Superpower

Expressions researched:
"superpower" |"superpowerful"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 3.24, Purport:

We should always consider the position of the īśvaras, or those who can actually control the movements of the sun and moon, as superior. Without such power, one cannot imitate the īśvaras, who are superpowerful. Lord Śiva drank poison to the extent of swallowing an ocean, but if any common man tries to drink even a fragment of such poison, he will be killed. There are many pseudo devotees of Lord Śiva who want to indulge in smoking gañjā (marijuana) and similar intoxicating drugs, forgetting that by so imitating the acts of Lord Śiva they are calling death very near. Similarly, there are some pseudo devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa who prefer to imitate the Lord in His rāsa-līlā, or dance of love, forgetting their inability to lift Govardhana Hill. It is best, therefore, that one not try to imitate the powerful, but simply follow their instructions; nor should one try to occupy their posts without qualification. There are so many "incarnations" of God without the power of the Supreme Godhead.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

We should always remember the position of the īśvaras, or those who actually control the movements of the sun and moon. Without such power, one cannot imitate the īśvara or the superpowerful. The example set herein is very appropriate. Lord Śiva drank poison to the extent of swallowing an ocean, but if any common man tries to drink even a fragment of such poison he will be killed. There are many pseudo-devotees of Lord Śiva who want to indulge in smoking gāñjā (marijuana) and similar intoxicating drugs, forgetting that by so imitating the acts of Lord Śiva they are calling death very near. Similarly, there are some pseudo-devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa who prefer to imitate the Lord in the matter of the rāsa-līlā or dance of love, forgetting their inability to lift the Govardhana Hill. It is best, therefore, that one not try to imitate the powerful, but simply endeavor to follow their instructions.

General Lectures

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

So we do not know when we shall be removed immediately by the freaks of nature. Therefore the intelligent man should try to know, "What is my constitutional position? Why I want to stay, but some superpower kicks me out of this stage? Why?" (Why?) This is question. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra instructs that every human being, not the animals but human being, you should not be bewildered. You should question, "Why I am suffering threefold miseries? Why... I do not want death. Why death overcomes me?" Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). An intelligent man should always keep before him four principles of material miseries: birth, death, old age and disease. These are instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: So go on, go on, and find out, if you have got power, that we come to a person there is no more more intelligent than Him, as God defines: mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). And Kṛṣṇa, "Above Me there is no more intelligent person." There is not. So you cannot deny this existence, a superpowerful, superintelligent person, because we practically see. Not that everyone is on the equal level. That is not the case. He is a philosopher, another philosopher more intelligent than him, another philosopher more intelligent. So you go on searching. Anyway, either in richness or in intelligence or in power, strength, beauty, there is comparative superlative degrees. So God means the superlative degree in everything. How he can deny this existence? That is not possible.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison -- September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst:

Yoko Ono: Then, in that sense, you see, for instance... I see the same pattern in what you have said. For instance, you said that Hare Kṛṣṇa is the most superpowerful word, and if that is true, then why do you bother to utter any other words? I mean, is it necessary? And why do you encourage us, saying that we're songwriters and all,...

Prabhupāda: No...

Yoko Ono: ...to write any song but Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is cleansing process.

Yoko Ono: Yes.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Krishna Tiwari -- May 22, 1973, New York:

Prabhupāda: Imperfect knowledge and happiness.

Krishna Tiwari: Only perfect can be then your superpower, which you're talking about. You cannot be perfect either.

Prabhupāda: No. no. I am not perfect, but I am following the perfect. That is...

Krishna Tiwari: Yeah, well, superpower, everybody is following a superpower, everybody else...

Prabhupāda: That is... No. You have no such power. You have no such superpower.

Krishna Tiwari: Well, I have no such superpower, but...

Room Conversation with Krishna Tiwari -- May 22, 1973, New York:

Prabhupāda: You say that you do not know anything beyond this material knowledge. That you do not know. Therefore you do not know what is that superpower, which is controlling. But I know the superpower.

Krishna Tiwari: Well, that's my question. I don't know whether you know that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the difference.

Devotee (1): So, you should not make up the conclusion that just because you don't know, that someone else also doesn't know.

Krishna Tiwari: No, I agree with you completely, but my point of this is that this is the difference between religious and scientific approach of finding the superpower. When science finds...

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: On the whole, my point is: it is a very difficult subject matter. So unless we very carefully deal, people will misunderstand.

Guest (2): We have carefully dealt with...

Guest (1): So we have given them images the superpower of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Guest (2): It is not a question of sex. It is super divine power.

Prabhupāda: You say like that.

Guest (2): No, no. We are presenting. I am presenting this way. That is superpower.

Guest (1): When Madhu-maṅgala, when he was thinking that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is a general man and was for these ladies only, then he saw that viśvarūpa of Śrī Kṛṣṇa on the screen, all the universes inside Śrī Kṛṣṇa...

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Guest (2): We have taken that aspect, that He's a superpower.

Guest (1): When he is thinking He's man, He's not the man. He's the superman.

Guest (2): Also we have seen that...

Guest (1): And all the universes inside revolving.

Guest (2): That is our message. Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary. Superpower.

Prabhupāda: He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Guest (2): He's the supreme power.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Anyway, that means he did not like.

Guest (1): But the superpower.

Guest (2): I don't know. But what you think that actually Droṇa, er, Ekalavya is the disciple of...?

Prabhupāda: The general process we have to accept. Ādau śraddhā. If you think that "This line of action is very nice, Kṛṣṇa consciousness," this is called śraddhā. And śraddhā is explained by Kavirāja Gosvāmī, śraddhā śabde viśvāsa surila niścaya, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva karma kṛta haya. This is śraddhā. When one is firmly convinced, firmly. Sudṛdha viśvāsa.

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Guest (2): We have read many of your publications. And I was just telling him like dharma that "Swamiji has done only one thing, that he has made the universe not only contained to India. He has made the whole world conscious about Kṛṣṇa. To know about Kṛṣṇa at least, the real Kṛṣṇa. Or the superpower. He has made this point.

Prabhupāda: Therefore we have to progress very cautiously, very cautiously, not irresponsibly. That is our point.

Guest (2): Recently I had been to Calcutta for the recording of this songs of kṛṣṇa-līlā. (Oriya or Bengali)