So anyone who can try to understand Kṛṣṇa in His transcendental position beyond creation, beyond creation... Even Śaṅkarācārya, the impersonalist, he says nārāyaṇa paraḥ avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa is beyond this material creation." Avyakta. Avyakta means there is a total stock of material elements beyond this universe. There are so many things to be learned. This universe we see just like a ball, and this ball is covered by layers of water, fire, air, earth, like that. Circling. And each layer is ten times bigger than the previous layer. In this way the universe is covered. And beyond that covering, there is another sky. We are prisoned here within this universe. We are thinking that we are very free to move in the sky with, what is called, sputniks. But you cannot go beyond your limitation. That is not possible. They are going to the moon planet, again coming back. You see. That is our conditional life, that you are conditioned, packed up under certain regulations. If you violate, then you are punishable. You cannot violate. You have to remain within the conditions of material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama... (BG 7.14). You cannot violate. If you want to violate the laws of nature, then you will create another difficulty. Another difficulty. (end)
Material elements (Lectures, SB)
Expressions researched:
"five basic elements"
|"five element"
|"five elements"
|"five great elements"
|"five gross elements"
|"five material elements"
|"five primary elements"
|"five principal elements"
|"material element"
|"material elements"
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
If you want actual peace, ātmā, suprasīdati, then you have to accept paro dharma. Para means supreme or superior. There are two kinds of dharmas, parā and aparā. Aparā means this material world. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). There are two natures, one spiritual nature and one material nature. People do not understand what is spiritual nature. But Kṛṣṇa explains very nicely, and one can understand very easily what is spiritual nature and what is material nature. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the matter, five elements, earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence, ego, these are material nature. Prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. Apareyam. Then Kṛṣṇa says this is aparā. Aparā means inferior. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ. The modern scientist or philosophers, they are engaged in studying this inferior nature. They have no information of the superior nature. But Kṛṣṇa says that these five elements, eight elements. Five gross and three subtle. The mind is also material. Khaṁ mano buddhir. These are material. People think this mental speculation, poetry, philosophy, that is spiritual. No. So long the subject matter is material, the concoction of the mind, speculation of the mind, the so-called philosophy, is also material.
So considering from all these point of view, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He's teaching us that paro dharmaḥ. We have distinguished parā and aparā. Apareyam. The material elements, mind, intelligence, and ego, they are all material. Aparā. Itas tv viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). So we have to come to that spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ platform. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. That is wanted. That kind of religious system is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Paro dharmo. And others, they are aparo dharma. Aparā, inferior. Therefore one Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura, a great Vaiṣṇava ācārya, he has said,
- pṛthivīte yahā kichu dharma nāme cale
- bhāgavata kahe taha pari purṇa chole
Pṛthivīte, upon the surface of the earth there are many systems of religion. Yahā kichu dharma nāme chole. So what is that? Bhāgavata kahe. He does not say, but he says on the authority of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is scholarship. A scholar will not speak anything as he is thinking. No. He will give authoritative quotation to support. That is Vedic system. When you support your proposition with the Vedic version, then it is accepted. Otherwise not. Veda pramāṇa.
The Vedic information is, when I understand I am ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am Brahman, or the spirit soul. That is my beginning of identification. Therefore in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about the spirit. This human form of life is meant for advancing knowledge of brahma, brahma-jñāna. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. One who is advanced in knowledge of Brahman, he is called brāhmaṇa. So, if we actually want peace... Everyone is hankering, that is our prerogative. Every living entity must hanker after happiness. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Because by nature we are happy. By nature we are happy. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. So as spirit soul we are naturally happy, blissful. But because we have been covered by the eight material elements—earth, water, fire, air, ether. These are gross elements. And within the gross elements—mind, intelligence and ego. So somebody is satisfied with the comfort of the outward gross elements, this body. They are called materialists. Simply sense gratification. Indriyāni parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). First of all our conception is happiness means happiness of my body. The whole world is going on.
Therefore it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharma (SB 1.2.6). Paro dharma and aparā dharma. There are two natures: parā and aparā. These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. This material energy, five elements, eight elements, even we can see... We cannot see five elements properly. Five elements: bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir ahaṅkāra (BG 7.4). We can see earth, we can see water, bhūmir āpo. We can see fire, analo. But we cannot see the air, but we can feel that air is blowing. That is also sense perception. We can see... We can perceive. We cannot see what is that sky, but we know, "Here is sky-vacancy." Then we cannot see even mind. We cannot... I know that you have got mind, you know I have got my mind, but you cannot see where is my mind, I cannot see where is your mind. Bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā prakṛti me aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). These are different energies of God, and the whole material world is composed of these five gross elements and three subtle elements. This is called material world. And Kṛṣṇa says further, apareyam: "These material energies, they are inferior energy, aparā." Beyond that, there is a superior energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "My dear Arjuna, these gross and subtle material elements, they are inferior energy. Beyond that, there is another, superior energy." What is that superior energy? Jīva-bhūtaḥ mahā-baho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat: (BG 7.5) "That is that living being." We are all living being. So we are superior energy. We are exploiting the material resources; therefore we are superior. We are molding the material energy to our satisfaction, so we belong to the superior energy.
So this is called māyā. This is called illusion. Everyone is thinking that "I am happy," although his body, this material body, means suffering. Who is a person here who is not... Why we are getting this fan? Because the body is suffering on account of excessive heat. This is called adhidaivika, the heat, excessive heat, excessive cold. These are also sufferings. This is called adhidaivika. But we are thinking, "We are very comfortable." We never think that "I do not want this heat. Why it is being forced upon me?" That he never considers. "If there is any remedy? I do not want it." But this body, as soon as you accept this material body made of these five elements, earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence... This is material body.
So original proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. He says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. Bhinnaṁ me prakṛtir aṣṭa... (BG 7.4). Me, "My." The earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence... Even your intelligence is Kṛṣṇa's. With your intelligence, with ingredients of Kṛṣṇa, if you manufacture something, the proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. Because the... Just like a carpenter. You give the wood, the instrument, these labor charges. So when he manufactures a nice closet, who, to whom it will belong? It will belong to the man who has supplied you all these things. Similarly, you may be changing the form of the material elements, but you are not proprietor. The proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. If we understand this philosophy, that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa..." That is the fact. And if you do not understand that, that is māyā. Māyā means not fact, mā-yā.
So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is the highest perfection of life. Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ Brahman. Brahman, impersonal effulgence. Just like the sunshine. Then localized sun, the sun globe. Then further, if you able to enter the sun globe, you'll find there is a predominating deity. There are also cities and palaces—everything, just like this planet. But this planet is made prominently of earth, and that planet is one of the elements, material elements, earth, water, fire, air. So if this planet is made of earth, why not other planet made of fire? What is the scientific reason to deny it? Because I cannot live in the fire, it does not mean other living entities cannot live there. There are different kinds of living entities. Just like you cannot live within the water, within the ocean, but there are other living entities... Just like fish. They live very comfortably within the water.
Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated: kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Hṛta-jñānāḥ, hṛta-jñānāḥ, those who have lost their intelligence. They are influenced by their lust and greediness. They worship different demigods to get some material temporary benefit. Therefore they are called naṣṭa-buddhi. His real problem is how to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth and death, but he doesn't care that. He thinks, "Oh, now I am living in this way. If I live in a palatial building, then my problem is solved." That is not your problem, solution of the problem. That is not solution. But people are very much enamored by this temporary material elements. Therefore they are called by Kṛṣṇa as naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ, hṛta-jñānāḥ. They're actual knowledge is lost. Real thing is... Just like in the jail. The same example: the boy was given a little relief. Instead of breaking stone, he was allowed to type in the office. That does not mean his problem is solved. His problem is solved when he's out of the prison. That is. But that the superintendent of police cannot give. That will be given by the government. Similarly, if we want to get relief from this prison house of material existence, we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No other method will relieve us.
How much brain a God requires, he does not know. How big brain... Anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ. These are analyzed, what is the nature of the Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. How He is? What He is? Immediately the answer is janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "From Him, everything is emanating." Everything is taking birth from Him. Janma. Not only janma, birth, but existence, maintenance, janmādi. Janmādi means birth, maintenance and death. Creation, maintenance and annihilation. Janmādi. Asya, anything you take, asya. Janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1). Janmādy asya yataḥ. From whom everything is emanating, everything is taking birth, this cosmic manifestation, it is being maintained in Him. And again, when it is annihilated, it enters into His own energy. Prakṛtiṁ māṁ gacchati. From His prakṛti, from His energy, Kṛṣṇa's energies, external energy, these five elements come out—earth, water, fire, air, sky. Five gross elements and three subtle elements—mind, intelligence ego. This is the eight, these are the eight elements of material creation. Then all the living entities, those who wanted to enjoy this material world, they are impregnated within this material energy and they come out with different bodies for enjoying different types of sufferings of happiness. There is no happiness; it is all suffering, but we take: "It is happiness." That is called illusion.
Actually, the enjoyment is in my mind. That is not enjoyment. That is not enjoyment. Real enjoyment is when I am free from this embodiment of five elements, gross elements, and three subtle elements. I have entered into this, and the action and reaction of these five gross elements, three subtle elements, I am enjoying. Actually, not enjoying. This is called māyā. There is no enjoyment. It is enjoyment in the mind. The mind is also material creation. Real enjoyment is beyond these senses. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tat. The real happiness is not by these gross senses. By transcendental senses, we can enjoy sukham āt..., real happiness. Therefore, because we are not in that platform of enjoying the transcendental senses, we are trying to enjoy by these gross senses, therefore we are becoming baffled and frustrated. This is the cause of frustration. Because that is not the platform of enjoyment.
So this is not a very good theory that from the chunk, or some matter exploded, and immediately the universe came into existence. That is not a very good theory. But this is nice. Jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpam. This pauruṣam, the Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, They are expansions of Kṛṣṇa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). He incarnates, He expands Himself in various incarnations. Now, for the creation, these three persons... Always person. Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, person; Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, person; and Kāraṇārṇava-jala, Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, person. And Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, He's also expansion of Saṅkarṣaṇa. And Saṅkarṣaṇa is expansion of Baladeva; Baladeva is expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa becomes the origin. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādiḥ (Bs. 5.1). He has no beginning, but He is beginning. Anādir ādiḥ. He's, He has no beginning, but He is the beginning of creation. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).
So mahat-tattva, the total material energy, and six, five elements, sixteen, sixteen, ṣoḍaśa-kalam. What are those? The five elements, namely, earth, water, fire, air, and sense objects and senses and the spirit soul. In this way, sixteen. And from sixteen, it expands to twenty-four. That is the explanation of our Vedic creation. Ṣoḍaśa-kalam. You read the purport.
Upendra: "After this such fortunate living entities have no more to come within the occasional material creation. But those who can not catch up the constitutional truth are again kept merged into the mahat-tattva at the time of annihilation of the material creation. When the creation is again set up this mahat-tattva is again let loose and this mahat-tattva contains all the ingredients of material manifestations including the conditioned souls. Primarily this mahat-tattva is divided into sixteen parts namely the five gross material elements and the eleven working instruments or senses."
Prabhupāda: Five elements means the sky, air, then fire, water, and earth. And five senses acquiring knowledge, just like eyes, ear, tongue, smelling. We are acquiring knowledge by these... And working five senses, hands, legs, the genital, and in this way there are five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses, and mind is the center. Therefore eleven. Eleven plus five elements equal to sixteen.
So there are eight elements, namely... They are described in Bhagavad-gītā also. Five gross elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether. These are gross elements. And the subtle or finer elements are the mind, intelligence, ego. These are eight elements. And the subjects of sense perception, and ten sense organs. Ten sense organs, five subject matter of sense perception, fifteen, and these eight elements, material elements, fifteen and eight, twenty-three, and avyakta, or the living entity. And then God. In this way the whole philosophy is described. That is called sāṅkhya philosophy.
The Buddhists, they decline to accept the authority of Vedas, and the Māyāvādīs, the impersonalists, they want to accept the authority of Vedas, but under the garb of Buddhism. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given His remark, veda nā māniyā bauddha haya ta' nāstika. According to Vedic line of thought, anyone who does not accept the authority of Vedas, he is called atheist. Just like the Muhammadans, they also call "kafir." One who does not accept the authority of Koran, they call "kafir." And the Christians also, they call "heathens." So there are different terms. So according to our Vedic line of thought, anyone who does not accept the Vedic way of life, he is called atheist. Therefore Buddhist, according to Vedantists, Buddhist are called atheist. Actually Buddha philosophy does not accept God, neither soul. They simply philosophize on the material elements, and they want to finish the material exis..., dismantle the material elements. Nirvāṇa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has remarked that the Buddhists are honest. They frankly say that "We don't accept your Vedas." But the Shankarites, they are cheaters, because they are accepting Vedas, but on the basis of Buddha philosophy. That is cheating.
So here also, Vaivasvata Manu. Vaivasvata Manu means the son of the gentleman whose name is Vivasvān. He is the president of this solar world, of the sun, sun planet. There is also president. You have got your president here. Why not in the sun planet? Why...? How can you deny with teeny knowledge that there is no life, there is no city, there is no...? Simply you go on smoking gāñjā and telling anything, but the fact is different. The fact is different. From common sense we can understand that this is a planet made of five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. So this whole material world is made of these five elements. Somewhere, some portion is very prominent. Here the earth is very prominent. Similarly, in the sun planet the fire is very prominent. But there are five elements. Nothing is made... Just like if you go to a fireplace, there the temperature is different, but the fireplace is made of these five elements: earth, water, air, fire, ether. Nothing but.
Therefore if we study Bhagavad-gītā very carefully, you understand everything. A little brain required. Just like we can... Just you, when you go to the oven, fire, fireplace, that fireplace, the stove... What is the stove? The stove is made of these five elements, earth, water, fire, air, but there the fire is very prominent. Therefore you cannot touch it. You do not go there. Similarly, sun planet is not very wonderful thing. It is also made of the same ingredients as it is made here in this planet, because the whole material world is made of these five elements. But there the fire element is very prominent. Therefore we are thinking, "How one can live there?" How one can cook in the kitchen when the fire is so hot? It is possible. Just like you can see in the water. You cannot live in the water, but there are thousands and millions of living entities. They are very comfortably living. The same living entities, you bring on the land, they cannot live. But you can live.
So āmayaḥ, āmayaḥ means mucus or disease. So there is mucus, yaś ca bhūtānāṁ, due to eating too much milk preparation. Tad eva hy āmayaṁ dravyaṁ na punāti cikitsitam. So cannot be cure it even by that milk preparation. The same milk preparation which has caused your mucus, disease, it can be cured by the same milk preparation, cikitsitam, but it should be medically treated. The same milk. The milk is the cause of your dysentery, but the same milk, when it is medically treated, can cure it. This is the secret. How? One milk preparation. Milk is the origin. Rabri, you take too much and there is dysentery. And cikitsitam, the same milk converted into yogurt, add little black pepper, little salt and lime, it will cure. The origin is the milk. So one way you become diseased and the other way you become cured, but the preparation is the same—milk. Similarly, our activities in this material world with these material elements, when we violate the laws, we become entangled. But the same material activities, when it is turned into Kṛṣṇa prasādam, dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa for hearing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, what we are doing? We are also doing the same thing. Here is the temple. What is this temple? The same ingredients, the same cement, same brick, same stone, same worker, same plan as the skyscraper. But what is the difference? Because it is cikitsitam, it is for Kṛṣṇa. You spoil your energy by the same purchase of cement, bricks, and other things for sense gratification—a theater hall, a dancing hall. The same energy spent for dancing for Kṛṣṇa, the same hall, you become liberated. By one dancing hall you go to hell, and by another dancing hall you become liberated. This is the secret.
Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Not Kṛṣṇa ordinarily-factually, kṛṣṇa-tattvataḥ. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, actually, in fact, in truth. Then what is the result? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: "His, the cycle of birth and death, old age, and dis..., stopped." Tyaktvā deham. We have to give up this body; that is certain. But after giving up this body, no more material body. Then what happens? He is finished? No, he is not finished. Mām eti: "He comes to Me, back to home." And when you go there, then you must possess the same body as Kṛṣṇa has got. Kṛṣṇa has sac-cid-ānanda-vig... Just like if you want to enter into the sun planet. The sun planet is made of fiery elements. Everyone there, their body is made of fire. So if you want to enter into the sun planet, then you must also make your body made of fire. Just like this body is made of earth, so similarly, there are different types of bodies made of air, made of water, made of fire, these five elements, material. Kṣitir āpas tejo marud vyoma. So in different planets... So if you go back to home, back to Godhead, then you have to gain your original, spiritual body.
The material elements means earth, water, air, fire. A scientist means, or a craftsman means he can utilize the ingredients in such a way. Just like this temple. It is a composition of earth, water, and fire. Tejo-vāri-mṛd vinimayaḥ. Tejo means fire, and vāri means water, and mṛt means earth. So what is this building? It is... You have collected earth, and shaped it into a brick, and then put it with water, and then put into the fire—it becomes brick. Then you smash it, powder it, it becomes mortar. Then you set up. In this way... The, originally, tejo-vāri-mṛt. Fire, water, and earth. So the fire, water, earth, has not made this nice temple. It is the person, the brain, the engineer, the architect—they have made.
So the modern scientists, they do not know what is real problem. They are thinking advancement. Another point is here, that trīl lokān pradahan mahat and dahyamānāḥ prajāḥ sarvāḥ. Prajā. Prajā means living entities. Prajāyate: one who takes his birth. So in the three worlds... Three worlds means these upper, middle, and lower planetary systems in this universe. Trīl loka. Trīl lokān. So everywhere there is prajā, there is living entities. Otherwise, how it is said trīl lokān? It is a foolish theory that there is no life in other planets. A rascal theory. It has no meaning. Trīl lokān. We have got many evidences. I do not know why these rascal scientists say that there is no life in other planet. Why? The other planet is also made of the pañca-bhūta, pṛthvī-ap-tejas-vāyu-ākāśa. They are not different. Maybe something is very prominent. Just like in the sun globe, the fire is prominent. Fire is also one of the five elements: pṛthvī-ap-tejas. That does not mean there is no life. There must be. Otherwise, how Kṛṣṇa talked with the sun-god, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1)? And the living entity, nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ. The living entity is not burned by the fire. It is not dried up, it is not moistened. This is stated. So why there will be no life in the sun globe? There must be. Because nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ, fire cannot burn the living being. So there are germs in the fire also, agni-pa(?).
In the Bhagavad-gītā, you understand, there are two kinds of nature: parā and aparā. So this material nature is aparā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Apareyam. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). The land, water, fire, air, sky, these five elements, they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: "They are separated energy, inferior quality energy. But beyond this inferior quality energy, I have got another superior quality of energy." What is that? Jīva-bhūta. You can understand that jīva-bhūta, the living entities. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Because jīva-bhūta, we living entities, we are superior than the matter because we are controlling the matter. Just like we have been in the riverside, so many things, material things, we saw. But who has made it? The living entities. The matter has not come into so many forms without the touch of the living entity. Everyone can understand. The big, big ship, how it has come into existence? Because a living entity planned, engineered how to do it, and he brought material things, and he manufactured it. Therefore this inferior energy, the material things, they are subordinate to the spiritual energy.
So we should not imitate, but at least we must be very careful to complete the sixteen rounds, the minimum. Nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ. We have to increase our taste for singing and chanting. Nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ prītis tat vasati tale(?). And we should increase our inclination to live in the place where Kṛṣṇa is living. Kṛṣṇa is living everywhere—that is, that is the vision of the higher devotees. Actually He's living, but still, because we are in the lower condition, we should know that here is Kṛṣṇa in the temple. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but for us, because we have no such vision to see Kṛṣṇa anywhere and everywhere, therefore we should come here in the temple and see Kṛṣṇa, "Here is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has kindly appeared here in a manner in which I can see Him. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy." That is temple. We cannot see... Kṛṣṇa has completely spiritual body, but we have no eyes to see what is that spiritual body. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). We are accustomed to see this material, jaḍa, gross things. We can see stone, we can see metal, we can see wood. We can see all these material elements. But Kṛṣṇa is everything. Therefore to be visible to our imperfect eyes, Kṛṣṇa has appeared in the stone form, but Kṛṣṇa is not stone. It is not that we are worshiping stone; we are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. But because we cannot see except stone, therefore Kṛṣṇa has kindly appeared in the form carved from the stone. This is the conclusion.
So the sunshine is working because the sun globe is there, the sun-god is there. Similarly, the material energy is working. This cosmic manifestation made of earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego, these are the eight ingredients of this material manifestation. So these eight material elements, they are energies, separated energies. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. And, because the energetic is there behind this energy... Just like electric power. We are using electric power, but behind this electric power there is the powerhouse and there is the engineer who is producing the power. The rascals, they do not understand this. They simply see the power. But behind the power there is the power-maker, the source of power. They do not understand it. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes and says that "I am the power-maker. I am behind this power." Kṛṣṇa personally comes, because we have no eyes to see Kṛṣṇa, neither we can understand Kṛṣṇa. He therefore comes. What kind...? God, we are simply contemplating God. What is the form of God? God must be very old man. Because He has created millions and millions of years ago, therefore He must be very old man. This is our contemplation. We are going on. Therefore God comes before you: "Here, see what is God." He's so kind. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7).
So similarly this everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. What is this body? This body, material elements, earth, water, fire, air, and then within the body, subtle psychological, mind, intelligence, ego. So Kṛṣṇa claims, "All these eight elements are My separated energy." Then where is your body, your mind? You cannot, you do not know even how this body is working. Although I am claiming, "This is my body..." Take, for example, just you are a tenant in an apartment. You are getting all supplies. But you do not know that how these, I mean to say, tap water is working, fire is working. You do not know. But you pay rent, or somehow or other, you have occupied the apartment. You are utilizing. Similarly, we are utilizing this body. But this body does not belong to me; it belongs to Kṛṣṇa. This is real fact. So this body means senses. Therefore senses also belong to Kṛṣṇa, mind also belong to Kṛṣṇa. Everything I have got. I am a spirit soul. I have given the opportunity to utilize a certain type of body because I wanted it. Kṛṣṇa has given me. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). If you want a body of a king, Kṛṣṇa will give you. You do the prescribed method; you, you get a body of a king. And if you want the body of a hog, to eat stool, Kṛṣṇa will give you.
So real sanity is to understand that this body belongs to Kṛṣṇa. We are misunderstanding that this body belongs to my father, mother, or my master or to the cats and dogs or the vultures, in so many ways. That is material. Materially, we can understand that. But spiritually, this body belongs to Kṛṣṇa because the body is made of, I mean to say, prepared by the eight elements. We have got the five elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). There is earth, water, air, fire, and the mind and the intelligence and the false ego. This is the eight combination of the matter. Then, the matter being agitated, there are ten senses and then sense objects. In this way this body is composition of twenty-four elements. But all these elements, Kṛṣṇa says, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: (BG 7.4) "That is My energy." This body is made by Kṛṣṇa's property. Earth, water, air, fire—this is all Kṛṣṇa's property. You cannot create earth, or you cannot create water. You cannot create sky, nothing of the material elements. It is created by Kṛṣṇa, and this body is..., this external body is made of these eight elements. Similarly, I am also Kṛṣṇa's.
There are different tax department, but if you pay the whole amount, government treasure making a bill for this department, this, this department, this, then automatically it will be distributed. Similarly the deva-yajña, to perform yajña in the name of the demigods, can all be performed in one yajña when you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. When you become... How? That is also stated in the śāstra, that devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇāṁ na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan (SB 11.5.41). Nārada Muni says to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira that we have got so many due taxes to be paid to the devatās, demigods, because we are utilizing so many material elements controlled by different devatās. And then we are debtor to the ṛṣis. Ṛṣis means saintly person. Just like we are reading this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And who has given this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? By Vyāsadeva. So we are debtor. Vyāsadeva has given us Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, mahāmuni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is made by Vyāsadeva. So we are taking advantage of the knowledge, so we are so much indebted to Vyāsadeva. We are indebted to the demigods, we are indebted to Vyāsadeva or other ṛṣis. Manu-saṁhitā, we are indebted to the great Manu. Viṁśati,(?) we are indebted to Parāśara Muni. He has given dharma-śāstra. In this way, there are so many Vedic literatures, and we take advantage of it. Therefore we must be indebted. Deva, ṛṣi, and bhūta. We are taking milk from the cows. Bhūta, āpta. Āpta, friends, relatives. We are taking advantage in the family from the father, from the mother, from the elderly brother, from the servant.
Pradyumna: "Then he amalgamated all the sense organs into the mind, then the mind into life, life into breathing, his total existence into the embodiment of the five elements, and his body into death. Then, as pure self, he became free from the material conception of life." (SB 1.15.41)
Prabhupāda: Read the purport also.
Pradyumna: "Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, like his brother Arjuna, began to concentrate and gradually became freed from all material bondage. First of all he concentrated all the actions of the senses amalgamated in the mind. Or in other words, he turned his mind towards transcendental service of the Lord. He prayed that since all material activities were performed by the mind in terms of actions and reactions of the material senses, and since he was going back to Godhead, the mind would wind up its material activities and return towards the transcendental service of the Lord. There was no longer need for material activities. Actually, the activities of the mind cannot be stopped because they are the reflection of the eternal soul. But the quality of the activities can be changed from matter to the transcendental service of the Lord. The material color of the mind is changed by washing it from contaminations of life breathing and therefore getting it freed from the contamination of repeated birth and death and getting it situated in pure spiritual life. All was manifested by the temporary embodiment of the material body, which is a production of mind at the time of death. And if the mind is purified by practice of transcendental loving service of the Lord and the same is constantly engaged in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, there is no more chance of the mind's producing another material body after death. It will be freed from the absorption of material contamination. The pure soul will be able to return back home, back to Godhead."
Prabhupāda: So this verse describes in the manner of yogic practice. The yogic practice means controlling five kinds of air within the body: prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, like that. That is breathing exercise, yoga practice.
So it appears that Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira knew how to practice the yoga. Not only Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, practically any high-class man, especially the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas, every one of them knew this practice, yoga practice. So at the time of death they could utilize, how to give up this body. That is perfection of yoga. The yogis, they can give up the life or give this, relinquish this body, according to his own desire, not compelled by the material condition. That is yoga system. Generally, a man dies under the obligation of material laws.
Pradyumna: Translation: "Thus annihilating the gross body of five elements into the three qualitative modes of material nature, he merged them in one nescience and then absorbed that nescience in the self, Brahman, which is inexhaustible in all circumstances." (SB 1.15.42)
Prabhupāda: Tritve hutvā ca pañcatvaṁ tac caikatve ajuhon muniḥ. Everything is coming from that one. The theory of conservation of energy, that is imperfection. All energy are conserved in that Supreme Personality of Godhead. They have got little idea of this, wherefrom the energies are coming, but not perfectly. The modern scientists, they can simply think of "conservation of energy." But where is that conservation? That they do not know. That is the missing point.
So bhrama, pramāda, vipralipsā(?) and karaṇāpāṭava. Then if somebody says that "Why you are speaking that these men are cheaters and cheated and illusioned and in māyā?" Now, because the senses are imperfect. Because you are gathering knowledge by the senses. There are five senses, acquire knowledge, and the five senses act according to that knowledge. And these sense objects. There are sense objects. Just like you have got eyes, you have to see something objective, rūpa, form. The knowledge acquired by the eyes is to understand the form. Similarly, the knowledge acquired by the ears is to acquire knowledge from the sound. Because physical means the sound, light, form. These things are physical things. So we have got senses to acquire knowledge. So five knowledge-acquiring senses, five working senses, and five sense objects, and I am there. This is called sixteen elements. And then five material elements, earth, water, fire, air, and three subtle elements, eight. So in this way the whole world, this universe, cosmic manifestation, is a composition of these eight elements, er, twenty-four elements. And beyond these twenty-four elements, I am the soul, and beyond myself, there is the Supersoul. This is knowledge. This is knowledge.
You will take sometimes birth as a king or as a demigod, and sometimes as the worm of the stool. Because according to your karma, you will get next body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Therefore the process is at least don't act sinfully. Then you will get higher-class birth. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). You will get chance of taking your birth in higher planetary system where the standard of living is many, many thousands better than this planet. Just like Svargaloka, Janaloka. From our śāstra we understand that the inhabitants of Candraloka, moon planet, they live for ten thousands of years, but these rascals are going there. They do not find any living entity. So that is the contradiction. But we believe that in the moon planet... And why we shall not believe? If the living entities are found everywhere, so why, what moon planet has done that there should be no living entity? From our experience we can see living entity is there on the land, in the air, in the water, even in the fire. So every planet is made of these five elements: earth, water, fire, air, sky. So we find by practical experience that in the water there is living entity, on the land there is living entity, within the land there is living entity. So why in the moon planet or other planet there should be no living entities? That's a wrong theory.
So Ikṣvāku came from the sun planet. He happens to be the grandson of Vivasvān. So how you can say that in the sun planet there is no possibility of life? We get the history. And if you say that "In fire how one can live?" No. As we see that in water some other living entities can live, similarly, I may not be able to live in the fire, but there are other living entities who can live there. That should be the right conclusion. Because fire is as good another material element as the water is. As water is also one of the material elements, fire is also one of the eight material elements. So if we can see by our practical experience, there are living entities in the water, so why not living entities in the fire? And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that living entity, this spiritual spark, is not affected by material influence. In the Vedas also it is..., asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. It has nothing to do with this material condition. Adāhya. This special word is used that it cannot burned by the fire. Aśoṣya, it cannot be dried up by air. Acchedya, it cannot be cut into pieces. These things are there. So we are firmly convinced that in the sun planet there is also living entity, and the king or the president there is called Vivasvān, his name is Vivasvān. And our gāyatrī-mantra is worshiping the sun planet. Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya dhīmahi. So this is the Vedic conception. Every planet there is king, and the king's duty is to see that everyone is executing his professional occupational duty.
Living entities, they are in this material world in different forms. That is accepted by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ (BG 14.4). There are as many forms of life amongst the living entities. Tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. The mahad yoniḥ, mahat, this material world, material elements, or the sum total of material elements... Mother Durgā, she is the mother. And God is the father. Just like father and mother gives birth to a child, similarly, we spirit soul, the part and parcel of the supreme father, and the material elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), they're the recipient. Tasmin garbhaṁ dadāmy aham. Just like father gives the seed in the womb of the mother, then the child gets a body and it grows and come out, similarly this body is given by mother, material, material energy, but the father is the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). This is the factual position. We are not this material body.
Because the difficulty is they do not know what is the aim of life. The aim of life, that we are conditioned by this material nature, embodied by the material elements, and that is the cause of our all miserable condition of life. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. Pramattaḥ (SB 5.5.4). We are so mad under the bodily... Everyone is under the... Big, big scientists also, they are also. They don't believe there is soul. Big, big scientists, politicians, philosophers. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). They remain animals. If anyone has taken this body as the self... Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. So the modern Kali-yuga is very, very dangerous for the human being. They are given chance by the laws of nature, "Now take your birth as human being." Because to get a body as a human being or as a demigod or as a king or as a lower class man or as an animal, as an..., that is not in our hands. That is in the nature's hands.
Everything, whatever you can think of. Kṛṣṇa includes everything. Without Kṛṣṇa, there is nothing. Because... Take anything. Take this table. This is stone. But the stone is also Kṛṣṇa. You have read in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Kṛṣṇa says that "These five gross material elements—earth, water, air, fire, ether—mind, intelligence and ego, they are My separated energies." Just like I am speaking. Now, this speaking recorded, when it will be replaced, the same sound will come. So that is my energy, but separated. I am on there, but still, the vibration is exactly what I am speaking because these words are emanated from me. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says that "This earth is emanation of My energy. So therefore this earth... The stone is also earth, another form of earth. Therefore it is manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore it is Kṛṣṇa. Energy and the energetic—no different. Just like the sun is situated 93,000,000's of miles away from you, but the sunshine, as soon as it reaches your body, you understand what is sun-heat and light-immediately. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The sāṅkhya-yoga system of philosophy is very much liked in Europe and Western countries because it is a system of metaphysics, analyzing the whole cosmic manifestation. There are twenty-four tattvas. Just like these five tattvas, elements, material: earth, water, air, fire, ether. Then ten senses: five senses for acquiring knowledge and five senses for enjoying. And the five, five, ten. And five elements, fifteen. Then five principles of enjoyment. They are called talk, touching, smelling, like that. Anyway, there are twenty-four elements, and mind, intelligence, ego, and the principal, soul. In this way there are twenty-four elements. The sāṅkhya yogis, they very much analyze this study. They are of the opinion that besides these twenty-four elements, there is nothing more. No. There is. The twenty-four elements, one who is combining and annihilating, that is the Supreme Lord, pradhāna, Viṣṇu.
So sāṅkhya-yoga, either you take this Kapiladeva's philosophical principle or that Kapiladeva, that's all right. But after analyzing, if you do not find out Nārāyaṇa, the creator of this material atmosphere, material elements, then it is useless laboring so much, hard, for analyzing. Just like the chemist or physicist, they are also analyzing the material elements within the laboratory. But that does not mean they are going to all be liberated at the end of life. No. Or if you want to be liberated... Because after all, you are spirit soul. You are entangled with these twenty-four elements.
This is very simple, but we are educated so foolishly that we cannot understand. This is our defect. Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: (BG 7.4) "Arjuna, there are eight material elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, ego." Apareyam: "But these are inferior elements." Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "Beyond this there is another, superior element." What is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). "The living entity is superior element." Without the living entity, what is the value of this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ? This distinction we can experience every day. Here is an important man. Now he's finished. And if you kick on his face, he won't protest. What is the wanting? That—jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho—that living force is wanting. So anyone, any child, can understand that "Something is wanting. Therefore this important body is nothing but a lump of matter." Anyone can understand. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, but we are not serious to understand. That is the (indistinct).
I am not this body. But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa is both body and soul together. Kṛṣṇa is everything. Kṛṣṇa has no such difference as material and spiritual. For Kṛṣṇa, everything is spiritual. Because material and spiritual, they are two energies only, but they are energy of Kṛṣṇa. So for Kṛṣṇa, there is no such distinction, material or spiritual. He can convert the material into spiritual and the spiritual into material because He is the original source of these two energies. He is the original source. The same example: just like an expert electrician, he can convert the heater into cooler and the cooler into heater, although they are two opposites. Because he knows how to utilize the electrical energy. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says that "These material elements, they are also My energy. And the spiritual energy, the jīva-bhūtas, they are also My energy." And the whole cosmic manifestation is combination of this material and spiritual energy. Therefore ... But Kṛṣṇa is Absolute.
Mind is material; soul is spiritual. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, apareyaṁ bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). They are also elements, but bhinnā means material, separated from Kṛṣṇa. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "These material elements, they are inferior quality, and beyond this, there is another, superior quality. That is soul." Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). So you have to know from the books. That you now understand?
The body is a combination of five elements. So there is stock in the... This universe is covered by seven layers: earth, water, fire, air, like that. When we shall be going to the spiritual sky, we have to pass through the seven layers. And each layer is ten times bigger than the first. Suppose we pass the air layer; the next layer, the fire, is ten times bigger. Then water, ten times. In this way, we have to pass through. We are so much tightly packed up. It is not so easy that I take a sputnik and go anywhere. No. That requires sādhana-bhajana, practice, how to give up this encagement of seven layers and then completely pure spirit soul, you enter into the spiritual sky. That is merging in the spiritual effulgence. Brahmajyoti. Then you can go further and enter into the spiritual planets, if you are fit for that. Otherwise you'll remain in the brahma-jyotir. Nirviśeṣa, without any variety. Simply light. As the jñānīs, they want. But you cannot stay there.
Upon this mind, intelligence and ego, one develops a gross body of five elements: earth, water, air, fire. This is the two kinds of body, a condition. And when he's actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's transcendental to this gross and subtle body. He attains a spiritual body which is never to be finished, eternal, blissful life. So sometimes, when Kṛṣṇa, He's especially kind to a person who thinks that "By... I shall execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness; at the same time, I shall enjoy this material life," this is foolishness. This is foolishness. If you want Kṛṣṇa, go to home, back to home, back to Godhead, then you have to finish your material desires. Because Kṛṣṇa is so kind that even if you have a pinch of material desire to enjoy in this material world, He will give you a chance, "All right, you do it." That means we become entangled. Therefore, those who are executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should try to become free from all material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11).
Jñāna means knowledge. Or the jñānīs, they also want to be become one with the Supreme. And karma.
So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they have no information of the spiritual world. Therefore they are thinking that spirit means something void of all these varieties. They cannot conceive that in the variety there can be enjoyment. Here they have got very bad experience of varieties. Therefore they want to make... Buddha theory is like that, varieties, varieties—the earth, water, air, fire. So if this body is made of all these varieties, so you make it nirvāṇa; you kill it or dismantle it to the varieties. Just like when anything in this material world, when it is annihilated, it goes. This, our body... Just like when we leave this body, the matter remains there, lump of matter. Gradually it becomes decomposed, and some water comes out. The water goes to the water, the earthly part goes to the earth, the fiery part goes to the fiery. In this way, this combination of matter becomes dismantled. That is called nirvāṇa, finished. That is Buddha theory, that "By chance, a combination of material elements has formed these bodies, and by chance, a living force has come out, manifested, and on account of the living consciousness, we are feeling pains and pleasure. So in order to stop the so-called pains and pleasure, you dismantle this machine. Then there is no more... You become zero. Then there is no more pains and pleasure." This is Buddha's theory. The same principle, that you have got some pain on your head, so the theory is that break your head. Sometime I suggested to our Sarasvatī, that "You break your head and there will be no pain." So this theory is like that. Instead of mending... This is the lack of knowledge. Mūḍha. Mūḍha. The pains and pleasure... One man in the prison life, he is simply suffering so many pains and pleasure. There is no pleasure, simply pain. So he is trying to commit suicide.
We are already apart 93,000,000 miles, and suppose when there is three million miles apart from ninety, then the temperatures is so high that we will be finished. We cannot approach the sun globe even, and what to speak of entering into the sun globe? That requires a different body. Of course, there are living entities in the sun globe, within the sun globe. And there is the predominating deity also, the president. You may call. There is a state. Just like you have got here, United State, there is state also. And there is also president, and the president's name is Vivasvān. Everything is there in the śāstra. We read from Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa said, "I spoke to Vivasvān, the president or the predominating deity in the sun globe." So this is all fact. It is not fiction. You are seeing the sun globe, and you are seeing that the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. So it is a globe; therefore there must be inhabitants. But their body is different. That is... Just like this earthly planet is made of earth or dirt—that is made of fire. This is within these five elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether. So the mixture of these things are there also, but the fire element is there prominent. As here, in this earth, all the mixtures are there, but here the earthly element is prominent. So this is also one of the material worlds.
So the arcā-vigraha is also Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, adhokṣajam. Adhokṣajam, adhah-kṛtaṁ akṣajaṁ jñānam. Our knowledge is what we see. We can see stone. We can see metal. We can see other material elements, wood. So Kṛṣṇa has appeared as we can see Him. Because we cannot see more than stone, wood, metal, therefore Kṛṣṇa has appeared as stone statue. But He is not stone statue. That we have to understand. He is Kṛṣṇa, but He is so kind that He has appeared before us as we can see Him. This is the philosophy, not that stone is Kṛṣṇa. Stone is also Kṛṣṇa in the ultimate sense because stone is the expansion of energy of Kṛṣṇa, material energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva..., bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). This is called philosophy of inconceivable one and different. The same example can be given: just like the sunshine. In the sunshine there is heat and temperature. (break) ...say the sunshine has come... (aside:) Why you are standing? If you stand... This side. "If the sunshine has entered my room, therefore sun has entered my room." This is Māyāvādī philosophy.
So we are all Brahman; simply we have to understand it. It is not that we are abrahman; by some practice we become Brahman, no. Just like gold is gold, but if it is covered with some dirt, the dirt can be removed, and the gold is gold; similarly, we are Brahman, spirit soul. Somehow or other we have come in contact with these material elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), and we have got this body, covered, and I am thinking, "I am this body." This is ignorance. This is ignorance. So unless one is enlightened by the spiritual knowledge, he remains only just like cats and dogs. And to understand spiritual identification, that is called dharma. Dharma means that. And the ultimate goal of dharma is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We have created so many dharmas: Hindu dharma, Mussulman dharma, Christian dharma. These are manufactured. Of course, there is indication how to execute dharma, but real dharma—when you come to the conclusion, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19).
So if we understand Kṛṣṇa as a human being like us, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11), then we are mūḍhas. "Kṛṣṇa is also... Kṛṣṇa's body is made of these māyā elements, or external elements, like us." Just like our body is made of these material elements. If we think Kṛṣṇa also made of that elements, of these material elements, kṣitir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, then we are mistaken. Kṛṣṇa is... Here, in the previous verse, we have learned: ātma-māyayā. There are... Of course, this material energy is also ātma-māyā, Kṛṣṇa's. Not ours. Mama māyā. Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). This material world is Kṛṣṇa's. We cannot say mama māyā. No. We are under the control of this material nature. But Kṛṣṇa is the controller of the material nature. That is the difference.
The same water, the same fire—sometimes it is suffering; sometimes it is pleasing. But the matter is the same. Why? Mātrā-sparśāḥ: it is due to the touch of the skin. Because we have got this skin disease, "I am this body," therefore you are suffering, because you have become so nonsense rascal that "I am this body." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Tri-dhātuke: This is the bag of three elements: kapha, pitta, vāyu. Kapha, pitta, vāyu. According to Ayurvedic system, they are called tri-dhātu. So this body is made of material elements: kapha, pitta, vāyu. So,
- yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
- yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
- janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
So the more we are in bodily concept of life, the suffering is more. Nowadays new things have developed: nationalism, communism, communalism, so many things. Sufferings are more. We have seen in 1947 in Calcutta Hindu-Muslim riot—more suffering because one is thinking, "I am Hindu," one is thinking, "I am Muslim." But if one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then they will not suffer. They will not unnecessarily fight, "Because I am Hindi or because you are Muslim, therefore we have to fight." No. Because if both of them know that "I am not this body. Therefore I am neither Hindu nor Muslim.
So Kapiladeva is the propounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy. This is original Kapiladeva. Later on, there was another Kapiladeva, so he is called the atheist Kapila. And this Kapiladeva is known as Devahūti-putra, "the son of Devahūti" Kapila. So sāṅkhya-yoga, the later atheist Kapila's sāṅkhya-yoga, is different from this sāṅkhya-yoga. The atheist Kapila's sāṅkhya-yoga is analysis of the material elements. So this analysis of material elements by the atheist Kapila is very much liked by the Western philosophers. And the sāṅkhya-yoga explained, propounded, by Devahūti-putra Kapila is practically unknown.
There are eight kinds of material elements. Five are gross—we can see—and three are very subtle—we cannot see. And the soul is still more subtle.
- indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur
- indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ
- manasas tu parā buddhir
- yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ
- (BG 3.42)
We have got experience of this body. That is gross experience. Anyone can see. I see your body; you see my body. But you don't see me actually; I don't see you actually. We see or perceive your presence when the soul is off from the body. Then we cry, "Oh, my friend has gone away. My friend has gone away." Why your friend has gone away? He is lying here. Then we can perceive that "My real friend or my real father, the soul, who is different from this body..." And now, at the present moment, "He is my father, he is my friend, who is this body"—that is animal vision. That is not human being vision. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke...sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Animals also see, "Here is a friend dog. Here is my mother dog."
And one means you cannot enter into the spiritual planets. There are so many, not devotees but spiritualists; they want to become one. That oneness means that you remain outside the spiritual planet in the brahma-jyotir, in the rays. We are part and parcel of the rays. Just like I have given the example: the sun rays means combination of so many bright, minute, atomic particles. Similarly, we can remain as atomic soul outside. Just like this sunshine is outside the sphere of the sun globe. It is outside. It is not... Inside also, that is brightness, but the sunshine is outside the sun globe, and inside there is sun-god. That information we get from Bhagavad-gītā. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). The sun planet is also a planet like this, but it is fiery planet. And it is earthly planet. The sun planet is fire. But fire and earth is the same material element. Bhūmir āpaḥ analaḥ. Analaḥ. Analaḥ means fire. So either it is made of earth or it is made of fire or it is made of water or it is made of air or prominent, it is all material.
If you have got this real hand and there is shadow, if you move your hand, the shadow of the hand also moves. Similarly, this material nature is working in touch with the spirit soul. Just like big pilot is flying in the sky—we have got experience—but it is not independently flying. There is the pilot. He is pushing the button, and it is flying. A big car, big machine, big factory—without touch of spiritual touch, there is no question of moving. We have got this practical experience. Where is the evidence that, without the touch of spirit soul, that machine is moving? Is there any evidence? Then how you can say that without God, the whole universe is moving? There is no evidence. We have no such experience. Then how you can say that without the direction of God, the material nature can move? There is no such experience. And from the evidences of śāstra... Here it is said, "The wind is blowing, the water is moving, the sun is giving scorching heat, everything, all under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Not only that, direction, but it is said, bhayāt . Bhayāt . Bhayāt means if the respective directors or agent of different material elements, if they do not work properly, then he is punished as the master punishes the servant. Mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10).
So viśeṣavat. The word is used here, viśeṣavat. It appears like viśeṣa, variety, but actually it has no variety. It is the material element. In another place it is said, tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayo yatra tri-sargaḥ amṛṣā. Somebody says, amṛṣā. It is created. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said this creation is going on, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It is created at a certain time, and then again it is annihilated. And when annihilated, mixed together, that is avyaktam. And when they are again created into forms, that is called vyaktam. Just like you take a lump of gold and prepare many ornaments. You can make bangles, you can make necklace, earring, and so many things. And again melt it—it becomes lump of gold. So that is the distinction between vyaktam and avyaktam. When they are made into varieties, that is called vyaktam, and when it is again mixed together, then it is called avyaktam.
We have got this experience of this material world. This is not eternal. This is... Just we have got experience of this body. This body is created at a certain stage, and it will stay for some time, and it will transform into many other forms from this body, and then it will dwindle, and then it will vanish. Similarly, the whole material creation is like that. It is created by the interaction of the three modes of material nature. First of all it is a lump of matter, mahat-tattva. It is called mahat-tattva. That mahat-tattva is above this universe, above the sky. Above the sky there are seven layers. Each layer is ten times more than the other layer. In this way, that is called mahat-tattva. Total material elements, they are stocked there. And then these varieties take place. And above that mahat-tattva, there is spiritual world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20), another material nature. That is called Brahmaloka or Vaikuṇṭhaloka. There are also spiritual planets.
Nitāi: "The aggregate elements, namely the five gross elements, the five subtle elements, the four internal senses, the five senses for gathering knowledge, and the five outward organs of action, are known as the pradhāna."
Prabhupāda:
- pañcabhiḥ pañcabhir brahma
- caturbhir daśabhis tathā
- etac catur-viṁśatikaṁ
- gaṇaṁ prādhānikaṁ viduḥ
- (SB 3.26.11)
Pradhāna. Prakṛti, puruṣa, pradhāna. So pradhāna is the total material energy, which is called mahat-tattva. We have discussed this subject matter last night, mahat-tattva. So mahat-tattva is the original total energy for material creation. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, Mukunda, is sometime described as mahat-padam. Mahat-padam. Mahat-padam means "under whose lotus feet this whole total material energy is resting." Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Samāśritāḥ. Therefore we have to take shelter of the Supreme, under whose lotus feet this mahat-tattva is also resting. Mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Puṇya-yaśaḥ. If you glorify Kṛṣṇa, then we become pious. Therefore there are so many prayers to be offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, vandanam (SB 7.5.23). Vandanam means offering prayer. This is also bhakti-mārga.
So the total energy of material creation is called mahat-tattva or pradhāna. Then, when the mahat-tattva is agitated by the three guṇas, then they become divided into twenty-four elements, catur-viṁśatikaṁ gaṇam-originally one, but agitated by the guṇas. Because material existence means the three guṇas. When there is interaction of the three guṇas, then this one mahat-tattva becomes divided into twenty-four catur-viṁśati tattva. This is called Sāṅkhya philosophy, to analyze and to study the twenty-four elements which is controlling the activities of the whole material world. That is called catur-viṁśati tattva. What are they? Pañcabhiḥ . First the five elements, namely earth, water, fire, air, sky. This is pañcabhiḥ . Then next pañcabhiḥ , tan-mātra, means rūpa, rasa, gandha, śabda, sparśa. Form, rūpa. Rūpa means form; rasa means taste; śabda means sound; rūpa, rasa, śabda-sparśa means touch; and rūpa, rasa, śabda, sparśa, and...? Gandha.
So the sky is known by śabda, sound. This is tan-mātra. This is... By sound, you can understand there is sky. If you clap, there is sound (claps). You understand there is sky. Sky is understood by the śabda. Then air is understood by sparśa. Just like electric fan is running, but even if I do not see it is running, because the air is touching my body, I can understand the air is there. Sparśa. Rūpa, rasa, śabda. Śabda, sky, and rūpa, fire. From the fire, rūpa begins, form. Rasa. Rasa is in the taste in the water. And gandha is in the earth. So five gross elements and five subtle elements. The gross elements is understood by the subtle elements. Subtle means we cannot see it directly, but we can perceive it. So pañcabhiḥ pañcabhiḥ . And then daśabhiḥ , ten senses, knowledge-acquiring, cakṣuḥ, karṇa, nāsikā: eyes, ear and nose and tongue, hands, in this way. And karmabhiḥ . We work with hands, legs, genital. In this way, there are five working sense organs and five senses to gather knowledge. So five, five, and ten, twenty-four. And the subtle senses, mano buddhir ahaṅkāraś cittam-four.
So the living entities, being enamored or illusioned by the activities of this material nature, they are studying the material nature as Sāṅkhya philosopher, as scientist, as mathematician, as chemist, as physist. They are all studying only these twenty-four elements, not beyond that. Beyond that is the soul, and beyond that is the Supersoul. When one can understand not only to study the material composition of the body but the moving spirit of the body, that is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā lesson, beginning, that "Don't be simply misled by studying the material elements of the body, but within the body there is the living force, living entity." Just try to understand that. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). These twenty-four elements is changing the body from kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. Our body is being developed. It is not development; it is changing. But because the, from one body to another... In medical science they also admit change of, what is called, blood corpuscle. It is changing every moment. But how it is changing and coming into different body, that we cannot understand. But it is changing. Actually, it is changing from one body to another. That boy, the same boy, when he is grown up, he speaks differently than childish way because the body has changed. The body has changed. That is understood. But because we have no very nice brain, we cannot understand that the body is changing. We say, "It is growing." You can say it is growing, but growing is also changing. The original form is changed. That is called growing.
Prabhupāda: That's all. Catur-viṁśati tattva is finished.
Nitāi: (reading) "There are five gross elements, namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. There are also five subtle elements: smell, taste, color, touch and sound. The senses for acquiring knowledge and the organs for action number ten, namely the auditory sense, the sense of taste, the tactile sense, the sense of sight, the sense of smell, the active organ for speaking, the active organs for working, those for traveling, generating and evacuating. The internal, subtle senses are experienced as having four aspects, in the shape of the mind, intelligence, ego and contaminated consciousness. Distinctions between them can be made only by different functions, since they represent different characteristics."
Prabhupāda: So this is the analysis of the whole bodily construction. And beyond this bodily construction there is the soul. And when you study the characteristic of the soul, that is called spiritual knowledge. So long you are engaged with the characteristics of the bodily different elements, that is material study. So generally, people they are interested the medical science. Medical science is also interested with this body. The physical science... The physical science interest will be bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ, mahā-bhūtāni. And psychology, they are interested with the internal senses, mind: thinking, feeling, and willing.
So service we have to... That is our natural, natural instinct. We are giving service. But being contaminated, that consciousness, citta, being contaminated by these material elements, we are trying to give service in different way. Somebody is interested in giving service to the family, to the community, to the society, to the nation, to the humanity, to the more and more, but all these services, they are contaminated. But when you begin your service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is perfect service. That is perfect life. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to raise the human society to the perfect platform of rendering service.
So twenty-four elements we have discussed yesterday: the five gross elements, and the five sense objects, and five knowledge gathering senses, and five working senses—twenty—and four internal senses—twenty-four—and then again, all under the control of time, the fifth, or twenty-fifth. And above these there is the soul and Supersoul. That is spiritual. These are all material, analytical study of the material composition of this cosmic manifestation. This is called Sāṅkhya philosophy.
So here there is one word, brahmaṇaḥ saguṇasya. These twenty-four or twenty-five material elements is covering the Brahman, and therefore he is called saguṇa. There are two words generally used, saguṇa and nirguṇa. Saguṇa means material, and nirguṇa means spiritual. So in the Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna is advised to come to the platform of nirguṇa. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. That is the aim of life. We are also Brahman. We are part and parcel of Brahman, Supreme Brahman; therefore we are also Brahman. Brahman realization is not very difficult thing, provided we want to realize. And how we want? You take instruction from the Bhagavad-gītā, and if you accept it, then immediately your Brahman realization is there. Kṛṣṇa says that "These jīvas, they are My part and parcel." So if Kṛṣṇa is Brahman, Para-brahman, then we are Brahman. If we accept this... We have to accept because that is the constitutional position. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.
We require a leader. Any field of activities, we require a leader. Suppose for getting independence, we had to follow one leader, Mahatma Gandhi. Therefore for guidance we require a leader. And the supreme leader is Kṛṣṇa. So if we follow Kṛṣṇa, the supreme leader, then our life is successful. And if we do not follow... Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "You rascal, you fool, mūḍha, you just follow Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the whole story of spiritual life. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme leader. He is also a living being, He is also person like you and me, but He is ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. Therefore He is called Bhagavān. We cannot be called Bhagavān because our power is very limited, not pūrṇa. Therefore we become saguṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not become saguṇa. The Māyāvāda theory, that God, when He incarnates, He becomes saguṇa, that is wrong theory. Here it is said that brahmaṇaḥ saguṇasya ha. Saguṇasya brahmaṇaḥ, these twenty-five elements, they cover him, that means the living entity who has come in this material world. But Kapiladeva or Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, He is not saguṇa; He is always nirguṇa. Nirguṇa guṇa ca. In... The Bhagavān says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "Although He is nirguṇa, but He is the controller of the guṇas." Kṛṣṇa is not controlled. Mama māyā guṇamayī. Kṛṣṇa says, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). Mama māyā: "This māyā, this energy, is My energy." So energy is controlled by the energetic. Suppose if you have got some energy, you can control it. Suppose if you have got very good energy to kill anyone or to hurt one or to beat anyone, good strength, but that strength is not beyond you. The strength is under your control. When you like, you can use it; when you do not like, you cannot use it, you do not use it.
So Kṛṣṇa is always nirguṇa in any condition, any circumstances. But those who are mūḍhas, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). But because Kṛṣṇa incarnates or comes, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham, He comes, we think, because we are foolish person, mūḍha, we think that "Kṛṣṇa is also one of us." That is not the fact. Saguṇa Brahman, nirguṇa Brahman, we should distinguish, that Kṛṣṇa is always nirguṇa Brahman, but we are saguṇa Brahman. We are Brahman, but because we are not Para-brahman or Supreme Brahman, we are subjected, we are prone to be covered by these material qualities. Therefore our business is again to recover ourself from these twenty-five elements, material elements. And that is only possible, as it is prescribed by Kṛṣṇa, sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. What is that? Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). You just engage yourself in bhakti-yoga process, mām avyabhicāreṇa, without any mixture, without any deviation. And how it can be, deviation? Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), without any material desire, without any motive. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167), not mixed up with fruitive activities or speculative knowledge-pure, simple.
So saguṇa, saguṇa Brahman, brahmaṇaḥ saguṇasya, here it is said. Brahmaṇaḥ saguṇasya ha etāvān eva saṅkhyātaḥ. The living entity is entrapped. This body is the combination of these twenty-five elements. So that is for the living entity, saguṇa Brahman. Saguṇa Brahman means living entity. But it is not for Kṛṣṇa. And again, sanniveśo mayā proktaḥ. So mayā proktaḥ means Bhagavān is speaking. Bhagavān is not saguṇa. Here Kapiladeva says, mayā proktaḥ: "I have described it." He knows everything. Mayā proktaḥ. We have to take knowledge from Bhagavān, not from any saguṇa Brahman. We have to take knowledge from nirguṇa Brahman. Nirguṇa Brahman is Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, Kapiladeva. Mayā proktaḥ. Yaḥ kālaḥ pañca-viṁśakaḥ. And now He gives another element, kāla, because everything is going on under the influence of kāla. The past, present, and future, the kāla, is eternal. Time is eternal, but we are creating our past and present and future according to our existence. The past, present, future of an ant is not the past, present of an elephant. The past present of our is not the past present of Brahmā. It is relative. This kāla is working relatively. Therefore this is called relative world. So this prime factor of relativity is kāla. That is the twenty-fifth element. And beyond that, there is the soul, there is the Supersoul, and above everything, Puruṣottama, the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa.
So the time factor is the representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gītā, when Kṛṣṇa manifested His viśva-rūpa, Arjuna became very afraid of and inquired, "Who are You?" So at that time Kṛṣṇa said, "I am kāla. I have appeared to destroy." So kāla is representation, time. We have discussed twenty-five elements. The five mahā-bhūta and five sūkṣma-bhūta, ten senses, twenty-four internal senses, these twenty-four elements, and above that, the kāla, time factor. That's all. So kāla is destructive factor.
So ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhasya. We are now vimūḍha. Now when you say that "These mūḍhas," they become angry. But actually, this is the verdict of the śāstra. So long you are within the time factor, within the material nature, you are vimūḍha. We are all vimūḍha. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhasya. And the same thing is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). Nobody is kartā. Here the prakṛti is kartā. Just like when you are under the influence of some contaminated disease, at that time, that disease infection is kartā. You are not kartā. That is our practical experience. When you are in high fever, then your so-called mastership is gone. You are under the mastership of the feverish condition. Similarly, we spirit soul, although we are better in quality than the material element... That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtām: "The jīva, living entities, they are better quality than the material elements." But still, on account of his viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ, forgetting God—we are leading a different type of civilization or different type of life—therefore we have been subjected to the influence of time. This is Kṛṣṇa's, or God's, influence.
So these demigods or even we... We are also the same principle, the living entities. Brahmā is also in the category of living entities, and Lord Śiva is between the living entities and the Supreme Lord, in between. Therefore you cannot keep Lord Śiva as living entity category, neither Viṣṇu category. Via media. Kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vikāra-viśeṣa-yogāt (Bs. 5.45). The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not come directly in touch with this prakṛti, but the form by which He touches this prakṛti, that is Lord Śiva. Therefore Lord Śiva is not different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead; at the same time, he is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the conclusion. So that ceṣṭā... Ceṣṭā yataḥ sa bhagavān. Therefore Lord Śiva's another name is Kāla-bhairava. Kāla-bhairava. And he is the master of the annihilation. When this whole material creation will be required to be destroyed, it will be done by Lord Śiva. It is created by Lord Brahmā, it is maintained by Lord Viṣṇu, and when it will be destroyed, it will be done by Lord Śiva. Therefore there are three original demigods. So Kāla-bhairava, ceṣṭā yataḥ sa bhagavān kāla ity upalakṣitaḥ. So kāla, time factor, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is above these twenty-four ingredients of material elements. It is in between the spiritual element and the material element, via media, that kāla. This is the description of kāla.
So some way or other, we are fallen in this material condition of life, making a... Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). This manasaś cendriyāṇi, as it is stated here, manasaś ca indriyāṇāṁ ca bhūtānāṁ mahatām api. Mahā-bhūta, mahā-bhūta, these five elements, kṣitir āp tejo marud vyoma, and mind. So in this way we are entrapped, and there is struggle. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati, mamaivāṁśa: (BG 15.7) "They are My part and parcel. They can live as good as I am, but unfortunately, they are undergoing a struggle for existence on account of this polluted mind." What is that pollution? Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. He thinks that "What is the use of..." this is, what is called, "service mentality, slave mentality." They say, "This bhakti-mārga is slave mentality. Instead of becoming God, they want to become servant or slave of God. So this is slave mentality." No, this is not slave mentality. This is actual liberation, because our constitutional position is to remain. We are servant of Kṛṣṇa. But somehow or other, we revolted. Still we are revolting. Although Kṛṣṇa coming and canvassing, "Just surrender unto Me," but still we are revolting. This is our disease. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7).
So this first expansion is Balarāma. And from Balarāma, then catur-vyūha, Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha... Pradyumna, Aniruddha. So the Saṅkarṣaṇa feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the controller of bhūtendriya-manomayam. These five elements, bhūta, indriya, and the ten senses, and the mind. They are, similarly... Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha—they are different controlling Deities of the different functions of the mind, intelligence, ego. So saṅkarṣaṇākhyaṁ puruṣaṁ sahasra-śirasam anantam. Ananta. You will find the picture of Nārāyaṇa lying down on Ananta-śayana(?). That Ananta caturdaśī-vrata. As there is Nṛsiṁha caturdaśī... A Vaiṣṇava, they have got different functions of appearance and disappearance days of Vaiṣṇava and Viṣṇu. Āvirbhāva, tirobhāva. Just the rising sun and the setting sun. When the sun sets, it does not mean the sun is finished. Of course, some of the former theosophists and scientists, they used to think that this is..., at night the sun is dead. That is not fact. The sun is not visible to our limited eyes. Similarly, appearance and disappearance of incarnation of Godhead is like that. They are going on just like the, a horse is running in due course, but when it comes in front of your door or window, you can see. But that does not mean the running of horse is stopped when you cannot see. Similarly, these incarnation of Godhead, ananta, unlimited, they are from this sahasra-śirasam Ananta, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.
So in spite of such strict observance of rules and regulation and rising up to the Brahman effulgence, because they do not get ānanda... Ānanda is there with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇaloka. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). Kṛṣṇa is enjoying in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, expanding Himself in so many gopīs, so many cowherds boys, so many trees, plants, water, land—everything Kṛṣṇa's expands. Here also it is Kṛṣṇa's expansion, this material world. Bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ. That is bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. That is separated energy. Apareyam, this is inferior. Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. That information is there. There is another prakṛti, parā-prakṛti. And what is that parā-prakṛti? What is the sample? Jīva-bhūta, living entities. That prakṛti is living, and this prakṛti is dead. That is the difference. Anyone can understand. There also, the trees, they are living tree. Here also living tree, but covered by the material body, his life is not manifested. Just like why we cannot go to other planet? Because I am covered by these material elements. But when I am not covered by the material elements, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), then I can go everywhere automatically. Just like Nārada Muni goes everywhere. He has no impediment.
The beginning of the creation is the sound. The modern physicist, they also agree. Sound and light, according to their theory... But the sound is the origin of creation, mixed with these modes of ignorance. Everything here in the material world is spiritual reflection covered by the material elements. So when this sound is purified or you catch up the spiritual sound, then your spiritual life begins. As from the material sound this material creation has begun from first of all the sky, nabha, or ether; and from ether, air is created, wind; and from air, then fire is created, electricity... You see. From the sound, there is immediately electricity in the sky, the fire. Electricity means fire. So from sky, the sound is created. From the sound, air is created. By the friction of air, the electricity, or fire, is created. Then, within the fire, there is water. And after water, there is land. This is pañca-bhūta, five gross elements. It is coming from the subtle elements. From the subtle elements, the gross elements gradually develop.
So in the ether there is sound, śabdagam. And from the sound the instrument of hearing is created, śrotram. Similarly, our subtle senses-rūpa, rasa, śabda, sparśa, gandha... So śabda, sparśa..., then sparśa. Sparśa means touching. When there is air, there is touching. Touching sensation is created. And when there is fire, then form sensation is created. When there is water, then rasa, taste sensation, is created. And from rasa, water, when there is earth, then gandha, gandha sensation, or smell, is created. How scientifically it is described: rūpa, rasa, gandha, śabda, sparśa. They are the sense perception. The sense perception is created from the five elements: earth, water, air, fire, and ether. And above that, there is still finer materials: mind, intelligence, ego. And then, behind that, the soul is there. As the material creation, behind everything, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is there, bhagavat-coditāt... It is not automatically taking place. Vikurvāṇād bhagavad-vīrya-coditāt. Just like the sex. When the semina is discharged by the man, then there is pregnancy, not automatically. Similarly, here also, the same thing: bhagavad-vīrya-coditāt, in the tamo-guṇa. That means the origin of this creation is tamo-guṇa, tamas. The whole creation is tamas, ignorance. Every one of us in ignorance. We do not know. Therefore Vedas says, tamasi mā: "Don't stay in this tamasi." Jyotir gama. Jyoti is Brahman. "Try to come out there." And the whole Vedic knowledge is based on this principle, how to again give up this association of tāmasika-guṇa and come to the sattva-guṇa, and then surpass sattva-guṇa, come to the transcendental position of brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20). This is the position.
Because I am spirit soul, I have nothing to do with this material atmosphere. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ: "This spirit soul has nothing to do." But on account of his material association by different processes, we have grown this body, material body, and we are now... That is entangled. Just like a fish becomes entangled within the network, similarly, we are, we living entities, we are entangled with the network of this fabrication of this material elements. So very difficult position. Just like the fish caught up in the net of the fisherman, or māyā, similarly, we are now caught up within the network created by the material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarva... (BG 3.27). Because we associated the particular type of material modes of nature, then we are now entangled. Like the fish is entangled, similarly, we are also entangled. This material world is supposed to be like a big ocean, bhavārṇava. Arṇava means ocean, and bhava means the situation where repetition of birth and death takes place. This is called bhavārṇava. Anādi karama-phale, paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale. Anādi karma-phale: "Before creation I had my resultant action of my activities, and somehow or other, I am now fallen in this ocean of bhavārṇava, repetition of birth and death." So as the fish, being entangled, he struggles for existence, how to get out of the net... He's not peaceful. You will find. As soon as caught he's up in the net, "Fut! Fut! Fut! Fut! Fut!" He wants to get out. So that is our struggle for existence, how to get out. We do not know.
So one important thing, that "The statement in the Bhagavad-gītā that the mental situation at the time of death is the basis of the next birth is also corroborated in this verse." Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Generally, with our these material eyes, material senses, gross vision, we do not see how a person dying and he is being transformed to another body. The gross material scientists, scholars, because they cannot see with the eyes, they do not believe in, that there is soul and soul transmigrates from one body to another. Big, big scientists, big, big scholars, they do not believe. They think that life is nothing but a mixture of these material elements and at a time the vitality is finished; therefore everything is finished. But that is not the fact. The fact is the gross body is finished, but the subtle body—mind, intelligence, and ego—that remains with the soul. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The... Just like in dream we do not work with this gross body, but we work in dream with mind, intelligence and ego. We create another atmosphere, and in dream we see or we place ourself in a different atmosphere, although the gross body is resting on the bed. So this we experience every night, that because the gross body stops working, it does not mean the soul stops working. The soul works with his mind, intelligence and ego. So when this body becomes incapable of working further, then the mind, intelligence and ego carries me to another body, means another process of formation of the body into the womb of the mother, and when the body is formed and in working capacity, even as a child or baby, then the body comes out and the living entity's another chapter of life begins. This is the process of transmigration of the soul.
So people may be astonished, that "They are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Why they are discussing the action and reaction of fire?" Generally, they think Bhāgavata reading means rāsa-pañcādhyāya, bas, immediately jump over to the rāsa-līlā of Kṛṣṇa. Actually to know God means to know everything in detail. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. That is the Vedic injunction. If we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we must understand also how Kṛṣṇa's different energies are working. That is called tattvataḥ. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). The other day I was reading Gandhi's discourses on Bhagavad-gītā. He said that "I can imagine any way Kṛṣṇa. I do not accept the historical Kṛṣṇa." In this way, so many things. He was a big man. He can say like that. But we cannot imagine or manufacture Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. That is not Kṛṣṇa. God is never imagined or speculated or manufactured by my limited knowledge and limited senses. That is not Kṛṣṇa. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is everything. But if we want to know tattvataḥ Kṛṣṇa, in truth, how Kṛṣṇa has created the pañca-bhūta and how each bhūta or each material element is working, that is being discussed. This is perfect knowledge, tattvataḥ.
Rasa, taste, is one, but it becomes varieties by different combination of bhautikānām, material elements. This is chemistry. Chemistry means mixing of different chemicals and produce another element. Just like soap. Soap is mixture of fat and soda. So fat, oil, is something else, and soda is another thing, but if you carefully mix them together, it becomes soap. So the whole world is the mixture of these five elements: kṣitir āp... Fire, water... Tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ. The Sanskrit word is tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ. Mṛd means this earth, and tejas means fire, and vāri means water. You take earth mixed with water and put it into the fire; it becomes brick. Then you take another mixture; that becomes cement. And take the help of cement and take the help of brick; then construct a house.
So whole material world is nothing but tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ, exchange of, elementary, this earth, water, and fire. The same principle here also: taste. Just like we cook the same oil, ghee, and salt and turmeric, but we prepare different preparations, hundred, two hundred preparation, simply by the process of mixing earth. So that is going on. Now, by Kṛṣṇa's energy... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His energy is working in such subtle way, mysterious way. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is known as Yogeśvara. The same earth, same water, but the seed different. So one tree is coming to produce chili, another tree is coming out to produce tomato, another tree is coming out to produce mango. Different taste. Mango is sweet, tomato is sour, chili is pungent. But these things are required, varieties. Although the source is one. Source is one—the earth—but the earth contains all other five elements. Kṣitir āp tejo vāri mṛd vyoma. Everything is there in the earth. Everything is there, and by the expert handling of the prakṛti and behind the prakṛti, Kṛṣṇa, varieties of things are coming. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how things are coming by the handling, expert handling of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).
Kṛṣṇa has got many forms. Every form is Kṛṣṇa's form. That's a fact. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Some of the forms are personal, some of the forms are of His potencies, śakti, but all forms belong to Kṛṣṇa. So some of them are material forms, and whatever differentiation of forms we see in the material world, they are all Kṛṣṇa's form. But in the spiritual world there are also many forms—just like Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, then Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Nārāyaṇa, and the puruṣa-avatāra. There are many. And there are innumerable planets also. In each and every planet there is one form. And when incarnation comes, one of the forms from Vaikuṇṭha, They come as incarnation. So many forms are called svāṁśa. In the Varāha Purāṇa you will find the description of the forms: svāṁśa and vibhinnāṁśa. The forms exhibited in this material world as living being, they are vibhinnāṁśa. Bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. As there are separated energies, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), the five elements, material elements, mahā-bhūta, they are also forms of Kṛṣṇa. This big mountain, Himalayan mountain, that is also form of Kṛṣṇa. The big Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, that is also form of Kṛṣṇa. He says bhūmir āpaḥ. Āpaḥ. Āpaḥ means water. So not only water in this planet, but there are millions and trillions of Pacific Ocean bigger than that in other planets. So inconceivable. Therefore God is inconceivable, acintya. Acintya-guṇa. Acintya, inconceivable.
So in this life also, we can utilize these earthly things, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). We can utilize all these material elements in the service of the Lord. So with the earth, we can prepare the forms of the Lord, we can prepare the temple of the Lord, so many things. That is required. That is sāttvika. It is called here bhāvanaṁ brahmaṇaḥ sthānaṁ dhāraṇaṁ sad-viśeṣaṇam. Sad-viśeṣaṇam. Sad-viśeṣa and asad-viśeṣa. This is asad-viśeṣa. This is to be understood. Asato mā sad gama. That is the Vedic injunction. Asad-viśeṣa... Just like we have got this city, the roads, the cars, the buildings, and so many other things, transformation of the same earth, but they are asad-viśeṣa. They will not stay. Here anything—the house, the car, the road, the city, the body, the society, the friendship, the nation—they are all asat. But the same thing can be done, sad-viśeṣa. Sad-viśeṣa. This temple is sad-viśeṣa. The Deity is sad-viśeṣa. Worshiping the Deity is sad-viśeṣa. So we can utilize. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate.
Dhīra, one who is cool-headed. Not a passionate(?), crazy fellow, but cool-headed. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. He can understand that as one passes through different bodies, baby's to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, then old age, similarly, this body, when it will be no more existing, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), the body may be destroyed, but the soul will continue to exist. This is the Vedic principle of knowledge. This is called spiritual knowledge. Spiritual knowledge does not mean anything else. To understand the spiritual, constitutional position of the living entity, that is called spiritual. And at the present moment, by constitution, my position is that I never die or I never take birth. But because I have accepted this material body, therefore I have to change. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Just like we change our garments. I am putting on this garment. When it is old or not usable, I give it up. I accept another coat or shirt. Similarly, we have got coat and shirt over our position as soul. The shirt is the subtle body: mind, intelligence, and ego. And the gross coat is made of five elements: earth, water, fire, air, sky. In these two coverings, I, the soul, I am existing.
So unless one comes to that platform, that "I am beyond this blood, flesh, bone, urine, stool..." Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parāḥ. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "These material elements—earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence, ego—these are eight separated energy of the Supreme Lord." And the Lord says, apareyam: "These elements are inferior energy." Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parāḥ: "Beyond this, you try to understand, there is another nature, prakṛti." What is that another nature? Jīva-bhūto mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat: (BG 7.5) "That is jīva-bhūtaḥ." So mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "These living entities," Kṛṣṇa said, "they are My part and parcel." So we are now covered with these material energies although I am spiritual energy. This is our position. So this human form of life is a chance to understand that "I am not this body; I am spiritual energy," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This chance is given to the human form of life, not to the cats and dogs.
Similarly, our, this present position, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). We are constantly, repeatedly changing body, transmigration of the soul. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). That means we are accepting death. Death means change of the, final change of the body. When this body is no more useful to continue, then by nature another body is offered. At the time of death, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6)—we create a mental situation. We have got two kinds of bodies—subtle body and gross body. This gross body is made of five gross material elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether. And the subtle body is made of mind, intelligence and ego. When we sleep, the gross body does not work but the subtle body works. We dream therefore. So the... At the time of death this gross body is finished, but the subtle body—mind, intelligence and ego—will carry me to another gross body. It will enter into the womb of another mother, and she will create another similar body like the mother, and when it is complete, then it will come out.
But on account of being covered by these material elements—earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, and ego—we are suffering this disease—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Janma means birth, and mṛtyu means death. As soon as we take birth, it means we must be prepared for death. I am increasing my age means decreasing my age, not increasing. When a child is born, if some friends asks, "When this child is born?" "Now, one week before," that means the child has already died one week. From his duration of life, make one week minus. So we are dying every moment. Mṛtyu, death, is sure. "As sure as death." So... But we are not meant for death, neither we are meant for birth. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na jāyate na mriyate vā: "The spirit soul is never born, neither he dies." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The spirit soul, nitya, eternal, śāśvata, inexhaustible... Na hanyate, clearly says, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So this death is artificial. Therefore we do not like to die. We do not like to be unhappy. We do not like to be without any knowledge. This is our nature. But because this nature is hampered on material condition, therefore the business of the human being is to cure this disease—birth, death, old age and disease. This is the mission of life, not to waste time, not to waste our life, duration of life, just simply jumping like dog and hog. That is not human life. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1).
So there are living entities. The sun-god is the living entity. The difference is that the living entities there, the body is made of fire. As our body is made of earth, dirt, their body is made of fire. Therefore they are so glowing, everything. It is a fiery planet, airy planet, watery planet, earthly planet—five elements. So if we cannot imagine that "Because we have got earthly body, there cannot be fiery body." That is our lack of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge. In God's creation there are varieties. So just like we can see in the water there are living entities. Their body is made of different..., not different, but different proportion of the material elements so they can remain within the water. Similarly, different proportion in every planet... In the śāstra we see. It is not that, that all the planets are vacant only. This is not very good idea. Everywhere there are living entities. So all these living entities throughout the whole universe, they are possessing body of the material elements. But God has no such body. His body is different, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So that sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, spiritual body, can be expanded, reduced. Aṇor aṇīyāh mahato mahīyān. He can expand this body, spiritual body, bigger than the biggest, and He can reduce the body smaller than the smallest. That is God's body. You cannot do that. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-caya... God is within the atom. How He is within the atom? Then anor anīyāh. He can become smaller than the smallest. He can become the bigger than the biggest. So Arjuna, when he saw the viśvarūpa, He showed him the bigger-than-the-biggest form. But His usual form is two-handed and two leg. Just like it is said in the Bible, "Man is made after the image of God." So God has got two hands, two legs exactly. But He is the omnipotent, almighty. Our power is limited, His power is unlimited. Otherwise He has got form.
So take advantage of this knowledge, understand the philosophy of life, that "I am eternal." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "I do not die after the annihilation of this body. I accept another body." We have got two bodies: this gross body and one subtle body. Just like you have got your coat, and within the coat there is shirt, similarly, within this gross body, there is another subtle body. This gross body is made of the material elements, earth, water, air, fire, ether, these five elements. Pañca. Pañca means five. Your body and my body, it is simply combination of these five material elements. This is the covering, coat. And within this, there is another body. What is that? Mind, intelligence, and ego. So everyone knows that you have got mind, I have got mind. Everyone knows that you have got intelligence, I have got intelligence. And everyone is puffed up with some identification, "I am this, I am that." These three conception, this is called subtle. Subtle body. So we simply see the gross body, but we do not see the subtle body. When death take place—that means this gross body is finished—then the subtle body is there. And the subtle body carries the soul to another gross body. That we cannot see. Therefore we do not understand how this spirit soul is migrating, transmigrating from one body to another. We do not see. Therefore our seeing should be through knowledge, paśyati jñāna-cakṣuṣā, not this gross seeing. Gross seeing is imperfect. It has no value. We know. We should inquire that "This gross body is finished. Now what about the subtle body?"
We are bringing stones and irons on head and putting together, and it is progress. We are very happy." (laughter) This is going on. This is called varāta māninaḥ(?). They are enamored by the external energy of the Personality of Godhead. These material things are products of the external energy of the Lord. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Bhūmi, the earth, the iron, stone, wood, they are nothing but transformations of earth. Similarly, apo, water. So whatever we are manufacturing here, they are simply combination of earth, water, air, fire, that's all. Nothing but. Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayam. Exchange of teja, fire. Teja means fire, vāri means water, and mṛd means earth. Just like the bricks. What is this brick? You take earth, you take earth and mix it with water and put it in the fire, it becomes brick. So whole thing, either earth, stone or iron, anything, they are simply mixture of these five elements. So I am spirit soul. I have been engaged in mixing these five things and big, big lumps and gathering them just like children play in the sea beach, gathering so much sand and making like this, big house, and then it is fallen down. So we are engaged in these material activities, but we forget at the same time that there is ready, atom bomb. As soon as there will be declared war, these things will be finished, immediately. These people are not declaring war. America is not declaring war against Asia, Russia or China. They are thinking because they know they have got the deadly weapons, atom, and that is the now diplomacy. When there will be war, the first dropping of atom bomb will be victorious. Aah, victorious.
So that history is recorded in the Vedic literature. There are different varieties of planets, there are different standard of comfort, different standard... It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā that yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). The brahma-jyotir, the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa's body... Just like effulgence of the sun-god's body is the sunshine. We can very easily understand. This is a material thing. There is sun-god. The sun-god, his name is Vivasvān. Everything is there. Imaṁ vivasvān, imaṁ vivasvān yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam. Kṛṣṇa says that "I spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to Vivasvān." Vivasvān is the name of the person who is predominating in the sun globe. So we have to know from Kṛṣṇa that sun globe is not vacant. When the king is there, the other things are also; the kingdom is also there. That is a planet with fire, just like this planet is earth predominant, and that planet is fire predominant. And there are five elements: earth, water, fire... Somewhere the water predominates, somewhere the fire predominates, somewhere... We can experience. Just like on the sea, beach we go. We are standing where the earth is predominant, but just a few yards after, the water is predominant. But on the earth there are so many living entities—birds, beasts, human being—why not in the water? Where is the wrong there? It is also one of the five elements. You cannot live in the water; that does not mean others cannot live. This is common sense. They have got different body. They can live. The fish, you take out of the water—it will die. And if you are put into the water, so long you can swim... Otherwise you'll die.
Therefore in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). On the effulgence, shining of Kṛṣṇa's body, there are innumerable universes. Jagad-aṇḍa. Jagad-aṇḍa, this aṇḍa. You were talking of that egg. Aṇḍa means egg, egglike. Jagad-aṇḍa. Yasya prabhā jagad-aṇḍa koṭi, and koṭiṣu vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). In each universe there are millions and trillions of planets, each one different from the other. Vibhūti-bhinnam. Bhinnam means separate. As here earth is prominent, somewhere the fire is prominent, somewhere the air is prominent, but the whole thing is made of these five elements—earth, water, air, fire—that's all. So why should you deny that "Fire—no living entities"? You cannot live in the fire; you cannot live in the water. Does it mean others cannot? This is foolishness. This is foolish. And Kṛṣṇa says that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "I spoke this philosophy, Bhagavad-gītā, to sun-god." His name is also given, Vivasvān. So Vaivasvata Manu. So either Kṛṣṇa is talking lies... How Kṛṣṇa spoke unless he's a person, living there? Everything is there. We cannot conjecture from here that "Because I cannot live in such atmosphere, therefore others cannot live." No. There are different varieties of living entities, 8,400,000 varieties. How many you have seen? Therefore you have to take knowledge from the perfect source.
Now make your choice. There are different planets. These rascals say that only living entities are in this planet, and all planets are vacant. Just see their scientific knowledge. What the other planets have done? It is made of the same ingredient, five elements, earth, water, air, fire, and we find innumerable living entities within this planet, and why other planets made of the same ingredient and there is vacant? Why? This is not scientific knowledge. The other planets are also filled up with living entities. Even in the sun planet. We cannot think... The sun planet is made of fire. How living entities can live there? Yes. Why not? You have to little consider about your rascal senses. What is the fault in the sun planet that there shall be no life? The five elements means earth, water, fire, air, ether. So fire is as good as the earth, one of the elements. Earth, water, fire, air, ether or sky. So we are experiencing that on earth, on the land, there are so many lives. And in the water there are so many lives. In the air there are so many lives. And why not in the fire? What is the reason? You have got some concocted ideas that in fire, nobody can live there. But Bhagavad-gītā says, "No, you can live there." There is a verse—I now forget—that "Fire cannot burn it." Can anyone recite that verse?
So actually we are claiming that "This is mine," but you have no right to claim it. You're dependent. Suppose if you live in a rented apartment, you cannot claim that this is your apartment. It belongs to the landlord. You're allowed to stay here under certain conditions. You're not proprietor. Similarly, this body is Kṛṣṇa's. What is this body? Bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir.... (BG 7.4). It is constituted of these things: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego. And Kṛṣṇa says, bhinna me prakṛti aṣṭadhā: "These are Mine, My things." You cannot create water. You cannot create earth. You cannot create fire. You cannot create ether. Nothing. So this body is pañcabhūta, five elements. So you have not created. Kṛṣṇa has created. So how it is your body? It is Kṛṣṇa's body. He has given you the concession that you can live. "You can live peacefully. You can enjoy the products which are given to you. I have given you food grains. I have given you fruits, flowers. Or, even if you want to eat meat, that also I have given you." You cannot produce an animal. So everything you are eating, given by God. Your body is given by God. Your mind is given by God. And you, you also the soul, you're also part and parcel of God. So what is your independent existence? There is no independent existence. This is knowledge. Not only that. Because you have forgotten that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, He is also sitting within you. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna... (BG 18.61). Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣ... Again He says hrdi, "in the heart." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭa, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Everything is there. The Lord and the living entity, both are within his heart.
Yes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Jagad-aṇḍa. Jagad-aṇḍa means this universe, aṇḍa, round sphere(?). Koṭi. Koṭi means innumerable. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). And in each of them there are innumerable planets, and each planet, the atmosphere is different from one another. Vibhūti-bhinnam. Just like sun planet. It is a different thing from this planet, but... And the moon planet is a different thing from this planet. And the scientists, they are thinking that the sun planet being fiery, there cannot be any living entity. No. There are. There are living entities. Their bodies are also fiery. Fire is also one of the elements. Here we have body with material elements. Major portion is earth, and there major portion is fire. So somewhere major portion is water. So therefore there are vibhūti-bhinnam, different atmosphere. That is God's creation.
So immediately things are recorded and, at the time of death, just as in the previous verse, we studied, vikarṣato 'ntar hṛdayād. Antar hṛdayād, in the core of the heart the individual soul and the Supersoul is there, and Yamarāja will take, his order carriers will take the, not the heart, but the soul. The heart of the body, that is made of this material element, that will lie down here. But the soul may be taken by arrangement. This is very, very subtle arrangement, and these rascals, they do not know how things are going on. They are imagining, "I think it is like this and that." There is no value of this "I believe," "I think," "I conjecture." You can do that, but things are going on. The government is very, very strong. Little deviation from the law, you'll be punished. Little deviation. Nature's law, they are so systematically set up that automatically... Just like the same example I've given: you'll infect some disease, automatically you'll have to suffer from the disease. Not that somebody's come to ask you that "You have infected this disease. Now you have to suffer from this." No. The machine is so perfect that as you have infected this disease... This is practically we know.
So because we cannot live in the fire, it does not mean that there is no such living entity whose body is made of fire. Because I cannot live in the water, don't think there is no living entity. Huge, big, big living entities are there within the water. Why should you think there is no living entity? Similarly, the watery living entities, they may think there is nobody in the land, because they cannot live in the land. This is God's creation. Vicitra. Vicitra means varieties, varieties. There are living entities on the earth. Within the earth you will see. When you go to the beach, there are so many living entities within the earth. Or here, within the wall, there are so many living entities. Sarva-gaḥ. Everywhere there are living entities. There is living entities in the water, there is living entities on the land, there is living entities on the air, and why not in the fire? Fire is also one of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and sky. So if there are living entities in the water, on the earth, in the air, in the sky, so what is the objection, not in the fire? This is foolishness. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "I spoke this philosophy formerly to the sun-god." So unless there is sun-god or the king of the sun planet... So if the king is there, the citizens must be there, the kingdom must be there—but they are made of fire. So similarly, in the Vaikuṇṭha world, everything is spiritual. That we have to learn. We cannot make our own conclusion foolishly. That is not possible.
So here the Yamadūtas says that dharma means what is spoken or directed in the Vedas. And what is Veda? Veda nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt. Veda means God Himself. Just like... We can understand very easily. Just like the king and the king's law. What king has said, that this should be done like this, keep to the right, king or government, whatever it may be, authority... So that is Veda. What is... Just like the law means what the government says. You cannot manufacture law. Similarly, veda nārāyaṇaḥ sākṣāt. What Nārāyaṇa says, that is Veda. There is no other authority. And one who follows the Nārāyaṇa, he is also authority. Śaṅkarācārya says, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa is transcendental. He's not anybody of this material world. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Avyaktāt anasambhavaḥ. Avyakta. The cosmic manifestation, this is called vyakta, and when it is not manifested, it is called avyakta. Just like a house is manifestation of the five elements: earth, water, air, fire. So earth, water is there already, but that is not manifested as the house. But the same combination, it becomes a house, big skyscraper building. This is difference between vyakta and avyakta. Avyakta means the whole material energy, when it is not manifested, that is called avyakta; and when it is manifested it is called vyakta. Nārāyaṇa paro 'vyaktāt. That means Nārāyaṇa is not of this material world. God is nothing of this material world. He's transcendental. Para, nārāyaṇa paro 'vyaktāt. Para means superior, transcendental.
So trai-vidhyam, three kinds. Three kinds. Here also, in this world, we see varieties of men, varieties of animals, varieties of trees, varieties of insects-many varieties. It is already informed that altogether, within this universe, there are 8,400,000 varieties of life. Life is one. The varieties means body. Just like we are sitting. Every one of us has got a particular type of body. You will never find that this man or this boy or this girl exactly of the same bodily feature. Varieties. So altogether there are classes, or species, 8,400,000. So those who are experienced, thoughtful men, by reading scripture... Just like Kṛṣṇa says that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān. He said to the sun-god or the president of the sun planet, Vivasvān. So that means that is also a similar place like this. You cannot say there is no living entity. Anumīyate. That is intelligence. Because this planet is also one of the material things, everything is made here, earth, water, air, fire. So somewhere some element is very prominent. Here in this planet the earth is prominent. In the sun planet the fire is prominent. But that does not mean there is no living entity. This is foolishness. Anumīyate. This is intelligence, that everything within this universe, this material universe, everything is made of these five elements: earth, water, fire, air, sky. We see here practically that the aquatics, they have got a different type of body, and they are very peacefully living in the water. And if you are thrown in the water, you will die. And the fish is taken from the water; he will die. So land, water, fire—the particular type of body.
This is the analytical study of our material position. Very clear analysis. We, pañcabhiḥ, with five working senses, voice, vāk, pāṇi, pāyu, udāra, upastha... Voice, arms, legs, anus, and genital. There are twenty-four, the total material constituent parts are twenty-five, sometimes twenty-six they say. These seventeen and the five elements gross and three subtle elements, in this way, altogether twenty-five including the soul. The soul is pure spirit, and other twenty-four elements, they are different varieties of material covering. In this way we are entangled and we are desiring and nature is giving us facility to enjoy our desires. This is the material world.
So these are our knowledge-gathering senses, and there are working senses, just like hand, leg, the stomach, the rectum, the genital. These are working senses. In this way, ten senses and five sense objects. We have got eyes, so there must be object of seeing. Pañca-tanmātrā, rūpa, rasa. With eyes we can see the form. With tongue we can taste. Rūpa, rasa, śabda. With the ear we can hear the sound. In this way, five sense objects of three, five, means fifteen, and the mind. The mind is the center of directing the senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ. The senses are there, sense objects are there, but without mind it cannot work. Therefore the mind is the sixteenth item. And everything is being used by whom? By the soul. Therefore seventeenth. And in this gross body there are five elements and three subtle elements. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). In this way there are twenty-four elements which is covering the twenty-fifth, living entity, and he is packed up in this way.
Then tad etat ṣoḍaśa-kalam liṅgam. Liṅgam means the form. Liṅgaṁ śakti-trayaṁ mahat. Just like we have got this microphone, so the machine is made of these elements. That is analyzed. Then how it is working? Śakti-traya. The sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, mahat-tattva, the material elements... In this way the living entity is under the full control of material nature. And everything is coming out swiftly by our desire. These desires are also being generated from the soul, but by the infection of three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So just try to understand how the nature's law is working very finely and immediately. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). And above all these things, the nature's working, there is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). The prakṛti, nature... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is being done. Just like the big airship is floating in the sky, but the pilot is pushing the button, similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation is working, but the button-pusher is Kṛṣṇa. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate. His knowledge is so perfect, and He has made this machine so perfect. A man can make so nice perfect machine, so what to speak about God? So mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).
So if he is all-pervading and if he is unburnable, then how it is possible that in the fire he does not exist? It cannot be burned, and it is everywhere. Sarva-ga. And we find also when we go on the sea beach—within the sand there is life. Now it is up to you to accept the authority of Bhagavad-gītā or authority of the Americans. That is your... We follow the authorities of Bhagavad-gītā. Adāhyo 'yam: "It cannot be burned." And from reason also, there is... In the water there are living entities; in the air there are living entities; in the earth there are living entities. So the material elements are five: earth, water, fire, air and sky. So if everywhere there is living entities, fire is also one of the material elements. Why not in the fire? What is the reason? And Bhagavad-gītā says, adāhyo 'yam: "It is never burned." So why do you think like that, that in the fire there is no living entity? Therefore they have been described as blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are blind, and they are leading other blind men. But they do not know what is the laws of nature, how things are going.
Yes. Actually, there is nothing as materialism. Materialism means forgetfulness of God, that's all. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, aparā, prakṛtir me bhinnā aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Materialism means that you are dealing with earth, water, fire, air, or the ether, or mind, intelligence, so far. These are the subject matters of studying materialism. But God says: "They are My separated energies." These matters, you have not produced this earth, water, air, fire. That's a fact. That is produced by the energy of God. So while dealing with material things, if you remember that this material thing is produced by God then you are perfect. And if you theorize that it has dropped from the sky, then you are materialistic. That is the difference between materialist and spiritualist. A spiritualist knows that wherefrom this earth has come, wherefrom the water has come, wherefrom this fire has come. Then he is spiritualist, God conscious. And one does not know, he's ignorant. Actually, that is the fact. But one who is ignorant of the fact, he's materialist. And one who knows the source of this material elements, he is spiritualist. That is the difference. Therefore the conclusion is one who does not know God, he is materialist and one knows God, he is spiritualist.
Aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ, eight material elements, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā-bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4)—earth, water, fire, air, sky, and the mind, ahaṅkāra, mind, egotism and khaṁ mano buddhi, and intelligence. These are gross and subtle material elements. Aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ proktās traya eva hi tad-guṇāḥ, and these material elements are moving by the interaction of the three material qualities—sattva-guṇa, raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. One who is situated in the sattva-guṇa, he is also existing on these eight material elements. And one who is existing in the modes of passion, he is also existing on the... Brāhmaṇa's body, take for example. Brāhmaṇa is in the sattva-guṇa, and kṣatriya is in the raja-guṇa. Vaiśya is mixed up and śūdra is the tamo-guṇa. So existing means the consciousness according to the contamination of different condition of the guṇas... This condition is the guṇas. Sattva-guṇa, one who is in sattva-guṇa, his consciousness is different from the consciousness of the raja-guṇa. One whose consciousness is raja-guṇa, his consciousness is different from the tamo-guṇa. In this way you will find different types of consciousness. In pure there are three. If they're mixed up-three into three, it becomes nine. Again mixed up-nine into nine, it becomes eighty-one. Again mixed up-eighty-one... In this way you will find varieties of life. But they're based on the three types of consciousness—sattva-guṇa consciousness, raja-guṇa consciousness, tamo-guṇa consciousness.
So we have discussed this aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ..., eight different, differential elements, material elements. What is that? Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. And these eight elements are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as separated energy. Separated energy you'll understand: just like I am speaking, and my speech is being recorded in the tape recorder. So even I am not here, if you apply the machine, it will exactly speak like me. That is my energy, but now it is separated. It cannot be changed. Suppose I am personally sitting here. If I want to speak something and I can change into another, but that machine cannot change. It will simply produce the sound, what is recorded there. Therefore it is separated energy. Similarly, these eight elements, they are called separated energy. God, from God's inconceivable potencies, this energy has come out, this material energy. And it is acting mechanically, just like the same way, tape recorder. Nobody has got power to change it, but it is working. It is working. And it is working so nicely because it is emanated from the Absolute Truth.
So this analytical study is called sāṅkhya philosophy. Sāṅkhya philosophy, you have heard the name. They very nicely analyze these material elements, and this sāṅkhya philosophy of India is very much appreciated by European philosophers because they are more or less materialists. But the sāṅkhya philosophy, sāṅkhya kara (?), has become very popular in European circle. So vikārāḥ ṣoḍaśācāryaiḥ pumān ekaḥ samanvayāt. Now, within this, these sixteen interactional presentation and eight differentiated energies, it makes twenty-four. Within these twenty-four interactions of this material energy, I am sitting. I am soul, spirit soul. Dehas tu sarva-saṅghāto jagat tasthur iti dvidhā (SB 7.6.23). Now, these twenty-four, I mean to say, manifestation, is called this body. And that body are also two kinds. What are? That some bodies are moving, and some bodies are stationary. Just like trees, plants, they are also living entities. They are also living entities, and we, human beings, or animals... There are divisions. Several times we have discussed. There are 8,400,000 of species of life. Out of these, trees and plants they are two millions. And the aquatics, there are 900,000's. Similarly, the bacteria, worms and reptiles, they are sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṇkhayakāḥ, eleven..., 1,100,000's. There are analytical study in the Vedic knowledge. They are experimented, and if you like, can experiment yourself also.
The Māyāvādī, they say God has no eyes, but here it is said vilokya. How you can say without eyes? He can see, but His seeing is different, paśyaty acakṣuḥ. He has no eyes like us. What is our, what is the value of our eyes? As soon as there is no light, you cannot see. But Kṛṣṇa can see always, either there is light or not. That is the difference. Therefore when in the Vedas it is said that He has no eyes, means He has no this material eyes which is limited. So here it is said vilokya. Just like we are offering obeisances, the children are offering obeisances to the Lord. Don't think that here is Deity made of metal, how he can see? No. This is rascaldom. He can see. That is His eyes. Either you present Him in material element, or in any way, He can see in all circumstances. Therefore it is called... Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said tad aham aśnāmi, I eat. What it that? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi (BG 9.26). I eat. The rascals they cannot see how Kṛṣṇa is eating what is offered to Him, but He says "Yes, I eat." So what is that eating? But you have, you have got so imperfect eyes, you cannot see how the Lord is eating, but He is eating. These things are clearly, here it is specifically mentioned, vilokya devaḥ kṛpayā pariplutaḥ, ecstatic, "Oh, how he is nice this boy."
So Kṛṣṇa gives information in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam: "These elements, even up to mind, intelligence, ego, bhinnā, they are My separated energy, separated energy. And," apareyam, "this is inferior. And there is another, superior nature." Apareyam itas tv viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Parā means superior. Now, they may be asking, "What is that? We know these elements only. What is that another superior energy?" Jīva bhūtaḥ mahā-bāho, clearly said: "That is living..." And they are thinking that there is no other superior energy except these eight material elements or five elements. Therefore they are in ignorance. It is for the first time they are getting some knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and from that they can know that there is another, superior energy who is jīva-bhūtaḥ. The living entity which is moving the body, that is superior energy. So they have no information, neither there is an attempt to understand that superior energy in their universities or institution. Therefore they are mūḍha, mūḍhas. They may be very much puffed up of their so-called knowledge, but according to Vedic knowledge they are mūḍhas. And if one cannot understand the superior energy, prakṛti, nature, then how one can understand God? That is not possible. Then again, dealings between God and the superior energy, that is bhakti. It is very difficult. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). That siddhaye means to understand that superior energy. That is siddhi. And after that, one can understand Kṛṣṇa.
So these things cannot be understood by ordinary brain. It requires a different brain. That brain is created by devotional service, these finer tissues. Just like those who are dull materialists, their brain is congested with so much rubbish thing, they cannot understand that it is through the bodily effulgence of the Lord the potential manifestation is this cosmic manifestation. They will think that like Dr. Frog, "If it is created by God, where He got so much ingredient, so much instrument, that He created?" Yes. But God's creation is not like that. Automatically, the effulgence is coming. Just like the sun, from the sun disc, automatically the heat is profusely distributed and everything is taking place out of His own... The sun-god, or the sun, or the predominating deity in the sun planet, he does not come out to manufacture another planet. He is there. You can understand from this material example how things are being created through the sunlight, how the planets are growing due to sunlight. If there is no sunlight, we'll see all plants will die. That is our experience. And because the sunlight is there, the plant is growing, they are becoming green, they are becoming red, they are becoming flavored. So all interaction of these five elements, water, earth, fire, heat and ether... So wherefrom the sunlight comes? From the sun. Wherefrom the sun comes? From the brahma-jyotir. Wherefrom the brahma-jyotir comes? It is from Kṛṣṇa.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "All these qualifications are not good assessment for approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead." He is nullifying. Do not think that because you have got good education or scientific knowledge, then you can understand what is God. That is not possible. Just like the other day we were, I was reading one magazine. In the Bible it is said that God said "Let there be creation," and there was creation. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā also, we understand that Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca: (BG 7.4) "These eight gross and subtle material elements, they are My differentiated energy." So these statements of Bible or Bhagavad-gītā... We can understand that God created this cosmic manifestation. But in the paper we read the other day that the scientific men believe that there was a chunk in the beginning, and all of a sudden it burst out and the planets came out. (break) So anyone can understand that God is all-powerful. He can create. But the scientist says that "There was a chunk, and creation took place from the chunk." Just see. When you say that God created, one can understand that God is... If a man can create such nice things, skyscraper buildings, very complicated bridge, engineering work, so God is great, He may have greater brain, so He has created this cosmic manifestation. There is a, I mean to say, standard to believe. But how the scientists believe that there was a chunk? And what is the explanation? I cannot understand. From the chunk everything come out. And who made the chunk? The next question should be that "Wherefrom this chunk came?" There is no answer. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says that all these material qualification cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Nanda-kiśora: Swamijī, what is... The material elements are described, the mind, intelligence, and false ego. What's the, what is that mind, you know, that material mind? In other words, there's a spiritual mind and a material mind?
Prabhupāda: What is the difference of your material life and spiritual life?
Nanda-kiśora: One is for Kṛṣṇa, and one is for...
Prabhupāda: That is the difference between material mind and spiritual mind. Because you are thinking that you are this body, this is material conception. Therefore everything is material—mind, intelligence, and identification, everything material. Similarly, if you think, that thinking means mind, that you are Kṛṣṇa's, then everything is spiritual. That we have to practice. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to keep ourselves always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Īhā yasya harer dāsye. And what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to... Īhā. Īhā means desire. Desire is a function of mind. So īhā means desire. So what is that desire? Īhā yasya harer dāsye. Anyone whose desire is to engage himself in the service of Kṛṣṇa.
The real basic principle of our materialistic life is dveṣa. Dveṣa means when we become envious of Kṛṣṇa, that "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be the supreme enjoyer?" In this world, in practical experience, we have seen that many people say that "Kṛṣṇa enjoyed rasa-līlā. Why we shall not?" So this is, imitation rasa-līlā is going on in this material world, but they cannot be satisfied because it is imitation. Just like if a female takes the part of a male and wants to imitate the enjoyment, it is simply false. Similarly, we are constitutionally female, enjoyed, prakṛti. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). Prakṛti means female, enjoyed. So jīva is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti. The first prakṛti is the material elements, eight.
- bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ
- khaṁ buddhir mano eva ca
- aparā...
- prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā
- (BG 7.4)
These are separated energy. But apareyam, they are inferior. Apareyam itas tv anyā parā. Besides this material nature, this dull matter, there is another nature: prakṛti, parā prakṛti, the jīva. So the real life is to be enjoyed by the Lord. Enjoyed. That means real life is to become eternal servitor. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is his constitutional position. But by imitation he wants to become the master. And when, iccha, when he develops that desire and envies the Lord, that "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be enjoyer? I shall be enjoyer also," this is icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). Sarge means in this creation.
In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is mentioned, prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. This material nature is separated energy, divided into eight elements: earth, water, air, and fire, then ether, mind, intelligence and ego. These are all prakṛti, material. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā. Bhinnā means separated. There is not direct connection, but another prakṛti, that is... Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā (BG 7.5). This is inferior energy, material elements, and there is superior element, prakṛti. That is also prakṛti. We are prakṛti. Prakṛti means under the control of the puruṣa. That is natural. We cannot conceive equal rights of puruṣa and prakṛti. That is not Vedic conception. Vedic conception is puruṣa, the superior, Supreme, and prakṛti means subordinate. Puruṣa is predominator, and prakṛti is predominated. So we living entities, we are prakṛti. Falsely if we try to become puruṣa, that is māyā. We should remain prakṛti, subservient, predominated. That is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Because generally the people are misled, thinking himself as puruṣa, "I am the enjoyer." But that is not the fact. That false ego, that "I am enjoyer," that is false ego. And real ego is "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." So there is no necessity of giving up egotism or egoism, but it must be real. At the present moment we are falsely thinking, "I am this body," every one of us. There is no argument. The whole material world is going on on the basis of this false conception that "I am this body." And because I am this body, therefore "I am American," "I am Indian." So this is false ego.
So we have to analyze, analyze that this body is made of the material elements: earth, water, fire, ether, like that. The... We are breathing. What is this breathing? We are very much proud of breathing. Eh? The breathing is simply ventilation, air. But you cannot set up this breathing to a dead man. That is not possible, although it is simply air, nothing but air. But as soon as it is gone out of it... You are great scientist. Bring this air, pump. No, there is no life. So in this way there is analysis. From water we are getting blood. From blood we are getting semina. From urine... So many things we are getting. So this body is manufactured by these things, by the material elements. So am I this body? If I am this body, then after the death why...? These material elements are there. Why you cannot replace it? I am not body. I'm living within the body. And that is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanam, tathā dehāntara (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe: "In this body there is the living entity."
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Supreme Lord, You are actually the air, fire, earth, sky, water, the objects of perception, the five senses, the mind, consciousness, and false ego. You are everything subtle and gross, including the material elements, and anything expressed either by words or the mind. Indeed, these are nothing but You."
Prabhupāda:
- tvaṁ vāyur agnir avanir viyad ambu mātrāḥ
- prāṇendriyāṇi hṛdayaṁ cid anugrahaś ca
- sarvaṁ tvam eva saguṇo viguṇaś ca bhūman
- nānyat tvad asty api mano-vacasā niruktam
- (SB 7.9.48)
This is all-pervasive description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In more simplified way it has been described in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: (BG 9.4) "I am all-pervasive." Avyakta-mūrtina. "That is also My feature." But this feature, Kṛṣṇa with flute in the hand, that feature is not present. That is called avyakta. Everything is Kṛṣṇa, but not in everything His original form is manifested. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam avyakta. Avyakta means nonmanifest, nonmanifested. He is everything. It can be compared just like your most intimate friend or family member is playing in the stage. So he is playing there, but still, you cannot recognize him. Naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā, Kuntīdevī has said. Just like the dramatist, the actor... He has dressed himself in such a way that although the actor is your very intimate friend or family, you cannot see.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "Neither the three modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, nor their predominating deities, the five gross elements, the mind, the demigods nor the human beings who are all subjected to birth, death, and annihilation can understand Your Lordship. Therefore the wise, spiritually advanced men who have taken to devotional service do not much bother with Vedic study, but rather they engage themselves in practical devotional service."
Prabhupāda:
- naite guṇā na guṇino mahad-ādayo ye sarve
- manaḥ prabhṛtayaḥ sahadeva-martyāḥ
- ādy-antavanta urugāya vidanti hi
- tvām evaṁ vimṛśya sudhiyo viramanti śabdāt
- (SB 7.9.49)
So ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra). Viramanti śabdāt. There are so many prescribed mantras for liberation. Oṁkāra-sarva-vedeṣu. Every Vedic mantra begins with oṁkāra, and He is Kṛṣṇa. Vedic mantra, we chant Vedic mantra. There are many, many Vedic mantras in Upaniṣad and tantras, saṁhitā. So the (indistinct) begins with the combination of alphabets a, u, ma-Om. Oṁ tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Everything. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Every Vedic mantra begins with the oṁkāra. Some of them are very much fond of chanting omkara instead of Hare Kṛṣṇa. So there is no objection. Kṛṣṇa says, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Praṇava means oṁkāra.
So actually only Kṛṣṇa is there, Para-brahman. He is only. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Expansion in different varieties of multimanifestation. But if we analyze all these things, ultimately we come to the point that Kṛṣṇa is everything. That requires intelligence, how to analyze. Therefore here it is said this manifestation, this material manifestation, is guṇa guṇino mahad-ādayo, manaḥ, mind, intelligence, the five gross elements, three subtle elements, and all, and manufactured, these demigods, animals, men, martyāḥ, 8,400,000 species. So all these varieties, actually it is simply, they are simply manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's different manifestation of energy, nothing else. The real center point is Kṛṣṇa. This can be understood by advanced students, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), after studying, studying, studying, not only in one life but for many, many lives. Bahūnāṁ janmanām, jñānavān. If he actually becomes wise, jñānavān, then he understands that only Kṛṣṇa is everything. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That is real understanding.
Everything is prakṛti. The jīvas, they have been described as prakṛti. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says that these material elements—earth, water, air, fire, mind, intelligence, ego—they are bhinnā me prakṛti aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Prakrti. He is puruṣa. Prakṛti means female. So they are also energy, energy. Just like here, try to understand, the karmīs, unless they have got a wife, they cannot work, they are not very enthusiastic. Therefore, according to the karmīs, when the boy is developed, immediately the parents get him wife for him. Otherwise he will be dull, he cannot work. Energy, śakti. If one has got good wife, then he gets energy to work. Therefore, prakṛti, she is called prakṛti, energy. Similarly, this is a fact. Kṛṣṇa has got also energy, the original puruṣa—Rādhārāṇī, energy, prakṛti. Kṛṣṇa is engladdened in the presence of Rādhārāṇī. That is nature.
| Page Title: | Material elements (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 30 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=115, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 115 |