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It is not easy to understand Bhagavan, or God. God is not the exact word of Bhagavan; therefore we use the word "Godhead." - Back to Godhead

Expressions researched:
"It is not easy to understand Bhagavān, or God." |"is not the exact word of Bhagavān; therefore we use the word" |"Back to Godhead"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

To understand Bhagavān, Para-brahman, that is the mission of human life. The cats and dogs cannot understand Bhagavān. That is not possible. A human being can understand. This Bhagavad-gītā is for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. So Kṛṣṇa says that "If you want to know Me . . ." It is not easy to understand Bhagavān, or God. "God" is not the exact word of Bhagavān; therefore we use the word "Godhead." "Back to Godhead." Bhagavān means the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Being. God means the ruler, the controller. But when we come to the supreme controller, He is Bhagavān. You are controller, I am controller. I am controller of my disciples within the Kṛṣṇa conscious society, but I cannot control the whole world. I have got some . . . You are controller in your home, of your wife, children, servants. But you are also controlled. You are not the absolute controller. Therefore Bhagavān means the absolute controller.

Śrī bhagavān uvāca. Vyāsadeva could have written śrī kṛṣṇa uvāca, but purposefully he's writing śrī bhagavān uvāca. Because avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). The Supreme Personality of Godhead, because He descends as human being, mūḍhas, those who are rascals, they consider Him just like one of us, human beings. Avajānanti. Therefore, to avoid the offense on the part of the mūḍhas, he writes bhagavān uvāca. Direct claim.

Bhagavān means full with six opulences.

aiśvaryasya samagrasya
vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ
jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva
ṣaṇṇam bhaga itīngana
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Bhagavān means aiśvaryasya samagrasya, the master of all wealth within the creation. That is Bhagavān. Not that millions or trillions of dollars, but all the wealth. Aiśvaryasya samagra. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29): "I am the enjoyer and proprietor of all the planets." That is Bhagavān. Aiśvaryasya samagra. Vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. He's the master of all strength; He's all-famous. Kṛṣṇa five thousand years ago appeared on this planet, but still He's famous. His worship is going on still. In India there are hundreds and thousands of temples like this. Not only in India; now outside India there are at least hundreds of temples like this. He's so famous. That is Bhagavān. He's not a cheap Bhagavān: "I have become Bhagavān by meditation." No. He's real Bhagavān. Bhagavān is Bhagavān. He doesn't require to meditate. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He was three months old, He's Bhagavān. Pūtanā came to kill Him, but Pūtanā was killed by Him. That is Bhagavān. At the age of three months, what meditation He could do? So this meditation Bhagavān and this Bhagavān is different. Bhagavān is always Bhagavān, either He's three months old or 125 years old. When He was in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra His age was 125 or little less. He was great-grandfather. So his Bhagavān is not this Bhagavān. Bhagavān cannot be manufactured by meditation factory. No. Therefore it is said bhagavān uvāca.

So to understand Bhagavān, Para-brahman, that is the mission of human life. The cats and dogs cannot understand Bhagavān. That is not possible. A human being can understand. This Bhagavad-gītā is for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. So Kṛṣṇa says that "If you want to know Me . . ." It is not easy to understand Bhagavān, or God. "God" is not the exact word of Bhagavān; therefore we use the word "Godhead." "Back to Godhead." Bhagavān means the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Being. God means the ruler, the controller. But when we come to the supreme controller, He is Bhagavān. You are controller, I am controller. I am controller of my disciples within the Kṛṣṇa conscious society, but I cannot control the whole world. I have got some . . . You are controller in your home, of your wife, children, servants. But you are also controlled. You are not the absolute controller. Therefore Bhagavān means the absolute controller.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(BS 5.1)

That is Bhagavān, supreme controller. He is controller over everyone, but He is not controlled by anyone. That is Bhagavān. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). He's svarāṭ. He's not controlled by anyone. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (BS 5.1).

So Bhagavān is explaining Himself, how to know Bhagavān. So we have to take advantage. If we are actually serious to understand Bhagavān, then we have to take the instruction given by Bhagavān Himself. We cannot manufacture ideas to know Bhagavān. That is not possible. You cannot speculate on Bhagavān. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na bahunā śrutena (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23). The Vedas informs us that nāyam ātmā, Paramātmā, Bhagavān, nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ. If one is very good speaker, it is not that he can understand Bhagavān. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā. If one is very meritorious, great scientist, philosopher, it does not mean that he can understand Bhagavān. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na bahunā śrutena. If one is very highly educated, highly learned in Vedic knowledge, he also cannot. Bhagavān can be understood by the mercy of Bhagavān. That is the process. Therefore Bhagavān mercifully explaining Himself. We have to take advantage of it. Then we can understand Bhagavān.

Page Title:It is not easy to understand Bhagavan, or God. God is not the exact word of Bhagavan; therefore we use the word "Godhead." - Back to Godhead
Compiler:Soham
Created:2023-02-12, 13:08:11
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1