So study of, analytical study of this material world, they are not sufficient by themselves. You have to find out the spiritual power behind it. So sannyāsa means, generally, the sannyāsa, those who have taken up the renounced order of life, they search after the Supreme Truth and make an analytical study of this material world. That is called sāṅkhya-yoga. Kṛṣṇa says, sāṅkhya-yoga... Sāṅkhya and yoga. And yoga means direct connection with the Lord, direct connection with the Lord. Just like in the darkness. In dark, in the darkness, you cannot see anything. Suppose your room is closed and dark. You cannot see anything. But when you come to the light, you come to the sunlight, then you can see yourself and everything very nicely. So yoga, this word yoga, means to come in direct touch with the absolute light or Absolute Truth.
Power (Lectures, BG chapters 5 - 18)
Expressions researched:
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Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
The Kṛṣṇa name is so powerful transcendentally, spiritually, that if you chant once, "Kṛṣṇa," all your sinful activities, reaction are immediately finished. One may say that "He was not so sinful. He was little sinful; therefore it is finished." But this verse says that the vibration of Kṛṣṇa, this sound, has so much potency that it can finish the reaction of all sinful activities as you cannot perform in your various lives. Even if you are very expert in committing sinful activities, still, this will finish, provided it is chanted offenselessly. It has got the power.
So if we always chant... Suppose I am now freed from all sinful reaction. I may be attacked again. That is quite possible. I may be free from the disease but I may be attacked again by this disease. That is possible.
Actually the yogis want some material power. That is the perfection of yoga. Not perfection, that is one of the procedures. Just like if you are actually practicing the regulative principles of yoga, then you can get eight kinds of perfection. You can become lighter than the cotton swab. You can become heavier than the stone. You can get anything, whatever you like, immediately. Sometimes you can even create a planet. Such powerful yogis are there. Viśvāmitra yogi, he did it actually. He wanted to get man from palm tree. "Why man should be begotten living ten months within the womb of mother. They'll be produced just like fruit." He did it like that. So sometimes yogis are so powerful, they can do. So these are all material powers. Such yogis, they are also vanquished. How long you can remain on this material power? So bhakti-yogīs, they do not want anything such. Go on. Yes.
I shall kill you." And so many things I do. But when out of the stage, we are all friends. Similarly, in this world, in this material world, with this dress, with this dress of material body, we are playing on the stage of material world that enemy and friend and father, mother, son. I cannot beget any son. It is not possible. I simply beget this body. You see. The living entity, that is not my power. Simply by my sex intercourse with my wife, I cannot produce unless that living entity is placed in that emulsification of two secretion. These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So this is only stage play.
He cannot remain in society. Yogī yuñjīta satataṁ rahasi sthitaḥ, ekākī. Ekākī means alone. Or more clearly it is stated. Ekākī yata-cittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ. Nirāśīḥ, there is no expectation that "By functioning yoga, I shall achieve this power." And aparigraha, and he does not take anything from anybody. Who is going to give him? He is ekākī, he is alone in a secluded place, in, sometimes in jungle, in forest, in mountain. And who is going to give him anything? He doesn't expect because he is firmly convinced that "For whom I have become yogi...I am not alone. My Paramātmā is always with me." He's a yogi of... Unless..., what kind of yogi he is? He is... Although he remains superficially alone, but he knows that "Wherever I go, my Paramātmā friend, who is sitting with me on my heart, He is with me. So I have nothing to fear. So I have nothing to fear." Yata-cittātmā. Ekākī yata-cittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ. He does not accept anything for anyone.
The whole process is, yoga system is, for purifying ātmā. Purifying ātmā... You always remember that ātmā means this body, ātmā means the mind, ātmā means the soul. So purifying these things. So yoga system is made not that cheaply I want some power. Sometimes the yogis they achieve very wonderful power. Aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga. Aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of perfect, material perfection, they can attain. Not for that purpose yoga sys... Although they attain that power, real yogis, they do not exhibit it. They do not exhibit it. They have got the powers, so many wonderful powers, but he doesn't... His only aim is ātma-viśuddhaye: "I am now contaminated by this material atmosphere; so I have to purify myself." So that purification process we shall discuss next day.
So one who has seen, one who is in trance of self-realization, he cannot sit idly. He must come out. He, just like Rāmānujācārya. He declared the mantra publicly. His spiritual master said that this mantra, just like that Maharishi came in your country. He wanted to give some private mantra. If that mantra has any power, why it should be private? If at all the mantra has any, why not it should be publicly declared so that everyone can take advantage of that mantra? That is real. It is cheating, you see? So here is no cheating process. We say that this mahā-mantra can save you, we are distributing publicly, no. Free, without any charge. But people are so fools, they are not prepared to take this. They'll hanker after that mantra, after Maharishi. Pay thirty-five dollars and take some private mantra, you see? So people want to be cheated. And here, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, these people are preaching without any charge, declaring in the street, park, everywhere, "Come on, take it."
Now, there is a story. There are many stories. One of them I am citing. It is very interesting. Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni, he was a great king, kṣatriya, but his priest, Vasiṣṭha Muni, he had great spiritual power. So he renounced his kingdom. He wanted to advance. He was kingly, royal order, but still, he wanted to advance in the spiritual orders. So he adopted yoga process, meditation. That time it was possible for adopting this process, yoga process. So he was meditating in such a way that the Indra, who was the king of heaven, he thought that "This man is trying to occupy my post." As there is competition... This is also... Heaven means that is also material world. So this competition—no businessman wants an another businessman go ahead. He wants to cut down. Competition of price, quality.
What is sun? That is a minute creation of Kṛṣṇa. If sun can remain on everyone's head simultaneously, although one may be five thousand, then thousand miles away, Kṛṣṇa cannot remain? Why don't you use your reasoning power? Is the sun greater than Kṛṣṇa? No. Kṛṣṇa can create millions of suns. If sun has got such power, why not Kṛṣṇa? Then you do not understand Kṛṣṇa.
So Kṛṣṇa, akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). He can expand, that you'll find in the Thirteenth Chapter. That kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). Kṣetra, kṣetra-jñam. Just like you are a spirit soul. You are the proprietor of this body. I am proprietor of this body, you are proprietor of your body. But because I am sitting within this body, but Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all bodies because He is sitting everywhere. Just like this house may be owned by me or somebody else.
You please give me protection..." So you can do that to Kṛṣṇa. Here in the material world, if you surrender to a person, however very big he may be, he may refuse. He may say, "Well, I am unable to give you protection." That is the natural reply. If you are in danger and if you go even to your intimate friend, "Please give me protection," he will hesitate, because his power is very limited. He'll first of all think that "If I give protection to this person, whether my interest will not be jeopardized?" He'll think like that, because his potency is limited. But Kṛṣṇa is so nice that He's so powerful, He's so opulent... He declares in the Bhagavad-gītā, everyone, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You leave aside everything. You simply surrender unto Me." And what is the result? The result is ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "I shall get you released from all kinds of reaction of your sinful life."
Not always that the son is dying immediately, you see, but he's thinking like that. Separation. You see? So that is a good sign. We should not think that we are doing very nicely. We should always think that "I am unable." This is not bad. We should never think that "I am perfect." Because the māyā is so strong, as soon as you are a little confident, immediately there is attack. You see? In a diseased condition... Just like one who takes very precautionary method, there is little chance of relapse. So this is not bad. We should always think like that, that "Maybe I am not doing nicely." But as far as it is in our power, let us execute our business nicely, but we should never think that it is very perfect. That is nice.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says one who thinks Him as ordinary human being, he is a mūḍhāḥ. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum... (BG 9.11). "Because I appeared as a human being, mūḍhās, those who are rascals, they think Me as ordinary human being." No. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto. He does not know what is immense power behind. That Kṛṣṇa showed. Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, when He was seven years old, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. We have to accept that, not that we make some comment upon it, because we think Kṛṣṇa is ordinary boy, "How seven-years-old boy can lift?" But we forget that He is Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa can throw so many innumerable planets in the sky, floating just like cotton swab, is it very difficult for Kṛṣṇa to lift a mountain?
So living entities, spiritual spark, that measurement is given there. Whenever there is measurement, there is form. It is not...
But because we cannot see the form, we say nirākāra. It is our incompetency. Just like I cannot see beyond this wall. My seeing power is limited. Therefore I see there is nothing beyond this. There is nothing beyond this room. That is not fact. There is everything. I can see the sun, which is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet, but my eyes are seeing, daily just like a disc. So don't believe your senses. Your senses are imperfect. Whatever knowledge you get by experimental knowledge, experimental method, that is the modern ways of understanding. But these things cannot be experimented. Therefore we have to take the knowledge from the Vedas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ.
So many, all. Not one kind of engagement. So this is called opulence, riches. Not that possessing a few tolās of gold, one becomes God. No. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), suhṛdam... Kṛṣṇa declares that "I am the supreme enjoyer." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram. "I am the proprietor of the planets." That is richness. Power. So far strength and power is concerned, Kṛṣṇa, when He was three months old, on the lap of His mother, He killed so many demons.
So Bhagavān does... Is not manufactured by some process. Bhagavān is Bhagavān, always Bhagavān. Either He is representing as a child, as a boy or a youth, He never becomes old. That is another feature of Bhagavān. That is another aiśvarya. We want to keep our youthhood by so many ways, but Kṛṣṇa is always young.
It must be full with the conception of God. If you have got, you can chant that name also. There is no hindrance. Nāmnām akāri. Because every name being identical with God, every name of God is as powerful as God. As powerful, because identical. Identical; therefore every name has got the same power and potency as the Supreme Person, God, has got. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija sarva śaktis. Nija sarva śaktis: all potencies are there. Tatrārpitā. There is, it is already endowed with all the potencies.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavān mamāpi durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ: "My dear Lord, You have sent in age Your name, which is full of potency, as much potencies as You have got. Still, I am so unfortunate that I cannot chant even Your holy names." It is so nice. You haven't got to do anything, simply try to chant the holy name of God.
So what is the difference? So qualitatively we are one. Because God is eternal, I am also eternal. I am now somehow or other in diseased condition, that I have to change my body. But God does not change His body. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). He says, ātma-māyayā: "By My own will-power. I am not forced." Just like according to my karma, I have been forced to accept this material body, certain type of body. I cannot dictate. As I am creating another body by my karma, so the karma, by... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Another place. So why the living entities are getting different types of bodies? That is also answered: kāraṇam, the reason is guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Kāraṇam, the cause, is the material nature.
You have to develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. You can do that. How these Americans and European boys, they have developed their attraction for Kṛṣṇa? There is a process. If you adopt this process... They are with me for the last two, three or four years. Now they are... You detach them from Kṛṣṇa consciousness if you have got any power. You cannot do that. Even you bribe them or, no, what you can do? Their father, mother, their countrymen can give you enough. They are all rich men's sons. But they cannot give up Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even the Christian priests, they regret that "These are our boys, and they never came to church. They never liked to understand what is the idea of God. Now these same boys, they are after, mad after God. What is this movement?" They are surprised.
So Bhagavān creates by His energy. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). He can create. Just like, take for example, water. Water... Sometimes we also create water by perspiration. Perspiration, we may create one satap(?), one ounce or two ounce water, or say four ounce, five ounce. So similarly, this same creative power is of Kṛṣṇa, but He can create millions of Pacific Oceans. The process is the same. We can create a little thing. We have created this airplane; that is also flying in the sky. And there are millions and millions of planets; that is also flying and floating in the sky. So that is the difference. We can create a small airplane, airship, and flying in the sky, and Bhagavān has created innumerable universes flying in the sky, and He has created the sky also. The creative energy is there. You have got the creative energy, but you cannot create another planet which is floating in the sky.
So Kṛṣṇa has body, but not a body like us. That is stated in the Vedas. Apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā paśyaty acakṣuḥ. Paśyaty acakṣuḥ. He has no eyes, but He sees. Then what is that seeing power? That means He has got a different type of eyes, but He has got His eyes. He is not nirākāra, but not ākāra like us. His body is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sat, cit, ānanda. Sat means eternal, and cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of bliss. So His body is made of such qualities. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Then you can compare your body. If we compare, if I think of my body, it is not sat. Sat means eternal. This body will be finished. So it is not sat. It is asat. Sat means which exists, and asat means which does not exist. Therefore, how you can say Kṛṣṇa's body and my body is the same? No.
So Rūpa Gosvāmī says how this āsakti can be increased. He gives formula. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Kṛṣṇa said, "Either you take shelter of Me directly or to a person who has taken shelter of Me." Just like electric power. Electric house, powerhouse, may be long away, but if the electricity is coming through some wire, and if you touch, immediately you will..., immediately in touch with the powerhouse. So either you touch the powerhouse or an wire, insig..., who is empowered by the powerhouse, you touch, you get the electricity. This is called paramparā system. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2), yogo naṣṭaḥ paran... These are all explained. So mad-āśrayaḥ. As soon as we... Because Kṛṣṇa is not visible at the present moment. He is visible, but we cannot see.
It is just like television nowadays. You can see things happening thousands of miles away in television, and you can explain to your friends. This is like that. It is a question of seeing power. So now we have got the instrument, television machine. It is not difficult to understand. In the football ground the matches is going on, and it is being relayed in your room. It is alike that.
He is the most powerful, the supreme rich, supreme wise, supreme beautiful and at the same time supremely renounced. These qualification makes one Bhagavān. So kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). That is the verdict of Vedic literature. So īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Bhagavān is also sometimes called Parameśvara. Īśvara means the ruling power or the personality who controls. So everyone of us, we have got some controlling power either in the society or family or community or government or international. Everyone has got some capacity to control, but nobody is supreme controller. Supreme controller means that He is no more controlled by anyone. Other controller, they are controllers, but they are controlled by somebody else. But Kṛṣṇa is not that kind of controller. He is the supreme controller means He controls everyone but nobody has above Him to control. Therefore He is called Parameśvara. Īśvaraḥ means controller.
Just like great scientists have discovered the atom bomb, by scientific research. What is the effect? Now by one drop you can kill many millions of people. That is his advancement of science. "Oh, why don't you create something that people will not die?" That is not... "I can assure death, but I cannot save death. That is not in my power." Then what kind of scientist you are? You create something, you create some medicine, that "Take this tablet and no death, no more, at least, no disease." That is not possible. There is disease, development of different kinds of disease, and they are discovering different kinds of medicine. That is a struggle. That is not scientific improvement. There is one problem before you, and you are creating some antidote. That's all. This is struggle, struggle for existence. This is not scientific advancement.
That is meaning of mad-āśrayaḥ. That is the system of paramparā. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). If you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, that attachment, and if you increase your attachment for a person who is devotee of Kṛṣṇa, it is the same. Just like electricity. If one thing is charged with the electricity power, if somebody touches it, he also becomes electrified. We have got daily experience that from the electric powerhouse, the electric wires are distributed, and as soon as we join the plugs, immediately it is electrified. Similarly, paramparā system... Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. The words given by Kṛṣṇa. If you carry as it is carried by other disciplic succession, then you are in touch with Kṛṣṇa. That is called yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, always being linked up with Kṛṣṇa.
The dhyāna-yogī and jñāna-yogī can also go to the Brahmaloka or brahma-jyotir, but there is chance of falling down again to this material world. But generally, jñāna-yogī remains a speculator within this material world, and dhyāna-yogī, they, as soon as they get some material miracle power, they become implicated with this power, no more going to the spiritual world. But bhakti-yogī, being perfectly the yogi, the topmost yogi, he can enter the kingdom of God, or the planet where God is there. God is everywhere, but He has got a special planet, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. You can enter there and mix with the Supreme Lord just like we are here, mixing one another. I can see you, you can see me, similarly, you can go directly, see God and live with Him, dance with Him, play with Him, eat with Him. That is the perfection of life.
That is stated, divyam. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If one can understand Kṛṣṇa, why He appears, why He disappears, and... And these are, they are all transcendental; they are not ordinary. Because we understand Kṛṣṇa as a historical person, a person like me, maybe a very great personality with more power than me. Yes, that He is, but you do not know how much powerful He is. Because He is God, He is powerful in full. There is no deficiency in His power. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. He is powerful in complete, pūrṇam, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Iso Invocation). Even though Kṛṣṇa, from Kṛṣṇa all His power is taken away, still He is pūrṇam, He is still all-powerful. So, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ.
This is the way of nature here. You cannot keep anything fresh always. So, so long Kṛṣṇa or God is present, or His representative is present, the affairs of the world go very nicely. But as soon as they disappear again the same system begins, dwindling. Begins... By the power... Just like so long the sun is there, there is no darkness, but as soon as the sun is away from your sight, at once the darkness comes. Because the whole atmosphere is darkness. It is by artificial means or by arrangement of God we are keeping it light. This room, if at once the electric fails, oh, it will be dark, because its nature is darkness. Its nature is darkness. Therefore Vedas say, "Don't keep yourself in this darkness. Just get out of this. Come to the light."
Indian man (4): But Kṛṣṇa has not given you power as guru?
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.
Indian man (4): So you can show?
Prabhupāda: So I am not so powerful that I can show the viśva-rūpa. He has given me this power, that "You go and speak to the foolish rascals that I am Bhagavān," (laughter) that much power. Yes. That is my power. I can say to you that "Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān." That's all. I never become equal to Kṛṣṇa.
Indian man (5): Śrīla Prabhupāda, why do most people in this Kali-yuga worship Lord Śiva instead of worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa? Because Kṛṣṇa known as God...
They act against the Vedic principles. Therefore it is said that even though one gets this human form of life after many, many millions of years, the living soul, still, there are so many divisions in the human form of life; therefore it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: (BG 7.3) "Out of many millions of human beings," kaścid yatati siddhaye. Siddhaye. Siddhaye means to get the spiritual power, or spiritual rejuvenation. That is called siddhi.
Bhukti-mukti-siddhi. There are three kinds of activities going on in the human society. Some people are karmīs. They enjoy life, or they want to enjoy life by working hard. Enjoyment means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam. To eat very nicely and to sleep very nicely, to enjoy sex life very nicely and to make defense force, this is called enjoyment, material enjoyment.
Whatever you imagine, that is rascaldom, that is not Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you must become Kṛṣṇa's devotee. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). You cannot understand by your so-called scholarship, imaginative power. That is not possible. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam (SB 10.14.29). Again that tattvam. "One who has achieved a little favor of You, he can understand you by tattvata, in truth." Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda, padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam, na cānya, na ca anya, ciram, for good, for many, many millions of years, vicinvan, simply by speculating. That is not possible. There are many places like that.
That is perfect knowledge. So that knowledge is perfect. Therefore in the beginning of this chapter and in the Fourth Chapter we said, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). If we get knowledge by the pure paramparā system, pure disciplic succession, that knowledge is perfect. Then our life is perfect. And if we want to try to expound knowledge by our limited power, that is imperfect knowledge. That knowledge is not perfect. That is concoction. If you want to take perfect knowledge, then you must get from the authorities. Evaṁ paramparā. That is Vedic knowledge.
There is no other process. The Vedas says, the śāstra says, "This is the magnitude of the soul." You have to take it. Then you will understand. Otherwise, by so-called experiment, you have neither instrument nor facility to make, find out. The first-class medical man or physiologist, find out where is the soul in this body. But they cannot. They have no such power, but there is something which, being absent, the body is dead. That is a fact. That is a fact. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). That... Because that soul has gone out of this body, therefore the body is now dead. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Therefore it is authority.
Just like electricity. You set up, machine will work. But the setter, or who first sets the machine, pushes on the machine, that is a puruṣa. Similarly, the whole material world is working very nicely, wonderfully, but behind that machine, behind that working, there is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Just like electric powerhouse. You see the machine is going on. Kat-kat-kat-kat-kat-kat, it is going on. But there is a supervising engineer. He's looking that whether the machine is rightly going on, if there is any defect. If there is oil required, he's putting some oil or something else. So the supervisor is the engineer. Similarly the whole machine of this material world... Or this material... You do not try to study the whole material world, but you study your own machine, this body. This body is also machine. Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā.
There are many very big, big men. Big, big industrialists, big, big scholars, big, big manufacturers, and big, big bankers. So this is pauruṣam, ode(?) who has attained perfection in the material world. So instead of envying him, if you simply think that "He has attained because he has got little power from Kṛṣṇa." Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. Anything wonderful that is done, that is done by any person, pauruṣam, that is also Kṛṣṇa's energy.
Even if a caṇḍāla... Caṇḍāla means the dog-eaters. So these animal-eaters, they are also animal, describing, animal with two hands. Ahastānāṁ sahastā... Ahastāni sahastānām. Apadāni catuṣ-padām. Apadāni means those who have no legs, like plants, trees, the grass. They have no legs. They are standing. They have got legs, but they have no moving power. They are called pāda-pa. Pāda-pa means they have got legs for eating. We are eating with mouth; they are eating with legs.
So everything, analytical study is there in the śāstras very minute, senses and power, who has got. The fish, they have got very good sensation power. Means two miles away, they get sensation there is enemy, "Somebody's coming to eat me." These are all described in the Bhāgavatam. The frogs, they can become in samādhi, situated in samādhi, for many, many years.
I am advanced in knowledge." This false pride. You see?
So the simple thing is that father has to surrender, er, the son has to surrender to the father. Simple thing. And the father, what kind of father? He is not ordinary father. He is Bhagavān. Bhagavān means possessing full power, full strength, full wealth, full knowledge. He's not ordinary father. He is not like material father, a poor father without any knowledge. But here is the father who is full of knowledge, full of opulence, and we have to surrender to such father. Don't you think yourself to be lucky to go to such a father and enjoy His property? Why you are so fools? This foolishness, why they are so much fools, that is described in the next verse.
There are different kinds of men under different mixture of the modes of nature, and generally, they are not after liberation from this material stage. They want to gain something out of spiritual power. Just like somebody goes to a swami: "O Swamiji, can you give me a medicine? I am suffering from this disease." He thinks, "A doctor is very expensive. Let us go to a swami who can play miracles, and my disease will be cured." Yes. Sometimes we go and... Of course, in your country such swamis are not very easily found, but in India, there are so many so-called swamis. They go to innocent people and they preach that "If you can give me one ounce of gold, I can make it one hundred ounce of gold." Oh, people think those... Everyone seeks, "How many ounce of gold I have got in my home?"
So there are different kinds of... Therefore sometimes it is misunderstood that "The Hindus have many, many gods, not one God, and they are heathens." But actually this worship is to the God, but there are demigods, demigods. They are worshiped. They're not God—God is one—but they are demigods. Demigods means that they are also living entities just like you and me, but they have got some power. Just like here also we worship some demigods, some government officer. He's also man like me, but he has got some power, and in order to take some advantages of the power, I worship him. I want his favor. Similarly, these kinds of worship of different kinds of gods, the Bhagavad-gītā condemns them. They're not required. The Lord says, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20).
For heat and light, the demigod Sūryadeva, he's in charge. Similarly, the moon, Candradeva... They are all devas, demigods. He's in charge of, what is called, activating the vegetables, the moon, activating the vegetables. In this way, all these demigods have got different power invested upon them by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are agents. They are called demigods, Indra, Candra... There are thirty-three crores of demigods, and they are controlling our activities also. The astronomy means the astral influence upon us. And according to the astral influence, we act. Therefore horoscope is made. At the time of birth, a person's situation according to different astral influence, and then the astrology science can make his horoscope, his future activities, his future hopes. Everything is done. Adhibhūtam.
They cannot make anything which will check death, or which will check disease, or which will check old age. That is not possible. You can, you can manufacture something which will accelerate death, but you cannot manufacture anything which will stop death. That is not in your power. So those who are intelligent enough, they are not concerned with these four things, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: (BG 13.9) birth, death and old age. They are concerned to have a spiritual life, complete, full of bliss and full of knowledge, and that is possible when you enter into the spiritual planets. That will be explained.
When I was householder, my second son—he was about four years old—he was walking with me on the street, and he was ask me, "Father, why the moon is going with us? Why the moon is going with us?" Yes. The moon is... As you find that the moon is going with you, similarly, by chanting, if the moon has got such power—it is a material thing; it can go with you—don't you think the Supreme Lord, who is all-powerful, He cannot remain with you? Yes. He can. By His potency, He can remain with you, provided you are also qualified to keep His company. If you are a pure devotee and if you are always merged in the thought of Kṛṣṇa, you should always remember that Kṛṣṇa is with you. Kṛṣṇa is with you.
Now we will explain. So śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān, this word, I have explained many times. Bhagavān means the supreme authority. So far authoritative power is concerned, that is analyzed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Cent percent power or cent percent qualification is in Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There is... This is called saviśeṣa, personal analysis, not that ...Even somebody is sometimes addressed as Bhagavān, that does not mean he is also equal to the Supreme Person. Just like sometimes Nārada Muni is also addressed as Bhagavān. Lord Śiva is also addressed as Bhagavān, not only viṣṇu-tattva, but also others. Sometimes they are addressed as Bhagavān.
Bhagavān, is fully expressed in Kṛṣṇa, not in others. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said... After making the list of different incarnation, it is summarized that ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: (SB 1.3.28) "All these incarnations mentioned," rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39), "they are partial expansion and expansion of the expansion or expansion of His power, śaktyāveśa-avatāra."
Just (take) Lord Buddha. He is śaktyāveśa-avatāra. Many śaktyāveśa-avatāra. So in this way Kṛṣṇa is always existing along with His expansion and incarnation. But the real original Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken by Kṛṣṇa.
"I want this, I want this, I want this, I want this." The whole world is rolling. Modern material civilization means to create wants. That is karmī. So they want. They will never be happy. They want this, that, that, that, that, that. There is no end. And jñānīs, when they are baffled, they want to become one with God, mukti. And yogis, they want to show some magic, the magical power. So the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis—everyone is in want. They cannot be happy. And when you come to the position, "My Lord, I do not want anything. Simply I want to serve You. Give me this opportunity," that is perfection.
These are the description in the Vedic literature. So we have to learn. You cannot by your tiny effort with limited power, limited sense, I mean to say, perception, you cannot speculate. You have to understand from authoritative statements. That is called Veda. Vedas means knowledge which is perfect knowledge and if you study Vedas, then you get perfect knowledge of everything. And the cream of the Vedic knowledge is here in the Bhagavad-gītā. So if you read Bhagavad-gītā carefully, then you get all the knowledge very perfectly. Here it is said, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. And that expansion, that impersonal expansion, avyakta, not manifested... You cannot see God in person in this expansion. Therefore sometimes we foolishly say that "Can you show me God?" God is there.
Therefore sometimes we foolishly say that "Can you show me God?" God is there. You have to make your eyes to see. Just like God is here in the temple but somebody is thinking that "This is not God. This is a statue or an idol. They are worshiping idol." Supposing it is idol, but if God is everywhere, why He is not in the idol? What is the argument? If God is everywhere, then why He is not idol? God has the power. And actually this is not idol. This is God's energy. The same example: The sunshine is everywhere, so originally sunshine is the cause of everything.
The same example: The sunshine is not different from the sun, and because the sunshine has entered within your room it does not mean the sun has entered in your room. If you try to understand, then you'll understand that God is everywhere; still, He is not everywhere. This is His inconceivable power. Therefore, if we want to worship God, then we have to worship His form, His name, name, form, quality, pastime. Then we shall realize that God is person, Supreme Being, and He has got all the propensities as we have got. Because we are part and parcel of God, we can study God's personality from our personality, just like we can study the father by the symptoms of the son—this is crude example—similarly, whatever propensities we have got, wherefrom the propensity is coming? It is coming from God.
"And My energy is all-pervading. Still, I am not there." Paśya me yogam aiśvaram. This is His mystic power. Nanu rati-gurum bharam vahaste(?) mahan kheda syad iti cety aha, gatadau udaka aniva bhara-bhūtāni ca bhūtāni samsrsttani mayi na santi, tarhi mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtānity ukte viruddhe iti ceti tatraha paśyateti.(?)
So this is the wonderful power, inconceivable power, that He is in everywhere, but still, He is aloof, He's aloof from that place. We can feel His energy, but we cannot see because in this material eye we cannot see. But when we develop our spiritual quality—we sanctify our senses—then even within His energy we can see Him. Take for example. Just like electric power is transmitted everywhere. There is wiring. Now, if some electrician is there he can take electric power from anywhere and utilize the electricity. Similarly, His energy is spread all over the universe.
So although we are situated in God's energy, we are forgetful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni: (BG 9.4) "Everyone is existing on My energy; still, I am not there." "I am not there" means the living entity has forgotten or cannot understand God, that he is within the God's energy, God's material power or energy. Still, he cannot understand.
And another person, na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni paśya me yogam, bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-sthaḥ. Bhūta-bhṛt, He is maintaining everyone. But that does not mean that He is one of them. He is also being maintained. That is mistake. This is explained in the Vedic literature, that nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Two kinds of living entities, nityo nityānām. He, the Supreme Lord, is also eternal; we are also eternal. We are plural number, and He is singular number. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām.
The nature is so made by the superior brain of the Supreme Lord, that it is going on automatically. Don't you see a flower, how it is beautifully decorated with paintings? A leaf, just symmetrically... You don't find any change. So this is going on. This is going on automatically. This is God's power. This is God's power. If you have got to paint one picture, one flower, oh, you have to take so much attention, and still, it may not be symmetrical. There may be some mistake. But in nature's way you see how many flowers, fruits and so many things are coming out automatically. Foolish people, they think it is being done automatically. No. Behind this thing there is the brain of Kṛṣṇa, behind everything. And because we do not see how it is being done due to our lack of knowledge, our less intelligence, we think it is being automatically done. No. That is explained. That is explained in the next verse.
How we can recognize God? Some supernatural power, evidence of authorities, scriptural evidence. These things are required. So so far Kṛṣṇa is concerned, every authority has accepted Him as God. And when He was present, His activities were superhuman. And from the evidence of Vedic literature, He is God. Then, in spite of all these evidences, if you don't believe Him, then it must be considered that āsuraṁ bhāvam, that "I shall not believe. Whatever evidence you give, and whatever, I mean to say, activities you may show, I'll never believe You God. Finished." Then that is helpless. So avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Besides that, one must have the eyes to see God also.
We have got our senses to taste, to acquire knowledge. But if the senses are blunt, then we cannot understand what is God. But therefore you require regulative principles to understand what is God. That regulative principle must be undertaken. And the easiest regulative principle is this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. If you regularly chant with devotion, without any offense, then this very simple process will help you to purify your senses and you will appreciate presence of God, and God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness will develop in you.
So paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mama bhūta-maheśvaram (BG 9.11). People, they do not know what is the inconceivable power and potencies of God. Therefore they think, "God might be somebody like me." They cannot understand God.
Take it what Kṛṣṇa is saying, not ordinary person like me. Kṛṣṇa is... Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānāḥ (BG 9.12). Mogha-jñānāḥ. Jñāna means research of knowledge, philosophical speculation.
So without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without this definite point... Now, if you have sufficient knowledge, if you have such power for research, now here is a point, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now make research work whether Kṛṣṇa is not God. Then your research work will be sufficient. But without any point of aim, without any objective, what is this? Thousands of years, simply speculating.
I want to satisfy my wife. I want to satisfy my children. And if they are unsatisfied, then there is disruption in my family. Suppose I want to become the president. So my business will be to keep the citizens satisfied. Otherwise, next vote, I shall not get the post. So I am being predominated by the voting power. But I am thinking that "I am predominator." This is called illusion. Nobody is predominator. He's predominated by some other principle. Therefore, one who knows this, one who does not know, na tu mām abhijānanti, one who does not know, tattvena ataś cyavanti te, they fall down, under the illusion, cyavanti te. And one who knows that "I can never become the predominator, I shall always remain the predominated..." If I do not become predominated voluntarily by the Supreme Lord, if I do not surrender unto Him and voluntarily agree to be predominated by the Lord, then I shall be predominated by the elements of material nature, this kāma, krodha, lobha, lust, desire, anger, enviousness, so many things.
This is... So therefore we should try to know Kṛṣṇa by paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa is delivering His instruction to Arjuna, and if we understand as Arjuna understood... That is mentioned in the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Then we can understand Kṛṣṇa to some extent. We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa in full. That is not possible because He's unlimited, and we are limited. So our power will fail to understand Kṛṣṇa fully. But if we understand something, something about Him...
This modes of nature means it is a combination of three modes: modes of passion, modes of goodness, modes of ignorance. So therefore it is called guṇamayī māyā. So daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot surpass the stringent laws of material nature. That is not in your power. Just like however stout and strong you are, when you are under police custody, oh, no strength will help you. You'll be offered all kinds of tribulations. Similarly, the nature is very strong. So long we shall go on utilizing God's property illegally and encroach upon others', I mean to say, possession, then there cannot be any peace. If you want peace at all, then you have to accept that "Everything belongs to God and I can use after offering Him: 'Accepting that this belongs to You, God, kindly... You have sent me all these things for my subsistence.
Only the devotee can think of Kṛṣṇa. So if you think of Kṛṣṇa, then automatically you become devotee. Is there any objection? Who can think of Kṛṣṇa always? Not always even, think of Kṛṣṇa? Unless one is devotee? And to think of Kṛṣṇa, what is the difficulty? Huh? Is there any difficulty? To think of Kṛṣṇa? Thinking power we have got. We think so many... Our mind is never vacant. Always think something. We think of something always, twenty-four hours. That is mind's nature.
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."
Our senses are imperfect. We have... Several times we have described in this meeting that our senses cannot realize the Supreme Truth. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our senses are so imperfect that simply by expanding the sense power artificially, speculating, we cannot realize. These are described in different way in different scriptures.
So He can be known how? That is also described—sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ: when you become in a submissive attitude and you chant. Jihvādau. Jihvādau means the realization begins from the tongue. God realization begins from the tongue.
After six months that is useless, thrown. So don't take to that speculative process, this way and that way, this way and that way, because our senses are limited. How you can have the Supreme Truth known by these imperfect blunt senses?
So my senses, my speculative power may be greater than you, and another person's speculative power may be greater than me, but nobody can... Here it is clearly stated, na me sura-gaṇāḥ viduḥ. What you are? You are human being. Even the sura-gaṇāḥ and the great sages, they cannot. Therefore the Brahmā says that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Give up this process of so-called knowledge, researching, speculation. Give up this. Udapāsya, udapāsya means throw it away. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Namanta means just become submissive.
If you simply try to understand that two things are visible one matter, and one, living force... It is very easy. Simply we require a little intelligence.
What we are seeing in this material world? Something material and something spiritual. Material means which has no sense or which has no moving power, and spiritual means which has got sense and which has got moving power. That is the difference between material and spiritual. So if we try to understand simply our body, actually that is meditation. Meditation means to understand, "what is this body and what I am." If you know these things...
Material nature is an energy of God. So if God does not wish to supply you, however you may bring tractor and anything.
Just like desert. In desert you cannot make it fertile because that particular tract of land is forbidden by God, "No, nothing should be produced." You cannot do it. If you have got producing power, then why don't you produce sufficient grains and vegetables in the desert. That is not possible. So after all, we have to accept the supreme authority, the Personality of Godhead. Even if you study scrutinizingly, very scientifically or, whatever you may say, philosophically, you will have to accept a supreme arrangement, a supreme hand over everything. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means a person who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he can see everything. He can see in everything the hand of God. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
If you become in everything Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your life is successful. That we are teaching. It is a very scientific movement. Actually, that is the position. You cannot create a flower so nicely fragrant, so beautifully made. It is not in your power. But it must have been done by somebody. You cannot say, "By nature." What is this nature? They say, foolish persons say, "It is nature." But you explain what is nature. Nature means God's nature, God's energy. That is nature. God's energy is so fine and so subtle that we cannot see it, how it is working, but it is working. The energy of God is working there.
I am the proprietor of the body.
But what is my magnitude? Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). You just take the top of the hair and divide it into ten thousand parts. That one part is your identity. So in these material ideas, we cannot understand that such a small particle, smaller than the atom, has got so power. Therefore, because it is so small, these so-called rascal scientists, they cannot find it, where it is; therefore say, "There is no soul." The rascals will not admit their inefficiency to know and still they will say, "no soul." And if there is no soul, then how it is working? They have no even common sense.
Just like a small bird, immediately he can fly in the sky. And although we are very intelligent, if I want and if you want to fly in the sky, no you cannot. Although he's supposed to be very intelligent, scientist, but I cannot fly. But a small bird will immediately fly. That is his prabhavaḥ. You must have to admit that this is his special power. Similarly, a vulture, he goes four miles up and his eyes are very small. But from the four miles away he will find out where there is a dead body, immediately jump over. And we have got so many big eyes. But we cannot say, after... This spectacle required. You cannot see even one feet. So this is his prabhavaḥ, influence. A vulture, most, but a nasty bird, still it has got so much influence that you cannot compete with him. So you'll find in every creature, every living entity, a special prerogative than the others, than the others. So, with the body.
He was dancing, He was playing in Vṛndāvana so that you may be attracted, you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa came. But we are so unfortunate. Although Kṛṣṇa comes Himself to show Himself, show His activities, His power, His opulence, His beauty, His message, still, we miss Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune. Why? Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). Although Kṛṣṇa is present, Kṛṣṇa is manifesting Himself, but māyayāpahṛta jñāna, māyā is so strong that it is taking away our knowledge of Kṛṣṇa.
As part and parcel of God, we have got the same quality. Just like minute particle of gold is also gold, but that part gold and the whole gold they are never equal. So I have got all the qualities. Qualitatively I am one, but quantitatively I am different. That is the version of Bhagavad-gītā. And actually, if we falsely claim that "I am God," then we have to show godly power. Unless we show godly power, simply claiming that "I am God," that is dambha, that is false pride.
Therefore the first condition of acquiring knowledge is adambhitvam. Amānitvam adambhitvam. First of all to deny that "I am not matter. I am..." Then "If I am not matter, then I am God." Oh, then Kṛṣṇa says, "No. That is your false pride. You are not God." Adambhitvam. Amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā (BG 13.8). Then nonviolence. As soon as one is a realized soul, he will be nonviolent.
Because everyone is trying to be superior. Nāsau ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnā, that every philosopher must give his own opinion and it must be refuted by another. Therefore śāstra says that in this way you cannot ascertain what is the reality. Tarko 'pratiṣṭha. If you want to understand the reality by your arguments, reasoning power, that is not possible. Because I may be very nice arguer, but another person may be better arguer, he can defeat me. And that is going on.
Therefore simply by arguments, you cannot reach the Absolute Truth. That is not possible. Tarko 'pratiṣṭha. And if you simply depend on the śruti, śrutayo vibhinnaḥ. The Vedic literatures are different: Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Artharva. And not only that, other scriptures there are. So Śrutayor vibhinnāḥ nāsau ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnā, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihito guhāyām. To understand religious principle, it is very difficult.
Just like Kṛṣṇa says, "I have got My body. But My body is not like your body. My body is different." That body is described, sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat. He has got such a body—it is expanded—that everywhere He has got His eyes and legs and hands and all other senses. In the next verse it is confirmed, sarvendriya-guṇābhāsam. He can see. Therefore He has got the eyes, guṇābhāsa, the origin of seeing power. But sarvendriya-vivarjitam. But He has no these material senses. When it is said sarvendriya-vivarjitam, "devoid of all senses," that means He's devoid of..., He has nothing to do with these material senses. He has got senses. He has got eyes, He has got ears, legs, everything. But they are not material. They are spiritual, but we cannot see spiritual.
That is rascaldom. He never accepts material body. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). If God also accepts a material body, then what is the difference between God and ourself? He has nothing material. Everything spiritual. Everything spiritual. Even if He accepts material body, He can act spiritually. That is His power. Because material body, material energy is also His energy.
Just like electric energy. The expert electrician can transform the electric energy into heat or into cold. That is his manipulation. Even if he accepts material energy, He can use it spiritually. That is His power. All-powerful. So we have to understand these things. And these things can be understood only by submissive hearing and cleansing our dirty things within the heart by devotional service. Then we can understand what is the actual nature of Kṛṣṇa or God. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
The Absolute Truth, the same objective, to the less intelligent class of men or in the beginners, He appears to be impersonal, Brahman, impersonal Brahman.
Just like, the same example, as we are very, very far away, ninety million miles away from the sun planet, we can touch the sunshine, not the sun planet. That is not possible. We have no such power that we can touch the... Although the sun planet is there, everyone can go and touch it, but it is beyond our power. This is the position of our material experience, and what to speak of spiritual experience?
So, we can realize in the beginning the sunshine. Then, if we are able to approach the sun planet, that also not possible, but still, we can hope. But still, you have to enter the sun planet, and there is sun-god. From the sun-god the glaring effulgence, the sunshine, is coming. Although the sunshine and the sun globe and within the sun globe the sun-god, they are of the same thing, quality, light and heat, still, there are degrees of light and heat. You can touch the sunshine but you cannot touch the sun globe, neither you can enter the sun globe. That requires a different power.
Now this sun globe, it is very powerful planet within this universe. Therefore it is called the king of all planets. Yac cakṣur eṣa savitā. Savitā means the sun planet. Sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Unlimited power, aśeṣa-tejāḥ. But still, this sun planet is also moving in its orbit. The sun planet has got its orbit. All planets, they have got their orbit. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. Kāla-cakraḥ. It is moving like that, sixteen thousand miles per second, the speed of sun planet. Everything is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
So still, such a big planet, powerful planet, it is rotating under someone's order. That is Govinda. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. There must be someone directing. Don't think it is automatically moving. There is direction. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Just like a small grain of poison, venomous poison. If it is injected in your body, you will die immediately. It has got so power. Similarly, the minute spirit soul is so minute, one ten-thousandth part. Still, because that minute spirit soul is there, you are moving, you are acting, your brain is working, you are denying the existence of God, you are doing all these things. Sūkṣmatvāt tad avijñeyaṁ dūrastham, dūrasthaṁ cāntike ca tat.
Dūrastham. Now, you cannot calculate where this abode of God is there. Dūrastham. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara. If you go with your plane with the speed of mind, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi (Bs. 5.34), by airplane, vāyu-ratha... This vāyu airplane is mentioned in the Brahma-saṁhitā.
How He accepts? How He accepts? That is called dūrastham. Very, very far away; at the same time, antike. Immediately... Provided you know the means. If you know, then you can see. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). That is God's power. He can remain far far, away, but He can immediately be approachable by the devotees.
There is another verse, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca, vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Vedeṣu durlabham. If you want to understand the Absolute Truth by simply studying the Vedas, although the Vedas mean vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ... (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa is to be understood.
Jyoti. Jyoti means light. There are different types of light. There is lamp. There is candle. There is electric bulb. The power also, they are different powers: one hundred powers, fifty powers, twenty-five... There are different grades of jyoti. But there is supreme jyoti.
Just like this moon. The moon. This night is full moon. This moon has got its illumination, but wherefrom this illumination comes? It comes from the sunshine. The sunshine is reflected on the moon, and the moon has become illuminating source. Just like in a mirror when there is reflection of the sunshine, the mirror can also reflect another dark place, not independently. Everyone... In childhood everyone has played with a mirror. Just put a mirror in front of the sunshine, and the reflection is there, and you can pass on the reflection in the darkest place and it will be illuminated. Have you got experience? Yes. Similarly, neither the mirror has got reflection, neither the dark place can be illuminated by the mirror.
There are different kinds of illumination, sunshine, moonshine, electricity, fire. But that jyoti which is directly emanating from Kṛṣṇa's body, that is the real jyoti. So on account of Kṛṣṇa's bodily rays, the whole creation is coming out. That is Kṛṣṇa's inconceivable power, brahma-jyotir. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Athāto brahma jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra, you have to inquire about that paraṁ jyoti, brahma-jyotir. And from that paraṁ jyoti, everything is coming out. Just like from the sunshine.
What is this material world? This material world is resting on the sunshine. Because the sunshine is there, therefore all the planets are rotating. There is a small machine. You'll find it. As soon as it is heated, within that machine the balls begin to rotate. Similarly, the certain temperature of the sunshine, the whole planetary system is rotating on the orbit, on account of the sunshine.
The sun is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā as the eyes of all the planets. Yac cakṣur eṣa, eṣa sakala-grahāṇāṁ cakṣuḥ. The sun is the actual eyes for all the planets because unless there is sunshine you cannot see. We are very much proud of our eyes. Sometimes we challenge, "Can you show me God?" But he does not think that what power his eyes have got. It is simply completely dependant on the sunshine. If there is no sunshine his so called eyes are useless. Still, with that useless eyes he wants to see God. Just see. "Can you show me God? I am not seeing God, Therefore God cannot be seen. Therefore I don't believe in God." But he does not think that what power he has got to see. It is only dependant on sunshine. Not only this planet, all the planets, unless there is sunshine... Because it is darkness. This material world is simply darkness.
Our process is that if anyone wants to be cured from this bad habit, then let him come, live with us. That's all. Sit down here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. See the ārati, and take prasādam." And there is no... We don't supply any tea or coffee. No. We cannot supply. And nobody grudges also, that "You are not supplying us tea or coffee or cigarettes." No. So the spiritual power is so nice that automatically forget. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59), as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you find something very palatable, very nice, then you give up the bad thing. If you are offered a nice rasagullā, why should you take ordinary molasses or gur or anything else? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. That is the formula given by Lord Kṛṣṇa. When one relishes a transcendental pleasure, he automatically gives up the so-called material pleasure, automatically.
Simply one, if one stop simply by brahma knowledge and does not make further progress, that is not perfection. Perfection is, Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the origin of brahma-jyotir." Therefore from the brahma-jyotir one should make progress up to Kṛṣṇa. Just like sunshine. You are in, everyone, is sunshine. That's all right. But if you have got power, then you'll reach the sun planet, you'll see the sun-god, because the original source of the sunshine is the sun-god. Similarly, brahma-jyotir, the origin of brahma-jyotir is Kṛṣṇa, brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham. Brahmajyoti is emanating from the body of Kṛṣṇa. It is, it is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagand-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). So in this way we make progress.
What are the symptoms of asura? He says first of all, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ. Pravṛttiṁ nivṛttim (BG 16.7).
Now, as soon as we have got this human form of life, we have got different desires or we accept something as very nice. We reject something as not very good. This discriminating power is there. Even in animals there is this discriminating power. Just like a pig. A pig, if you give him halavā and if you give him stool, he would like to eat stool than the halavā. You will find it, natural. He has got natural inclination to eat stool. And a human being will be naturally inclined to take halavā. So this is called pravṛtti and nivṛtti. So the member of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, if you offer him tea, he will not take it. And others, if you offer tea, he will very gladly accept it. This is called pravṛtti and nivṛtti. So the pravṛtti and nivṛtti...
He said that "There is no justice. So we shall deny to take any judgement from the British Court." That was his, one of the items. He never... When he was prosecuted, he never defended. He said, "Why shall I defend? There is no justice here. Why shall I spend my money for defending? No, you can do whatever you like. You are in power." Gandhi did always like that. "Here is no justice, so why shall I plead for justice?" That was Gandhi's philosophy, noncooperation. Whenever he was arrested, he will simply stand. That's all. Of course, he was given a seat. Such a big man, the court would offer him a seat. But he will never plead yes or no. "No, whatever you like, you can do. I don't expect justice from you." That was Gandhi's... He'll never plead. And all his followers did that. Therefore they were all sent jail. And by going to jail they got svarāja. And he declared, jail svarāja ke mandira hai: "If you want to get svarāja, independence, you must be prepared to go to jail."
That is nonsense. Kṛṣṇa is guiding us. Don't be victims of these rascals. Asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). There is God. There is supreme controller. And God says, mayādhyakṣeṇa: (BG 9.10) "Under My superintendence."
The material power is very gigantic, undoubtedly. That is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). This material energy is called Durgā. Durgā means... Duḥ means very difficult. When we are in this material world it is very, very difficult to get out of it. The sky is covering the whole material universe, and there are different layers. It is not so... You cannot go even to the nearest planet. Durgā, very difficult. You cannot... You are conditioned soul. You cannot go. You are thinking, "I have got now, discovered this." It is not discovered. The aeroplane was long, long ago.
Because the taste of the small drop of ocean is the same, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they conclude that "I am the same." But they have no common sense that the small drop of water, although the quality is the same, it is very small. So our knowledge is therefore imperfect. Although we are qualitatively one with God, still, being very small quantity, our power, our knowledge, our understanding—everything is proportionately small. You must first of all understand that, that we are simultaneously one and different. One means qualitatively one. A small particle of gold, you can call it gold, but it is not the gold mine, This is called dvaita-vāda, advaita-vāda. The rascals they think "Because I am gold, I am as good as the gold mine." No, That is not. Gold mine is very big, powerful, immense value. So we should not forget this.
Administrator class. Kṣatriya, kṣatriya means those who are in the governmental power. They should be śauryam, very powerful, and very influential. Śauryaṁ tejaḥ. Nowadays, without seeing these qualifications, a third-class, fourth-class man is voted, and therefore we find out that Mr. Nixon, he's attacked now so many... Because he has no kṣatriya qualification. These are the kṣatriya qualification, administrator. Śaucam, śauryaṁ tejo dhṛtiḥ. He must be determined, dākṣyam, he must very expert, yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam, and he should not flee away from fighting. When there is... Nowadays, when there is... the politicians and diplomats, they sit down very safely in their room and poor people, they are, by force, sent to fight. This is not kṣatriya, this is not administration. The kṣatriya is, he must come forward first of all. Then others will follow. Yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. And dānam, he must be very charitable. That is another qualification of the administrator. Īśvara-bhāvaś ca, and the governing spirit. These are the kṣātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam. Similarly, this is second class.
| Page Title: | Power (Lectures, BG chapters 5 - 18) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 15 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=85, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 85 |