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Magnitude

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 2.25, Translation and Purport:

It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.

As described previously, the magnitude of the soul is so small for our material calculation that he cannot be seen even by the most powerful microscope; therefore, he is invisible. As far as the soul's existence is concerned, no one can establish his existence experimentally beyond the proof of śruti, or Vedic wisdom.

BG 2.29, Purport:

Some people who are inclined to hear about the soul may be attending lectures, in good association, but sometimes, owing to ignorance, they are misguided by acceptance of the Supersoul and the atomic soul as one without distinction of magnitude. It is very difficult to find a man who perfectly understands the position of the Supersoul, the atomic soul, their respective functions and relationships and all other major and minor details. And it is still more difficult to find a man who has actually derived full benefit from knowledge of the soul, and who is able to describe the position of the soul in different aspects. But if, somehow or other, one is able to understand the subject matter of the soul, then one's life is successful.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 2

SB 2.6.36, Purport:

In our present position we can simply understand the magnitude of greatness when it is compared to the sky. We fail to measure the sky, but the happiness and liberty obtained in association with the Lord are far greater than the sky. That spiritual happiness is so great that it cannot be measured, even by the Lord Himself, not to speak of others.

SB 2.8.8, Purport:

In the creation of the material world the Supreme Lord undoubtedly assumes a gigantic body, and living entities also get bodies, big or small, according to necessity. For example, an elephant gets a gigantic body according to its needs, and so also an ant gets its body according to its needs. Similarly, if the Personality of Godhead assumes a gigantic body to accommodate the universes or the planets of a particular universe, there is no difference in the principle of assuming or accepting a particular type of body in terms of necessity. A living being and the Lord cannot be distinguished simply by the difference in the magnitude of the body. So the answer depends on the specific significance of the body of the Lord, as distinguished from the body of the common living being.

SB 2.9.10, Purport:

This universe, containing billions of stars and planets, is one of the billions of such universes clustered together within the compass of the mahat-tattva. And all these millions and billions of universes combined together constitute only one fourth of the magnitude of the whole creation of the Lord. There is the spiritual sky also; beyond this sky are the spiritual planets under the names of Vaikuṇṭha, and all of them constitute three fourths of the entire creation of the Lord. God's creations are always innumerable.

SB 2.9.10, Purport:

In the Sāṅkhya-kaumudī it is stated that unalloyed goodness or transcendence is just opposite to the material modes. All living entities there are eternally associated without any break, and the Lord is the chief and prime entity. In the Āgama Purāṇas also, the transcendental abode is described as follows: The associated members there are free to go everywhere within the creation of the Lord, and there is no limit to such creation, particularly in the region of the three-fourths magnitude. Since the nature of that region is unlimited, there is no history of such association, nor is there end of it.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.16.9, Purport:

The śāstra describes that the magnitude of the living entity is one ten-thousandth the size of the tip of a hair. The Supreme Lord is all-pervading (aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35)). Relatively, if the living entity is accepted as the smallest, there should naturally be inquiry about the greatest. The greatest is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the smallest is the living entity.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.8.13, Purport:

The avatāras incessantly appear, like incessantly flowing water. No one can count how many waves there are in flowing water, and similarly there is no limitation of the avatāras. And Kṛṣṇa is the full representation of all avatāras because He is the source of all avatāras. Kṛṣṇa is aṁśī, whereas others are aṁśa, part of Kṛṣṇa. All living entities, including us, are aṁśas (mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7)). These aṁśas are of different magnitude. Human beings (who are minute aṁśas) and the demigods, viṣṇu-tattva and all other living beings are all part of the Supreme. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Kṛṣṇa is the full representation of all living entities, and when Kṛṣṇa is present, all avatāras are included in Him.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 11.21.10, Translation:

An object's purity or impurity is established by application of another object, by words, by rituals, by the effects of time or according to relative magnitude.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 29:

When the affection of the fraternal relationship increases, it develops into the paternal relationship that is found between father and son. Regarding this, Rāmānanda Rāya quoted a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.8.46) wherein Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī about the magnitude of righteous activity performed by Yaśodā, the mother of Kṛṣṇa, enabling her to be called "mother" and her breasts be sucked by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also quoted another verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.9.20) in which it is stated that Yaśodā received such incomparable mercy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead that it cannot even be compared to the mercy received by Brahmā, the first created living being, or by Lord Śiva, or even by the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, who is always situated on the chest of Lord Viṣṇu.

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 22:

When Kṛṣṇa was on this planet, one devotee expressed his feeling in this way: "My dear Lord, if You had not appeared on this planet, then the asuras (demons) and atheists would have surely created havoc against the activities of the devotees. I cannot imagine the magnitude of such devastation prevented by Your presence." From the very beginning of His appearance, Kṛṣṇa was the greatest enemy of all demoniac persons, although Kṛṣṇa's enmity toward the demons is actually comparable to His friendship with the devotees. This is because any demon who is killed by Kṛṣṇa receives immediate salvation.

Easy Journey to Other Planets

Easy Journey to Other Planets 2:

Darwin's theory of the evolution of organic matter is, of course, very prominent in the institutions of learning. But the Bhāgavata Purāṇa and other authoritative scriptures of scientific magnitude describe how the living entities in different forms of body evolve one after another. It is not a new idea, but educators are giving stress only to Darwin's theory, although in Vedic literature we have immense information of the living conditions in this material world.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book Introduction:

According to the statement of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who heard about Kṛṣṇa from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, kṛṣṇa-kathā is equally applicable to every human being, whatever condition of life he is in. Surely everyone will appreciate it to the highest magnitude. But Mahārāja Parīkṣit also warned that persons who are simply engaged in killing animals and in killing themselves may not be very much attracted to kṛṣṇa-kathā.

Krsna Book 87:

The individual living entity never has sufficient knowledge; otherwise, how could he have come under the control of māyā, or the material energy? The word "sufficient" can be accepted, therefore, only in proportion to the magnitude of the living entity. The spiritual oneness of the Supreme Lord and the living entities is never to be accepted as homogeneity. Each and every living entity is individual. If homogeneous oneness is accepted, then by the liberation of one individual soul, all other individual souls would have been liberated immediately. But the fact is that every individual soul is differently enjoying and suffering in the material world.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1:

The Lord's inconceivable potency that descends to bless us with spiritual perfection shows the magnitude and glory of His potencies. Certainly there are other methods for spiritual advancement, such as rāja-yoga, by which one can become equipoised, or difficult prāṇāyāma exercises, severe austerities, and renunciation, and these practices are very powerful. But when the Lord's divine potency acts, they all seem extremely ineffectual compared to the process of surrender, which invokes that potency. All these other methods, though very potent, are human endeavors. So how can they compare with the Supreme Lord's divine potency? With this divine potency the Lord blesses particular persons in particular circumstances.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:

First of all, divide the tip of the hair into hundred parts. Then take one of the parts, one hundredth part, again divide into hundred parts. That small, less than atom, that is the magnitude of the jīva. And they are anantyāya kalpate. There is no limit. There is no limit how many living entities are there.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966:

Deva means human beings who are connected with the Supreme Lord. Their life is for realization of the Supreme Truth. They are called deva. Just like in higher planets, there are also living beings. They are called devatās, demigods, because their magnitude of pleasure is far, far greater than ours. But because they do everything in relation with the Supreme Lord, therefore they are called devatās, devatā. Devatā means demigods.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966:

We are spiritual atoms. And our magnitude also has assessed in the śāstras. That magnitude is stated in the Purāṇas that keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). Keśāgra, your hair. I have no long hair. You have got. Now, you can see the point of the hair, keśa-agra. Agra means the point of the hair. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya. Now, the point of the hair, you divide into hundred. That is imaginable. That is not imaginable by you, how the point of the hair can be divided into hundred. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya. Now, you take one part of that division and again divide into hundred. This is beyond your experience, beyond your power. The, by arithmetic calculation the mathematicians say that "The point has no length and breadth." Oh, this is, this is, this is a disappointment. Because he cannot measure the length and breadth of the point, therefore he says like that. But point has length and breadth. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Therefore a certain class of philosophers, they are astonished simply by seeing the great magnitude of the Lord, but there is smaller, smallest, aṇor aṇīyān. These are much smaller than the atom, but that is beyond our experience.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

We are a small particle. How much small? What is the magnitude? That is also described in the śāstra. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca, jīva-bhāgo sa vijñeyaḥ sa anantyāya kalpate (CC Madhya 19.140). There is dimension of the living entity—one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. So it is very difficult with our, these material eyes. We are very much proud of our eyes. But here is the indication from the śāstra, the length and breadth of the living soul. Now, you find out, with your eyes, your microscope. That is not possible.

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

So those who are not in knowledge of the spirit soul, they are very irresponsibly prolonging his life in material activities. Material science could not find out the spirit soul within the body because the magnitude, the dimension of the spirit soul, is very, very small. That is stated in Padma Purāṇa,

bālāgra-śata-bhāgasya
śatadhā kalpitasya ca
bhāgo jīvaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ
sa cānantyāya kalpate

Bālāgra means the tip of your hair. Divide into ten thousand parts. That one part is the dimension of the soul. That is there within the body. So material science has no such instrument or perfection of study that they can see such a small particle.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

So in so many different ways, Kṛṣṇa is convincing how the spirit soul is immortal. In different ways. Avyakto 'yam. It is not manifest to the blunt material eyes. We cannot see, Because as we have explained several times, the magnitude of the soul is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair, very small. I think, smaller than the atom. That spirit soul is everywhere.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

God has created so many things. What you have created? God has shown so many things. What you have done? But still, falsely they are thinking, "I am God." This is māyā, last snare of māyā. Because the real disease as we have already explained, is to lord it over the material nature. Everyone is trying: "I am the lord of all I survey. I want to become lord of this universe. I want to become minister. I want to become president. I want to become business magnitude." And everything fails. Then he wants to become God. That is also māyā. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

We are atomic particle. Our magnitude is described in the śāstra, Padma Purāṇa and Upaniṣad also: keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatāṁśaḥ kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). The top portion of the hair, if you divide it into one hundred parts, and again, that one hundredth part, if you divide again hundred parts, that is the magnitude of the spirit soul. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatāṁśaḥ kalpitasya, bhāgo jīvaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ sa cānantyāya kalpate (CC Madhya 19.140). So we living entities, a small particle, very atomic small particle, one ten thousandth part of the top of the hair. It can simply be imagined. We are acintya. But we understand from Vedic literature what is the magnitude. It is not nirākāra. That is not a fact. It has got ākāra. But at our present position, material condition, we cannot measure it.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

Just like in geometry, I have studied that point has no breadth and length. But actually there is breadth and length, but we cannot measure it. Similarly, the magnitude of the spirit soul is smaller than the point. We cannot measure it with our material measuring instruments. Anyway, even if you can, that is the magnitude.

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

Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the bīja-pradaḥ pitā. Material nature is the mother." Tāsāṁ yonir mahad brahma ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. So the original father is Kṛṣṇa, and mother is this material nature. So I am the soul, spirit soul, very minute position. My, my magnitude is very, very small. That is also given in the śāstra: keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya (CC Madhya 19.140). One ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. That is my magnitude.

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

Now, you find out where is the Supersoul and the soul. But because you cannot find out, it does not mean that there is no soul, no Supersoul. That does not mean. That is your imperfectness of knowledge or process of knowledge. And how you can find out? The magnitude of the soul is stated in the śāstra, one-ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. We cannot measure even the tip of the hair, and why.... How we can measure? Because we cannot find out, we say there is no soul. Yes, there is soul.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

Suppose if you merge into the Brahman effulgence, the jñānīs' ultimate goal, to become one with the Brahman effulgence, sāyujya-mukti... That is also a siddhi. That is also partial siddhi. That is not perfect siddhi. Because we are spiritual sparks, small, very small. That magnitude has been described in the śāstras. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). As spiritual spark, our magnitude is one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

We living entities, small portion, very small portion. That is also given in the śāstras: keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). One ten-thousandth part of the top of the hair, that is the magnitude of soul.

keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya
śatadhā kalpitasya ca
jīva-bhāgaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ
sa cānantyāya kalpate
(CC Madhya 19.140)

That jīva, ananta, unlimited. That is our magnitude. They cannot find out one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. There is no machine, no microscope which. Therefore these foolish people, because they cannot see the dimension, length and breadth, of the soul, they say the soul is nirākāra.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

The Vedas says, the śāstra says, "This is the magnitude of the soul." You have to take it. Then you will understand. Otherwise, by so-called experiment, you have neither instrument nor facility to make, find out. The first-class medical man or physiologist, find out where is the soul in this body. But they cannot. They have no such power, but there is something which, being absent, the body is dead. That is a fact.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

You have to study soul—finer, finer, finer, finer, finer. It is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in another place that indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhiḥ... (BG 3.42). In this, say, finer, finer. And the soul is very small magnitude finer. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). So everything is explained in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā. If we accept, then we get full knowledge.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

The tip of the hair, just a small full stop, you divide this point into one hundred parts. And that one part again divide into one hundred parts. That is, mean, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. That is a full-stop-like. That is the magnitude of the jīva, spirit, spiritual spark, molecular parts, atomic parts. So keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca jīva-bhāgaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ sa cānantyāya kalpate (CC Madhya 19.140).

So there is magnitude, but because in the material eyes we can see simply the gross thing, the subtle things we cannot understand. But from the śāstra you have to understand, from the śruti. Then you'll understand.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Paris, August 11, 1973:

So as I have got this body but my spiritual identity is very small, if we study in this way, it is very easy to understand what is God, what I am, what is this world. Just like I am not this body, I am within the body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). I am the proprietor of the body.

But what is my magnitude? Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). You just take the top of the hair and divide it into ten thousand parts. That one part is your identity.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Montreal, October 25, 1968:

From the Padma Purāṇa, Vedic literature, we understand that the form of the soul is one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. Now how much small we are, just we can imagine only. There is no instrument to divide the upper portion of the hair into ten thousand parts. And just to take one part as the magnitude of the soul, that is not... Actually, we are very small. That small particle of soul is within the ant and within the elephant. It is a bodily expansion only that we are, we appear..., the elephant appears to be the biggest animal, and the ant or the germ appears to be the smallest. But actually, these are bodily expansions. The soul as it is is really smaller than the grass or straw on the street.

Lecture on BG 13.15 -- Bombay, October 9, 1973:

Neither God is nirākāra, nor you are nirākāra. We have got ākāra. The ākāra is also mentioned in the śāstra. What is that? One ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. You know the point of the hair. If you divide into ten-thousand parts, that one part is the magnitude of the soul.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

There is magnitude. Just like we say geometrically, point has no length, no breadth. But actually that is not fact. It has got length and breadth, but we cannot measure it. Similarly, ātma, the soul has got length and breadth, but it is beyond our perception. Therefore we have to accept śruti. This is call so Vedas, Vedic injunction. Vedas said, "Here is the magnitude." That is Vedic understanding.

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

According to astronomical calculation, the planets and the universe, they can increase. So the Absolute Truth, that is eternally increasing. There is no comparison of Brahman's increasement and magnitude. Sanātana, and that is also eternal.

Lecture on SB 1.10.7 -- Mayapura, June 22, 1973:

If you study your personality or your friend's personality, you can get a rough idea of the Supreme Personality because our personality is dependent on the Supreme Personality. Mamaivāṁśaḥ. We are simply fragmental personalities just like the sparks and the fire, or the drop of ocean water and the ocean. The difference is in quantity. A drop of ocean water or a fragmental spark of the fire is of the same quality like the fire or the ocean. But in magnitude it is very, very small. God is vibhu, the greatest, and we are the smallest. God is infinite, we are finite, infinitesimal. That is the difference.

Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:

This Keśava Kāśmīrī was a very learned scholar, and he was requested by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "You are sitting on the bank of the Ganges. You can compose some prayers for the mother Ganges." So he was learned scholar. Immediately he composed one hundred ślokas. So out of that one hundred ślokas, He found some fault in the sixty-fourth verse. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "You are such a learned scholar, but We are simply student, grammarian. We cannot understand your poetic and literary magnitude of knowledge. So will you kindly explain the sixty-fourth verse which We cannot understand very nicely."

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

You have got body, shape, very minute shape. That we cannot see, we cannot measure. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, anumeyam, or... What is that? You cannot measure. What is that word used? Aprameyam. Aprameyam. You cannot measure. But it has a form. How, what is the length and breadth of that form, that is not in your power. In your power, but not materially. That is... If you have got spiritual power, then you can measure it. And that measurement is also given in the śāstra. What is that? One ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. Hair is a very small point. And divide it into ten thousand parts. That one part is the measure, magnitude of the soul.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

A great soul is a great devotee of the Lord. That is great soul who has captured the Supreme Soul. He's great soul. We are... We are very small. Our identity, magnitude, as stated in the Vedic literature, it is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. It is very small. You cannot even imagine. So we are very small, but we can become the greatest, almost as good as God, if we engage ourself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- New York, August 1, 1971:

We have the conception of the greatest, the sky. But Kṛṣṇa showed that millions of skies were within His mouth. So therefore mahato mahīyān. So actually we, the living entities, we are part and parcel of God, but we are very minute quantity, infinitesimal. And God is infinite. So infinitesimal, our magnitude is, I've several times explained, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. So you cannot even imagine with your material senses. Therefore aṇor aṇīyān, smaller than the atom. The same thing—we are also spirit, and Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, is also spirit. Qualitatively we are one. But we are the smallest and He is the greatest.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Denver, June 28, 1975:

Siddhi means perfection of life. Generally they take it aṣṭa-siddhi of yoga practice—aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, siddhi, īśitva, vaśitva, prākāmya. So these are called siddhis, yoga-siddi. Yoga-siddhi means you can become smaller than the smallest. Our actually magnitude is very, very small. So by yoga-siddi, in spite of having this material body, one yogi can come to the smallest size, and anywhere you keep him packed, he will come out. That is called aṇimā-siddhi.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101-104 -- Bombay, November 3, 1975:

The description of the living being is given in the śāstra that the magnitude... Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpi...: "One ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair." And anantyāya kalpate: "There is limitless."

General Lectures

Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969:

Let the botanists, let the anthropologists, or so many—there are department of knowledge—let them research out. Darwin's theory, evolution of the organic matter, they are very much prominent in the educational institutions. But there is Padma Purāṇa and other authoritative Vedic scriptures. They give the magnitude of the living entity. They have different forms of body. How they are evolving one after another—everything is there. It is not a new thing. But people are giving stress only to the Darwin's theory. But in the Vedic literature we have got immense information of this living condition in this material world.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- September 2, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: You try to cure the mental disease just to bring him in proper position to control the senses. Otherwise, he does not know how to control the senses. Therefore the controller of the senses is the mind. And above the mind there is intelligence. And above the intelligence there is soul. So we cannot see even the mind, intelligence and ego. And how we can see the soul? The soul has got his magnitude. And without understanding, without education about the soul, about the spirit soul, any other understanding, that is animal understanding.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: As soul, my magnitude is described. What is that? Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). Keśa agra, the tip of the hair, divide into hundred parts. And again take that one part and again divide into hundred parts. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). Now, it is simply, it is to be imagined. Kalpitasya. Jīva-bhāgaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ. That is the magnitude of the jīva. Now, that magnitude of jīva has entered in this body or in the elephant's body. Now, which is important, the body is important or that small particle is important?

Room Conversation with Monsieur Roost, Hatha-yogi -- May 31, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: We present the statements of God and His devotees. There is the whole book. Anywhere you won't find, "I think," "In my opinion," "Perhaps it should be like this way." No. We don't do that. As soon as there is "perhaps" or "maybe," that is not perfect knowledge. That is speculation. Just like in the Padma-Purāṇa, there is statement of different species of life, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi, statement that "There are 900,000 species of life in the water." It is not written like this, "Perhaps," "it may be." No. Neither says one million or 800,000. No. 900,000 specifically. So how do they get this knowledge, exactly seeing? Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati (?). Now, in another place, the magnitude of the soul is explained. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya (CC Madhya 19.140). In the Upaniṣad also it is stated that 10,000th part of the top of the hair point, is the magnitude of the soul. Our knowledge is accepted in that way, Vedic knowledge. Whatever is stated in the Vedas, that is taken as Absolute Truth and we accept it. And that is fact. If you go to the same point by experimental truth, you will come to the same conclusion.

Room Conversation with Biochemist, Dr. Sallaz -- June 4, 1974, Geneva:

Prabhupāda: So the living energy, the spirit soul, it has got a formation, formation, form. That is also stated in the śāstra, that 1/10,000th part of the top of the hair. Hair, the point, hair. (Yogeśvara translates in French) 1/10,000 part of the... The exact version is keśāgra. Keśa means hair, and agra means the top. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya (CC Madhya 19.140). So that point, you divide into hundred, and take again one part of it, and again divide into hundred. That means you divide the top of the hair into ten thousand parts and then that one part is the magnitude of the soul, spiritual energy. That spiritual energy is within you, within me, within the ant, or within the elephant. So we are living entities. And the body is inferior energy, at the present moment. In the material world the body is covering. Just like you are covered by the coat.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- July 4, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: What is the meaning of your eyes? You see, study mosquito. Not only mosquito, you will find at night I see a small insect, less than the magnitude of full stop. (Makes insect sound:) "Gu, gu, gu, gu." The same machine is there. Now see what is the machine there if you have such eyes. What is their answer? "In future." Just see. In future they will be able. Yes.

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Bailey -- Allahabad 14 September, 1951:

When we speak of Philosophy it is something higher than the attempt of combining the East and the West. The whole cosmic situation is a complete unit and unless and attempt genuine is made for harmonizing the whole disturbed system and partial attempt on our part however large in magnitude will fail to approach the ultimate goal.

Letter to Mr. Bailey -- Allahabad 7 July, 1953:

When we speak of philosophy it is something higher than the attempt of combining the East & West. The whole cosmic situation is a complete whole and unless an attempt genuine is made for harmonizing the whole system any partial attempt on our part however large in magnitude will fail to approach the ultimate goal.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Jayagovinda -- Hawaii 30 March, 1969:

Your sympathetic expression about my magnitude of work with which I am pressed here is undoubtedly very much encouraging to me, and certainly I am pressed with heavy work. I am receiving letters about 12 daily, from different centers with different problems and then at the same time I am just trying to write my books, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Nectar of Devotion, and Krishna, and lately Vedanta Sutra.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 31 July, 1969:

I have received one letter from Syamasundara. dated July 25th in which it is stated that the magnitude of the Ratha was double than the one you had in San Francisco. So such a heavy structure was not properly attended as to its weight and the wheels which could carry such huge weight. I think it was a mistake of engineering calculation. The load was heavier than the wheels could carry. So there is no question of being disappointed. I have not received any detailed information either from you or from the others, but even if the Festival was not properly performed, you should not be discouraged. As in the material world sometimes failure is considered as a pillar of success, similarly in the spiritual order also the same principle can be applied. So don't be disappointed. Maybe Krishna's desire is something higher in this connection.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Professor S. C. Chakravarti -- Calcutta 3 October, 1970:

I am so glad to learn that you are interested in the matter of Vaisnava philosophy. Vaisnava philosophy is very simple: that God is great and everyone is His servant. Nobody can be equal to or greater than God. They are simultaneously one and different. In quality they are one, but in magnitude they are different. This is the whole philosophy of the four Vaisnava sampradayas.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Radha-Damodara TSKP -- Honolulu 5 May, 1976:

As it is impractical for anyone to be sent to China at this time, I am sending Tamala Krishna Goswami to resume his old position as manager of Radha-Damodara TSKP. Now all of you work cooperatively. I was very pleased to see how you were working so hard last year to distribute so many books. There is no instance of religious books of philosophy being distributed in such magnitude in history. Now go on enthusiastically and increase this book distribution unlimitedly.

Page Title:Magnitude
Compiler:Sahadeva, Priya
Created:13 of Dec, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=2, SB=7, CC=0, OB=6, Lec=29, Con=5, Let=6
No. of Quotes:55