both of them are ignorant, so either you say six thousand, seven thousand, or six million, this is all imagination. It is not fact. But the six thousand or seven thousand, that is not the fact-millions and millions of years. But the fact is this, that God created this cosmic manifestation, and He impregnated the living entities to appear in different types of body according to the soul's desire. That I have already explained. The soul... "Man proposes; God disposes." Not only human form of life but all the animal forms of life, they are also from the very beginning. Not like Darwin's theory that there was no human form of life in the beginning. That is a wrong theory. All the forms of life were there, and the, actually the body is external; within the body there is the soul. So the body is created by material nature and the soul is part and parcel of God. This is the real idea.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: No. There is no question of when. It may be seven thousand years or seven millions of years, but the beginning should be taken like this, that God created this cosmic manifestation. And wherefrom the living entities came? That also came from God. That is explained clearly in the Bhagavad-gītā, that this material creation is composition of earth, water, air, fire..., like that, that this is also God's energy. The ingredients of this material world coming from God, that is called prakṛti and pradhāna. He is the creator. And then the living entities, they are also coming from God. So this material energy is explained as inferior energy, and the living entity is explained as superior energy, both of them coming from God. So the beginning of life simultaneously. It is not that matter later on developed to become life. That is a wrong theory.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: But because we are imperfect, you are thinking like that, that individually we are imperfect. God is always there, and this cosmic manifestation is temporary creation. It is a chance to the individual soul to develop his consciousness, but if he does not take, again the annihilation, he remains in unconscious position, and when again there is creation he comes to consciousness. So this is going on.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Similarly, all this display of this universe or anything creation, cosmic manifestations, this is designed by the Supreme, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva. Multi-energies. Just like this flower. We have got experience that if you paint a flower, it requires so much experience to handle the brush and the colors. So similarly, this is certainly proof of experience, but His energy is acting so nicely, we see that the flower is coming automatically. And the same example I have given so many times, that nowadays in electronics, just like this, so many mechanical arrangement is within there. But I say "putt,"—I push on this one button. One who does not know, he sees, "Oh, this is moving so wonderfully." No. There is experience.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: That is another lunacy, because everything has a proprietor. So why this big cosmic manifestation will not have a proprietor? To accept the proprietor is natural, and that is logical. And not to accept a proprietor, that is lunacy. How it can be possible? Just like we give this example: We are standing on the land. We know that there is government, there is proprietor. And a few yards after, when this ocean begins, how we can think of that the ocean has no proprietor, no government? How any philosopher and man having logic can believe it? What is the answer?

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: Historical... It is historical. The whole cosmic manifestation has a date of creation; therefore it is historical. Anything material which has a beginning, that, that is history, it has got a history. So people do not know how long before this material world or cosmic manifestation was created. It is beyond their conception. Even the mathematical count, millions and trillions and millions, will not do, when he began, but it has got a history-beyond the calculation of so-called scientist and mathematician, but there is history. According to Vedic description there is history. There is history of Manu, there is history of, of Brahmā.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: And the Vedānta also it is, aham evāsam evāgre. That God says that "I existed in the beginning." Here the creation is temporary, existence is temporary, and annihilation is also temporary. This is material nature. And we can understand it very easily, that this body, your body, my body is created at a certain date, it will continue to a certain date, and it will be finished. This is material understanding. Anything you will take, it has a beginning, it has a duration of period to exist, then finished. So if you take broader way, the whole cosmic manifestation, it has a beginning and it has an end and it has a duration of period to exist. But before this creation, who was there? That is God. Otherwise how the creation is possible if God is not there before the creation?

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: No. What the philosophers, the... Not all philosophers they denied the existence, but from our practical study we can see that take personal existence, that before I got this body, there was my father and mother. So how can I deny this fact? This whole cosmic manifestation is exactly like the manifestation of my body. Everything you take, there is practical experience. So far you take this spectacle, it is created by some spectacle..., spectacle manufacturer, and it will exist for some time, then it will annihilate. Similarly, the whole creation, annihilation. There is another crude example, just like earthen pot is made from the clay, earth. It is, it gets a shape, and it continues to exist for a certain time, and then it is broken. So when it is broken, again it is clay.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: Religious system deteriorates, and without any understanding on philosophical basis. Then, if he is apt to, rejects that religion. But we understand that is fact that there is God on the top of all cosmic manifestation activities, and the law given by the supreme head of the cosmic manifestation, that is religion. And if we create our religious system on sentiments only, that will create troubles only and there will be misunderstandings. But actually it is a fact that there is some brain behind all this cosmic manifestation, and if we know what is that brain, how it is working, that is scientific understanding, and the law given by God is religion. That is our simple definition. Religion cannot be manufactured as law cannot be manufactured. So if we do not know what is God, how He is acting, what..., what are His words, how we have to follow that, that kind of religion will be failure.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore we should have faith by experience that everything has got some proprietor, so why not the whole cosmic manifestation has proprietor? This is faith. You may not have seen the, who is the proprietor, but it is a question of faith. Everything I see has got a proprietor or owner, so who is the owner of this whole cosmic manifestation? This depends on faith. You may not have seen it. One says, "Who is that God? I don't see any proprietor." Then wherefrom it comes? "Ah, by accident." Is that any explanation? That is faith, that as everything has got some proprietor or some manufacturer, so why not this whole cosmic manifestation a proprietor? But you cannot say that "I am proprietor." There is some proprietor. That is faith. Just like we go, strolling in the morning, by the path. The (indistinct) park is part of high government. You know it is the property of the government. That just three yards after there is sea, now who is the proprietor of this sea? If this land is..., proprietor is the high government, now who is the proprietor of the water? There must be somebody. I may not know. That is faith. It is common sense. If the land is the property of somebody, so whose property is the sea? But there must be somebody. That is faith. Common sense. But they have no common sense even.

Philosophy Discussion on Rene Descartes:

Prabhupāda: Just like the sun is ninety-three million miles away, but it is keeping the whole universe illuminated. Similarly, although the soul is very, very small particle, it is keeping this body alive, fresh. So by material analysis you cannot find out, because it is so small you cannot see that. But it is to be accepted that because that small particle is there, this body has developed. So the conclusion is that matter comes on account of soul, not that combination of matter produces soul. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. First of all the inquiry, "What is that living force?" Then the conclusion is next, that on account of this living force this material body has come. Therefore the conclusion should be that God is the supreme living force on which the cosmic manifestation has developed. That is our theory, that Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is there, then the universe comes into existence, and Brahmā is born and he creates so many.