When we understand perfectly well that "I am eternal servant of God," servant... I'm not God; I'm servant of God. But one cannot be servant of God without becoming God. That they do not know, the Māyāvādī philosophers. Servant... Just like if one becomes secretary or servant of a very big man, he's in the same position. He's sitting on the same place. He's eating the same way. He's in the same atmosphere. So everything is same. Simply the relationship is different. That's all. So when one goes to the spiritual world... Just like the cowherd boys, the gopīs, they are on the same platform of Kṛṣṇa. They do not think that "We are lesser than Kṛṣṇa." The cowherds boy, they sometimes chastise Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is obliged to take them on the shoulder. Sometimes. They do not know that Kṛṣṇa is God, or "Kṛṣṇa is greater than me." That is the position. Equality.
Greater than... (Lectures, Other)
Lectures
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. That is the svārtha. Because, as it is said in the Vedas, God... Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has nothing to work. God has nothing to work for His economic development. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tasya sama adhikaś ca dṛśyate. And because He is God, nobody is equal to Him and nobody greater than Him. Sama adhikaś ca na dṛśyate, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His energies are multi-energies, varieties of energies, and the energies are so perfect that svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca: everything is happening automatically. So that is actually life. Why one should...? Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is dancing with the gopīs, that's all. Why should He work? Why God should work? Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. So because we are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, we are also trying to achieve that life, that "There will be no, no more to work.
So the Gosvāmīs, "One who has accepted these Gosvāmīs as master, I want to become his servant." Narottama dāsa does not say "I want to become servant of the Gosvāmīs." He says that "I want to become servant of that person who has accepted these six Gosvāmīs as master." That is the test. No, "I can speak, I can act, I mean to say, greater than the Gosvāmīs." "I don't want to become servant of such false proudly." No, anyone who submits,
- tādera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa
- janame janame hoy ei abhilāsa
I may not be liberated birth after birth, it doesn't matter. But I wish that, I wish to live with the devotees, bhakta-sane vāsa. Janame janame hoy ei abhilāsa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also says the same thing. Janmaobi yadi mane icchā tohārā. He prays to Kṛṣṇa, "If you want that I shall take again my birth, then give me the chance of taking my birth in a place where is Your devotee. That is my only request. Because if I am placed in a society where there is no devotee, then my life will be spoiled. Then my life will be spoiled. Therefore I pray only this much. I don't want anything from you."
There Nārada addresses King Yudhiṣṭhira while the King is appreciating the glories of the character of Prahlāda Mahārāja. A devotee always appreciates the activities of other devotees. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was appreciating the qualities of Prahlāda, and that is one symptom of a pure devotee. A pure devotee never thinks himself as great; he always thinks that other devotees are greater than himself. The King was thinking, 'Prahlāda Mahārāja is actually a devotee of the Lord, while I am nothing,' and while thinking this, he was addressed by Nārada as follows: 'My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, in this world you, the Pāṇḍava brothers, are the only fortunate people. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has appeared on this planet and is presenting Himself to you as an ordinary human being. He is always with you in all circumstances. He is living with you and covering Himself from the eyes of others. Others cannot understand that He is the Supreme Lord, but He is still living with you as your cousin, as your friend and even as your messenger.
That is the proof of how great this process of devotional service is. It can attract even the Supreme Personality of Godhead. God is great, but devotional service is greater than God because it attracts Him. People who are not in devotional service can never understand what great value there is in rendering service to the Lord.
'The First Stages of Devotion.' The three categories of devotional service which Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes in Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu are listed as devotional service in practice, devotional service in ecstasy and devotional service in pure love of Godhead. There are many subheadings in each of these categories. Generally, it is understood that in the category of devotional service in practice there are two different qualities; devotional service in ecstasy has four qualities; and devotional service in pure love of Godhead has six qualities. These qualities will be explained by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī later on.
Bhavānanda: "In the material world, everyone is trying to be the topmost head man amongst all his fellow men or neighbors. Either communally, socially or nationally, everyone is competing to be greater than all others in the material concept of life. This greatness can be extended to the unlimited, so that one actually wants to become one with the greatest of all, the Supreme Lord. This is also a material concept, although maybe a little more advanced."
Prabhupāda: This kind of conception, that "I shall become God," or "I shall declare myself God," this is also material conception. This is not spiritual conception. Spiritually, nobody can become God except God. But he has no knowledge of God. He's thinking that he's God. Vimukta-māninaḥ. Tvayy asta-bhāvād. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means taking for granted that "I've become liberated. I have become God." And I advertise, and some foolish people, they adore me: "Oh, here is God. Here is Bala-yogi incarnation, God." So such cheap God, we don't accept. We want to see that Kṛṣṇa, at seven years old, He lifted Govardhana Hill. So if you are actually God, then show me that you can lift a hill, you can kill a Pūtanā. Then I can accept. What sort of God you are? We don't accept such cheap God. Go on.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Nitāi: "What the Upaniṣads describe as the impersonal Brahman is but the effulgence of His body, and the Lord known as the Supersoul is but His localized plenary portion. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa Himself, full with six opulences. He is the Absolute Truth, and no other truth is greater than or equal to Him."
Prabhupāda:
- yad advaitaṁ brahmopaniṣadi tad apy asya tanu-bhā
- ya ātmāntaryāmī puruṣa iti so asya aṁśa-vibhavaḥ
- ṣaḍ-aiśvaryaiḥ pūrṇaḥ ya bhagavān iha sa svayam ayaṁ
- na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāj jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha
- (CC Adi 1.3)
Now the author, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, is establishing with great stress that na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha: "There is no greater truth than Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." We are after truth, so here the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he is asserting that "Here is the Supreme Truth, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu." Na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt. Kṛṣṇāt, because Kṛṣṇa has appeared as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. We have explained this truth yesterday according to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's declaration, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogaṁ-śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ (CC Madhya 6.254). Puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ.
Therefore it is said, hlādinī śakti. This is different. This is in the spiritual world the topmost mellow, hlādinī śakti.
So eko brahma dvitīya nāsti: "Brahman, Para-brahman, is one." Kṛṣṇa is one. There is no competition with Kṛṣṇa. Na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody can be equal with Him; nobody can be greater than Him." Na tasya samaḥ. Samaḥ means equal, and adhikaḥ means greater. That is Para-brahman. That is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa says also, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior entity than Me." So we have to very carefully study Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to understand Kṛṣṇa very scientifically. It is not sentiment. One must be very philosophically advanced with scientific knowledge. Jñānaṁ vijñānam. This is vijñāna. It is not sentiment. Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. Jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Without vijñāna, science, without philosophy to understand Kṛṣṇa, is not possible.
Pradyumna: Translation: "Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, the supreme controller. No one is greater than or equal to Śrī Kṛṣṇa..." (noise)
Prabhupāda: (aside:) Stop this.
Pradyumna: "...yet He appears as the son of Mahārāja Nanda." (CC Adi 7.7)
Prabhupāda: (noise) (aside:) Stop. Svayam bhagavān kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Whatever Kavirāja Gosvāmī is speaking, not out of his own whimsical way, whatever he's speaking, he's following the paramparā system. That is Vaiṣṇavism, or ācārya. Ācāryavan puruṣo veda. (noise, talking) (aside:) Stop this. Unless we accept the ācārya in the paramparā system, we cannot understand things as they are. It is not possible. So Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he's describing this Caitanya-caritāmṛta strictly according to the verdict of the śāstras. His statement is that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. Svayam bhagavān kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān is person; Bhagavān is not imperson. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11).
Therefore in this verse it is said, svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara. Īśvara, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, cannot have any competitor. Asamaurdhva. These words are there. Asama. Asama means there is no equal. And aurdhva, and nobody is greater. Asamaurdhva. Nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa, and nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosophy that everyone is God, everyone is Kṛṣṇa, that is not substantiated by the Vedic literature. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is used there. The Parameśvara, Paraṁ Brahman, Paramātmā, that is Kṛṣṇa. Not we are. We are very fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa. Very, very small, spiritual spark. So as the sparks from the fire falls down, it loses its original sparking capacity or fire elements. We have seen it. When the spark falls down from the big fire, then it is extinguished. No more fire. It is carbon. Similarly, when we are detached from Kṛṣṇa, we are jīva-bhūta.
It is for having a better facility for sense enjoyment. Just like, according to Hindu conception, the heavenly planet, Indraloka, it is said there are very beautiful women and very beautiful gardens, and they can drink soma rasa and enjoy life for ten thousands of years, and their one day is equal to six months of this planet. So opulence, life, enjoyment, far, far greater than this; therefore they want to go to the heavenly planets. Similarly... These are facts. These are not, I mean to say, stories, or fiction. These are facts. Similarly, in the Koran also there is such injunction that if one follows the principles of Koran, in the next life they'll go to Hur(?), the land of the Hu(?), the same beautiful woman. Because we have got this material idea, sense gratification, and the last word in the sense gratification is sex life. That's all. So if we think that "Going to that place, I will have free sex life and beautiful man, beautiful woman, and nice drinking, nice eating," oh, so materialists, they think, "This is perfection of life. This is perfection of life."
That's all. That's your business. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmaṇī sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛti is supplying. But how prakṛti is supplying? How the material nature is supplying you ingredients? Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). "Under My direction." So what is the difficulty? And how can you become God? How you can become greater than God? This is all foolishness. You are completely under the control. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You are completely under the prakṛti, this material nature.
So our position is to be dependent on the supreme living force, God or Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. And He is supplying everything as we want. Because God is not poor. He is our father. Just like rich father, there is no insufficiency. In a rich family, the father is very rich, and the sons, they can draw anything from the rich father. Similarly, we can draw anything from Kṛṣṇa, the supreme father. But our, this so-called independence for sense gratification, will not make us happy.
So if we actually try to understand Kṛṣṇa from all points of view on the basis of Vedic literature, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam... (SB 1.3.28). And Kṛṣṇa personally says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Kiñcid. "Nobody. Nobody is greater than Me." How a foolish man can say that "I am greater than Kṛṣṇa"? So we have to give up all these foolish ideas. We have to take the real fact as it is. And then we become Kṛṣṇa conscious and our life becomes successful. That is our propaganda.
Prabhupāda: There were many saints.
Guest (1): So I can ask one more question. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says...
Prabhupāda: Why don't you touch Bhagavad-gītā? Yes. Do you think Aurobindo is greater than Kṛṣṇa?
Guest (1): He says that...
Prabhupāda: He says he is greater than Kṛṣṇa?
Guest (1): Yes.
Prabhupāda: Then he's a nonsense, if anyone says like that.
Guest (1): He says that...
Prabhupāda: What he has done greater than Kṛṣṇa? Why do you accept like that? What he has done greater than Kṛṣṇa?
Guest (1): He says, one who goes in...(?)
Prabhupāda: Don't say like that, unauthorized, he is greater than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). And you say he's greater than Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can say like that, "I am greater than Kṛṣṇa." So why do you accept like that unless you see practically that he has done greater than Kṛṣṇa? Huh?
Guest (1): That is a... And he said, I said... It can be said the Aurobindo was greater than Kṛṣṇa.(?)
Prabhupāda: No, no. Suppose if I say "I am greater than the President of the United States." Will you accept?
Please give me medicine," so does it mean that he is Bhagavān? A Bhagavān cannot cure his tooth pain even? This class of Bhagavān we should not accept. Bhagavān is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, asamaurdha. Nobody can be equal to Bhagavān and nobody can be greater than Bhagavān. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says particularly, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya: (CC Madhya 8.128) "One who knows Kṛṣṇa specifically, not superficially, but in all details, What is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru." Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā about Himself, kṛṣṇa-tattva, about..., the truth about Kṛṣṇa we can understand from Bhagavad-gītā with our intelligence. Just like Kṛṣṇa describes that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Now you study this one line that Kṛṣṇa says, "There is nobody greater than Me." Now you study Kṛṣṇa's life, Compare with anyone and you'll find, "Yes. Nobody is greater or equal to Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest (3): ...and the individual soul.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest (3): And also He has said that Paramātmā, He is Puruṣottama, greater than the soul. The soul is also...
Prabhupāda: Puruṣa. Soul is described as puruṣa.
Guest (3): Greater than him. So that also establishes that...
Prabhupāda: Dvaitavāda.
Guest (3): Yes. God is different. And we cannot say that we are equal to God.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And God says further, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is equal." Asamaurdha: "Nobody is equal to God; nobody is greater than God." That is God. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
I do not know. And still, people say, 'You are paṇḍita,' and I accept it. Just see my position." This is blank slate, admitting that "I am fool number one, but people say I am learned, and I accept it." This is our nature. This is called illusion. He will never think that "I am fool number one." He will always think, "Oh, who can be greater than me? I can think myself. Why? What is the necessity of a spiritual master? I can become a religious leader, I can become such and such, or..." This is our mentality.
So this mentality should be sacrificed first, before going to a spiritual master. First of all you have to select who can be your spiritual master. That requires some knowledge. Or you have to behave with a person to understand, "Whether he is fit to become my spiritual master?" Then you should offer yourself to be a student. That is the process, not that all of a sudden you shall go to a person, "Oh, please accept me as your..." No. You should first of all try to understand whether he is actually fit.
So this distinction I made in Chicago. It made a very great agitation because I discriminated that men are found to have more brain substance than the woman. So there was a great agitation. But this is fact psychologically, that brain substance in man is greater than the brain substance in woman. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ (BG 9.32). But in spiritual understanding there is no such distinction because sad-dharma, spiritual understanding, has nothing to do with this body. The brain substance, more or less, is in connection with this body, but the sat, the spirit soul, it has nothing to do with the body. So long it has to do something with the body, that is called māyā. He's sat, but he is absorbed in the thought of asat. That is called māyā, what he is not. He is absorbed in thoughts of the bodily comforts of life. That is asad-dharma. The karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they are all asad-dharmī because there is reference to the body.
Everything is happening. The tree is coming out, the fruit is coming out, the flower is coming, the color is painted—everything. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Na tasya kāryam karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. He hasn't got to do anything personally, but His potencies are acting. Na tasya kāryam karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tat-samas cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody can be equal to Him or greater than Him. Sama. Asama urdhva. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is explained that Kṛṣṇa is asama urdhva. Nobody is greater than Him, and nobody is equal to Him. So anyone who is claiming equal to Him, they are less intelligent. They have no intelligence. Asama urdhva. Na tasya samaḥ. Nobody is equal to Him, neither urdhva. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is greater than Me." Therefore God is great. If somebody is equal to Him or greater than Him, then he is not God. God is Kṛṣṇa.
Actually our position is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Now, at the present moment, every one of us, we are trying to become master. If not master of Kṛṣṇa, at least we are trying to become equal with Kṛṣṇa. This is our position. That is called māyā, "which is not possible." God is not so cheap that you can become equal with God or greater than God. You must always remain subordinate to God. That is your position. Actually we are subordinate. We have no meeting with God. We have no knowledge of God. But practically we see that we are subordinate to the material nature. That's a fact. Everyone knows. Who can overcome the laws of material nature? No. Nobody can do. By nature you have to die. You cannot avoid it. You are subordinate. By nature you have to become old man. You cannot avoid it. So we know that we are subordinate to material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). All these living entities—man or not man, animal or trees or plants, everyone—everyone is under the laws of material nature.
We are thinking, "Yes, I am very happy." And if somebody tries to come out of it, then he is also advised by the material nature, "Oh, why you are doing all this nonsense? You are very happy." Yavaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. The atheistic theory... The atheist... Nowadays there are atheists, not that... Atheist class of men there are always. Maybe number of the atheists are now greater than before, but there was a great atheist in India. There are six kinds of philosophical theses. Out of those, atheism is one of them. So that atheism... Cārvāka Muni. He was, Cārvāka, the leader of the atheists. His theory was that ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet: "Just beg, borrow or steal. You must eat butter. Never mind." Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet, yāvan jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet: "So long you shall live, you must live very comfortably." Then one may say, "Oh, beg, borrow, steal, and who'll suffer the sins? If I borrow, if I cannot pay? If I commit sins? If I commit burglary? Oh."
I want further ten millions of dollars. And when I get further ten millions of dollars, then I desire for further hundred millions of dollars. There is no cessation. So here is a thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who is perfect in that system, bhakti-yoga system, the Bhagavad-gītā says, yam labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ. Adhikam means "greater than this." We want, we desire something which is greater than what I possess now. Therefore I desire. I have got hundred millions dollars, and I want million millions of dollars, because that amount is greater than what I possess now. But one who possesses this devotional service, he does not think anything there is in the world which is more valuable than this. So why should he inquire? Why should he desire? He has got the sublime thing. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābham. Lābham means gain. Manyate na: "He does not think." Na. What is that? Adhikam. Adhikam means greater. If I have got two dollars' possession and if you offer me ten dollars, I think, "Oh, it is better." So he possesses such a thing that nothing is greater than because he possesses devotional service. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not different from Kṛṣṇa. So therefore he possesses Kṛṣṇa, and what thing can be greater than Kṛṣṇa? Therefore he is fully satisfied.
We therefore require to learn from the authority. Kṛṣṇa... Lord Caitanya says, cid-ānanda-deha. Cid-ānanda-deha, the transcendental eternal body. Cid-ānanda-deha and sarvāśraya. Sarvāśraya means He is the rest of everything. Now, you see before you that so many big, big planets, even the sun, it is floating in the air. Such a big body, lump body, which is some million times greater than this earth, we can see it is floating in the sky. So how it is floating? Here it is explained, sarvāśraya. It is floating on Kṛṣṇa's energy. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Sarvāśraya sarveśvara. Sarveśvara means the Supreme Lord. This is very nicely explained by Lord Caitanya. Sarva-ādi: "He is the origin of everything." Sarva-aṁśī: "He is the whole of all the parts. And He is just like a fresh boy. His body is transcendental, spiritual, full of bliss." Sarvāśraya: "And He is the rest of everything. And He is the Supreme Lord." This is the description of Kṛṣṇa.
It is accepted by all the authorities. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he says, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Avyakta. So far this material nature, manifested and nonmanifested, what we see, this is manifested. And then it is... Nonmanifested stage is there, covering, covering of the universe. Oh, then that space is far, far greater than, ten times greater than this space. That is avyakta. And above that avyakta stage... Avyakta means nonmanifested. Vyakta avyakta. This is vyakta, this is manifested. Certain space is manifested, and certain space is nonmanifested. So this is called vyakta and avyakta. Śaṅkarācārya says that Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is vyaktāvyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Similarly, it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā also. So Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, He is God. He is nirguṇa, transcendental to these three guṇas. They cannot affect. The three guṇas cannot affect. So similarly, those who are in touch with Kṛṣṇa, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are also nirguṇa. They are also transcendental to the three material modes of nature. This is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, quotation by Lord Caitanya.
They are not Supreme. Sṛjāmi tan-niyukto 'haṁ haro harati tad-vaśaḥ. Tad-vaśaḥ means we are under the control of the Supreme Lord. Nobody is free or independent. Only Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). You have this statement in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Ninth Chapter, that "Nobody is greater than Him." And another version is there, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is equal or greater than Him." There are so many statements in the Vedic literature.
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."
So all right, Kṛṣṇa has asked. Tell Him that...," kaha giyā sanaka-pitā caturmukha āilā, that "Tell Kṛṣṇa that I am four-headed Brahmā. I am the father of Sanaka-Sanātana." Sanaka-Sanātana, he is giving his identification as father of Sanaka-Sanātana because this Sanaka-Sanātana appeared to be greater than Brahmā. Although these four Kumāras were sons of Brahmā-Sanaka, Sanat-kumāra, Sananda and Sanātana, these four Kumāras—they were so elevated that when their father requested—at that time there was no population—so, that "You get yourself married and increase population. I want population now to fill up this vacant position of this material world, universe." So they refused: "Father, we ere not going to marry. We are going to be entangled." So they remained kumāra. So they became very famous, great devotees of Lord from very childhood. So therefore Brahmā is very intelligent. He is the first creature of this universe.
"This boy is not ordinary boy. You are fortunate that you are defeated before Him. Best thing will be that you go and surrender unto Him, and you'll be profit." So this Keśava Kāśmīrī became a student of Lord Caitanya.
So these puffed-up things are going on in every field of activities. But Lord Kṛṣṇa is always greater than everyone. So here Brahmā is asking,
- kṛṣṇa mānya-pūjā kari' tāṅre praśna kaila
- 'ki lāgi' tomāra ihāṅ āgamana haila?'
As he offered his respect to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa received him, "Oh, welcome, Brahmā. I am very glad to see you. What is the special message that you have, all of a sudden you come here?"
In river, in the river, you will find fishes, and in the ocean you will find fishes. But the... Sometimes it may be that the fishes of the river may go to the ocean, but the fishes of the ocean never comes to the river. Never comes to the river. There is no place for them. This is a crude example. Similarly... And as the ocean is far, far greater than the river-thousands of rivers cannot be compared with the, I mean to say, measurement of the ocean—similarly, thousands and millions of this material world cannot be compared with the spiritual world. The spiritual world is so great that millions of material world taken together, it can be dropped into the spiritual world. It is such great. Therefore material world is called one-fourth manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. And the spiritual world is called three-fourth manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy.
So there is no limit who is the strongest. When you come to the limit... So śāstra says that īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). There are so many īśvaras, gods, that's all right. But the Supreme Lord is Kṛṣṇa because nobody is found greater than Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was actually present and He manifested as ordinary man like us, in the history we find that nobody was greater than Him. At least, we can find out the Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. There is nobody in the world who could speak more than Bhagavad-gītā. Up to date. The man is so much advanced his knowledge, so-called, that they cannot put a literature like Bhagavad-gītā or they can understand fully. Even Dr. Radhakrishnan fails and other fails.
"Where is sun?" he will say that "Sun is on my head." So everyone will say, "Sun is on my head." Similarly, although sun is one, he is perceived that he is in everyone's heart, er, everyone's head. Similarly, the Lord, although He is one, He is situated in Vaikuṇṭha, but He is Brahman. He is the greatest. He is greater than the, far million, million times or unlimited timely greater than sun. Then He is reflected in everyone's heart. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, that Supreme Personality of Godhead, is situated in the heart of every living being.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
So one is being forced to accept Kṛṣṇa as the master, and the other is voluntarily offering service. That is the difference. But nobody's free from the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy that eternal servant. Either you accept or not accept, you are servant. You are never equal or greater than God.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose, that people should be taught that "You are eternal servant of God. Don't falsely claim that you are God. You don't care for God. You have to care." Just like this Hiraṇyakaśipu. He didn't care for God, but God came and, at the time of his last moment. You see? Similarly, God is visible to atheist as death and to the theist as lover. That is the difference. Everyone sees God. Nobody can say, "I do not see God." Everyone sees God. But one sees as death, and one sees as lover. That is the difference.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
A living entity can go anywhere he likes, but he requires qualification. Any country, when one is admitted, he must have visa, he must have passport, he must have required money to stay in a foreign country. So many rules and regulations are there. Similarly, in the higher planetary system also, where you get ten thousand years of duration of life, and their one year is far, far greater than ours. That is scientific.
So these, this material world is also the virāṭ-rūpa, universal form, of the Lord. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti (Bs. 5.32). I'm just trying to explain what is the body of the Supreme Lord. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna was shown the virāṭ-rūpa, the universal form of the Lord. Now why Arjuna wanted to see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa? The reason is that Arjuna knew it very well... Because in the Tenth chapter Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa that paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12)
"Whether you can lift a hill? Whether you can show the universal form? Whether you can kill such and such demons? Then I shall accept." That is intelligence. Don't accept a foolish man, declaring himself as God, and you accept also God. God is not so cheap. You should know what is God. These descriptions are there. No more, no man, no living entity is greater than God. Therefore God is said: "God is great." Great means nobody can be greater than Him, nobody can be equal to Him. That is greatness. Six opulences. That is analytical study what is God.
So these things are being taught from authoritative scripture and..., what is God, what is our relationship with Him, and what is our function in that relationship. We should know it. Unless we try to know it, simply we waste our time in frivolous activities, that is not proper utilization of human form of life. We are simply requesting people that "You don't waste your valuable time." Our time is so valuable.
Simply matter, combination of matter, cannot produce any development. Govinda. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi koṭiṣ... Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham, so Govinda is, the atomic theory that combination of atom, paramāṇu vāda is this material world, but we say that within the atom there is Govinda. Aṇor aṇīyan mahato mahīyān. Govinda is greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest. That is Govinda. Aṇḍānta...
We cannot imagine, we cannot see even atoms with your naked eyes. Unless six atoms combine together, you cannot see. One atom we cannot see. Paramāṇu, aṇu paramāṇu. If six paramāṇu combines in, one becomes atom. There are so minute divisions. So, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.35). So we worship... Brahmā says tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. I am worshiping that Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are disciplic succession from Brahmā. Therefore our process is to follow the footsteps of ācāryas.
Festival Lectures
So this is the feeling of a devotee. Generally, those who are followers of speculative process, or jñāna-mārga, they finally reach to understand that he is one with the Supreme Absolute Truth. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But the devotional service is so nice that a devotee is not satisfied that "I am one with the Supreme," but by his service he becomes greater than the Supreme. Just like Nanda Mahārāja. He is not anxious to become one with God, but he underwent so great penances that he became the father of God. That is possible. A devotee is so great that he can pray the Supreme Lord as his son. Of course, it is a very subtle science for understanding of spiritual knowledge. So today Nanda-mahotsava is celebrated because the father of Kṛṣṇa... Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. Although God is unborn and He is the Supreme, still, by love, He accepts one of His devotees as His father and appears as his son. So today is very nice day, that Kṛṣṇa has appeared. The Supreme Lord has appeared as the son of Nanda Mahārāja.
Just like Jagannātha, He is the master, He is the proprietor of the whole world, but He has assumed such a nice form that He is within our reach. We can serve Him very convenient. This is God. Therefore aprameyam, immeasurable. Immeasurable does not mean simply great. Immeasurable means you cannot measure even how small He is. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He is greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest. Therefore aprameyam. Anagham. Anagham means this material contamination cannot touch Him. Etad īśasya īśānām. Īśa, the Supreme Lord, means that He may come in any form. Just like He appears as the boar, hog. That does not mean He is hog. Or even He acts like hog, still He is anagham. How it is possible? Because He's tejiyasaṁ na doṣayā (SB 10.33.29). Tejiyasam...
The example is that the sun. Sun is so powerful that he is soaking water from everywhere. He is soaking water even from the filthy place where people are passing urine and stool.
Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **. Brahma-sūtra means this Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-vedyam. Śiva-viriñci, that Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, they are trying to understand the Supreme. Flickering knowledge? No. Through the Vedānta. Vedānta. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). And vibhum, vibhum means the greatest. Nobody is greater than the Supreme Lord. Rāmākhyam jagad-īśvaram. And He is Rāma. We chant daily:
- Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare
- Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Rāmākhyam. Rāma means the ramanīyā, the beautiful, or the enjoyer, rāmākhyam. And jagad-īśvaram. And He is the master or the proprietor of the whole universes. Sura-gurum. Sura means the demigods and gurum is spiritual master. Sura-gurum. Just like Arjuna is sura, and his guru is Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsadeva, his guru, Nārada; Nārada's guru is Brahmā; Brahmā's guru is Kṛṣṇa. So sura-gurum. māyā-manusyam. And when He appears as human being, that is māyā. māyā means actually He is not an ordinary man.
And there are yogis who can reach the sun planet through the beams of sun. Because the spirit soul is very, very small. Smaller than the atom. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). And the spirit soul can go everywhere. And it is, the speed of spirit soul is greater than the mind. You have got experience of the speed of the mind. In a second you can go many thousands of miles. Mind. Suppose you are sitting here, those who are Indians, immediately, within a second, one can reach Calcutta, Bombay. Immediately, without even, less than a second's time. The mind's speed, you can imagine. And finer than the mind is the spirit soul. So how much speedy is the spirit soul, that we have to know from the śāstras. Śāstra yonitvāt. Everything.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So we reject all these nonsense. We simply accept a sincere soul who wants to dedicate his life for God's service. So it is not easy thing. These boys and girls who are following me, they are very elevated. They are not ordinary boys and girls. They have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Their quality is greater than any mundane erudite scholar. It is a challenge. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Anyone who has developed God consciousness, love of God, all good qualities will automatically develop in him. All good qualities. Test any of our students, how they are good, how they are advanced. Test it. Bring anyone in this world and test any one of our boys. You'll find how much difference there is in their character, in their feeling, in their consciousness. So this is the only thing. If you want peaceful society, then you must make them God conscious, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything will be automatically solved. Otherwise your so-called United Nations will not help.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that means requires a superior education. Yes. The father, mother should be responsible...
Indian man (1): So who can be a greater than your Divine Grace?
Prabhupāda: No, no. The father, father... The first thing is that why do you send your sons to the school? It is duty that he should know. So if the father is a rascal, then how the son can be subodha? (laughter) Therefore the śāstra says that unless you can train your son to overcome this process of birth, death, old..., you don't become a father. You remain a rascal. Don't beget children. This is contraception. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. The real problem is mṛtyu. But they have taken it that "It is ordinary." But nobody wants to die. The education is na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). But who knows that I do not die after the destruction of the body? Then why I am put into this position that I have to change this body, I have to die? This question does not arise. Therefore they're abodha. The instruction is na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. There is no inquiry that "If I'm not born, why I am born in this body?" This is question.
Initiation Lectures
Yes. Just like there are many nonsense, they say that demigods... Of course, you have no affairs with demigods. Vedic religion there are hundreds and thousands of demigods. Especially it is going on that either you worship Kṛṣṇa or Lord Śiva or Kali, the same thing. This is nonsense. You should not, I mean to, place on the same level with the Supreme Lord. Nobody is greater than Lord. Nobody is equal than the Lord. So this equality should be avoided. Then?
Prabhupāda: God is one. There cannot be many Gods. If God is not one, there is no meaning of God. God means, according to Vedic definition, asamordhva. Asama means one who has no equal. Nobody is equal to God. And urdhva means nobody is greater than God. God is great. Nobody can be greater than God. Therefore God is one. Nobody is greater, nobody is equal. That means everyone is lower. Then?
Revatīnandana: "Neglecting the orders of the spiritual master."
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is one offense. These are offenses. When we accept spiritual master, it is understood that you cannot deny his order. Just like Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was talking as friends, but when Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master, he was simply hearing, and whenever there was difficulty to understand, he was questioning. Not that he was equally arguing with Kṛṣṇa. Before accepting Him, he was arguing. So this is the position. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said that "My spiritual master found Me a great fool (CC Adi 7.71)." Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not a fool, but it is the good qualification of a disciple to remain a fool before the spiritual master.
That does not mean that when you cannot understand, you cannot question. Question must be there. That is stated in this Bhagavad-gītā, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Your relationship is to know from a spiritual master everything, but you should know that with three things. What is that? First of all you should surrender. You must accept the spiritual master as greater than you. Otherwise what is the use of accepting one spiritual master? Praṇipāt. Praṇipāt means surrendering; and paripraśna, and questioning; and sevā, and service. There must be two sides, service and surrender, and in the middle there must be question. Otherwise there is no question and answer. Two things must be there: service and surrender. Then answer of question is nice. Yes.
One is saying, "There is no God"; another is saying, "It is impersonal," in this way. But our philosophy is neither atheistic nor impersonal. It is directly person. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Directly we say, "There is no..." Kṛṣṇa, in the Bhagavad-gītā, says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nāsti: "There is nobody greater than Me." If God is great, how anybody can be greater than Him? It is right. Eh? Nānyat parataraṁ nāsti: "There is nothing more greater than Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of everything." Vedānta-sūtra says, "Brahman, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is the source of everything." And here is the direct answer by Kṛṣṇa, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: "I am the source of everything." So we follow this philosophy. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we directly take Bhagavad-gītā as the evidence of existence of God. And if you want to know God, you cannot know God by speculation. He is so great, He is so unlimited, and we have got limited senses, limited capacity.
General Lectures
Because you are simply trying to solve the problems of eating, sleeping, defending and mating. But these problems are already solved by nature's law.
So our developed intelligence should be utilized for solving these problems by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are presenting this movement before you, your country, because you are intelligent, you are materially advanced. You are greater than all other countries. Therefore I present this movement, scientific movement before you. You just try to understand it. Lord Caitanya's movement... This is Lord Caitanya's movement. And the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta... That is in Sanskrit. We have translated it into English, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you like, you can purchase that book. So in that book it is stated that caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. "Ladies and gentlemen, you just..., scrutinizingly you try to understand the mercy of Lord Caitanya, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how it is solving the problems of our life." Vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra.
This is called māyā. Māyā means what is not. Mā means not. Yā means this. This is called māyā. We are thinking that we are happy, but actually we are not happy. And even if we are happy, how long we are happy? Suppose, taking for example you Americans, you are the richest nation of the world. Your material comforts and everything is greater than other countries, standard of living. But just try to think how long you can remain as American. Say, for fifty years or hundred years, at most. Then... But we do not know what is going to happen in my next life because we do not believe in the next life. But actually there is next life. So if you don't take care of my next life and if we irresponsibly waste our valuable human form of life like ordinary animals... The ordinary animals, they demand something for eating, they want to sleep, they want to defend, and they want to mate.
Similarly... Just like the sun planet. Although we are seeing it is just like a disk and the sunshine is overcast all over the universe, that does not mean that sunshine is more important than the sun disk. It is due to the sun disk that the sunshine is all over the universe. And if you think that sunshine is distributed all over the universe, therefore it is greater than the sun disk—no. The importance of the sun disk is more than the universally distributed sunshine. So impersonal Brahman realization is just like realization of the sunshine, but there are other stages. And the highest stage is to associate with the Supreme. Just like this picture, they are associating person to person. Another point is, as individual soul we require association, person to person. That is our nature. The Bhāgavata replies, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvad aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). If somebody thinks by simple impersonal realization of Brahman, if he thinks that he has become liberated, then his intelligence is polluted.
Simple questions will not help us. The question should be put to a person where you have got full surrender and you have got the service mentality. You cannot ask spiritual master or any person whom you think is greater than you in a challenging spirit. Then you will be deceived. In a submissive way, of course, you have got right to place questions, and with service mood. So Sanātana Gosvāmī is the vivid example of this disciplic succession. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). In the Vedas also the same injunction is there. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If you want to learn that transcendental science, then you must approach to a person who is heavier than you. Guru. Guru means heavier. You don't go to a person who is lighter than you. Heavier. Heavier means heavier in knowledge. So the same thing is explained everywhere.
He works here. He finds some better wages another place, he goes there. But that does not means he becomes independent. He is subordinate. So Lord Caitanya teaches that if you want to be subordinate or if you want to worship somebody... Who worships somebody? Unless you feel somebody is greater than you, why shall you worship? I worship my boss because I think that he is greater than me. He gives me wages, salary, monthly six hundred dollars. Therefore I must worship him, I must please him.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that you become a subordinate of Kṛṣṇa. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ. If you want to worship, worship Kṛṣṇa. And next, tad-dhāmaṁ vṛndāvanam. If you want to worship somebody, then love Kṛṣṇa or worship Kṛṣṇa, or His place Vṛndāvana. Because everyone wants to love some place. That is now nationalism—some country. Somebody says, "I love this American land." Somebody says, "I love this Chinese land."
Now we are unnatural, in unnatural condition, forgetting Kṛṣṇa. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring back everyone to his original consciousness, affection, love between the child and the father. And that is the best service to the society. Suppose a child... Nobody is greater than God, and we are all children of God. Therefore we are children of the richest man, because who can be richer than God? Who can be powerful than God? And we are sons of God. So... But we have forgotten. Just like a boy, from his childhood he has left his home, very rich father. Loitering in the street, he has no sufficient food, sufficient clothing. So somebody sees, "Oh, this boy belongs to that rich man. He is living in such wretched condition." So the best service to that boy is to bring back to his father. Not that "My dear boy, I know that you are very rich man's son. You have now forgotten. You have no proper eating. I am giving you a morsel of bread. You eat it." That is also a service.
So individuality cannot be cancelled. That is not possible. The only difference is, my individuality or Kṛṣṇa's individuality, is that my individuality is limited, but Kṛṣṇa's individuality is unlimited. That is the... Just like you select one person leader because his intelligence is greater than you, something greater than you. Therefore you select somebody as your leader. So in the Vedic literature the definition of God is also there, who is God. Now everyone is claiming, "I am God," but they do not know what is God. They are falsely claiming. But if you find out Parasara-sūtra, there is definition of God. What is that? Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. God is the owner of all wealth, vīryasya, all strength, yaśasaḥ, all fame, all intelligence, all beauty, and all renunciation. These six items in full strength, cent percent possession, that makes the God. So our position is always subordinate according to Vedic literature or any literature.
Just like the drop of sea water and the vast mass of sea water—both are qualitatively one. The chemical composition of the drop of sea water and that of the mass of sea water are one and the same, but the quantity of salt and other minerals in the whole sea is many, many times greater than the quantity of salt and other minerals contained in the drop of sea water. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement maintains the (sic:) speciality of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. From the Vedic Upaniṣads we can understand that both the Supreme Person, or God, and the individual person are eternal and living entities. The difference is that the supreme living entity, or Supreme Person, maintains all the innumerable living entities. In the Christian way of understanding, the same principle is admitted because in the Bible it is taught that the individual entities should pray to the supreme father for supplying means of maintenance and giving pardon for their sinful activities.
There are many words like that, guṇavān. Guṇavān. Guṇa means quality, and vān means one who possesses. Similarly, the Sanskrit word, equivalent word of the English word "God" is Bhagavān. Bhaga... God... Generally described, God is great. That is perfect. Actually God is great. Nobody can be equal to God, and nobody can be greater than God. Greatness... If I am great and if there is another competitor great, then I am not God, neither he is God. When we say, speak of God, there is no competitor. The Sanskrit word used, asamaurdhva... Asama. Sama means equal; a means not. Nobody is equal. Asama, urdhva. There are three positions. Just like we are sitting here. Somebody is equal to me, somebody is greater than me and somebody is lower than me. You will find, everyone. Anywhere you go, you'll find, somebody is greater than you, somebody is equal to you and somebody is lower than you, anywhere you go. But in case of God, there can be only lower; nobody greater or equal.
And there is regular propaganda that everyone is God. Now, how everyone can be God? The definition of God is like this: "Nobody shall be equal; nobody shall be greater." Then He is God. If somebody says, "I am God," say, if somebody thinks that "I am God," he should think also, "Whether I have no more any greater than me or equal to me?" Oh, if you find so many equal and greater, lower also... But first thing is whether there is nobody greater than you or nobody equal to you. Then you are God. Don't be crazy and think that "I am God." God is not like that. Here is the definition, bhagavān, asamaurdhva. In Sanskrit word, it is very nicely described.
So bhaga... Bhaga means opulence. And what are the opulences? That also, we can very easily understand. If one man is very rich, we call opulent. If one man is very famous, reputed, he's opulent. If a man is very advanced in learning, in wisdom, he's al... That is also opulence.
Bhaga, these opulences... So you have to find out. You do not accept any cheap God. You just try to find out whether this man claiming as God has no greater than him and no equal to him. Then he is God. This simple test. Don't accept any bogus, so-called God. Just try to put him to the test whether he is actually God. This is the test, that nobody should be greater than him; nobody shall be equal to him. Then he is God.
So in the Vedic literature, in India, you know there were many saintly persons, great scholars from time immemorial. Even not very recently, say, five hundred years ago there were such men, personalities. Now it is almost finished, but still, if you find, you will see there are great sages, saintly persons, who understand the meaning of Vedic literature, and they live up to the standard of Vedic life. So that is the definition given by great saints and sages, this definition given by Parāśara Muni, a great sage. He was the father of Vyāsadeva.
So he gave us this definition, that "God is He who is full with six kinds of opulences, of which there is nobody greater or nobody is equal. Then he is God." You try to understand the six kinds of, I mean to say, opulences, and you try to find out a person who has no competitor, neither greater than him. Then you accept him as God. Otherwise reject. Don't accept.
So how you can find out a person who is the richest man within this..., not within this world, within this universe. It is very difficult. You cannot find out a being who is the most, I mean to say, famous within this universe. We can know. Just like in your country, your President is the most famous man. But in other country there may be another famous man. In other planet there may be another famous man.
Can anyone count what is the number of mustards seeds in a bag, in a one-ton or two-ton bag? Innumerable. It is beyond our experience. But there are so many universes just like packed up in a bag. This is called material world. So what to speak of the spiritual world? The spiritual world is at least three times greater than this material world. That information we get from Bhagavad-gītā. Ekāṁśena sthito... Ekam means one part. Even you take... One part, maybe, one hundred. But even not going so far, one part means divide the whole thing into four parts. That will be one fourth. This material world is only one fourth of the whole creation, and the three-fourth part is spiritual world. In the spiritual world there is similarly innumerable planets, innumerable living entities. Just like, as I have already explained, that this material world is the just like prison house of the criminals. So our criminal department in the state, say, jail or prison house, that is not the countrywise, as big as the country.
This is not very good logic. Anyway, then when I asked him that "If everyone is incarnation, then what is the speciality of Meher Baba?" Then, "He knows more than others." Then next reply is that somebody may be more than Meher Baba. So if you go on searching like that, you will find Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is the Supreme. By logic. You go on by logic. If everyone is incarnation and if everyone, out of many, one who is still more advanced, he is accepted as God, then you have to search more—if there is any other person who is greater than that person.
That has been searched in Vedic literature by Lord Brahma, and he said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1): "We have searched out all types of gods, all types of gods, but the Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa." "Everyone is God," that's nice. But there is bigger God and little God also.
"Everyone is God," that's nice. But there is bigger God and little God also. So if you go on searching after bigger God, bigger God, bigger God, when you come to Kṛṣṇa you'll find nobody bigger than Him. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Mattaḥ parataraṁ nasti. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, Kṛṣṇa said that "Nobody is greater than Me." And actually when Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, there was no contemporary who was greater than Kṛṣṇa. Neither even at the present moment, there is anyone who can claim that "I am greater than Kṛṣṇa." In opulence... Greatness in six kinds of opulences: in richness, in reputation, in strength, in beauty, in wisdom, and in renunciation. If you analyze, you'll find nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa even in material richness. Everyone wants to become rich, to have a nice family, nice wife, good bank balance, a nice house. But Kṛṣṇa married 16,108 wives. Is there any history, any instance? And each wife had a palace which did not require any lightening, electricity. It was jewel-bedecked.
"No, sir, it is very great." "All right. Hundred feet." "No, it is very great." "All right. Thousand feet." So go on. Where is the comparison of Atlantic Ocean within the well? (chuckling) So these rascals are calculating, speculating about God, how great He is by three feet, six feet, or ten feet, or hundred feet, thousand feet, like that. But He is greater than all your calculation, all your measurement. Avāṅ-mānasa-gocaraḥ. You cannot calculate how He's great. Simply you accept His greatness and surrender. That's your business. You just calculate yourself. Your infinitesimal identity is very small. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadha kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). Just divide the tip of your hair (in) ten thousand parts, and that one part is your identification, spiritual measurement.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says that don't be falsely proud. Just become submissive. Namanta eva. Namanta. Namanta means submissive, meek. Lord Jesus Christ also advised, "Those who are meek, the kingdom of God is for them." Is it not?
God is also a living entity like you and me, but He is qualitatively unlimitedly powerful. That is the difference. Just like we find, every one of us sitting here, you will find some difference. You may be a greater personality than me. Another gentleman may be a greater personality than you, and somebody may be greater than him, somebody may be greater than him. Similarly, if you go up to the post of your president, Mr. Nixon, he is supposed to be the greatest personality in your country. But you will find a greater personality than him also. Go on searching. So these greater personalities... You may be greater than me, but you are also person, I am also person. President Nixon is also a person. All this greatness may be different, but so far we are personally concerned, the personal propensities, the personal needs, personal necessities, everything, they are equal. Come on. There is no difference. So God is also a person, but His personality is different from us because we know that God is great. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. There are so many qualifications we qualify God.
Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). In the Vedic literature you'll find, Vedas, "God has many energies." Parāsya śaktiḥ. Śakti means energy, power. Vividhaiva, multi, various. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svabhāva... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. This is the injunction of Vedas. "You cannot find anyone equal or greater than God. Nobody can be equal with God; nobody can be greater than God." Then he is not God. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca. Sama means equal; adhika means greater. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. They have analyzed who is God. The great sages, the liberated sages, they are not fools, rascals, that they will accept anyone God. No. They will test. This is the test. If you find somebody, that he is neither lower than anyone, neither equal to anyone, then he is God. There are other, many definitions of God. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47).
The Supersoul is within the atom. That is the power of God. He can become bigger than the universe. He can put many millions of universes within His belly. At the same time, He can enter within the atom. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Mahato mahīyān means greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. So in this way, first realization, Brahman, impersonal. Then next higher realization is Paramātmā, Supersoul. Brahman realization more or less realized by philosophical speculation, and Paramātmā realization is achieved more or less by meditation. But Bhagavān realization is transcendental devotion. That is beyond the philosophical speculation and mental meditation, beyond.
So these are explained in the Vedic literature. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "He has nothing to do and nobody is equal or greater than Him." Therefore God is great. Nobody can be equal. You cannot claim that you are God. Then you claim "God," I claim "God," he, she claims "God," he claims "God." Then what is the meaning of "God"? Nobody... God is great. Nobody can be greater than Him. Then how you can claim that you are God, I am God? Then either you do not know what is the definition of God or you are foolishly claiming that you are God. You must... If you claim, if you come here and introduce yourself, "I am President Johnson," oh, you must present your credential that you are President Johnson. Otherwise, we shall say you are crazy. So if you cannot present yourself even like ordinary president—you are claiming that you're God—how much nonsense you are.
Don't claim in that way. There is no equal to God. Oh, there are so many equals to you, so many greater than you, lower than you. So you are not absolute. God is absolute. In the Bhagavad-gītā the same thing is described, that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanajaya, Arjuna, nobody's greater than Me." Anyat. Anyat means anyone. So this is the one of the symptoms of God, that nobody is greater than Him. So you have to prove that nobody's greater than you. If you simply think falsely that "Nobody's greater than me. Nobody's...I am moving this sun. I am moving this moon. I am...," so you have to prove it. Otherwise, it is nonsense. But if you remain in your actual position, that "I am not God, but I am part and parcel of God, and God is nondifferent..." Just like the part and parcel of your body, this finger, and the whole body... If you make analytical study: "Oh, there is blood, there is vein, there is muscle, there is skin, there is bone, everything complete," as much as there is blood, vein, muscle, bones, everything in the whole body, so, as part and parcel, the, all the qualities, or all the ingredients of God are there. But he is a small quantity; therefore part and parcel.
That is not possible. Then there is no meaning of God, because God is great. And in the Vedic literature it is confirmed that na tasya kāryaṁ ca vidyate na tasya sama adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody's greater than Him, nobody's equal to Him. He, He has nothing to do. Everything is being performed by His multi-energies."
So these descriptions are there. So you have to... Vedic knowledge means the knowledge of authority. So you have to prove. But there is a process for understanding God, that "I am God." That is a process. But not that one is God. "I am God" means in that way: "Qualitatively, I am God." So we have to find out, meditation, "What is that quality?" That quality is the spirit soul, on account of whose presence the whole body is working. As soon as the spirit soul is absent from this body, this body has no more any value. That you have to understand. And what is that spirit soul? That you have to find out, where it is. Where is the spirit soul... Now, if you medically analyze where is the spirit soul, you cannot find out. But there, in the yoga process, there are different rules and regulations, sitting posture and then breathing exercise, controlling the air passing through this body.
The nondevotees accept Kṛṣṇa (pause—drinks water) as ordinary person. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because Kṛṣṇa comes before you as a human being, therefore, because one has not sufficient knowledge about Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ, therefore such foolish persons accept Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being, or a little greater than ordinary human being. But that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the verdict of Vedic instruction. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There is a list of incarnation of God. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Lord Buddha is also accepted as śaktyāveśa avatāra, especially empowered incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra, jaya jagadīśa hare. Although Buddhism, we do not accept the philosophy of Buddhism, we Vaiṣṇavas, we do not accept, but we accept Lord Buddha as incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra, jaya jagadīśa hare.
"One who is always thinking of Me within himself, he is first-class yogi." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ (BG 6.47). There is no need of speculating. Simply this easy process, thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. All big, big yogis, there may be, but a person who is always absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa within himself, he is greater than all such big, big yogis. Greater than the greatest yogi. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā. Mad-gata means his life is so molded that he cannot stay without thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Mad-gata. He has become absorbed. That is samādhi. Mad-gatenāntarātmanā śraddhāvān. Not for artificial makeshow, but śraddhāvān, with faith and love. Śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ.
But how this stage can be attained? This stage can be attained only by persons who have developed pure love of God. Just like... It is very easy to understand. If you love somebody, always you'll think of him. In this material world also, the so-called love... If a boy loves some girl or a girl loves some boy, naturally, he thinks always of him. So to think of Kṛṣṇa always means you must develop your love.
"Don't try to kill Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa cannot be killed. You will be killed. You will be killed. Kṛṣṇa cannot be killed." When I went to Western countries, they said that "God is dead." Here also, in our country so many people says that "Kṛṣṇa came. He is dead and gone. Now I am greater than Kṛṣṇa." So many rascal incarnations: "I am greater than Kṛṣṇa." You see. So this is going on.
So by this way you cannot be happy. You must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you act like that, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). We have to understand Bhagavad-gītā through the paramparā system, not whimsically: "I think," "It is my opinion." What you are, nonsense? Throw your opinion. This process should be given up.
Yoginaḥ, they are trying to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead by meditative mind. That is yogi, and he is also sādhu. And bhaktas. Just like we have taken the path of devotional service to serve Kṛṣṇa at any cost. We don't think anything greater than the service of the Lord. That is the bhakta's position. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167), that is bhakti. Simply to serve Kṛṣṇa favorably. Kṛṣṇa conscious, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how He will be satisfied. Not thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how I shall kill Him. That is Kaṁsa's Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, but his business was to make plan how to kill Kṛṣṇa. Not that sort of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness is ānukūlyena, favorable, how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Although Kaṁsa's Kṛṣṇa consciousness helped him—he got liberation. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious unfavorably, still you get the immediate profit being liberated. For which the jñānīs and yogīs, they are trying hundreds of years. Kṛṣṇa is so nice that if you simply think that, "I shall kill Kṛṣṇa, I shall kill Kṛṣṇa."
The commentator says... The so-called learned commentator says, "It is not to the Kṛṣṇa person but it is the Absolute Truth which is within Kṛṣṇa." That means he is dividing Kṛṣṇa from the Absolute Truth. He does not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no other truth, great truth, than Myself." And he says, "Something greater than Kṛṣṇa within Śrī Kṛṣṇa." That means it is clear that he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, and he has the courage to comment on Bhagavad-gītā. That is the pitiable condition. One who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he is daring to write comments on the Bhagavad-gītā. That is misleading. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, duṣkṛtina. They will produce volumes of books. Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśaḥ (SB 1.5.10). Bhāgavata says that "You can produce volumes of books with nice literary, metaphorical arrangements." Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśaḥ na pragṛṇīta karhicit.
Take this formula. Kṛṣṇa says here that everything that is working in this material or spiritual world, they are different energies of Kṛṣṇa. He is the original source of creation, He is the original source of maintenance, and He is the original source of annihilation. Therefore nobody is greater than Him. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Na anyat: "There is no other greater elevated." Kiñcid asti: "Not even one." You cannot say, "Here is something which is greater than Kṛṣṇa." That is not possible. Na anyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya, mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva. Just like in your necklace, pearl necklace, all the pearls are situated in the thread, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the thread and everything existing... This will be explained more explicitly in the Thirteenth Chapter.
He is canvassing door to door. He is coming from Vaikuṇṭha, from Vṛndāvana, to teach us how you can become friend of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, how you can become mother of Kṛṣṇa, how you can become father of Kṛṣṇa. Here the jñānīs, they try to be equal with Kṛṣṇa, but a devotee can become the father of Kṛṣṇa. What is the value of equality? It is greater than equality. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He accepts His devotee as father and He accepts his punishment also. Just like Kṛṣṇa accepted the punishment of Mother Yaśodā very willfully. He wants that. He likes that. Because everyone goes to God, Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu, and prays with adoration and respect. But Kṛṣṇa wants that one may think of Him as inferior to him. Just like Nanda Mahārāja was thinking, "He is my child, have to protect." Kṛṣṇa is giving protection to everyone, but Nanda Mahārāja is thinking that "I have to give protection to Kṛṣṇa." This is the devotee's position. So He is so nice friend that whatever enjoyment you want in this material world, that will break.
He established Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but rascals and fools began to imitate Him and decry Him. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because He came as human being, so many persons represented that "I am God, I am Kṛṣṇa, I am this," no. God is one. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can become greater than God or equal to God. Therefore, God's another name is asamaurdhva, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Nobody can be equal with God, nobody can be greater than God. Everyone must be... Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142), that is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. God is only one, Kṛṣṇa, and everyone is servant. Of course, God's servant and God, there is little difference. Because sometimes servant has got greater power than God, that is different thing. But actually nobody can be greater than God, nobody can be equal to God.
One in quality. God is spirit; we are also spirit. He is Supersoul; we are individual. But God is great, and we are minute fragment. That is difference. Therefore, simultaneously we are one and different, one in quality but different in quantity. You accept also, "God is great." And we say that nobody can be greater than God, neither anyone can be equal to God. That is our philosophy. Asama urdhva. Asama. Sama means equal. Nobody can be equal to God. That is not possible. God is one. You may have some understanding that in the Vedic literature there is mention of many demigods. But the demigods, they are also living entities, a little more powerful than the human beings. That's all. Just like here, in this world also, we find somebody is more powerful than others. But that does not mean he is God. God is supreme, all-powerful. Here you may be a little more powerful then me, but another may be found who is more powerful than you, another you can find more powerful than him. In this way go on. There is no limit.
So in the Vedas it is said about Kṛṣṇa how great artist He is. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. The Absolute Personality of Godhead, He has nothing to do personally. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Kāryam means work. He hasn't got to perform any work, although He is the greatest worker. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate. And nobody is found greater than Him or equal to Him. In this world every one of us, we know that "Somebody is lower than me, somebody is greater than me, and somebody is equal to me." That is our experience. We cannot say that I am or you are absolute. Nobody is absolute. However you may be great in the estimation of others, you will find somebody is greater than you, and somebody is lower than you, and somebody is equal to you. But so far the greatest Absolute Personality of Godhead is concerned, na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate. By experimental study, by research work by great saintly persons, sages, they have concluded, na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is found samaḥ," means "equal to Him, or adhikaḥ." Adhikaḥ means greater.
I want to become the president. And when I am frustrated, then I want to become God. That want—"I want to become master"—is going on. So this is also māyā. How one can become God? Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can become equal to God or greater than God. Asamaurdha. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is described as asama urdha. "Nobody is equal to God, and nobody is greater than God." Asama urdha.
So this disease, this is called material disease. I want to lord it over the material nature, and when I fail to lord it over, then I want to become one with God. Of course, there are five kinds of liberation: sāyujya sārūpya sāmīpya sālokya. By liberation you can become one with God. That is not very difficult. If you want to become, merge into the existence of God, that is not very difficult job. God is all-powerful. You are emanation from God. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).
That authoritative source is Kṛṣṇa. Because we have already described, nobody is wiser or in knowledge than Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa gives this knowledge, that paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo (BG 8.20). "Beyond this material world there is another spiritual sky." There are also innumerable planets. And that sky is far, far greater than this sky. It is one-fourth only. And the spiritual sky is three-fourths. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). This is only one-fourth, this material world. The other spiritual world is three-fourths. Suppose God's creation is one hundred. It is only twenty-five percent; seventy-five percent is there. Similarly, the living entities also, a very small fragmental portion of the living entities are here. And there, in the spiritual world, the major portion are there.
In the Vedic literature we can understand, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). In the Vedas, Upaniṣad: na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. God has nothing to do personally. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tat-samas cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody is found equal to him or greater than Him. Nobody. That is God. If somebody is competitor, one God competitor, another God competitor... Just like nowadays it has become a fashion to become God, and there are competitions between one "God" and another. But actually, nobody can compete with God. That is God. Na tasya sama. Sama means equal. Adhikasya, or greater. That means greater. That means everyone subordinate. Everyone subordinate. Everyone is lower than God. He may be very powerful, but nobody can be equal or greater than God. That is the Vedic information. Na tasya sama adikasya dṛśyate. We don't find... They are also, great saintly persons, they're researching that who is the greatest personality. Greatest personality.
The non-devotees accept Kṛṣṇa as ordinary person. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because Kṛṣṇa comes before you as a human being, therefore because one has no sufficient knowledge about Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ, therefore such foolish persons accept Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being or a little greater than ordinary human being. But that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That is the verdict of Vedic instruction. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There is a list of incarnation of God in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lord Buddha is also accepted as śaktyāveśa avatāra, especially empowered incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra, jaya jagadīśa hare. Although Buddhism, we do not accept the philosophy of Buddhism, we Vaiṣṇava, we do not accept, but we accept Lord Buddha as incarnation of Kṛṣṇa.
You do not see so many rascal gods are loitering in the street?" This is going on. If you simply consult dictionary, you can understand what is the meaning of God. God is so cheap thing, huh? Supreme being. Are you supreme being? Supreme means the highest authority. Highest authority means nobody is equal to him, nobody is greater than him. That is supreme. So these rascals who are claiming to become God, is it a fact that nobody is equal to him, nobody is greater than him? There are so many.
So this kind of guru, this kind of rascal, will not help you. Guru must come from the paramparā system by disciplic succession. Five thousand years or five millions of years, what was spoken by the supreme God or guru, the present guru also will say the same thing. That is guru. That is bona fide guru. Otherwise, he's not guru. Simple definition. Guru cannot change any word of the predecessor. There is one instance in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's life. One gentleman, (he) is Vallabha Ācārya.
If He is God at all, then He must be attractive for all. That is the meaning of the word Kṛṣṇa, "all-attractive." So that is very nice word. Actually, God has no name, but we call Him by different holy names according to His activity. Just like we believe that God is great. So this is fact. The Vedic instruction is also there, na tasya samaś cābhkyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is equal, nobody is greater than Him." Therefore God is great. Now who is that great? That is decided: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Īśvaraḥ means controller. That is the exact equivalent for the word God. God means controller, supreme controller. So that supreme controller means He has nobody else to control Him. Here, in this material world or anywhere, we find one controller, he is controlling, but he is also being controlled. He is not absolute controller. Here we find some, say, a president, he's controlling the state, but he's also being controlled by popular votes. If the popular votes are against him, he cannot control any more.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is pāpi tāpi yata chila, harināme uddhārila, tāra sākṣī... You want evidence? Jagāi and Mādhāi. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered two Jagāi and Mādhāi. Now you can see how much Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is strong. Many thousands of Jagāi-Mādhāi's are being delivered. So His movement is greater than Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, personally He delivered two Jagāi-Mādhāi. Now, by His movement, thousands Jagāi-Mādhāi's are being... This is the practical. And it is very easy. It is not very difficult. Anyone can take. But if we take knowingly poison, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu, who can protect you? So it is our appeal to everyone that take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Even if you cannot give up your bad habits, sinful activities, still, you take the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and your life will be glorified.
Māninaḥ means one who is not actually the thing, but falsely one is thinking that "I am liberated. I have become equal with Nārāyaṇa." They are called vimukta-māninaḥ. Actually that is not the fact. So we shall be very careful to avoid this kind of mahātmās who are thinking themselves as Nārāyaṇa, equal to Nārāyaṇa, or sometimes they claim greater than Nārāyaṇa. So we shall be very careful. This Melā, there are so many so-called mahātmās. But the symptom of mahātmā is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhajanty ananya-manaso. That is the qualification. And to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is not at all difficulty. There is no difficulty. Anyone can become. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Even lowborn, they can also take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, and what to speak of... Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33). If actually qualified brāhmaṇas, they take shelter, what to speak of... Their progress is very quick. Punyā. Without puṇyā background, sukṛti, nobody can take birth in the family or society of brāhmaṇas.
Departure Talks
The officer and the cleaner, they are of the same importance. That is even Kṛṣṇa, with Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual world. In Vṛndāvana the cowherds boys, they are playing with Kṛṣṇa on equal terms. They do not know Kṛṣṇa is God. They simply know how to love Kṛṣṇa, that's all. There is no need of thinking that "Kṛṣṇa is greater than the other cowherds boy. They are living entities." There is no such sense. Kṛṣṇa wants that. That is Goloka Vṛndāvana worship. Simply the center is Kṛṣṇa, and all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they love Kṛṣṇa, and they do not know anything except Kṛṣṇa. This is Vṛndāvana life. Everyone knows that "Kṛṣṇa is my very intimate friend." Somebody knows, "Kṛṣṇa is my son," somebody knows that "Kṛṣṇa is my master," and somebody is thinking, "Kṛṣṇa is my lover." But center is Kṛṣṇa. The cows, the calves, the friends, the gopīs, and the cowherds boy, Kṛṣṇa's father, Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa's mother, Yaśomatī, and... Everyone's center is Kṛṣṇa, "How Kṛṣṇa will be happy?" This is Vṛndāvana life.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Nature of God, it can be explained by God Himself. That is our Vedic process. We know who is God, and He explains, "My nature is this." Just like He says, "I am the greatest principle," mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is no more higher principle than Me." This is fact. If something is greater than God, then how one can become God? That is not possible. So greatest means He is great in everything. He is great in richness, He is great in reputation, He is great in influence, He is great in bodily power, He is great in beauty and He is great in renunciation. If we can find out somebody that He tallies with this greatness, then He is God. So that we find in Kṛṣṇa; therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, and what He says in the Bhagavad-gītā we accept as fact. And if we analyze His statements intelligently, pruriently, then we will find that what Kṛṣṇa says, that is fact.
Prabhupāda: Yes. One can understand. It is very easy. That I explained in the meeting, that we see, that any way you take, I have got my father, my father has got father, his father, his father, his father—so there must be some original father. That is supreme father. Another way: I don't find myself free. I am in American state, so I have to submit report to the immigration department. Or you, American citizens, you have got some obligation to the state: the draft man is there, calling you; if you don't go then you have to go to jail. So nobody is control-free; everyone is being controlled. Again, I see that the man who is controlling me, he is also controlled, and that man is also controlled, that man is... So here you see relative—I am controller and controlled. So when I approach the person who is simply controller, not controlled, that is God. How can you deny this definition of God? Simply (indistinct). Here by our experience we see, everyone is rejecting the controller and controlled. But if you can find out the Supreme Person, who is controller but not controlled, then He is God. Find out. Now, if i say that it is beyond my capacity, so go to experienced man, Brahma. He has got duration life a million times greater than you, and he got knowledge.
Prabhupāda: God has nothing to struggle. He is so powerful that He has nothing to do. That is the Vedic injunction. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. The Vedic description of God is like this, He has nothing to do. That is right because just like a big man, a big leader, a king, personally he has nothing to do. He has got so many servants, secretaries, ministers, soldiers, so why he has got to do anything? So he has nothing to do. That is described in the Veda, na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. There is nothing to do actually. Therefore we see Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa picture, the Supreme Lord He is playing on his flute and enjoying. That is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), that is Vedic description, that God is always enjoying, ānandamaya. He has nothing to do. So, because na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate, he has nothing to do because, na tat ca samaḥ abhyadikaś ca dṛśyate, because nobody is greater than Him, nobody is equal to Him. Then how things are happening? Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He has got multi-energies. The energies are acting and they are acting so nicely, svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca, and the, naturally it is happening, so systematic, so nice. Just like by God's order the sun has to rise early in the morning, exactly in the time.
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. So in this way there is a regular history. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā a small instance of history is being given: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17), that the Brahmā's daytime, just like we have got solar calculation, twelve hours' daytime, so that twelve hours of Brahmā is calculated sahara-yuga-paryantam. One yuga means forty-three hundred thousands of years. Similarly, thousand times, that is Brahmā's twelve hours. So everything is relative. We are tiny people. We have got history of this world, some thousands of years, but Brahmā is greater than the human being. His history is different. Here everything is relative. My history is different from an ant's history. Similarly a man's history is different from Brahmā's history.
Prabhupāda: That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are learning how to love God, and we are teaching the same principle to the whole world, without any discrimination, that "God is one." Not that there are different Gods of different faiths. God cannot be two. Eko brahma dvitīyaṁ nāsti. God is one. There cannot be any competitor. His name is Asamaurdhva; nobody is equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. Therefore God is great. Nobody is equal. So in any form of religion, if love of God is instructed, that is first-class religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion. The test is how the followers have learned to love God. And now God being the center of love and everything being God's expansion, so a lover of God is lover of everyone. He does not discriminate that "Only man should be loved, and man should be given service."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like when you use one word, it has got some meaning. When you say "Brahman," it has got some meaning. "Brahman" means nothing is greater than Brahman. When you use the word Brahman it means nothing is greater that Brahman.
Śyāmasundara: But that statement, "Nothing is greater than," if you use it in another context, say with three or four objects, and you say that "nothing," meaning these three objects, "is greater than this object," that is another...
Prabhupāda: No. Any object you bring. When I say "God is great," anything you bring, nothing is greater than God. That's all.
Śyāmasundara: He says when we ask, for example, "What is the meaning of the word good..." He says we must inquire as to how we learn the meaning of the word good, what its functions have been, and strive to clarify its use, not as a picture of reality but as a tool for describing, recording, and asserting facts or ideas.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Rao: God is greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest. So for the scientist it is very difficult to find an end, which is the smallest particle. That is what it is coming out every day.
Prabhupāda: Well, that means they could not reach to the ultimate goal of knowledge.
Dr. Rao: Not only that, but the scientists, really, they are changing like anything. Einstein developed the theory, and that theory was thought to be superior to that developed by Newton. Now another theory has been developed which is being thought to be superior than that of Einstein. So these things are only relative. The real scientist can see that all these things are relative. Everything is changing. Our conception of life—somebody says that sun is moving; somebody says earth is moving. But (indistinct) calculation you find that eclipse, lunar or..., (indistinct), it does not not matter which thing is moving and which thing is not moving. It is so complicated.
| Page Title: | Greater than... (Lectures, Other) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 24 of Aug, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=94, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 94 |