He eats. But we do not know how He is eating. That is a spiritual process. That is answered in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). He has got... Because He is omnipotent. Every part of His body has got all the potencies of other parts of the body. Therefore you offer with faith and love to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, simply by seeing, He can eat. Because aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. We can see with our eyes. We cannot eat with our eyes, but Kṛṣṇa can eat with His eyes, and He can see with His tongue. He can hear with His hair. That is Kṛṣṇa. Omnipotency. We say all this, "omnipotency." How He is omnipotent, when you discuss, then we fail. This is omnipotency. Every part of His body has got the potency of other part. That is Kṛṣṇa. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). Why? Ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya. Because His body is not this body, this material body. Ānanda-cinmaya. Therefore don't think that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, stone." No. Because stone is also part of His body. So this is the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa. One has to learn. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. So this is not stone worship. It is Kṛṣṇa, personally present.
Parts of the body (SB Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"bodily part"
|"bodily parts"
|"body part"
|"body parts"
|"part of a body"
|"part of body"
|"part of her body"
|"part of his body"
|"part of my body"
|"part of one's body"
|"part of our body"
|"part of the body"
|"part of your body"
|"parts of a body"
|"parts of body"
|"parts of her body"
|"parts of his body"
|"parts of my body"
|"parts of our body"
|"parts of the body"
|"parts of your body"
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So as everything has got some particular characteristic, similarly we living entities, we must have some particular characteristic. And what is that? That is dharma and jñāna, to understand. Jñāna means knowledge: "What I am? Am I this body, or I am something else?" But if we study, if we meditate on this body... You study every part of your body. Take for example this finger. If you think, "Am I this finger?" the answer will be "No, it is my finger." Similarly, you study any part of your body. You will find that the part of body belongs to you. You'll say, "It is my leg, my hand, my hair, my nose." So many things, "my." Then where is the "I"? That is called jñāna. That is knowledge. Everything is "my," but where I am? Where I am?
Just like the finger is the part and parcel of your body. It has got a natural position. The natural position is that finger, as you wish to work, the finger works, serves you. The different parts of your body, limbs, they are meant for serving the whole body. The finger catches a nice foodstuff, cake, but the finger does not use it. The finger takes it to the mouth. That means finger serves the body. Similarly, dharma means the living entity, being part and parcel of God, the living entity must serve God. That is dharma.
The best example is you give me nice a foodstuff, rasagullā. The fingers catches it, but it cannot enjoy directly. That is not possible. It must give to the stomach, and when it is given to the stomach, the energy produced by eating that foodstuff is distributed not only in this finger but in other fingers and other parts of the body.
It may be a very important soul's body, a great scientist's body, but the body is not the scientist, the soul is the scientist. The body is instrumental. Just like I want to catch something, so the hand is my instrument. Therefore in Sanskrit word, these different parts of the body, limbs, they are called karaṇa. Karaṇa means, karaṇa means acting, by which we act, karaṇa. So na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31), we are now illusioned under the concept of this body. That is also described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13), ātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape, kuṇape means bag.
There is no argument. And another example is given. Prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām. You give food to the stomach, and the energy will be distributed to all the parts of your body. If you want to serve separately, two sweetmeats to the two eyes and two sweetmeats to ears, in this way, it will be simply useless waste of time. Simply one sweetmeat, if you put into the stomach, and immediately you will feel some energy which will be enjoyed by your eyes, by your ears, by your nose, your hands, your legs, your hair, everything. This is the process.
So in the Naimiṣāraṇya, the resolution was made like this, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. So everyone has got his dharma, particular duty: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. So one must be intelligent enough whether by his, by the discharge of his particular duty he has satisfied Kṛṣṇa. Then he has satisfied Kṛṣṇa. Just like the different parts of the body, their duty is how to keep this body fit. That means to keep the body satisfied. Fit means when everything, all the metabolism, organization of the body, is going nicely, then it is fit. And as soon as there is some discrepancies in the regular process...
This is the life. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you understand that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, even my hands and legs, they also belong to Kṛṣṇa, all the parts of my body, they belong to Kṛṣṇa, then it should be used for Kṛṣṇa," that is called bhakti.
Just like in this body there is brain. Brain is very important, and leg is not so important. But it is important, because if the leg does not help you to move, simply brain, how it will help? So there is cooperation. Although the brain is the most important part of the body, still leg is required, hand is required, the belly is also required, everything is required. We do not avoid anything. We do not say "Stop this." No. Everything is required, just like we have discovered this microphone. Yes, it is required, we are taking advantage of it and speaking nicely about Kṛṣṇa.
Just like pouring water in the root of the tree, automatically you water the branches, the twigs, the leaves, the flowers, and everything. This is the way. Prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām. You supply foods to the stomach, and automatically the energy will be distributed to other parts of the body. You do not require to supply food to the eyes, to the ear, to the nose. No. Simply supply food to the stomach and the energy will be distributed. Similarly, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you simply satisfy Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you satisfy all others.
I am the part and parcel of the supreme consciousness. Therefore my duty is to act according to the supreme consciousness." Just like your hand is the part of your body. Now, it is moving according to my consciousness. The hand is not moving in its own way. As I want, that let the hand be moved, let my legs be moved, let my eye be opened and see, so I am dictating and these parts are working. Similarly we are all parts and parcel, parcel of the supreme consciousness.
God, as it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. His every limb of the body is as good as the other part of the body. Just like we have got our eyes. With eyes we can see, but we cannot eat. But God can do that. He can see, eat also, through the eyes. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. He can hear with eyes. He can eat with His ear. He can see with His tongue. That is God. Every part of the body is equally good as other part of the body. That is called Absolute Truth. Our, this body, is relative. I cannot see... I am, if I close my eyes, I cannot see with my hand. But Kṛṣṇa can do that.
So "We are not going to marry and beget children." So Brahmā was angry. So when he was angry, then Lord Śiva, Rudra, from his eyes generated. In higher circle the generation can be produced from any part of the body. But we cannot understand. We simply know one part wherefrom the generation comes. No. In higher circle... Just like many living entities came out from Brahmā's nostril, eyes, ear. Just like Lord Brahmā himself came out from the navel of Viṣṇu.
The caste system is that there is a class of men who are intelligent, very intelligent, educationist, philosopher, scientist. They are called brāhmaṇas. That's all. The intelligent class of the society... Just like my head is the most important part of my body. Why? Because from the head all intelligence is coming. If you cut my hand, I will exist. If you cut my leg, I will exist. But if you cut my head, oh, there is no existence. Therefore, as there is the important part of this body, the head, similarly, those who are giving intelligence to the society, they are called brāhmaṇas.
God is person, but His personality is distinct from our personality. So these specific marks are there on His lotus feet. And paṅkaja-nābhāya, another meaning, paṅkaja-nābhāya means originally a lotus stem came out from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and Brahmā was born in that lotus flower, the origin of creation. So Kṛṣṇa's all parts of the body, as reference to the paṅkaja. Paṅkaja means lotus flower. Paṅka means mud, and ja means generate. Paṅkaja, the lotus flower, is so important. Still, it is generated from mud.
You may say, "Not seeing." Acakṣuḥ. He does not place His eyesight, but still, He's seeing. How it is? Now, He can see from any part of His body. Just like I close my eyes—I cannot see you. My seeing activities stop. But because, although I am, I have closed my eyes, but my hands are there. So Kṛṣṇa can see by hands, by nails. That is Kṛṣṇa. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti... This very word is used, paśyanti. The limbs of the body of Kṛṣṇa, any part, He can see. Although He may close His eyes, but because other parts of the body are open, therefore He can see. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti.
Generally take birth from the vagina. But Nārāyaṇa is all-powerful. He begets a child from the navel. This is all-powerful, omnipotency. Why? Why it is so happened? That is Nārāyaṇa. Every part of the body has got every potency. That is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. Aṅgāni, the different parts of the... That is spiritual body. The different parts of the body of Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa has got all the potencies.
So this is the Supreme Personality's omnipotency. He does not require the help of another woman to beget child. Even Brahmā, he has given birth to so many children not through woman but from his different parts of the body. So this we cannot conceive, because we are materially impeded. We cannot understand this is possible. So possibility and impossibility does not depend on our understanding. We have to take knowledge from the authority. Here, in the Vedic literature, we understand that Brahmā was born directly from the father. So we have to accept it. That is called Vedic knowledge. You cannot argue. That is possible. That is omnipotency. All potencies are there.
The aim is to satisfy Viṣṇu. We should always remember this fact, that we are eternally servant, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. As I have given many times the example, there are so many parts of the body, but what are they meant for? To satisfy the belly. You are walking, you are catching, you are thinking, you are doing so many things—what is the aim? The aim is satisfy the stomach. You cook, you earn hard money, and then you purchase goods and cook nicely and put it into the stomach. Is it not? So that...
There is a story in the Hitopadeśa: Udarendriyāṇām. Udara. Udara means this belly, abdomen, and indriya means senses. Udarendriyāṇām. What is that? All the different parts of the body, hands, legs, fingers and everyone, they held a meeting, that "We are working day and night, and this rascal abdomen is sitting down and eating only. (laughter) He is doing nothing. We are collecting everything, and putting into the stomach, and he is eating, very..., sitting nice.
So strike: 'We shall not work.' So strike." Udara... Udara said, "All right, you strike. What can I do? I cannot work. You can strike." So they did not work. Did not work means there was no food, no food given to the stomach. They..., gradually they became weak. The indriyas, the different parts of the body, they became weak, because if there is..., if you cannot eat, naturally you shall be... Then again, next meeting they held that "What is this? Why we are becoming weak?" Then they decided that "The stomach must be given, sir. We have to work."
This is our position. Kṛṣṇa is bhoktā, and we are parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. That means we have to work for Kṛṣṇa. This is a fact. If you don't work for Kṛṣṇa, then you'll starve. That is the position. But these rascals, they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Exactly in the same way as these rascals, different parts of the body, limbs, they did not know that "Without satisfying the stomach, we shall die," similarly these rascals, these karmīs, these, those who have come to this material world, they do not know that without conscious, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without satisfying Kṛṣṇa, they'll simply starve. Struggle for existence. Kliśyanti. Simply their labor will be frustrated. That is the philosophy.
Kṛṣṇa is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. Each and every part, limb of Kṛṣṇa, has got the capacity of other parts. We, by our eyes part of our body, we can simply see. But Kṛṣṇa, by seeing, can make others pregnant. That is Kṛṣṇa. There is no need, use of sex life. There is no... Simply by Kṛṣṇa's glancing... Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Adhyakṣeṇa, adhi-akṣeṇa. Akṣa means eyes.
The same story, udarendriyāṇām, that all our parts of limbs, parts of the body, limbs, and senses, they are working hard, very hard. What is the aim? To fill up the stomach. There is no other aim. Everyone is working so hard only for filling up the stomach. Udarendriyāṇām. Similarly, we, being... Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.
This should be stopped. Prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām. Just like the parts of my body, they are indriya, senses. The senses are satisfied, the different parts of my body is satisfied when there is food satisfaction in the stomach. If your stomach is hungry, then how you can be satisfied? You cannot be satisfied. Even there is various arrangement for your sense gratification, but if you are hungry, then you'll not be satisfied.
He loves His great devotee, He loves the cows, He loves the calves, He loves the trees, fruits, flowers, water, everything, because everything is manifestation of His energy. Just like you love any part of your body. Not that if there is some pain on your head, you take very much care, and when there is pain on your toe, you do not take care. No. You spend as much money for the pain of headache. Similarly, you can spend as much money when there is some pain on the toe.
Their business is cooperation. We can study from our own body. There are different parts of the body, but it is a business of cooperation. Hand, legs, eyes, ears, nose, they are all cooperating for the upkeep of the body. Similarly, all living entities—may be in different types of bodies—they are meant for cooperating in the matter of serving the Supreme Lord, central point. (aside:) Just see the...
So sometimes a snake charmer, they mix milk with banana and give them to eat for their satisfaction. But the result? What is the result? Result is as soon as he becomes strong by eating, the poison teeth becomes filled with poison. Just like with our healthy body, our different nerves and parts of the body become healthy, similarly, the snake's most important part of the body... They have got a teeth. They keep... Within the pocket of the teeth there is venomous poison. So when they bite, from the hole of that teeth, the poison is emitted, and the man dies or the animal dies. But this is a fact.
Otherwise, one who is convinced that "I am not this body," then where is the necessity of exercising the body? But it is meant for a person who is too much absorbed in bodily concept of life. For him, this yogic practice is recommended, that by mechanical practice of the different parts of the body, the air within the body, one can control the senses. And unless the senses are controlled... The whole thing is sense. Therefore consciousness, it depends on the senses, purifying the senses. Spirit soul is eternal, so his senses are eternal. You cannot stop the activities of his senses. That is not possible.
They are all required. You cannot say that simply legs will do. What about the head and arms? "I don't require." That is not... That is dead body. That is dead body. Any part of the body, you cannot miss. They must be all in order; then your body is fit. Similarly, in the human society, the social body, there must be these classes: the head class, the arm class, the belly class and the leg class.
It is said clearly, and we can understand that when I meditate upon my body, actually what I am. So if one is deep thinker, he'll immediately understand that "I am not this body." Take, for example, study on this finger; and if you think, "I am this finger"? No, you'll come to the conclusion, "It is my finger." Any part of your body, you study; you'll never agree that "I am this." It is "I am in possession of this." We say also, "My body, my finger, my head, my hand." And where is that "I"? You are simply thinking, "My, my, my, my," but where is that "I"? But they have no brain. And still, they're passing on as great philosopher, great scientist, and getting Nobel Prize.
Simply taking care of this body. But here Parīkṣit Mahārāja, now he knows that "Taking part of the body is now finished; I have to take care of the soul." Therefore he wanted to ask from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, "Now what I have to do? Shall I fully think of Kṛṣṇa?" Because he was a Kṛṣṇa devotee. Naturally, he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). A devotee, he always thinks of Kṛṣṇa. That is devotee.
We are teaching that. Try to love God, and if you love God, if you love Kṛṣṇa, then automatically you love everybody. That is the perfection of love. The example is just like if you love your stomach, if you supply nice food to your stomach, that means you love all the parts of your body. If you supply foodstuff in the stomach, the energy is distributed in all parts of the body. That means you love all parts of the body. If you love the tree, you pour water on the root and the water is distributed to the branches, fruits, flowers, leaves, everywhere.
That thing which is pervading all over your body. And what is that thing? That is consciousness. So long there is consciousness, you feel either from this part of this body or this part of the body or this part of the..., anywhere you pinch, because the consciousness is there, you feel, "Oh, it is painful," or it is pleasure. There are two kinds of feelings: painful or pleasure. And that is due to consciousness. And this consciousness is there in every body, but they are in degrees.
Pradyumna: Purport: "Devotional service to the Lord is rendered by all limbs or parts of the body. It is the transcendental dynamic force of the spirit soul. Therefore a devotee is engaged one hundred percent in the service of the Lord. One can engage in devotional service when the senses of the body are purified in relation with the Lord. And one can render service to the Lord with the help of all senses. As such, the senses and the action of the senses are to be considered as impure or materialistic as long as they are employed in sense gratification only."
Prabhupāda: The same earholes, you hear some radio message, some materialistic news, some advertisement, so many things you can hear. And in the same earholes, you can hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. So the hearing is there.
Just like if (you) put your eatables into the stomach, so the stomach is satisfied and all the servants, the hands, legs, and others who acquire their foodstuff and put into the mouth, they are also satisfied, automatically. The hands, legs, fingers, eyes—every part of my body, immediately satisfied. Yathā prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām. We are, at the present moment in the material existence, we are trying to be satisfied. That is also... The example is there.
The Hindi, there is a pe kaste, sat.(?) So similarly, we should work for Kṛṣṇa. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore we should work for Kṛṣṇa. I can repeat the same story again: udarendriyāṇām. The indriyas, the different parts of the body, because they were working hard, and the stomach within the abdomen, he's simply eating, so they went on strike: "We shall no more work. This part is only simply..., this man is simply eating, and we are working. We shall not work." They stopped work. The indriyas, they stopped work.
There are different demigods controlling different parts of the body. So that means as soon as we get a body, we become indebted to the demigods. Then, when we are educated, we take knowledge. Then we become indebted to the great sages, saintly persons, who have given us all the directions how to live comfortably, sinlessly. Then devarṣi-bhūta. Bhūta, ordinary, general living beings.
Kṛṣṇa's hand and Kṛṣṇa's leg not different. Just like we have got difference: this left hand is different from the right hand; the nose is different from the ear. We have got. Because this is called sagata-vigata-vibheda(?). Kṛṣṇa hasn't got that thing. That is called Absolute. It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. Aṅgāni, we have got different parts of the body, limbs, for different purposes. But Kṛṣṇa can serve any purpose from any limbs of His body. Kṛṣṇa can eat by seeing only. Kṛṣṇa can go by thinking only.
It is automatically done. If you supply food to the stomach, then you do not require to feed the eyes, hands, legs, separately. There is no need; neither it is possible to give separate, I mean to say, food, materials for nourishing the different parts of the body. One place is sufficient. Similarly, if we worship Kṛṣṇa, the source of everything, the root of everything... Aham ādir hi yajñānām, devānām, deva-yajña.
So sa aikṣata. The Vedic information is... Sa asṛjata. We gives seeds with a particular part of the body, but Mahā-Viṣṇu, simply by glancing over the material nature, mahat-tattva, He impregnates the material nature with so many living entities. Sa asṛjata, sa aikṣata. These are the information.
So this pleasure potency is there. So how? Then pleasure potency, we can enjoy in cooperation with Kṛṣṇa, in conjunction with Kṛṣṇa. The same thing: just like this body, the finger. The finger is part of the body. The finger can enjoy pleasure so long attached with the body. If the finger is cut off from the body, there is no more pleasure.
A third person is required to awaken: "Mr. such and such, get up, get up, get up! The man is coming to kill you." So the ear is open, although the man is sleeping, all other parts of the body, limbs of the body are inactive. So the ear is open. So therefore the Vedic mantras are called śruti. We have to hear the mantra, Vedic mantra. Just like if a man is bitten by snake, he is caused to hear the snake charmer's mantra—still there are—so that he can become awakened.
Therefore bhagavad-vīrya-sambhavāt. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. Vīryatā we can understand as semina discharged from the genital. It is not like that. Vīryatā, that vīrya or that energy, can be emanated from any part of the body, of the transcendental spiritual body, everywhere. That is called omnipotency. So just like Lord Brahmā was born not from the womb of Lakṣmī Nārāyaṇa... Nārāyaṇa was lying down, and Lakṣmī was present.
He sprouted a lotus flower from His navel, and there was Brahmā. So everything is possible from every part of the body, transcendental body. That is spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), omnipotent. That is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. The limbs and the parts of the body has got the potency of any other limb. Just like we can beget child, we can impregnate by the genital, but it is not required for the Supreme Personality of God.
It is not possible to worship all the incarnations, all the demigods, all the parts and limbs and parts of the body of the Kṛṣṇa, but simply by surrendering to Him, the origin of Saṅkarṣaṇa, you can worship everyone. And it is very easy. It is not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He can accept the surrendering and service even of the poorest of the poorest. Ahaituky apratihatā. If you want to become devotee of God, Kṛṣṇa, no material things can check.
Actually, you have got obligation, so many obligation. All the demigods, they are supplying different energies, and we are maintained by that energy. Every part of our body is controlled by some particular demigod. Even the eyelids, the twinkling of the eyelids, that is also being controlled. We are supremely under control. So therefore we have got certain obligation. Just like we are controlled by the government. So we have got some obligation also, to pay tax to the government, the income tax.
So we have several times explained, bhakti means to engage all our senses in the service of the Lord. Our sense of seeing, eyes, nose, ears, tongue, hands, legs—everything should be engaged for Kṛṣṇa's service. All different parts of the body can be engaged. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Kṛṣṇa can be served by all our senses according to the direction of the śāstra and guru-sādhu, śāstra, guru. Just like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. He is devotee. We have to follow.
So Kṛṣṇa-līlā is the face of Kṛṣṇa, smiling of Kṛṣṇa. So here we have to practice to see the different parts of the body gradually from down. We first of all see His lotus feet, then gradually... So that is described. The two feet, they are called the first chapter, in the First Canto, Second Canto. In this way we must go. Everything is very scientifically arranged. If we take it in chronologically, according to the instruction of the śāstra, then it will be very easy.
Don't think that Kṛṣṇa or God has no head, no tail. No. Sarvāvayava saṁsthitam. Virāṭa-mūrti. They are repeatedly said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But His avayava, different parts of the body, they are different from our, this material, at the present moment the material conception. That is different. He... Just like we can pick up our foodstuff by this hand. This hand is not just like Kṛṣṇa's hand. Kṛṣṇa's hand appears to be nonmoving.
He appears before us just like a stone idol or statue, but He has got all the capacity of the limbs of the body, sarvāvayava. He has kindly appeared before us so that we can see. Here it is recommended that saṁyujyād aṅge. You have to see each and every part of the body, limb of Kṛṣṇa. That is meditation.
How it is? The practical example I have given several times that in this body there are different parts of the body. The different parts of the body cannot enjoy senses or satisfy independently. The different parts of the body will depend on the whole body. You can catch up an nice cake, foodstuff, but the fingers, the parts of the body, cannot enjoy it. But if the fingers catch it and puts into the mouth, it goes to the stomach. Then there is some secretion from the stomach, and it goes to the heart, it turns into blood, it is transfused in different parts of the body, and immediately your finger becomes red. This is the process. Tapo divyaṁ yena (SB 5.5.1). Sense gratification is there, but through Kṛṣṇa. Then you feel complete sense gratification. Just like the gopīs, perfect. All devotees, but the gopīs are the supreme.
There must be some sense gratification, working. But when we work for our personal sense gratification, that is called māyā. He cannot personally be satisfied without Kṛṣṇa. Just like in this body, different parts of the body, they cannot enjoy independently. If you get nice cake, you have to put it to the stomach; then you'll get energy. And if you want... This finger caught the cake and want to utilize themself, that is not possible. It must give it here.
This is inconceivable. Unless we accept the inconceivable energy of the Lord, there is no question of God. So He can eat by seeing. Aggāni yasya sakalendriya vṛtti-manti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). He can offer you blessing, everything, by one aṅga. By one part of the body He can do everything. This is inconceivable. Adhokṣaja. Therefore another name of God is called adhokṣaja. Akṣaja jñānam adhaḥ kṛta.
You cannot compare with that. In this way, as it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, His body is completely different from our body. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti, we sing every day in the morning. His body is so made that He can do everything and anything by any part of the body. There are many instances. Just like generally we find a person is born from the yoni. Therefore we call sarva-yoni. But Mahā-Viṣṇu or Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṇu, He did not take any help from his wife to give birth to a son, Lord Brahmā. He generated from His navel.
It has got also legs. But the shape has taken according to his desire. Every animal has got these four things. Just like bird, it has got two wings, two legs. The animal has got four legs. And the man has got two hands, two legs. So the same parts of the body, they are appearing in a different type. But the four limbs of the body are there. Hm?
Don't think that it has come like mantra. No. The mantra is like that, but we cannot see how subtle work is going on. If we cannot see even in our body... Suppose there is some injury in your finger or any part of the body. You do not know how subtle work is going on to cure it. Medicine is not cure; medicine is only helping. But there is automatic way of curing.
Or you can become lover of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to establish loving relationship... There is already loving relationship with us, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like father and son. Son is the part of the body of the father. Similarly, the supreme father... So as the relationship between the father and the son cannot be broken... It may be forgotten for some time, but as soon as one knows, "He's my father," and as soon as one knows, "He's my son," immediately affection develops.
Nature's law is so subtle. Uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Bhāgavata says, uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Just like a man is tied up tightly, hands and legs, by the laws of nature we are tied up in that way. Every part of our body is being controlled by some controller. We cannot violate a very insignificant portion of nature's law. Kṛṣṇa is perfect. We think that, we rogues, "Kṛṣṇa cannot see." But Kṛṣṇa has kept so many witnesses, and He is sitting Himself within. How you can hide and seek? No hide and seek.
And that small child, when it is bound up, if that child declares freedom, how it is possible? Similarly, by the laws of mother nature we are bound up. How you can declare freedom? Every part of our body is being controlled by some controller. That is stated in the Bhāgavatam. Even your, this eyelid moving, that is also under some controller.
Otherwise, all the senses are there, but only the ear will help you. The eyes are there, hands are there, legs are there, everything is there—nothing of this limbs of your, part of your body, will help you. Simply your ear will help you when you are in danger. Therefore here it is said, śuśruma: "We have received knowledge through the ears, not with the eyes." Those rascals says, "I want to see practically." He cannot see. That is not possible.
So what is our dharma? Living entities, we are part and parcel of God; we are not separated from God. Just like this finger is not separated from the whole body, a part of the body. So when Kṛṣṇa says that "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel..." Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Not that the part and parcel is differently created. As soon as the body is there, the part and parcel are also there. So what is the duty of the part and parcel? Just like this finger.
If you want to keep up your body in sound condition of... Any part of the body is important. Comparatively, the head is most important. But other parts, you cannot say they are not important. But when there is competition, that "I am the most important. You are nothing," or "I am something. You are nothing," in this way we forget to serve the whole, and that becomes the cause of our falldown.
Similarly, as soon as there is life and there is spirit soul, the focus of the spirit soul, consciousness, must be there. I am present in this body—how I can understand? Because this consciousness. You pinch any part of your body: you feel. This is your consciousness. That means I am present in this body, and as soon as I am away from this body, you may cut this body into pieces—there will be no consciousness. There is no feeling. So our consciousness should be purified.
So you'll find they have got all equipment for sense gratification. Even the smallest, full-stop-like insect. So we were discussing about the mosquito. The mosquito, as soon as he sits down, any part of your body, immediately he injects his, that nozzle, and within a second sucks the blood. Immediately. And if you allow two seconds, then his belly is filled up with blood. Just see the facility. So this life, this mosquito life is that there was strong desire to drink blood, so nature has given the facility, all right. But the body is very, very small.
His body is different. Ānanda cinmāyā rasa pratibhavitabhis (Bs. 5.37). Ānanda-cinmāyā. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya vṛtti-manti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). His aṅgāni, aṅgāni, parts of the body, are described, sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti. I can see with my eyes. My, this special function of my, this part of the body is to see. But Kṛṣṇa, sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti—He can not only see, but He can eat also. That is import. By seeing, we cannot eat, but whatever we offer, if Kṛṣṇa sees, He eats also. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti.
That thing is immortal which is spread all over your body. That thing which is spread all over your body, that is consciousness. If you pinch any part of your body, you'll be conscious that there is some pain. Therefore the Bhagavad-gītā is aiming at this consciousness. And what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the illumination of the soul.
The body is the field of your existence. Just like a cultivator has got a tract of land, a small land which he cultivates in his own way, similarly, we have got this small body and we are called kṣetrajñāḥ, knower of this body. Just like if you study each and every part of your body, you will understand that "It is mine." You will claim this finger as your finger, but you'll not claim other's finger as your finger. But God can claim your finger and my finger as His finger. Kṣetra-jñāṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. It is said, "My dear Arjuna, as individual soul is the proprietor of that individual body, I am also proprietor not of that individual body but all bodies." Everything.
Kṛṣṇa is playing the flute. The fingers are open. A finger touching: "What you are doing?" We do not know the fingers can also see. But this is absolute. Kṛṣṇa can use His any energy, any power, any part of the body, for anything else. This is Kṛṣṇa. Añgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti.
This is omnipotency. Lord Viṣṇu is lying on the Śeṣa bed, and Lakṣmīji is engaged in the service of massaging the lotus feet of Viṣṇu, but Viṣṇu did not take the help of Lakṣmīji to beget Brahmā. He personally begot from the navel. Therefore we should understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead can perform anything he likes from any part of His body. That we chant always, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti.
We have got knowledge, experience, that when a child is born it has got a different source of being born, but Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu wanted the child be born from the navel and not from the mother of the navel—there was no mother—but the father Himself. This is called aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. Every part of the body, every limb, has got the potency to act like other parts of the body. We can see only with the eyes, but God can see with His finger. That is God. We can eat through mouth, but God can eat from any part of His body. If He simply touches His toe, He can eat. If He simply glances over the foodstuff offered to Him, He has eaten it. That we do not know. Therefore we're sometimes surprised that "How He has eaten?" that "You are offering so many nice things.
I am not this finger." Because if the finger is cut off, that I am not dead, therefore I am not finger. It is very easy to understand. So you meditate on every part of your body. You'll come to the conclusion, if you are sane, that "I am not this body. The body is mine. I am not this dress. The dress is mine." That is the conclusion. Then what I am? At the present moment I am identifying with this body, with this dress. (child disturbing) That is illusion.
So for proper management of the whole society the first-class, second-class, third-class men must be there. Just like in your body there are different parts of the body. The head, the arm, the belly, and the leg. This is natural. So without head, if we have simply the arms and belly and legs, it is a dead body. So unless you are guided, the human society, by the first-class men, the whole society is dead society. There must division according to cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma... (BG 4.13), not by birth, but by quality.
Just like in your body you have got so many parts and parcels. You have got the hands, you have got the legs, you have got the head, you have got the fingers, you have got the ear, you have got the nose—so many parts. So what is the business of all these parts of your body? The business of parts of the body to maintain the body properly, to serve the body. Just like this finger is there. I am feeling some incomfort; immediately my finger comes and serves, automatically. Therefore the conclusion is that it is the business of the part and parcel of God to serve God.
| Page Title: | Parts of the body (SB Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, JayaNitaiGaura |
| Created: | 12 of Jan, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=74, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 74 |