Because He was at that time ninety years old, He got at that time great-grandchildren also. So His family was very great. Now, if you see the picture of Kṛṣṇa, you'll see Him just like a boy of twenty-two, twenty-five years old. He was so beautiful. He was so beautiful. Then... That is the sign of God. It is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). He is the original person. Because from God everyone has born, therefore He is the original person, ādyam. Purāṇa-puruṣam. Purāṇa means the oldest person. Still, nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Whenever you will see God... That is the... This is the sign of God. You'll find Him just like a youth, a new youth. Youthfulness means, say, sixteen to twenty-four years. So nava-yauvanaṁ ca. That is the sign of God. So He was so beautiful that when He was a boy of fifteen years old His, the whole, I mean, of His, of the same age girls, girls of His age, they were after Him. He was so beautiful. So in beauty He was superexcellent. In wealth He was superexcellent. In strength He was superexcellent.
Original person (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Nobody will live here. So if the soul has no birth, there is no question of death. And as Kṛṣṇa, God, God is eternal, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ Purāṇa (Bs. 5.33). Purāṇa means old. Because Kṛṣṇa is the original person, therefore He must be Purāṇa, the oldest, older than Brahmā. Because Brahmā is given birth by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has been addressed in the Bhagavad-gītā as prapitāmaha (BG 11.39). Brahmā is called pitāmaha, the grandfather, and prapitāmaha means "the father of the grandfather." So Kṛṣṇa has been addressed as prapitāmaha, "father of Brahmā." Therefore He's ādi-puruṣa. Actually, within this creation, Lord Brahmā is the original person, because he was firstborn.
We do not know how old we are because we are transmigrating from one body to another. We do not know when we have begun this. Therefore, actually we are very old, but, at the same time, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇaḥ. Although very old,... Just like Kṛṣṇa is ādi-puruṣa, the original person. Still, you'll find Kṛṣṇa always a young man of sixteen to twenty years' age. You'll never find Kṛṣṇa's picture as old. Nava-yauvana. Kṛṣṇa is always nava-yauvana. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanam (Bs. 5.33). Ādyam, the original person, and the oldest; at the same time, He is always in youthful life. Ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanam.
Just like somebody says that the sunlight, the dazzling sunlight. Clear sun planet is there. And because they cannot enter even into the moon planet, how they can enter in the sun planet? If they enter sun planet, they will find that there is a person whose bodily effulgence is this sunlight. Similarly the original person, Kṛṣṇa, has got His effulgence. We get information from Brahma-saṁhitā, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Just like the sun-god is diffusing the effulgence of his bodily light in this universe, in one universe. Similarly the original person, He is diffusing that light.
Budha, not the abudha. Abudha means less intelligent. Those who are intelligent, budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, with a bhāva, with an ecstatic position, can understand that Kṛṣṇa is the original person. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Sarvasya means including Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, all the devatās. Aham ādir hi devānām (BG 10.2). He is the original source of all the devas. The original devas within this... Brahmā is the first deva in the first creation.
In this Bhagavad-gītā you will find in the fourth chapter Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Paramparā. Kṛṣṇa is the original person, perfect, and He says,
- imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
- proktavān aham avyayam
- vivasvān manave prāha
- manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt
- (BG 4.1)
- evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
- imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
- sa kāleneha mahatā
- yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa
- (BG 4.2)
Kṛṣṇa is explaining to Arjuna. You will find these statements in the fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa said that "This perfect knowledge of yoga system as I am explaining in this..."
Kṛṣṇa is described as nava-yauvana. Some of you must have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa. He is always just like a boy of twenty years old, although He is the ādi-puruṣa. Ādi-puruṣa means He is the original person of all emanations. He is the oldest. Advaitam acyutam anādim, ādyaṁ purāṇa-pu... Purāṇa-puruṣam means the oldest. Purāṇa means old. Purāṇa-puruṣam; still, nava-yauvanaṁ ca, just like a young man of twenty years old, full energy, full youthfulness.
In every universe there is a chief living entity who is known as Brahmā. Brahmā is the original person in each universe. So the life of Brahmā or the life of a universe is existing only on the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying on the Causal Ocean and while He is exhaling, millions of universes are coming as bubbles and they are developing again. And when He is inhaling, millions of universes are going within Him. So that is the position of this material world.
Those who are spiritually advanced, their photograph and ordinary photograph is different. Just like here is statue of Kṛṣṇa. He's not different from Kṛṣṇa. The original person Kṛṣṇa and this statue of Kṛṣṇa is the same. Similarly, a spiritually perfect person and his photograph is the same. Because it is in the absolute stage. In the absolute stage there is no difference. In the material stage there is difference. Is that clear? In the absolute stage there is no difference.
Now, here somebody may say that "This is too much sectarian, that knowing simply Kṛṣṇa, everything is known." Somebody may say like that. But actually this is the fact. The Vedic statement says like that. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you can understand the origin, person, the original person... The Upaniṣad does not say directly, "The original person is Kṛṣṇa," simply because there are so many impersonalists. But the Upaniṣad gives hint that if you can understand the original person, kasmin... This is person. Kasmin vijñāte: "If one is able to understand the Supreme Person," sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, "then everything becomes known."
If you try to understand or if you some way or other understand the original person, Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. That will be explained here. Simply by knowing Kṛṣṇa you will understand everything. This wonderful thing is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and you will gradually understand everything. This is the secret of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that's a fact.
So here we are understanding about the absolute world, absolute knowledge, from the Supreme Person, the Absolute Person. Absolute Person means anādir ādir govindaḥ (Bs. 5.1). He is the original person, but He has no original; therefore absolute. He is not to be understood being caused by somebody else. That is God. So here in this chapter, therefore, it is said, śrī bhagavān uvāca, Absolute Person... Bhagavān means the Absolute Person who does not depend on anyone else.
Indian man (6): But Lord Śiva is the greatest Vaiṣṇava.
Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone is Vaiṣṇava. He is the greatest Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ. Unless he is Vaiṣṇava, how he gets this power? The power comes from the original person. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). So unless one is Vaiṣṇava, he has no power. All right.
Indian man (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda...
Prabhupāda: You have questioned once, not twice.
It is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, janmādy asya: (SB 1.1.1) "The original person from whom everything is born," yataḥ, anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ, "He knows everything perfectly, indirectly and directly." Anvayād itarataś ca abhijñaḥ. And wherefrom He got the knowledge? Now, svarāṭ. That is His... God means svarāṭ. He hasn't got to get any knowledge from anyone else. Everyone gets knowledge from Him, but He hasn't got to take knowledge from anyone, svarāṭ, independent.
We have to accept this. Kṛṣṇa says this. And Arjuna, who heard Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, he says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam ādyam (BG 10.12). Ādyam, "You are the original person. You are the original..." Puruṣam ādyam, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ādyam. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). This is all confirmed. The audience, Kṛṣṇa, I mean to say, Arjuna, is accepting, and Kṛṣṇa is confirming.
You'll find in the Eleventh Chapter, prapitāmaha (BG 11.39). He's father of... Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). You know, those who are conversant with the śāstras, that Brahmā's another name is Svayambhū. He's not born of any material father and mother. He's born on the lotus flower sprouted from the navel of Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore his name is Svayambhū. Svayambhū is one of the authorities because he was first educated about the Vedic knowledge by Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. Tene brahma hṛdā. Brahma means Vedic knowledge. Tene means imparted. Ādi-kavaye, the ādi-kavi, the original person. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Even big, big personalities, they become bewildered to understand Kṛṣṇa.
There are living entities. In everywhere there are living entities. Don't think that you are simply here in this planet, and there is no living entity. It is wrong conception, foolish conception. So the president of the sun planet, He is the original person from where this sunshine and heat is coming. He is the person. And the population there, they are made so that their bodily effulgence is the heat and light, and that is being manifested in the sun globe.
Now He says that, "Nobody knows Me." Lord says, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, "Nobody knows Me." Na me viduḥ sura-gaṇāḥ. Sura-gaṇāḥ means the demigods, those who are in the higher planets, they are called demigods. Sura-gaṇāḥ. Na me viduḥ sura-gaṇāḥ prabhavam (BG 10.2). "My influence, or My activities, My power, My extensions, everything, prabhavam, na maharṣayaḥ." Maharṣayaḥ means great sages. Mahā-ṛṣayaḥ. Mahā means great. Ṛṣi means sages. They also do not know. What they do not know? Now ahaṁ hi, aham ādir hi devānām (BG 10.2). "I am the original person of all demigods and maharṣīṇāṁ ca sarvaśaḥ, I am the original person of all the ṛṣis."
So we have caught up the original person, ādi-puruṣa. We have found out the root of everything. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
- (BG 10.8)
Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the origin of everything." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. Sarvasya. Sarvasya means including all big demigods like Brahmā, Lord Śiva, even Nārāyaṇa and and Viṣṇu. Everything, everybody, everything is..., the original person is Kṛṣṇa.
We go to school, colleges, teachers. So why? To receive knowledge. So teacher or school, college, they are in higher authority. Similarly, you go on, higher authorities, higher authorities, higher authorities. You reach to Brahmā because he is the original creature and he described the Vedic knowledge. So he is also not higher authority. He also received knowledge from God. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. Ādi-kavaye, the original person.
We have got this body, expanding, expanding. The original person is Brahmā. From Brahmā there was Lord Śiva, and from Śiva there were so many, then these Dakṣas and Pracetasas and many sages gradually. So we are descendant, Manu. Manu also, one of the sons of Brahmā, and from manuṣya, Manu, the name has come, manuṣya. Manuṣya means man. In English also it is called "man." Manu, man. So we are all descendants from the original person, the supreme father, original. So we are not different.
The destination is to understand the original cause of creation, God. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). That is the Vedānta philosophy. Janmādy asya yataḥ. The original cause from where everything is coming into being, by whose management everything is maintained, and after annihilation everything will enter into Him—that is the original person. So human form of life is meant for understanding the original cause of all causes. That is human form of life. Inquisitiveness.
You take a piece of paper and cut it into pieces and throw it all over. Then the original paper is lost. There is no more. That is material. But Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa, He is expanded. Eko bahu syāt. The Lord said, "I shall become many." Many... Still, He is there. Is not because He has become many, therefore His original person is finished. No. That is the injunction in the Vedas, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). He remains still pūrṇa. One minus thousand times one is still one. That is absolute. Absolute Truth means the truth never diminishes or becomes relative or conditioned. That is Absolute Truth.
At the present moment, the predominating Deity in the sun planet is called Vivasvān. So he spoke this Bhagavad-gītā philosophy to his son, vivasvān manave prā..., Manu. Manu is the original person of the human society. Manuṣya. Man. So Manu spoke to his son, Ikṣvāku. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. He's the first person of the sūrya-vaṁśa. There are two kṣatriya families: one, candra-vaṁśa, coming from the Moon, and the other from the Sun, Vivasvān. So Mahārāja Ikṣvāku is the original personality in the sūrya-vaṁśa kṣatriyas in which Lord Rāmacandra appeared. So in this way, there is paramparā system.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are preaching all over the world that Kṛṣṇa is the origin. The Vedānta-sūtra says: "The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything is emanating," janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), and it is accepted by everyone: "Kṛṣṇa is the Puruṣa, the original person." Brahmā says in his Brahma-saṁhitā. Brahmā is supposed to be the original person within this universe. He accepts Kṛṣṇa: sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).
We follow Kṛṣṇa. Śaṅkarācārya is not original person. Kṛṣṇa is original person. That is accepted by Vyāsadeva and all... Nārada, Devala. So our proposition is "Follow Kṛṣṇa." Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The original person. Ādi-puruṣam. Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Śaṅkarācārya is, say, one thousand five hundred years, but Kṛṣṇa, He's the original puruṣa, before the creation. The creation was made... Śaṅkarācārya also admits in his commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā: nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. And he accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead: sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ. So you cannot supersede Kṛṣṇa by accepting Śaṅkarācārya.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives reference of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with Brahma-saṁhitā. That means Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also is eternal. They are not man-made, manufactured books. The Vedic literature means, as it is stated in this verse, tene brahma hṛdā. Brahma means Vedic literature, śabda-brahma. So He distributed the... Vāsudeva, original person, Absolute Truth, He, I mean to say, transferred this Vedic knowledge. Tene brahma hṛdā. Brahmā was alone. He could not see Kṛṣṇa eye to eye, but īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa is everyone's heart, so He taught him from within. Kṛṣṇa's name is Caitya-guru, "guru, spiritual master from within."
According to Vedic information, the original person is Lord Brahmā. When there was creation, the first created being was Lord Brahmā. Then from Brahmā, all other living entities expanded. This is the creation understanding. So one may mistake, "Then Lord Brahmā is, the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He has no..., nobody knew that by whom born Lord Brahmā was born." It may be questioned like that. But Brahmā is not the original source of everything. Although he has created this universe, he is not the original source. Therefore it is explained here that the original person is Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa, and He gave intelligence to Brahmā to create this universe. But if we put this argument that "Brahmā was alone. How he took instruction from the superior person?" therefore it is said, tene brahma hṛdā: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva instructed him from within the heart."
We accept Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Brahmā said, "God is here, Kṛṣṇa." Brahmā is the original person who distributes knowledge, Vedic knowledge. So we accept Kṛṣṇa. The Brahmā has said. And we see, "Yes. He is God. He is lifting hill. He is killing Pūtanā at the age of three months old only. A seven years old boy is lifting hill." So God must execute uncommon acts; otherwise, how shall I accept God if He's like me? Kṛṣṇa devoured the whole forest fire. His friends appealed, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, there is fire." The cows were crying. Kṛṣṇa said, "Don't worry." Boy of six years old. So that is God. We accept Rāmacandra as God.
There are three Rāmas and matsya-avatāra, kūrma-avatāra, vāmana-avatāra, kalki-avatāra, many. Some of them are mentioned in the Bhāgavatam. So the original person is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yaḥ. The idea of praising Śukadeva Gosvāmī means he is not a professional Bhāgavata reader; he is realized soul. Therefore hearing of Bhāgavata from Śukadeva Gosvāmī is recommended. Or the representative of Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Representative means one who is strictly following the principle adopted by Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
God is the most beautiful. Just like, see Kṛṣṇa here, you have got Kṛṣṇa's figure here, how beautiful He is. God must be, He is young, always. An old man cannot become beautiful. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). That is the description of Ādyaṁ Purāṇa, He is the original person, the oldest of all but he is nava-yauvanam, just like a beautiful boy, say sixteen or twenty years old. So that is beautiful, the most beautiful. And the most wise, jñāna. Nobody can be wiser than God. These are the description given by Parasara Muni, father of Vyāsadeva.
We do not find anyone equal to Him or greater than Him. That is God. God is great. "Great" means nobody should be greater than Him. And God says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no other superior authority than Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the origin of everything." So other demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, even Lord Viṣṇu, mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate—everyone emanates from Him. And from them emanate so many things. Just like Brahmā, so many creatures have come out. But the original, ādyam, anādi... Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Govinda is the original person.
Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, supreme guru. He is the first guru. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Kṛṣṇa imparted knowledge to the original person, Brahmā. You may inquire that "Brahmā is the original person. There was nobody present. Then who became his guru?" No, that is explained: tene brahma hṛdā, "From through the heart." Kṛṣṇa, or God, is situated in everyone's heart. As you become purified, He speaks. He speaks always, but in our impure condition, we cannot hear.
Now the original person is Kṛṣṇa. Now, to maintain this creation, He expands Himself into three: hari, viriñci, hara. Hari means Viṣṇu, viriñci means Brahmā, and hara means Lord Śiva. Hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ. But, just like the Māyāvādī philosopher says that "Then, if Kṛṣṇa has become Hari, Viriñci and Hara, three, so I can worship anyone." No. That is hinted here: śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ. But if you want your ultimate goal, then you take shelter of Viṣṇu—sattva-tanoḥ—not Śiva, not Brahmā. Here, clearly says. If you want... Because your conditioned life is due to your disobedience to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So unless you surrender unto Him, you again become obedient, there is no question of your goodness or your good or fortune.
Just like Brahmā. Brahmā is the first demigod within this universe, but he is not original. Original is Kṛṣṇa. Aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇām. So He says that He is the ādi, ādi-puruṣam. Brahmā says ādi-puruṣam, the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So He's the ādi-puruṣa, He's the original source. Every Vedic literature declares, every authority declares. He comes Himself to declare, but still we are so rascal, we are finding out, making research work, "What is the ādi-puruṣa?" This is called rascaldom.
In the śāstra it is said that Kṛṣṇa is the original person of this departmental knowledge. Suppose you are a lawyer. So Kṛṣṇa gives the law. This is research work. Just actually Kṛṣṇa gives. What is Kṛṣṇa gives? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is law. The first giver of law is Kṛṣṇa, that "You give up all nonsense. Surrender unto Me." This is law. Then you'll understand everything. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Religion means the law given by Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is religion.
This Bhāgavatam is accepted as the ripened fruit of the Vedic desire tree. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). It is the ripened fruit of all Vedic knowledge. Because Vedic knowledge means to understand God. That is Vedic knowledge. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is Vedic knowledge. To understand the Supreme Lord, the original person. That is the end of Vedic knowledge. So that Vedic knowledge is presented in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and therefore in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Vyāsadeva offers his respectful obeisances, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudeva is the origin.
Vasudeva means perfect Vaiṣṇava. Do you think Kṛṣṇa accepts somebody as father, an ordinary man? No. He is perfect Vaiṣṇava. Kṛṣṇa accepts somebody as mother... Who is His mother, father? Nobody can be. He is the ādi-puruṣa. He's original person. Who can become His father, mother? But He accepts, when He descends to exhibit His līlā... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānam (BG 4.7) (break) ...janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9). Don't take ordinarily: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is born of a father, Vasudeva, and of a mother, Devakī. That's all. We know He was born." No. One has to learn who is His father, who is His mother, how He accepts His devotee as father. That is called yo jānāti tattvataḥ. This is tattvataḥ.
So, so many questions are there about God, but here is God, pointed out by Arjuna, a mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Why should you not accept? That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. "Why you are searching God. Here is God, as Arjuna says." Tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ: "You are the original person." Tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ. Puruṣa means enjoyer. God is not female. Sometimes they worship a female as God, like Durgā, Kālī, and so many others. But God is puruṣa. Everyone is prakṛti. Prakṛti means female. Everyone knows it.
So, saḥ, Kṛṣṇa, who is described in the previous verse, tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ, the original person... Original person, Absolute Truth, that is described in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Original person. Just like in our familywise, or guru-paramparā-wise, there is somebody, original person. So similarly, the whole creation, there is original person. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, aham āsam agre. Aham āsam agre. In the Vedic literature, eko nārāyaṇa āsīt. So eko nārāyaṇa āsīt, that is original person. And Kṛṣṇa says aham agre āsam. So He's the original person, ādyam. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣam ādyam (BG 10.12).
So Kṛṣṇa is the original person. And if somebody questions that "If Kṛṣṇa is the original person, who is the origin of Kṛṣṇa?"... Naturally, we can ask that because our experience is different—that answer is there in the Brahma-saṁhitā: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādiḥ (Bs. 5.1). Anādir ādiḥ. He's ādi, ādyaṁ puruṣam. But if you question, "Who is the cause of Kṛṣṇa?" Anādi—He has no cause. That is God.
Sa eva, that ādi-puruṣa, that original person, He comes down, descends in this material world. Jīva-lokasya. This is called jīva-loka. This material world is called jīva-loka because here ātmā, the soul, is covered, conditioned. We have given the meaning, jīva-loka means when the ātmā is conditioned. That is called jīva-loka. There is no freedom. Just like there are so many planets. You have got airplane, but because you have got airplane you cannot go there. Conditioned. You cannot go.
Kṛṣṇa is the original person. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "I am not expansion of anybody." Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). They are all īśvaras, controller. Viṣṇu-tattva is controller always. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Everywhere Viṣṇu is the Supreme Controller. So every viṣṇu-tattva is controller. There is no doubt. And they have got equal power. Not that Lord Rāmacandra is less powerful than Kṛṣṇa. No. They have equal power.
As our life begins and ends, everything here in this material world, it has a beginning and end. But Kṛṣṇa's controlling power is not like that. He says, she says, namasye puruṣaṁ tu ādyam: "You are the original person. You have created this cosmos. So before the creation of the cosmos, You were controller, and when the cosmos will end, You will remain controller." Therefore prakṛteḥ param. "Within the prakṛti, within the material nature, everything has got beginning and end, limited. You are not that kind of controller." Prakṛteḥ param, eternal.
So we are reading Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literature. What is the purpose? The purpose is vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). The purpose is to understand Kṛṣṇa. If you don't understand Kṛṣṇa, then your reading of so-called Vedas and Vedāntas and Upaniṣads, they are useless waste of time. So here Kuntī is directly saying that "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are ādyaṁ puruṣam, the original person. And īśvaram. You are not ordinary person. You are the supreme controller." That is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Everyone is controller, but the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa.
This is the symptoms of Kali-yuga. Manda-bhāgyāḥ, all unfortunate. All unfortunate. Everyone must suffer. This is the position. But if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, perform the yajña... Because this is the instruction by the Supreme Person. Puruṣaṁ tvā ādyam. Ādyaṁ puruṣam, the original person. The origin of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Supreme Person from whom everything has come down. That is the order. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us that harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21),... We are certainly in difficult position, but the only remedy is that we must chant the holy name of the Lord repeatedly. And that will solve all the problems. You preach this cult all over the world.
So Kṛṣṇa is the original person. Another significance of this verse: Kṛṣṇa is not woman. Just like there are some so-called speculators, that "Kṛṣṇa is also... Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, or the Supreme Person, can, is also woman." But He's not woman. He can assume the role of woman if He likes, but does not mean He's woman, woman. He's man. Man means the enjoyer. Man, or puruṣa. Not man. Puruṣa. So They are puruṣāvatāra. The three Viṣṇus, They are called puruṣāvatāra. Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu and the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, They are called puruṣāvatāra.
So Kuntī knew it; therefore, although Kṛṣṇa was present before her as a nephew... Aunt is respectable, that Kṛṣṇa came to offer His respect, obeisances, before going home. But Kuntī is offering respect to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore she is saying namasye, "I offer my obediences unto You, Kṛṣṇa." Why? Puruṣaṁ tvā, "You are the Supreme Person; therefore I must offer my respect unto You." Namasye puruṣaṁ tvā, ādyam. Ādyam means original, original person. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādiḥ. Anādiḥ means who has no beginning. But He is the beginning of everything. That is Kṛṣṇa.
Brahmā is the first created being within this universe, and h is created by Kṛṣṇa. So they are taking account of this material, this universe, so Brahmā is therefore called grandfather, or a father of the father. But Kṛṣṇa is the great-grandfather, the father of Brahmā's. Therefore it is said ādyam, the original person. Namasye puruṣaṁ tvā, ādyam. What kind of ādyam? Īśvaram. Īśvaram means controller. Ādyam īśvaram, the original controller.
Sometimes the impersonalists, they have vāsudeva conception, means all-pervading. So Kuntīdevī is pointing out, "That Vāsudeva is Kṛṣṇa, all-pervading." Kṛṣṇa, by His Vāsudeva feature, He is all-pervading. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). This feature of Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa, the original person, has got three features: as the Supreme Personality of Godhead; as all-pervading Paramātmā, Supersoul; and impersonal Brahman effulgence. So those who are interested in bhakti-yoga, they have no business with the impersonal Brahman effulgence. That is for common men.
The scientists says that if the sun is moved a little this side the whole universe will be ablaze, and if it moves this side the whole universe will be frozen. But by the order of the Supreme, it is neither going even, even one ten-thousandth part of an inch, this side or this side. Exactly in the line. Exactly during, in the time, fixed time, at 5:30 it must rise. So there must be some discipline. There must be some obedience. There is some order. In this way the śāstra says: yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. By whose order the sun is moving in the orbit? Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **: "I worship that original person who is giving direction even to the sun, even to the ocean, even to the moon. Everything is going on under His order."
Govinda, go-dvija-sura-arti-hara-avatāra. Avatāra means incarnation. Govinda, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **, He's the ādi-puruṣa. Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2), He is the original person, even of the demigods, Brahmā, Viṣṇu. People may not misunderstand that Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, they are original. No. Kṛṣṇa says, "They are not original, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara." Aham ādir hi devānām, "I am the original person, above the..., of these demigods also." Therefore, we repeatedly say that we worship that ādi-puruṣaṁ, the original person, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Not secondary; the first, the first, original person.
Govindam, Govinda is ādi-puruṣa. So ādi-puruṣa means the original person. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said by Kṛṣṇa Himself, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "I am the Supreme Person." Now there are different forms of God, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). There are different incarnations. Just like īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). That Kṛṣṇa, He is staying in everyone's heart. This is also another incarnation, antaryāmī, Supersoul incarnation.
Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller. There is no controller of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, govindam ādi-puruṣam, He is the original person. So who can be His father and mother? He is the father of everyone, the supreme father. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ (BG 14.4). Kṛṣṇa says, "In all species of life, as many forms as there, I am the seed-giving father of all of them." So nobody can be Kṛṣṇa's father. Nobody can be controller of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can be master of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme.
So many things are described in the Brahma-saṁhitā. But still, He is acyuta, anādi, He has no cause. He is causeless. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam: (Bs. 5.1) He is the cause of everyone, but He has no cause. Anādi, anantam. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyam purāṇa-puruṣam (Bs. 5.33). He's the origin person, original person. Purāṇa, very old, must be very old because everything... Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). From Him, everything has come. Therefore Purāṇa, Purāṇa means old. Nūtana and Purāṇa. Nūtana means "just very recently," and Purāṇa means very old.
Just like in Bhagavad-gītā you will see this is described. Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1), "I first of all instructed this system of bhakti-yoga, Bhagavad-gītā, to the sun-god." That means Kṛṣṇa went there. Otherwise, how He could instruct the sun-god? Not only that, He says, vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. So the sun-god said to his son, Manu, and Manu is the original person of the man, human being, manuṣya, man. Man, the word comes from the Manu. So Manu is the son of sun-god, so he came from the sun planet. And he begot sons here in this planet, Ikṣvāku. These are all stated by the Vedic śāstras., imaṁ vivasvate...
Now, Devahūti has understood. Therefore she says, ya ādyaḥ bhagavān, "My dear son, Kapiladeva, I know that You are the, the same Supreme Person, Bhagavān." And the Bhagavān is ādyam. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudeva is ādya. Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as all in... Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam ādyam: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Person, original person." Now, Brahmā says, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He says that "I worship the original person, Govinda." Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Everywhere you'll find.
The process is that you try to hear about kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa-kathā is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. That is kṛṣṇa-kathā. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. About Kṛṣṇa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, janmādy asya yataḥ... (SB 1.1.1). Speaking about Kṛṣṇa, the original person.
Nothing is Kṛṣṇa's anything material. Everything is spiritual. But by His līlayā, to manifest different līlā, He accept different types of body. But they are all Kṛṣṇa, the same original person. Advaitam acyutam... Acyuta, He does not fall down. Therefore His name is Acyuta. Acyuta means never falls down, never deviates. He is always in His sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Not that because He has appeared for my convenience to accept my service in this form which I am seeing or the atheist is seeing, that it is stone. No. He is not stone.
God is there always. So we have to take knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is perfect knowledge. Because He is the origin of everything. Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Ādi-puru... The original person. So if we take lessons from the original person, that is perfect knowledge. Otherwise it is imperfect knowledge. So that... Somebody was asking about the paramparā. So that paramparā is very necessary, to know the knowledge by the paramparā system.
There are ananta, unlimited number of incarnation constantly coming like the waves of the river or the sea, but the original person is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa says, confirms it that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "All avatāra, everything, is all emanations from Me." So iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. So if we simply worship Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa also demands that, mām ekam—then all the avatāras, all the demigods, everything, is worshiped.
Therefore Vedic knowledge is called apauruṣeya. It is not manufactured or concocted by some mental speculator. It is coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it was imparted first of all to Lord Brahmā, not by personal presentation, but through the heart. Brahmā is the original person to understand Vedic knowledge. So after his birth he meditated for hundreds of years, and by meditation, through his heart the knowledge of Vedas, śruti, became revealed. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavi means Brahmā. And Brahman means Vedic knowledge.
The original person, the Supreme Lord-kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28)—He also comes. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, that is Kṛṣṇa's expansion, incarnation. They also come, and Kṛṣṇa also come. Kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yaḥ. He is the Supreme Person, pumān. Pumān means the puruṣa, the enjoyer, the proprietor. That is Kṛṣṇa. So immediately you can be in touch with Kṛṣṇa by vibrating this sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so potent. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). The name of Kṛṣṇa is cintāmaṇi, transcendental.
I am worshiping the Govinda, the ādi-puruṣa, the Supreme Person, ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). These are the information we get from the śāstra. Adyam, He is the original person. Ādyaṁ purāṇa puruṣam, the oldest person. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca, and at the same time always fresh youth. So how we shall learn all these things? Mahat-sevā. Go to mahat, mahānta, the guru. Serve him. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). You cannot challenge like a nonsense. You have to engage yourself to the service. That is the beginning. Brahmacārī is indicated, "Go to gurukula."
So we are not going to be misled by anyone. We simply worship the original person, ādi-puruṣa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.
- kecit kevalayā bhaktyā
- vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ
- aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena
- nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ
- (SB 6.1.15)
Śrīdhara Svāmī is giving his commentation in this connection, that tasya ati duṣkarād mukham eva anyāt prāyaścittaṁ kecit kīrtanena, evaṁ mūḍho bhakti pradhāna virala iti darśayet(?). Kaivalyaṁ tapa-ādibhir nirapekṣaya(?). Śrīdhara Svāmī's explaining this word, kevalayā, "simply by devotional service," kevalayā bhaktyā—but without being dependent on other processes.
We are in this conditioned state of life because we are separated from our original person, Kṛṣṇa. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have forgotten this. We are thinking we are part and parcel of America or India. This is called illusion. They are interested... Somebody is interested in his country; somebody is interested in his society or family. We have created so many things, duty. Therefore śāstra says that "These rascals do not know what is his actual self-interest." Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). He is hoping something which will never be fulfilled. Therefore he is rascal.
Rudra is stated to be the son of Brahmā. So Brahmā is the son, or born out of the lotus flower from the abdomen of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is expansion of Kṛṣṇa. In this way Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. That is a fact. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you can understand the original person, Kṛṣṇa, then everything will come to your knowledge. Everything will be understood: how everything is existing, how they are appearing, how they are disappearing, how they are existing. Everything will be known.
Prahlāda Mahārāja is submitting his humbleness, because he has practically experienced that all great personalities present in that meeting, headed by Brahmā, the original person, original created person, as well as all other demigods, they are all highly qualified, but they could not satisfy the Lord. Therefore he says, "I think that any kind of material qualification, such as tejaḥ, prabhāva, influence, strength, bodily beauty, tejaḥ, prabhāva, pauruṣa, capacity, buddhi, intelligence, yoga, mystic power, and all similar qualifications"—they are divided into six opulences: strength, influence, fame, and beauty, knowledge, renunciation—"these six kinds of opulences are fully present in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Impersonal understanding of the Absolute Truth is the beginning of transcendental knowledge. But if you make further progress, you will find Him the Supreme Person. The Supreme Person... Just like we offer our humble prayers, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. He is the original person. In the Bible you will see, "Man is made after God." This feature, this form, is just in imitation of Kṛṣṇa's form. Because Kṛṣṇa has got two hands, because Kṛṣṇa has got two legs, one head, so we are imitation. We are sample God. So just imagine how the original person, the original Personality of Godhead, is opulent, rich, beautiful, famous, so many. All good qualifications, all opulences, are present there.
If you offer respect, Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa's representative, then you'll be respectful. If you don't want to show respect to Kṛṣṇa and His representative, then you'll be derided. Therefore prati-mukhasya yathā mukha-śrīḥ. Prati-mukhasya, original face, original person, is Kṛṣṇa. If you decorate Kṛṣṇa very nicely, then you will be also seen very much decorated. If you... Practically we see. There is no fable. We are offering Kṛṣṇa nice foodstuff, so we are eating this nice prasādam which we never conceived or dreamed, dreamt in our life.
So our prayers should be to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore we pray, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. We worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original person. We are all persons. Just like your father is person; therefore you are person. Your son is person. Similarly, your father's father is a person, his father person, his father person. So to Brahma, his, he's also person. His father, Viṣṇu, is person. His father, his father, everywhere—Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person. God cannot be without being person. He must be person.
Kṛṣṇa's foster father's name was Nanda Mahārāja. So He is very much pleased when He is addressed as "the son of Nanda." (break) He is the original person. He has no father. But He accepts His devotee as His father. He accepts His devotee as mother. He is full in Himself, but still, He awaits the affection of father and mother. This is the beauty of Kṛṣṇa.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Those who are actually budhās... Budhās means learned. So they know Kṛṣṇa is the original person. And it is confirmed by Brahmā in the Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara means controller. So everyone can become īśvara. Here, our minister Saheb is present. He's īśvara. Īśvara means controller. He is controller of a department.
Just like we are worshiping the form of Rādhā-Govinda, Rādhā-Mādhava, Rādhā-Dāmodara. So this form, atheists will say that "This is statue." But a theist person, who knows Kṛṣṇa, he will see this form of Kṛṣṇa not different from the original person, Kṛṣṇa. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He entered the Jagannātha temple, He immediately fainted, "Here is My Lord." Others who are going in the Jagannātha temple, they are seeing something made of wood.
Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Arjuna has described, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). "You are the original puruṣa, enjoyer." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If we know that Kṛṣṇa is the original person, enjoyer, and we are simply enjoyed... We are meant for being enjoyed, not to take the post of enjoyer.
Kṛṣṇa is the original person. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). All others... Just like Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, or demigods, all others, they are all expansions of Kṛṣṇa. We are also expansions of Kṛṣṇa; we living entities, we are vibhinnāṁśa. Mamaivāṁśa. Kṛṣṇa says mamaivāṁśa. Jīva-loka, jīva-loke, "The all these living entities, they are My part and parcel." We are also expansion of Kṛṣṇa, or the demigods, they're also expansions of Kṛṣṇa. The Viṣṇu-tattva, They're also expansions of Kṛṣṇa—everyone.
You cannot attract by anything, any opulence, Kṛṣṇa, because He's ātmārāma. But if you offer something to Kṛṣṇa, it is for your benefit. The example is given: just like the original person is decorated, in the mirror the reflection of the person is also decorated. Similarly, if you decorate the Deity gorgeously, you will feel happy. Kṛṣṇa has many devotees, or many things for being decorated. But if you, in the temple, if you offer Kṛṣṇa all nice things, all nice flowers, all nice dress, all nice food, everything, everything, all nice, then you will feel happy. That is your interest.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
These modern so-called scientific theory that life comes from matter, that is not fact. Because our original person, Kṛṣṇa, said, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). Aham, this aham word is applicable to a person, person. And person means living force. So Caitanya-caritāmṛta means that living force is a person, and His caritra, His characteristic, this is Caitanya. And that is amṛta. Amṛta means not dead matter. Mṛta means dead, and amṛta means not dead, living force. So he is living force; his characteristics are also living force; and they are, because living force, they are amṛta.
We have explained this truth yesterday according to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's declaration, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogaṁ-śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ (CC Madhya 6.254). Puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ. Puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ is Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣaḥ, He is puruṣaḥ, and purāṇaḥ, ādyam, the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. In many Vedic literature Kṛṣṇa is described as the purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ, the oldest. Purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33).
We have explained this truth yesterday according to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's declaration, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogaṁ-śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ (CC Madhya 6.254). Puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ. Puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ is Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣaḥ, He is puruṣaḥ, and purāṇaḥ, ādyam, the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. In many Vedic literature Kṛṣṇa is described as the purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ, the oldest. Purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). Although He is the oldest of all, still, He is always like fresh youth, nava-yauvanaṁ ca. So how it is possible? They are trying to understand God. Sometimes they paint the picture of God as very old man. Because He is the original person, so by this time He must have become very old. This is imagination. This is not actually the form of the Lord. The form of the Lord is there in the Brahma-saṁhitā and other Vedic literatures.
Yesterday we discussed about pūrṇāiśvarya, saṅkarṣaṇākhyam, nityānanda-rāmam, the Deity, the superintending Deity of the spiritual world. Here also, anywhere, the master is Kṛṣṇa in His different forms. So just like for management we expand some secretaries, or personal representatives, similarly there is good management also in Kṛṣṇa's affairs. The original person is Kṛṣṇa, and His expansions, they are also as good as Kṛṣṇa, but departmental.
So actually the original person for material creation, Mahā-Viṣṇu, through the agency of māyā, He has created. Māyayā sṛjaty adaḥ. All this cosmic manifestation is created in that way. Those who are not devotee, they cannot see that over the chunk, total material energy, there is the vision of Mahā-Viṣṇu. That they cannot see. Just like you'll find on the ground, so many flowers and grasses are coming up. How? By the sunrise, the glance of the sun. Where there is no sunshine, there the vegetables do not grow. We have got practical experience.
In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that, although He's the oldest personality, ādyam, because He's the original person from whom everything has come out. Everything has generated. So we living entities, we are also sons and grandsons of that Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the Brahma-saṁhitā says although He's the oldest person... In the Bhagavad-gītā He is stated by Arjuna as great-grandfather. Prapitāmahaś ca. You'll find this word in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
Purāṇa means very old. Kṛṣṇa, being the original person, ādi-puruṣam... Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. Ādi means original. So you do not think that he might have become very, very old. Because our material conception... Sometimes we paint picture: "God is the original person. Then He must be very old. He must have grown so much white, gray hairs." No. The Vedic knowledge says, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam (Bs. 5.33). The oldest man, but nava-yauvanaṁ ca, always just like a young man, sixteen to twenty years old. That is called nava-yauvana.
Our beginning is from God, but God has no beginning. Anādi. Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam, although the forms are many millions and trillions. Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam, ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam. Ādyam, original. Therefore the oldest person. Kṛṣṇa, God is the original person; therefore the oldest person. Still nava-yauvanaṁ ca. But still He's always youth, youthful. Vedeṣu durlabha. To search out Kṛṣṇa by academic education, by mental speculation, by pursuits of different types of knowledge is not possible.
That goddess of fortune means they are most beautiful, and everything is complete, that such a place and such abode and such activities are described about Kṛṣṇa.
- cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-
- lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam
- lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
And that Personality of Godhead, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, is the original person. As in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, "Who is Brahman? What is Brahman? What is the Absolute Truth?"
Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, and His complexion of the body is blackish, just like new clouds. He is not that complexion light; He is blackish, Kṛṣṇa, and..., but He is so beautiful, all-attractive. Here, of course, in this material world, blackish we do not like; we want fair complexion. But Kṛṣṇa, the original person, He is blackish, but not blackish like this. Kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham. His beauty is surpassing many millions of Cupids. You have heard the name of Cupid. He is a very enchanting person, loving person, but here it is descibed, kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ.
Everyone is worshiping somebody. Somebody is worshiping his wife, somebody is worship..., worshiping his husband, somebody is worshiping the leader of the country, somebody is worshiping something, something, something. And if anyone has nothing, then somebody is worshiping a dog, a cat. But we are worshiping the original person, Kṛṣṇa. Just see our position. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. We are not flattering ordinary things. We have captured the original. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.
There are many instances, and those who are following, the students in, in our society, ask them how they love others, how they love everyone, because they are..., they are trying to love Kṛṣṇa. So govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. Therefore our process is, try to love the original person. And as soon as you become an expert lover... You will find in, in our Back to Godhead there is a picture that a hunter, after being initiated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is loving even the ants. Those who have seen our Kṛṣṇa pictures. Have you got Back to Godhead here? You can show picture?
Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Govindam, Lord Kṛṣṇa, ādi-puruṣa, the original person. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that Brahman... athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is Brahman? In this human form of life this is the business, to understand what is Brahman. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja says that apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām.
Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. We are worshiping the original person, ādi-puruṣam. Original person... As we are all persons, our origin is also a person. We should always understand this. Ādi-puruṣam. The same example. Unless my forefather was a person, how his son, his son, his son—I am the last—we are persons? So the original father, the supreme father, or God, or Kṛṣṇa, must be a person, not imperson. We should always remember. Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.
Ādyam: the original person. Just like in our genealogical table, in each family, there is a person who is the origin of the family—then his son, his son, his grandsons, great-grandson. In this way, family expands. Similarly, this creation is from Kṛṣṇa. In the Catuh-ślokī Bhāgavata also, aham eva āsam agre: (SB 2.9.33/34/35/36) "I was present before the creation." Even Śaṅkarācārya, who is impersonalist, he also says, nārāyaṇaḥ paro avyaktād: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, He is beyond this material creation."
From the avyakta, nonmanifested material mahat-tattva, this material creation has been, become possible. Before the material creation, beyond the material creation, there is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the Brahma-saṁhitā, Lord Brahmā is describing Kṛṣṇa in each verse: govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Govindam ādi-puruṣam. He's the original person.
Saṅkarṣaṇa is expansion of Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is expansion of another Saṅkarṣaṇa, and that Saṅkarṣaṇa is expansion of Baladeva. And Baladeva is expansion of Kṛṣṇa. You'll find in the śāstras. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. It is not that some artist has manufactured a fashionable Kṛṣṇa, and we worship that. No. Kṛṣṇa's the original person. We find it, description, in the Saṁhitās, in the Vedas, in the Ṛg Veda: oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. And the explanation of Vedānta-sūtra, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there it is explained: janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Because Vedānta-sūtra begins with this aphorism: janmādy asya yataḥ.
Festival Lectures
Kṛṣṇa is the original, ādi-puruṣaṁ. Ādyaṁ Purāṇa-puruṣam nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). He is the original person. Then must be very old? No. Adyam purāṇa puruṣam nava-yauvanam ca. Always fresh youth. That is Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, you have seen the picture, He's just like a boy of twenty years or, at most, twenty-four years old. But at that time, He had great-grandchildren. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is always youth. Navayauvanam ca.
I may be cause of my son, but I am also result of the cause, my father. But the śāstra says that anādir ādir, He is the original person, but He has no cause. That is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa says that janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). The advent of Kṛṣṇa, it is very important thing. We should try to understand Kṛṣṇa, why He advents, why He comes on this material world, what is His business, what are His activities. If we simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then what is the result? The result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). You get that immortality.
Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, ādi-puruṣa, the original person, He is taking various forms. Rāmādi-murtiṣu specially. Three Rāma: Paraśurāma, Balarāma, and Daśarathi Rāma. So this Rāma means enjoyment. So Kṛṣṇa's enjoyment... It does not mean, Kṛṣṇa has appeared as the boar; it does not mean He is suffering. Everything is ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis (Bs. 5.37). Sometimes a big man becomes a horse.
Just like Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Being. He must be very old because He is the original person. But the Brahma-saṁhitā says, advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣa nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). Purāṇa-puruṣa, the oldest person, but you will find Him nava-yauvanaṁ ca, always a fresh youth. That is God. God is not a material, that it gets old. The body gets old.
Initiation Lectures
So the Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu is the same thing. Kṛṣṇa is the original person of all viṣṇu-tattva. So anyone who is keeping himself always in touch with the vibration of Kṛṣṇa consciousness—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—that is the only, I mean to say, guaranteed platform where you can keep yourself purified without any material contamination. And in this purified state, if we can leave this body ultimately, then there is no doubt we enter into the supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead.
Govinda means who gives pleasure to the cows, who gives pleasure to the senses. He's Govinda. Go means..., another meaning is earth. So He gives pleasure. Kṛṣṇa is all pleasure potency. And ādi-puruṣa. Ādi-puruṣam, original person. (sound) What is that? (pause) Ādi-puruṣa, original person. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). (aside:) Why don't you sit down? Sit down. Ādi, original; puruṣa, person. The origin... Unless the origin of everything is a person, how so many persons are coming? Every one of us, all living entities, either man or animal or demigod, even trees, plants, they're all persons. Everyone, individual person.
He's the original creature within this universe. He's recommending that "My origin is also a person." Ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi: "I worship that original person." Therefore the origin of everything, the Absolute, the summum bonum, cannot be impersonal. What is the reason? Where is the experience that from imperson a person comes? There is no such instance within our experience. From person, a person comes. My father is a person, so I am a person. His father is a person; therefore my father is a person. Go on searching, you'll find the original person. Try to understand this philosophy. The whole world is impersonal.
Ādi means original learned person, learned creature, he's person. And his origin also person. Brahmā's description is there. I forget that verse now. The purport of that verse is that Brahmā, the first creature, he's also receiving knowledge from the ādi person, ādi person, or original person. Tene. That is described in Bhāgavatam. Brahma... Brahma means jñāna, knowledge. Brahma-jñāna. Tene brahma. People may doubt how Brahmā can learn. "He's the original creature. Where is the other person? A spiritual master is also person.
Our, this body, is not full of bliss; full of miseries. So how God can be a person like you? Therefore sometimes He is described as impersonal. Otherwise God is a person. He's a person like us, and He's the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So those who are in poor fund of knowledge, they can understand that the Absolute Truth is a person. Therefore we have to take lessons from Brahmā, the supreme poet, or learned person, who is the original person. And he says: govindam, govindam ādi-puruṣam. And he says, tam ahaṁ bhajāmi: "I worship."
General Lectures
Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (repeats several times, devotees trying to sing along). The meaning of this line is govindam, the Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, and govindam ādi-puruṣam. Ādi-puruṣam means the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam, "unto You," bhajāmi, "I offer my respectful obeisances." This is the meaning. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.
So our program is to worship with love and devotion Govinda, the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are teaching people to love Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Our program is to love, to place your love in the proper place. That is our program. Everyone wants to love, but he is being frustrated on account of his love being misplaced. People do not understand it.
Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (devotees respond) So our program is to worship the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, find out who is the original person. Naturally, everyone is anxious to find out the original person of a family, original person of a society, original person of a nation, original person of humanity... You go on, searching. But if you can find out the original person from whom everything has come out, that is Brahman. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is that from whom everything has emanated. Very simple description. What is God, what is the Absolute Truth, very simple definition—the original person.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to approach the original person. The original person is not dead, because everything emanates from the original person, so everything is working very nicely. The sun is rising, the moon is rising, the seasons are changing, so..., there is night, there is day, just in the order. So the function of the body of the original person is going on nicely. How you can say that God is dead? Just like in your body, when the physician finds by feeling your pulse that the heart beating is going on nicely, he does not declare that "This man is dead." He says, "Yes, he is alive." Similarly, if you are intelligent enough, you can feel the pulse of the universal body—and it is going on nicely. So how you can say God is dead? God is never dead.
Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (audience responds) Somebody is helping him? Yes, it is all... So we are interested in capturing the original person. (chuckles) We are not interested with any subordinate. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. But if one can capture the original person, then he captures everyone. Just like the same example. In the Vedas it is said in the Upaniṣad, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If you can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the Absolute Truth, then you understand everything. There is no need of understanding separately.
So we are worshiping Govindam, the reservoir of all pleasures, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa. And He is ādi-puruṣaṁ, the original person. So govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Bhajāmi means "I worship," "I surrender unto Him and I agree to love Him." These are the terms offered by hymns by Brahmā. That Brahma-saṁhitā is a, considerably a large book. The first verse in the Fifth Chapter it is said that the Lord, Govinda, He has got His particular planet, which is known as Goloka Vṛndāvana. It is beyond this material sky.
So we are worshiping the ādi-puruṣa, the first person. Generally, in grammatical knowledge, first person means "I." Here, first person means "the Supreme Lord," ādi-puruṣa, the original person, not the first person, original person. The original person is in the original planet. There is the original planet. Just like here the original planet, scientists accept the sun. Similarly, the sun is also one of the millions of many other suns. There are millions of sun. So sun, in the estimation of this universe, is the original planet.
So we are worshiping Govindam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original person. So this sound, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi, is reaching Him. He is hearing. You cannot say that He is not hearing. Can you say? No. Especially in this scientific age, when television, radio messages are broadcast thousands and thousands of miles away, and you can hear, now why can you...? Why Kṛṣṇa cannot hear your prayer, sincere prayer? How can you say it? Nobody can deny it.
God, Kṛṣṇa, He's the original person because from the original father, you can take, from whom everyone has come. Therefore He's the oldest. Advaitam acyutam anādim ādyam. Ādyam means the original person. Man is made after God; therefore God is original person. So that person ādyam, acyutam, anādim, nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca means He is always a young man. Just like you are all young men, attractive. Young life is attractive. So that youthful age is always in the spiritual world. And as the youthful means joyful life, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt... (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12).
So Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. Sarvasya means including all other demigods. Even Brahma, Lord Śiva, and even Viṣṇu, they are emanations from Kṛṣṇa. We have got in the Vedic literature how Kṛṣṇa is the original person. Therefore Arjuna accepted, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). And the Gosvāmīs, the Six Gosvāmīs, they have analyzed Kṛṣṇa's characteristics, Nārāyaṇa's characteristics, Lord Śiva's characteristics, Lord Brahmā's characteristics. They have analyzed very scrutinizingly everything and they have found it that Kṛṣṇa is cent percent God.
Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nobody can be His father. He is the original person. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Who can be His father? But when He appears on this material world, He accepts one of His devotee as His father, one of His devotee as mother, in this way. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is very much satisfied when His name..., when He is joined with His devotee's name.
Prahlāda Mahārāja says that yad eva. Yad eva, yathā hi purusasya iha viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam, yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt. He has particularly mentioned the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. Kṛṣṇa is the original person of Viṣṇu-tattva. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). So He is the origin of the three demigods, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Brahmā is born of Viṣṇu, and Śiva is born of Brahmā. Therefore... And Viṣṇu is born of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is the original person. Ātmeśvaraḥ, ātmeśvaraḥ viṣṇoḥ. Priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt. Kṛṣṇa says that He is suhṛt. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati.
Kṛṣṇa has explained that Īśvara, the Supreme Lord... He is the Supreme Lord. He says that Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, lives in everyone's heart, and He also lives there as paramātmā, cinmakarundaya. So the paramātmā and the ātmā both are living within the heart. Cinmakarundaya kṛṣṇāya. So Paramātmā is partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa, and jīvātmā is separated part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is the original person, Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Therefore Vyāsadeva says that the original person, or the Absolute Truth, must be conscious. (Sanskrit). Directly and indirectly He knows everything. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also said, vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). Kṛṣṇa knows everything, past, present and future. That is also explained in the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, where Kṛṣṇa said that "Long, long ago I spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god." Vivasvān manave prāha imaṁ ivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam. "This version of Bhagavad-gītā, avyayam, inexhaustible knowledge, was first spoken by Me to the sun-god."
He is the master of all mystic powers, Yogeśvara. So He can expand Himself in many forms, multiforms. That is explained. Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam. Ananta-rūpam. Ādyam, but He is the original person. Purāṇa-puruṣam, the oldest person, because He is the original. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca, but He is still young man. You have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa. You will never see Kṛṣṇa as old man. When Kṛṣṇa was in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra... You have seen the picture. Kṛṣṇa is driving the chariot of Arjuna. At that time His age was not less than hundred years. He had great-grandchildren. But you have seen the picture. He was looking like a boy of sixteen to twenty years.
Just like you are caused by your father. Your father is caused by his father. His father is cause of... In this way go on researching, researching, then you come to Brahmā, the original person in this universe. Then Brahmā is also caused by Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. The Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is caused by Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. The Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is caused by Saṅkarṣaṇa. Saṅkarṣaṇa is caused by Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa caused by Baladeva. Baladeva is caused by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the origin, cause, of everyone. He has no cause. He has no source. He is the original source of everything.
Just like I am born; the cause is my father. And the cause of my father—his father, my grandfather. And go on searching—his father, his father, his father—and then you'll have to reach the original person, Brahmā. Then if you find, or try to find out who is the cause of Brahmā, then you'll find that this cause is the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And what is the cause of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu? Then you'll find Kāraṇa, Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the cause is Saṅkarṣaṇa. In this way, you will find, ultimately, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cause of all causes.
So if we calculate the age of Manu, it comes to the point of forty millions of years. So Kṛṣṇa said that forty millions of years ago, at least, He spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god, Vivasvān. The name of the predominating deity in the sun planet is Vivasvān. His son, Manu, Vaivasvata Manu... His son, Ikṣvāku, the original person in the dynasty Sūrya-vaṁśa, in which Lord Rāmacandra appeared, Ikṣvāku... So in this way this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is coming since a very, very long time.
Departure Talks
Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So we are worshiping the original person, Govinda. People are embarrassed to find out the cause of all causes. The scientists, the philosophers, they are embarrassed, the religionists. But we have got information of the original cause.
In the Vedānta-sūtra, Vedic language, it is said, "If you know simply Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you know everything. All knowledge is perfect." So try to understand Kṛṣṇa; then all other categorical knowledge will be revealed. Spiritually, knowledge is revealed. By material senses we try to acquire knowledge, but that is always, remains imperfect. And if you receive knowledge from the original person, then your knowledge is perfect.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: But this demon that haunts me, that is another personality besides my real personality.
Prabhupāda: That is not a... Personality, I am. Just like delirium, the same personality, but he's talking nonsense in delirium. If you remove the delirium condition, then he becomes again the original person. Delirium is not person.
Purports to Songs
We have to acquire the spiritual strength. No amount of material strength can help me in the advancement of spiritual life. We must derive the spiritual strength. Just like we have to take electricity from the powerhouse by directly connecting with the powerhouse. Not the wiring but the electricity. Similarly, this disciplic succession means the strength is descending from the original person through the spiritual master. That is the idea. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura explains that "When Nitāicānd will be pleased?" And the result of such pleasure of Nitāicānd is that one becomes free from all desires for material enjoyment.
Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is offering his obeisances to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, speaking like this, that "You are the same original person, Kṛṣṇa. But You have now assumed the form of Kṛṣṇa caitanya just to teach vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam. You have come to teach the mass of people the art of becoming detached to this material world." Vairāgya-vidyā. Vairāgya. Rāgya means attachment and virāga means detachment. So we fallen souls, conditioned souls, we are very much attached to this material body, and consequently, material world. This is the disease.
| Page Title: | Original person (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, Serene |
| Created: | 11 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=129, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 129 |