Krsna is purusa, and we are prakrti

Expressions researched:
"He is purusa, we are prakrti" |"Krsna is always purusa" |"Krsna is purusa" |"Krsna is the only purusa" |"Krsna is the original purusa"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase research query: "krsna is purusa"/5

SB Canto 5

In Bhagavad-gītā (10.12), only Kṛṣṇa is addressed as puruṣa. Kṛṣṇa is the original puruṣa, and the living entities are prakṛti.

SB 5.18.19, Purport:

Kṛṣṇa is the real husband not only of the gopīs, but of every living entity. Everyone should perfectly understand that Kṛṣṇa is the real husband of all living entities, who are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti (female), not puruṣa (male). In Bhagavad-gītā (10.12), only Kṛṣṇa is addressed as puruṣa:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam

ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum

"You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty."

Kṛṣṇa is the original puruṣa, and the living entities are prakṛti. Thus Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, and all living entities are meant to be enjoyed by Him. Therefore any woman who seeks a material husband for her protection, or any man who desires to become the husband of a woman, is under illusion. To become a husband means to maintain a wife and children nicely by supplying wealth and security. However, a material husband cannot possibly do this, for he is dependent on his karma. Karmaṇā-daiva-netreṇa: (SB 3.31.1) his circumstances are determined by his past fruitive activities. Therefore if one proudly thinks he can protect his wife, he is under illusion. Kṛṣṇa is the only husband, and therefore the relationship between a husband and wife in this material world cannot be absolute.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

The living entities are never described as puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣa śāśvata. Kṛṣṇa is always puruṣa. God cannot be female. God is always male, puruṣa. And we are prakṛti. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa is enjoyer. He keeps always that position. He never falls down. He never comes to the position of being enjoyed. That is not possible. If you want to bring Kṛṣṇa on the position of being enjoyed, then you are defeated. Being enjoyed means keeping Kṛṣṇa in front, I want to get some profit of sense gratification. That is our unnatural position. Kṛṣṇa will never agree. Kṛṣṇa will never agree. Kṛṣṇa cannot be enjoyed. He is always enjoyer. He is always the proprietor. So kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva means when we forget this position of Kṛṣṇa, that He is the Supreme Enjoyer, He is the supreme proprietor... This is called forgetfulness. As soon as I think that "I am enjoyer, I am proprietor," this is my fallen stage. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare. Then jāpaṭiyā dhare, māyā, immediately māyā captures.

Therefore a conditioned soul, fallen conditioned soul, is struggling for existence. He is trying to be enjoyer, he is trying to be proprietor. That is his artificial way of life. Just like if a woman wants to become a man, that is her artificial position. She may dress herself as a man, just like in the western countries sometimes we see woman is artificially dressing like man, with hat, coat, man, riding on horse. That is artificial. So similarly, our position here in this material world is artificial. We are trying to imitate a man.

Actually the living entities are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, prakṛti. Prakṛti means woman. And puruṣa means man. So the living entities are never described as puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣa śāśvata. When Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam adyam... (BG 10.12). Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Kṛṣṇa is always puruṣa. God cannot be female. God is always male, puruṣa. And we are prakṛti. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtim parā (BG 7.5).

Prakṛti and puruṣa. Kṛṣṇa is the puruṣa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ divyaṁ śāśvatam. He is puruṣa, we are prakṛti.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

Just like here also we can see practically, everyone is trying to become a big or small īśvara, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvara is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). But here the struggle is that everyone is trying to become īśvara. Nobody wants to become servant. Although he is servant of māyā. He cannot be īśvara constitutionally. Any one of us. This is called illusion. Actually, we are servant but we are trying to become īśvara. This is called māyā. So this position of the living entity is called dharmasya glāniḥ, discrepancy of the constitutional position. Actually, I am servant but I am trying to become master. This is called dharmasya glāniḥ. So when the world is full...

Of course, there are devotees who are trying to become servant. They are trying. The devotional service means, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to train people how to become servant of God. That is all.

Because everyone is under the impression that I am God, I am master, I am proprietor. This illusion. To dissipate this illusion and to put him into the right position, that "you are not master, you are not enjoyer, you are simply eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." If you remain in that position, then you are happy. If you artificially try to become Kṛṣṇa, that is your unhappiness. Artificial thing will never give us any pleasure. Prakṛti and puruṣa. Kṛṣṇa is the puruṣa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ divyaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). He is puruṣa, we are prakṛti. Aparā-prakṛti, parā-prakṛti.

Kṛṣṇa is the original puruṣa. Prakṛti, the material energy is also prakṛti, subordinate to Kṛṣṇa, and the spiritual energy, the living entities, they are also prakṛti, but they are superior prakṛti.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Bombay, February 20, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa is the original puruṣa. Prakṛti, the material energy is also prakṛti, subordinate to Kṛṣṇa, and the spiritual energy, the living entities, they are also prakṛti, but they are superior prakṛti. Inferior, not... Inferior matter. Just like we are handling matter, we are getting matter. We are getting cement, we are getting bricks, we are getting iron and combining them, and making a very, very high skyscraper building. So the material energy is also Kṛṣṇa's, and the spiritual energy, the living entity, that is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. So..., but they are working for satisfying their senses. Therefore superior, jīva-bhūtāṁ yayedaṁ dhāryate... They are handling the material energy. The same living entity, when he understands his constitutional position, that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), then he'll work for Kṛṣṇa. Then the same energy spent for building skyscraper building will be utilized to build a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa.

The material nature is inferior and we are superior. We are superior energy, prakṛti. We are not the Puruṣa. The Māyāvāda philosophers, they want to make the prakṛti as puruṣa. No. Kṛṣṇa is Puruṣa; we are all prakṛtis.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

So Kṛṣṇa is the energetic, and these two prakṛtis are working. Therefore they are also eternal. Kṛṣṇa is eternal, sanātana, these prakṛtis are also eternal. And one prakṛti, we living entities, we superior energy. Why superior? Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat. Because we living entities, we are trying to lord it over the material nature. Material nature is being used by us. Therefore the material nature is inferior and we are superior. We are superior energy, prakṛti. We are not the Puruṣa. The Māyāvāda philosophers, they want to make the prakṛti as puruṣa. No. Kṛṣṇa is Puruṣa; we are all prakṛtis. As I told you, that we have to understand Kṛṣṇa as Arjuna understood. Arjuna understood... That is described in the Tenth Chapter: paraṁ brahma, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). "You are the only puruṣa." Enjoyer. Puruṣa means enjoyer. And prakṛti means enjoyed. Puruṣa means the predominator, and prakṛti means the predominated. So we are predominated. We are not predominator. If the predominated wants to become predominator, that is false. That is illusion. That is going on. Everyone, all our, all living entities, we are trying to become predominator instead of being predominated. That is the struggle for existence. And as soon as we become, we agree to become predominated, there is peace immediately. That is called mukti.

"Kṛṣṇa is the only puruṣa." Puruṣa means the enjoyer, and prakṛti means the instrument of enjoyment, prakṛti, energy.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

Just, this is an example. Here, either man or woman, everyone is prakṛti. The real puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. And there is a nice example. When Rūpa Gosvāmī was there in Vṛndāvana in his bhajana, Mirabhai went to see him. And Rūpa Gosvāmī's message was that he does not see any woman. They were very strict. At least, the story is like... So Mira challenged that "I came to Vṛndāvana. I know that only Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa here, and everyone is woman. So how does it mean that Rūpa Gosvāmī's declined to see another woman?" So Rūpa Gosvāmī agreed, "Yes, I am mistaken. Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the only puruṣa." So puruṣa means the enjoyer, and prakṛti means the instrument of enjoyment, prakṛti, energy. Just like here we see one man is very big, rich man, but he's enjoyer by utilizing his energy. Similarly, the whole cosmic situation, whole creation is..., the supreme enjoyer is God.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Only Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. He's the enjoyer. All others, they are servants. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 1.7.23 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1976:

Puruṣa means enjoyer. God is not female. Sometimes they worship a female as God, like Durgā, Kālī, and so many others. But God is puruṣa. Everyone is prakṛti. Prakṛti means female. Everyone knows it. There are two things, prakṛti and puruṣa. The puruṣa is the enjoyer, and prakṛti is the enjoyed. Or, in other words, puruṣa is the predominator and prakṛti is predominated. So we are prakṛti. The Māyāvāda philosophy is that prakṛti wants to become puruṣa. And that is not possible. Suppose a woman, if she dresses like a man, does it mean that she has become a man? No. Or a man dresses like a woman, does it mean that he has become woman? Simply by outward dress? No. Puruṣa, the only puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. That is very nicely explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Only Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. He's the enjoyer. All others, they are servants. This is the position. Never try to become the puruṣa or the master. That is very dangerous. Always remain prakṛti. Prakṛti means to be controlled or controlled, and puruṣa means the controller. So here is the supreme controller: tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣāt. Not that "You were made by some means." Sākṣāt, directly. Sākṣāt. And īśvara. Sākṣād īśvaraḥ. Not artificial īśvara.

Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer. We are all prakṛtis. Don't try to become enjoyer. Prakṛti means enjoyed. Prakṛti is predominated, and puruṣa is the predominator.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer. And ādyam, the original enjoyer. Ādyam, puruṣam. But what kind of puruṣa? Like you and me? Just like we are also assuming puruṣa, "I am male." Not like you. Prakṛteḥ param. These puruṣa... I am puruṣa, another man is, another living entity is woman. These are dresses given by this material nature.

Actually, we are not puruṣa. We are all prakṛtis. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ

prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām

jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho

yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

(BG 7.5)

We are all prakṛtis. Don't try to become enjoyer. Prakṛti means enjoyed. Prakṛti is predominated, and puruṣa is the predominator. So because we are, actually our constitutional position is to become predominated and we are trying artificially to become predominator, that is the trouble. Every one of us, we are trying to become predominator. Actually, we should be predominated. So when we agree to become predominated and agree to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa, I was so long under misconception that I am predominator. You are predominator. I am predominated. So I surrender unto You."

Kṛṣṇa is the only puruṣa. Prakṛteḥ param. So prakṛteḥ param. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is not a puruṣa like us. We are within the prakṛti. We are within the prakṛti.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa is the only puruṣa. Prakṛteḥ param. So prakṛteḥ param. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is not a puruṣa like us. We are within the prakṛti. We are within the prakṛti. He is beyond the prakṛti. Therefore His body is not material. He's not within the prakṛti. But the rascals, they cannot understand this. They think that "Kṛṣṇa is like us." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). So because they are mūḍhas, they think that "Kṛṣṇa is like us, Kṛṣṇa has a body like us," but that is actually not the fact. Here Kuntī says, authority says, prakṛteḥ param. Prakṛteḥ param, alakṣyam. The prakṛteḥ param. Suppose something beyond our vision. Just like we are sitting down this house. We cannot see what is going on upstairs. Alakṣyam. So if Kṛṣṇa is a person beyond this material creation, how we can see Him? Alakṣyam. Alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (SB 1.8.18). Still, He is in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61).

Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa, and all other things are prakṛti. Prakṛti is enjoyed by the puruṣa.

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

Woman and money, these are energies of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa, and all other things are prakṛti. Prakṛti is enjoyed by the puruṣa. So Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's bhoktā. He's the enjoyer. This... In the, in the material world, or spiritual world, the same thing is there. The woman is there, the money is there, and the puruṣa is there, enjoyer is there. But here the puruṣa is imitation. Imitation. Because one who is playing the part of puruṣa, enjoyer, he's not actually puruṣa, but he's prakṛti.

Falsely, he (is) representing himself as puruṣa, as enjoyer. Therefore we have got trouble. Artificially... Just like a woman, if he's artificially trying to be man, as it is botheration, it is not possible. If a woman is dressed like a man, does it mean that he's man, she is man, or she can enjoy like man? No. False dress. Similarly, here, in this material world, we are falsely dressed with this material body and imitating Kṛṣṇa, enjoyer. Exactly like the woman dressed in male's dress wants to enjoy. That is not possible. Similarly, here, the living entity, either dressed in male dress or female dress... This outward body is dress. Somebody is dressed like a female, somebody is dressed like a male, but none of them are male. Both of them are originally female, prakṛti. Prakṛti means feminine gender. Prakṛti. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, aparā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "This material energy, earth, water, fire, air, these are...they are also My energy," Kṛṣṇa says. "But they are inferior energy. But there is another energy, jīva-bhūtaḥ, the living entities, and that is superior energy."

We are prakṛti. Prakṛti puruṣa. So Kṛṣṇa is the puruṣa. He is the protector of all living entities.

Lecture on SB 3.28.18 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

So we are prakṛti. Prakṛti puruṣa. So Kṛṣṇa is the puruṣa. He is the protector of all living entities. Yesterday, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram. Just like a father is always anxious to see his children are well protected, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also always anxious to give protection to His subordinates. But if the subordinate denounce Kṛṣṇa, "I don't want Your protection," then suffer your karma. That you are doing. Those who are in the material world, they are suffering. Why? They have given up the protection of Kṛṣṇa. They are thinking that "We can protect ourself. What is the use of Kṛṣṇa?" So this is called dharmasya glāniḥ. This is deviation from the natural way of life, when you give up the protection. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is: again go back to that protection, go back to home, back to Godhead.

Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa, and we are prakṛti. If we enjoy with Kṛṣṇa, then the ānanda, sac-cid-ānanda, is there. That we have forgotten. We want to be puruṣa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

Bhoktā. Kṛṣṇa is actually bhoktā. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām (BG 5.29). So we are imitating Kṛṣṇa. This is our position. Everyone is trying to become Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādīs, although they have undergone penances, austerities—very strictly they follow the principles of spiritual life—but because they are under māyā, at the end they are thinking that "I am God, Purusa," the same disease, puruṣa. Purusa means bhoktā. That "I am Kṛṣṇa..." Bhoktāraṁ yajña... And even after advancing so much by austerities, penances, following regulative principle, the māyā is so strong that still, he is under this impression that "I am puruṣa." Not only ordinary puruṣa, but the Supreme Puruṣa, as Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam śāśvata: (BG 10.12) "You are puruṣa." So māyā is so strong that after being kicked so many lives, life after life, still he is thinking, "I am puruṣa. I am enjoyer." This is the disease.

Therefore here it is said that eṣa prakṛti-saṅgena puruṣasya viparyayaḥ. His material life begun from this conception, that "I am puruṣa. I am enjoyer." And because he cannot give up this idea that "I am enjoyer," life after life he is viparyayaḥ, reverse condition. Reverse condition means... Because the living entity is part and parcel of God and God is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), so we are also sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, a small sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, but our position is prakṛti, not puruṣa. Both of them... Just like Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, They are of the same quality. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmāt. They are one, but still, Rādhā is prakṛti, and Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. Similarly, we are, although part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, but we are prakṛti, and Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. So by falsely, when we think of becoming puruṣa, this is called māyā or viparyayaḥ. That is stated here. Evaṁ prakṛti-saṅgena puruṣasya viparyayaḥ. Viparyayaḥ means he is meant for actually enjoying with the puruṣa. When the puruṣa and prakṛti, male and female, enjoy, they enjoy, they get the same pleasure, but one is puruṣa; one is prakṛti. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa, and we are prakṛti. If we enjoy with Kṛṣṇa, then the ānanda, sac-cid-ānanda, is there. That we have forgotten. We want to be puruṣa. So some way or other, this condition has come into existence, a false conception of becoming puruṣa, enjoyer. Then what is the result? The result is that we are trying to be enjoyer life after life, but we are being enjoyed; we are not enjoyer. We are simply struggling to become enjoyer. This is our position.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

Prakṛti means predominated and puruṣa means predominator. And actually, that is our position. We are not predominator. So prakṛti and puruṣa... Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

So the Māyāvādī philosophers mistakes to elevate the living entities to the standard of puruṣa, the Supreme. But actually it is not so. It is prakṛti. Prakṛti means predominated and puruṣa means predominator. And actually, that is our position. We are not predominator. Artificially I am thinking that I am predominator. That is my illusion. I am not predominator. Nobody's predominator. Predominator is Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataro nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya. He's predominator. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8).

So prakṛti and puruṣa... Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Arjuna has described, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). "You are the original puruṣa, enjoyer." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If we know that Kṛṣṇa is the original person, enjoyer, and we are simply enjoyed... We are meant for being enjoyed, not to take the post of enjoyer. Here, in this material world, everyone is artificially trying to become enjoyer, both men and women. But that is illusion. Nobody's enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). The supreme enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. So just like prakṛti-puruṣa, we can get one idea, husband and wife. Husband is puruṣa, wife is prakṛti. So if the wife is faithful, always trying to serve the husband, always to make her husband pleased, and husband takes care of the wife for all her necessities of life, as that home life becomes very beautiful and happy, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Puruṣa, enjoyer. We living entities, if we simply try to serve Him and make Him happy, as the gopīs did, then it is very congenial atmosphere as it was in Vṛndāvana.

Philosophy Discussions

Kṛṣṇa is the only puruṣa, enjoyer and if every one of us serves everything in the propensity of His enjoyment, that is our enjoyment.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: This thing I was explaining, this prakṛti, it is very scientific. Kṛṣṇa is the only puruṣa, enjoyer and if every one of us serves everything in the propensity of His enjoyment, that is our enjoyment. That is our enjoyment-predominated and predominator. Just like, crude example, it is not exact: husband wants to enjoy wife, and the wife voluntarily helps him in that enjoyment, the wife also becomes joyful. Similarly, the supreme enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, and if you help Him in His enjoyment, then automatically we become also joyous. Predominated enjoyer and predominator enjoyer. Both of them enjoying but one of them is predominated, one of them is predominator. So predominated, when... He helps to be predominator, reciprocation of enjoyment.