So Arjuna says, yadi mām apratikāram. Pratikāram, apratikāram. Pratikāram means counteraction, and apratikāram means without any counteraction. So he is informing Kṛṣṇa that "If the other party, dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, other party, they kill me while I am not prepared..." But that is not the regulation of fighting. So therefore he says apratikāram: "Whether if I am not prepared and they kill me all of a sudden, this is wrong. I accept, even they kill me, apratikāram, without I am fully equipped..." Aśastram. In the fight, one must be equipped with all weapons. "But when I am not equipped with weapons or I am not willing to fight... Because I am not willing to fight." This has been decided: "I cannot kill my kinsmen. Therefore I am not going to take the step of pratikāram, counteraction. So even in this condition, they come and kill me," yadi mām apratikāram aśastram, "I am not fully equipped with śastra, weapons," aśastram and śastra-pāṇayaḥ, "and they are fully equipped with weapons," dhārtarāṣṭrā raṇe hanyus, "so in this condition the other party, my cousin-brothers, sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, if they kill me," raṇe hanyus, tan me kṣemataraṁ bhavet, "I shall prefer that. I am not going to fight. If you think that 'If you don't fight, then they will take the opportunity...' " He is talking with Kṛṣṇa. He is already giving the counterargument, that "Kṛṣṇa, if you think that I don't fight, but they will take the opportunity and kill me immediately, that also I shall prefer, but I am not going to fight. This is my decision." Sañjaya uvāca. So Sañjaya, the secretary of Dhṛtarāṣṭra... They were sitting in a room. So evam uktvā, "thus saying," Arjuna, the person... Arjuna is nominative case. Arjuna, saṅkhye, "in the battlefield;" rathopastha, "on the chariot," upāviśat. You have seen the picture. When Kṛṣṇa blew His conchshell and from the backside Arjuna is just trying to take his arrow and fight... But instead of fighting, he's visṛjya sa-śaraṁ cāpam. "No, no, no. I am not going to..., giving up. Finished. I am no more going to fight." Visṛjya sa-śaraṁ cāpam. Why it is? Śoka-saṁvigna-mānasaḥ. His mind was overwhelmed with lamentation, that "How can I kill my kinsmen?" This is the position.
That is wrong (Lectures, BG)
Expressions researched:
"This is a wrong"
|"that is a wrong"
|"that is also wrong"
|"that is another wrong"
|"that is his wrong"
|"that is the wrong"
|"that is wrong"
|"that is your wrong"
|"that is, means wrong"
|"this is all wrong"
|"this is also wrong"
|"this is now wrong"
|"this is the wrong"
|"this is wrong"
|"this is your wrong"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Here is a technique. The same Kṛṣṇa and same Arjuna, they are talking as friends. Then what was the necessity of Arjuna accepting Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master? The same Arjuna and same Kṛṣṇa, they'll talk, but what is the necessity of accepting as spiritual master? That means after accepting spiritual master he'll not argue. He'll simply accept whatever He says. That is the technique. Friendly talks, equal level, He, Kṛṣṇa was talking something and he was replying. So that argument has no end. But when he accepts Him as spiritual master, there is no more argument. One has to accept whatever He says. Therefore he's accepting as spiritual master. After this, Arjuna will never say, "This is wrong, this is, no," or "I don't agree." No. He'll accept. So acceptance of spiritual master means to accept anything, whatever he says. Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whom he can completely surrender. That is the technique. Veda-vākya. Just like in the Vedic injunction, nobody can deny. Similarly, spiritual master is also representative of Veda. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. So similarly, it is just like Vedic injunction. So spiritual master has also got the great duty. He has to instruct the disciple in such a way that he may not be misled, and that is not possible because a spiritual master is he who will simply speak from authoritative sources. He'll speak from Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata, or what was spoken by Nārada, Vyāsa, that is his authority. He does not say, "In my opinion it is..." No. Therefore it is perfect, it is coming from the disciplic succession, and if one agrees to such instruction, then he's also perfectly advancing. It is not difficult to understand. So he's accepting. "Now I accept You as my spiritual master. You teach me." Is that the statement? Yes. What is that?
Therefore Kṛṣṇa was always obliged to them. Kṛṣṇa said to the gopīs that "You have to be satisfied with your own business. I cannot return you anything for your love." Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, the all-powerful, He was unable to repay the debts for the gopīs. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhu-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. There is no more better worship than what was conceived by the gopīs. So gopīs are the topmost devotees. And amongst the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the topmost. Therefore Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is greater than Kṛṣṇa.
So this is Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava philosophy. It requires time. So the activities of Kṛṣṇa, the rascals, if they simply see that "Kṛṣṇa is enticing Arjuna to fight; therefore Kṛṣṇa is immoral," that is, means wrong vision. You have to see Kṛṣṇa with separate eyes. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ ca. Divyam (BG 4.9). These transcendental activities of Kṛṣṇa, if anyone can understand, simply if anyone can understand, then he becomes liberated immediately. Liberated. Not liberated ordinary liberation, but for going back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). The greatest liberation. There are different types of liberation also. Sāyujya sārūpya sārṣṭi sālokya sāyujya... (CC Madhya 6.266). Five kinds of liberation. So sāyujya means to merge into the existence, Brahman, brahma-laya (merging in the impersonal). That is also liberation. The Māyāvādīs or the jnani sampradāya, they want to merge into the existence, Brahman existence. That is also mukti. That is called sāyujya-mukti. But for a devotee, this sāyujya-mukti is just like hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. So for Vaiṣṇava, kaivalyam, to, monism, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, is compared with hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5). And the karmīs... Jñānīs are anxious to merge into the existence of the Brahman effulgence, and the karmīs, their highest aim is how to be elevated in the higher planetary system, Svarga-loka, where Lord Indra is there, or Brahmā is there. That is karmī's ambition, to go to the heaven. They all, except Vaiṣṇava philosophy, in all other literature, all other scripture, means Christian and Mohammedan, their aim is how to be elevated to the heaven.
Yes. Dvaita and advaita. Just like this finger is, is my finger. So it is part of this body. So you can, you can say, "This finger is also body." But, at the same time, the finger is not the body. Is it clear? You cannot say "This finger the whole body." But at the same time, you can say, "Yes, finger is body." If you say, "This is my body," there is no wrong because finger is also part of the body. But if you say that "The finger is body," that is also wrong. This is dvaita-advaita. It is simultaneously one and different. Similarly, the soul and the Supreme Lord, equal in quality. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśa. The small particle of gold is gold. That is advaita. You cannot say, because it is small particle of gold, you cannot say, "It is iron." It is gold. That is advaita. But the gold mine and the gold earring, there is difference. You cannot say the gold earring is as good as the gold mine. That is dvaita. so in this way, as so far our spiritual existence is concerned, we are one. But so far our energies are concerned, that is different. That is dvaita-advaita. You have no such big energy as God has. In that sense you are different. God can create millions of universe by His breathing. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). You can create one small sputnik, and take credit. But God can create innumerable universes simply by breathing. So your energy, your power, is different from God's power. But in quality, you are one with God.
He's no better than the cats and dogs. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). The whole world is going on on this misimpression, misidentification with the body. Therefore, there is fight between one nation to another, one man to another, and so many...
So jñānī means one must be above this bodily concept of life. He's jñānī. Therefore to become jñānī, the first instruction, as Kṛṣṇa is giving to Arjuna, He's pointing out that "You are not this body. My dear Arjuna. You are decline, declining to fight, because you are bodily infected. You are thinking that your bodily, blood relation with the other party, namely your brother, nephews and others, that is wrong conception. You are not this body." Because Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa: śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). When he was puzzled in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, he thought it wise to accept Kṛṣṇa not as his friend, his friend, but at the same time, he accepted Him as his spiritual master. Śiṣyas te' haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam. And the duty of the disciple is to fully surrender unto the spiritual master. Unless you can surrender, (you) do not accept anyone as spiritual master. If you want the spiritual master to abide by your order, then that acceptance of spiritual master is a farce. It is not acceptance. Acceptance of spiritual master means that one should surrender unto the spiritual master. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you want to learn that transcendental science, tad viddhi, you try to understand. How? Praṇipātena. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta. Fully surrendering, falling flat. "Sir, I surrender unto you." Praṇipātena paripraśnena. And then inquire question.
Desire means material desires. If you think that you are Indian and your desire is how to make your country improve... Or so many desires. Or if you are a family man. So these are all material desires. So long you are enwrapped by material desires, then you are under the condition of material nature. As soon as you think that you are, your, you are not Indian or American, you are not a brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya, you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is called purified desire. Desire is there, but you have to purify the desire. That I have explained just now. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). These are upādhis. Suppose you are in a black coat. So does it mean you are black coat? If you say... If I ask you, "Who are you?" If you say, "I am black coat," is that the proper answer? No. Similarly, we are in a dress, American dress or Indian dress. So if somebody asks you "Who are you?" "I am Indian." That is wrong identification. If you say, "Ahaṁ brahmāsmi," that is your real identification. That realization required.
The grammatical. Guṇa, in, deha, in, in prata.(?) Dehin śabda. So the nominative case of dehin śabda is dehī. Dehī nityam, eternal. In so many ways, Kṛṣṇa has explained. Nityam, eternal. Indestructible, immutable. It does not take birth, it does not die, it is always, constantly the same. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). In this way, again he says nityam, eternal. Avadhya, nobody can kill. In the body, he is there. But dehe sarvasya bhārata. This is very important. Not that simply in human body the soul is there and not in other bodies. That is rascaldom. Sarvasya. In every body. Even within the ant, even within the elephant, even within the gigantic banyan tree or within the microbe. Sarvasya. The soul is there. But some rascals, they say the animals have no soul. This is wrong. How you can say the animal has no soul? Everyone. Here the authoritative statement by Kṛṣṇa: sarvasya. And in other place, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ: (BG 14.4) In all species of life, as many forms are there, 8,400,000 different forms of life, tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma. Mahad yonir. Their source of body is of this material nature. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: "I am the seed-giving father." As without father and mother there is no offspring, so the father is Kṛṣṇa and the mother is material nature, or spiritual nature.
The modern theory—the population has increased—this is a nonsense theory. If there is production is sufficient, where is the question of population increasing? Let population increase. The supplier will give you. In the Vedic literature we find, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That Supreme Lord is supplying everyone food. Why do you think of human society? What is the human society? Out of 8,400,000 forms of life there are only 400,000 forms of human life. And 8,000,000 forms they are lower animals, birds, beasts, aquatics. Who is supplying their foodstuff? Everyone is sumptuously fed by the grace of God.
Why not you? You are suffering because you are disobeying, therefore you are suffering. That you should know, only the suffering population theory, this theory, that theory, only in the human society because they are regularly defying the existence of God—science, science, science. Now there are so many suffering people. Why your science cannot provide them food? So this is wrong theory. You have to satisfy the supreme supplier. Then you'll get sufficient production and you'll be happy. Go on.
Prabhupāda: If Kṛṣṇa orders we shall do, but not purposely at your whims. There is nothing wrong for a Kṛṣṇa conscious person. But what we think materially wrong, if it is ordered by Kṛṣṇa, we shall do it. For Kṛṣṇa there is no wrong. Just like the government orders somebody to be hanged. That means kills. So that does not mean the government becomes condemned. But if I kill, I immediately become condemned. The government is still pure because for higher purpose the government can order somebody to be hanged and somebody to be rewarded. Everything is justice.
Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa says, "You do this," we have no consideration whether material calculation, it is good or bad. That's all. But we cannot do on our own account. Then it is implication. That is the technique. Don't think that "We are now Kṛṣṇa conscious, we are Kṛṣṇa's persons, we can do anything." Just like if a policeman thinks that "I am government man. I can do anything, whatever I like." That is wrong. He cannot do that. But if Kṛṣṇa orders, then you can do. Yes.
Guest: Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna he can go to the sun planet in the Gītā. Why does He say that? I can't remember where. I remember reading that Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna he can go to the sun planet by worshiping Him. Why does He say that?
Prabhupāda: If I say that you can go to Santa Fe, what is the harm? What is the wrong there?
Guest: You can go to the sun planet by worshiping...
Prabhupāda: Anywhere, if Kṛṣṇa says that you can go to the sun planet, what is wrong there?
Guest: Well, I thought you'd go to Kṛṣṇa, along with Kṛṣṇa.
Yes. He was killed by violence. And his idea... He wanted to make Hindu-Muslim unity in India. The British government fabricated the Hindu-Muslim riots, and lastly, at last also, their purpose was fulfilled by partition of India, Pakistan and India. Now, Mahatma Gandhi worked throughout his whole life just to make a unification of the Hindus and Muslims. Unfortunately, at last, he had to see that the Hindus and Muslims of India were divided into Pakistan and India. And his nonviolence also failed.
So, because if we do not follow the right person, mahājana—mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186)—then however I may be great in the estimation of the innocent public, that is wrong path. That is wrong path. Therefore the right thing is to follow the succession. Now, we have to follow the principle which Kṛṣṇa sets. Kṛṣṇa is not advocating, I mean to say, nonviolence. You cannot eradicate violence from this world. That is not possible because Kṛṣṇa Himself is on the battlefield and He is trying to induce Arjuna. Arjuna is declining and He is inducing, "No, you must fight." Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). So we have to follow the footprints of great personalities. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. Mahājana. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find that it has been advised that religious principles should be followed by taking the life examples of great personalities. Religious principles...
Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance is like that. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is born and Kṛṣṇa is gone. No, it is not like that. Somewhere is Kṛṣṇa there. Just like the sun is somewhere. There are innumerable universes. The one universe, you see, oh, this is only one, but there are many. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. This material manifestation, with innumerable universes, is only a one part of manifestation of the Supreme Lord. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. These descriptions are there in the Bhagavad-gītā.
So we should always remember that we are reading Bhagavad-gītā and we should understand it as it is. We should not make any interpretation. That is a wrong thing. And if there was some necessity of interpretation, we should not think that Kṛṣṇa left the matter for being interpreted by in later age by some scholar. Oh, He could have disclosed it Himself. He was quite competent. No. There is no question of interpretation. We have to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. If we cannot understand, that is a defect in me, not in the Bhagavad-gītā. So we have to find out the defect in me. So Lord Kṛṣṇa says, ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san: "Although I am the Lord, I am the Supreme Lord of everything and although I am unborn, aja, and avyayātmā, I have no change, still, prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya." Prakṛtiṁ svām.
We must understand that higher nature that as it is recommended in the Vedas, that tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). And again in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata also it is said that tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). In all the scriptures this is said. Without approaching a person who can teach you of the higher nature, you cannot develop. It is not possible to acquire. You have got the higher nature but to invoke that higher nature it requires the assistance of a person who is in the higher nature. That is recommended.
If somebody says that "I don't require any help of any spiritual master," that is wrong. That is wrong. You will find all the great persons... And so far our Vedic culture is concerned, great learned scholars, just like Śaṅkarācārya... Perhaps you have heard the name of Śaṅkarācārya. Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Lord Caitanya. In India there have been many, many great scholars. Even Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He had a spiritual master because He wanted to show the example. He did not require any circumstances to acquire knowledge from any other, but because He was playing just like a human being, so He set the example that He accepted a spiritual master. There are instances. So similarly, Lord Caitanya also, He accepted spiritual master. Śaṅkarācārya accepted spiritual master. That is the system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The disciplic succession must be accepted.
So how the molecules can become the whole sea? Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are thinking that "Being merged into the, existence of Brahman, I become Brahman." No, this is a wrong. You cannot become Brahman. You remain the same.
The example is given: just like a green bird enters into the green tree. It does not mean that the bird is mixed. No. The bird is keeping its independence as an individual. But it appears to others, those who do not see properly, that it has merged into the tree. It has actually not merged. And because it does not merge, therefore they fall down. They again come out. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ... Vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking, "Now I have become one with the Supreme." But actually, that is a false impression. Māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means actually it is not fact, but he's thinking like that. Vimukta-māninaḥ.
Why he's thinking like that? Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. His knowledge is not perfect. Aviśuddha. Viśuddha means perfect, and aviśuddha means not perfect. Unnecessarily he's thinking that "I have become one with the..." I remain the same part and parcel. As Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7).
We are just trying to be philanthropic, altruistic. And we are trying to become friend of my countrymen, of my society, of my family, but that is a wrong conception. Real friend is Kṛṣṇa. I can work on His behalf. How I can work? You try. If you actually want to do something good to your family, then you try to make all the members of your family Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then your life will be successful. If you want to make them otherwise, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you will be serving, not serving, you will be rendering them disservice. Because any knowledge will not help your wife or children. Any knowledge, any amount of knowledge, will not help his real problem. What is his real problem we do not know. The real problem is... That we do not know. The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9).
The Bhāgavata says, pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt: "One should not try to become father. One should not try to become mother." Why? Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum: "One who is unable to save his children from the grip of material nature." That should be Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you are a responsible father, then, if you are completely in knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your duty will be that "These creatures, these innocent creatures now, who are playing in my, at my home as my children, as my boys, now this life should be the last installment of his transmigration from one body to another. I shall train these boys in such a way that after this body he will have no more to go into the cycle of birth and death." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Suppose in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, what we are doing? We are giving Kṛṣṇa prasādam. We are distributing everyone, without any distinction. We don't make any distinction between daridra-nārāyaṇa and a rich nārāyaṇa. We give prasādam to every nārāyaṇa. Of course, we do not think that everyone is Nārāyaṇa. That is not our philosophy. Nārāyaṇa is above. Nārāyaṇaḥ avyaktāt paraḥ. "Nārāyaṇa is not of this material world." Nārāyaṇaḥ paro 'vyaktāt. That is the version of Śaṅkarācārya. So it is a wrong philosophy that because Nārāyaṇa is everyone's heart.... Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Nārāyaṇa, or īśvara, is situated in everyone's heart. That does not mean that everyone has become Nārāyaṇa. This is a wrong philosophy. If you make such distinction, then why there should be daridra-nārāyaṇa? There should be rich nārāyaṇa. There should be chāga-nārāyaṇa, matsya-nārāyaṇa, every nārāyaṇa. If you have got such vision that "Because Nārāyaṇa is there in everyone's heart, then everyone should be addressed as Nārāyaṇa..." But that should not be. That is not be. That should not be. That is insult.
Devotee: "Factually, bhakti-yoga is the ultimate goal, but to analyze bhakti-yoga minutely, one has to understand these other minor yogas. The yogi who is progressive is therefore on the true path of eternal auspiciousness. One who sticks to a particular point and does not make further progress is called by that particular name."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, if somebody is practicing jñāna-yoga, if he thinks that this is finished, that is wrong. You have to make further progress. Just like we have given many times the example, there is a staircase. You have to go to the highest floor, which is, say hundredth floor. So somebody is on the fiftieth floor, somebody is on the thirtieth floor, somebody is on the eightieth floor. So if by coming to the particular eightieth, fiftieth or eightieth floor, one thinks, "This is finished," then he is not progressing. One has to go to the end. That is highest platform of yoga. The whole staircase can be called a yoga system, connecting, link. But don't be satisfied by keeping yourself on the fiftieth floor or eightieth floor. Go to the highest platform, the hundredth or hundred-fiftieth floor. That is bhakti-yoga. Go on.
Devotee: "But if one is fortunate enough to come to the point of bhakti-yoga, it is to be understood that he has surpassed all the different yogas."
Mayy āsakta. Mayy means "unto Me." Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says "unto Me, Kṛṣṇa." You cannot interpret in a different way. When I say that "Give me a glass of water," it means that I am the person who is in want of a glass of water. And if you supply me, not to others, then it is right. So when Kṛṣṇa says "unto Me," that means Kṛṣṇa. But sometimes rascal interpreters, they say something else. Why? Even grammatically this is wrong. Kṛṣṇa says "unto Me"; therefore the action should be unto Kṛṣṇa, not of any other else.
So Kṛṣṇa says mayi, "unto Me"; āsakta, "attachment." One who has developed attachment for Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like if you have got attachment for your lover, you always think of him. That is..., is lover consciousness. There is a very—this is natural—a Sanskrit verse in which it is stated that a woman who has got another lover besides her husband, she shows very attentive for her household duties, but she is always thinking when she will meet at night her lover. (aside:) Please sit properly. So as it is possible that in spite of our all engagements, if I love somebody I think of him always, materially it is possible, why not spiritually? That is the whole teaching of Bhagavad-gītā.
These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. The material, physical elements, they are inferior quality of, inferior quality, energy, of Kṛṣṇa. But the superior quality of energy we are, living entities. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5).
Therefore here in this material world there are two energies working. In the spiritual world there is only spiritual energy working. But in the material world, two energies are working: material and spiritual. Material energy is dependent on spiritual energy. Spiritual energy is prominent everywhere, in this material world and the spiritual world. Here also, the matter is developing upon spirit, not that spirit is manifesting under certain conditional stage of matter. That is a wrong theory. For example, the small spiritual spark, the living entity, very small, we cannot even imagine with our material brain. It is one ten-thousandth part of a point. We, in the material world, we cannot measure the length and breadth of point. Therefore those who are mathematicians, they say, "Point has no length, no breadth." But actually that is not a fact. You have no eyes to see the length and breadth of a point. You are so blunt, your senses are so limited, imperfect, that you cannot imagine that a point can have length and breadth. But we get information from Vedic literature, not only the point, but one ten-thousandth part of the point is measured. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca, jīvo bhāgaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ (CC Madhya 19.140). Because we have no imagination, we have no instrument, neither we have sufficient knowledge what is the length and breadth of the form of the living entity, therefore Vedic literature gives you an idea that you just try to imagine one ten-thousandth part of the point, and that is the measurement. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca, jīvo bhāgaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ sa cānantyāya kalpate (CC Madhya 19.140). So living entities, spiritual spark, that measurement is given there. Whenever there is measurement, there is form. It is not...
Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). The Absolute Truth is that. It is one, but it is realized into different phases: as Brahman, as Paramātmā and as Bhagavān. So if you understand Brahman, that is also partial understanding. If you understand Paramātmā... Brahman is understood by the philosophical speculation, Māyāvāda philosophy, or jñāna-mārga. Then you can understand partially. Just like to understand the sunshine is partial understanding of the sun. It is not full understanding. Full understanding, if you have got power to go to the sun globe, to see the predominating deity there, Vivasvān, the sun-god, then it is full understanding. If you think that understanding the sunshine you have understand the whole feature of the sun globe, that is wrong. Similarly, to understand Brahman, impersonal Brahman, is also partial understanding. And to understand Paramātmā, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61), that is also little higher stage, but that is also partial. But when you understand Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality, that is full understanding. Therefore it is said, bhagavān uvāca, bhagavān uvāca, full understanding. Vyāsadeva could have said, "kṛṣṇa uvāca." But because Kṛṣṇa is understood wrong way sometimes by the fools and rascals, therefore he says directly, "bhagavān uvāca." Bhagavān uvāca.
You cannot question the statement or instruction of Bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence. There are six kinds of opulences. Bhagavān means one who is full with six kinds of opulences. So nowadays there are so many bhagavāns, but because they have no full opulences, they cannot be accepted as Bhagavān. Bhagavān means full opulences.
So there is soul and there is the gross material body and there is the subtle material body. The soul is the basic principle, but to get a body, as I have already explained, the secretion discharged by the father and the mother, they mix up, they are emulsified and forms in the body of a pea. And the soul comes through the semina of the father and he's situated there. Then the body develops. Now, just try to understand. Because the spirit soul is there, therefore matter is developing. If the soul is not there, if the child is dead, no more development. No more development. No dead child develops a body. Everyone knows. Therefore these material elements come from the spirit soul, not that spirit soul comes from the material elements. This is not. This is wrong theory. If it comes from the material combination, then why you cannot produce a living entity in the laboratory? In the laboratory, no, that is not... A material... Because... Material creation is there because I wanted a, such a circumstances, atmosphere, and anumantā, the Supreme Lord, He's the supreme sanction giver—He gives me opportunity to enter into a certain type of mother's body, and the material grows.
So the actual fact is from spirit soul, the energy, material energy comes out. Take for example... That I was giving, that chemicals. Now, take one lemon tree. It is a living entity, and it is producing at least hundreds of pounds of citric acid, lemons. Everyone knows. You take fifty lemons today, again take fifty lemons, and if you extract the lemons, you'll find extensive quantity of citric acid. So wherefrom the citric acid chemical comes? Because the living entity's there in the tree. Therefore the conclusion should be the chemicals come from life; life does not come from chemical. If life comes from chemical, then you produce. I give you the chemical, whatever chemicals you want. So chemical is produced. Just like you have got experience when there is perspiration. You taste the perspiration; there is salt. Wherefrom the salt comes? Salt is... what is the chemical name? Sodium carbonate, no?
So this body, because we, in our spiritual body we have got form, hands and legs, therefore we develop a material body which has got hands, legs, etc. That we can understand very easily. Just like your coat and shirt cannot have hands and legs without you having your hands and legs; similarly, this material body which is considered as dress means it has developed on the personal body of the spiritual form. This is called saviśeṣa-vāda.
So the material existence, external feature of the Lord, is the, are these eight elements, namely bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). They are subtle forms. Ahaṅkāra, egotism, mind and intelligence. They are also material. They are not spiritual. One who thinks that mental speculation is spiritual speculation, that is wrong. Here from Bhagavad-gītā we understand the mind is also subtle form of matter, and actually that is so. Because we get another body after death according to the mental situation at the time of death. The mind, intelligence, the subtle body... Just like at night our subtle body, mind, intelligence works, and we think that we have got a separate body and have gone somewhere else from our house, from our room. We forget this material body. Similarly, after death, my mind and intelligence carry me to another separate body according to my thinking at the time of death. So false ego. This false ego is that "I am something of material product." This is called false ego. Actually, though, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman."
They are living entities, just like we are living entities.
So we are energies of Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvāda philosophy claims that we are the same Brahman or Paramātmā. But Bhagavad-gītā says that the living entities, as we are, we are simply energy; Kṛṣṇa is the energetic. So there is difference between the energetic and the energy. Just like fire. Fire is the energetic, and light and heat are the energies of fire. So the sun and the sunshine. The sunshine is the energy of sun. If you think because the sunshine has entered in your room, if you think the sun has entered your room, that is wrong. So energy and energetic, they are simultaneously one and different. That is the philosophy of Lord Caitanya. Acintya-bhedābheda. There are many philosophers, they say that God and the living entity the same; it is covered by māyā. Yes. It is covered by māyā. That is accepted. But God cannot be covered by māyā. That is not possible. The same example. Just like the clouds, cloud covering my eyesight. Not that cloud is covering the sun. That is not possible. Similarly, māyā also, being another energy...
- viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā
- kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā
- avidyā-karma-saṁjñānya
- tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate
- (CC Madhya 6.154)
Out of multifarious energies of Kṛṣṇa, all of them are spiritual. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā. If Kṛṣṇa is complete spirit, His energies are also spiritual. Therefore in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said, viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā. Parā means spiritual, and kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā. Kṣetrajña. The kṣetrajña and kṣetra will be discussed in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Thirteenth Chapter.
So māyā is controlled by Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa is never controlled by māyā. Kṛṣṇa is never controlled by māyā. That is not very good theory. That is due to poor fund of knowledge. Kṛṣṇa cannot be covered. Just like Vyāsadeva, by his bhakti-yoga meditation he saw Kṛṣṇa and māyā. Māyā apāśrayam, just on the background. Background, just like you find the shadow of the man. Not in the front. Similarly, māyā cannot cover Kṛṣṇa. That is wrong philosophy. Māyā can cover the individual soul. Therefore because the individual soul is apt to fall down sometimes under the clutches of māyā, it is called taṭastha-śakti. Taṭastha-śakti. Just like in the seaside the shore, the beach, sometimes you see it is covered by water and sometimes it is land; similarly, when we are covered by māyā, that is our jīva-bhūta stage, and when there is no more covering, that is brahma-bhūta stage. When we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we are brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), and when we are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, we are materially conscious, that is māyā.
Therefore as soon as we are freed from the clutches of māyā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), we become prasannātmā, very happy, joyful. Just like if a man is freed from the contamination of a certain type of disease, he feels happy: "Now I am feeling all right," similarly, these coverings of māyā of the jīvas, not of the Supreme Lord... The Supreme Lord cannot be covered by māyā. That is wrong. The jīvas. That is called ya... Apareyam itas tv anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). Arjuna is addressed as mahā-bāhu, the great fighter. Great fighter can understand. Who is great fighter? Who is acting under Kṛṣṇa, he is great fighter. Just like Arjuna is fighting. So when you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and fight with these material opposing elements... These preachers, they are also mahā-bāhu. They are fighting with persons who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. They are pushing on Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by fighting. But this fighting is in different way. This was taught by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). Sa aṅga upāṅga astra. Astra means weapons. Just like these Pakistanis are fighting with machine gun, Caitanya Mahāprabhu fought with māyā not with machine gun but with His most confidential associates.
So these features of Kṛṣṇa, how He is simultaneously one and different, acintya-bhedābheda... Kṛṣṇa is this electric lamp, and still, He's not the electric lamp. Kṛṣṇa is this pillow, but He's not the pillow. If, when we say that Kṛṣṇa is everything, therefore... Just like some big mission, they say, "Anything we accept as God, it is all right." No. We do not say like that. Neither Kṛṣṇa says. When Kṛṣṇa speaks of worshiping, He does not say that you worship the electric light or something else. Mām ekam, that is the instruction. Not that "Kṛṣṇa has become everything; therefore everything has to be worshiped." No. This is wrong. This is acintya-bhedābheda. We have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa personally—mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja—not the varieties. You have to understand that varieties are dependent on Kṛṣṇa, but not that "Because there are varieties, therefore Kṛṣṇa is finished." No, that is not the philosophy. Jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu. Especially tapasvī...
Tapasvī means those who are seeking after eternal happiness. Karmīs, yogis, there are many tapasvīs. But real tapasvī... Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). That is... Divyam means transcendental. Just perform tapasya for realizing Kṛṣṇa. Tapo divyam. Otherwise, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he also performed tapasya. What was that tapasya? He performed severe tapasya, so much so that the whole universe became perturbed and Brahmājī came to see, "What do you want?" "No, I am performing tapasya for becoming immortal. So if you make me immortal, it will be very kind of you." He said, "I am myself not immortal. How can I make you immortal? That is not possible." So the idea is he also performed tapasya, but that tapasya was for material gain. But that is not tapasya.
It is stated in the Vedic literature. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). There are so many things. Everyone is inquisitive, "Where is the beginning of this thing?" The beginning is the Supreme Lord. That is the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Beginning is there. So you cannot say that life has come from matter. That is not possible. Because here it is said, Kṛṣṇa says, that bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Anything which has come into existence, the original source is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is life. He's not dead stone. Therefore the conclusion is: from life, life has come and matter has come. Not that matter has come from life. Oh, what is that? Life has come from matter. That is not the conclusion. That is wrong conclusion.
So if you actually require perfect knowledge, then we have to accept knowledge this, like this way. It is called avaroha-panthā. Avaroha-panthā means a descendence or deductive process. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we claim that we have got perfect knowledge of everything because we are taking knowledge from the perfect person—Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). And that is the real process. If you simply speculate to arrive at the conclusion, inductive process... Just like if you want to study whether man is mortal or immortal, there are two processes. Deductive process, you take the idea from superior person that man is mortal. If you accept, then your knowledge is perfect. But if you want to approach the knowledge by inductive process, by studying each man, whether he is mortal or immortal, you may study thousand, two thousand, five thousand, but you cannot study all the men. Therefore your conclusion remains always defective. You cannot do that. Therefore the best process is knowledge is to receive from the person who is authorized. Actually, you do that. We go to a school, we go to college, to receive knowledge from the superior person. That is our process. That is perfect knowledge. You cannot manufacture knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Ātmānam means Kṛṣṇa. He's the Supreme ātmā. Just like we love ātmā, every one of us. We, if there is some danger, then immediately we try to protect ourself, protect this body from danger. Why? Why do you want to protect this body from danger? What is the reason.
Bhagavān: They identify the body as the self and the self is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: That is wrong conception, but actually, because I am living within this body, I want to give protection. This is the fact. Just like one protects his country because he lives there. Protects his house, protects his property because he has utilization. Similarly, because we have got utility for this body, we give protection. But when the living entity is no longer there within this body, there is no question of protection. It is thrown away. Even his father, mother or relatives, they take the body and throw away. In a different way, the body is thrown away. It has no more importance. So, then ultimately it comes that you love yourself. And you love yourself, but the self is the part and parcel of the Supreme Self. Therefore you love yourself because you love the Supreme Self. So therefore, ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ. Actually, everyone has got the loving propensity because he loves Kṛṣṇa. That is natural. So Kṛṣṇa says that simply by following this process, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Mām evaiṣyasi, you are trying to find out the supreme loveable object. So mām evaiṣyasi, come and let us live, loving one another. This is the goal of life.
So we are living entity. We are superior energy of Kṛṣṇa, but we have become inferior on account of this material covering. We have become inferior but we are not inferior. We are superior energy. When we act for Kṛṣṇa, then we are situated in our own position. That is called mukti. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, mukti means hitvā anyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). That is mukti. Mukti does not mean that you have got now two hands, and as soon as you become mukta, you'll have three thousand hands. No, not that. Mukti means svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. When we understand that "I am utilizing hands and legs and eyes for my sense gratification. No, this is wrong. It should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service. My hands should be engaged for Kṛṣṇa's service. My hands should be engaged for cleansing this temple. My hands should be engaged for cooking Kṛṣṇa's food." In this way. "My hands should be utilized for writing for Kṛṣṇa, glorifying Kṛṣṇa. My legs should be used for going to the temple of Kṛṣṇa. My eyes should be used for seeing beauty of Kṛṣṇa. My ears should be used for hearing glories of Kṛṣṇa. My tongue should be used for chanting Kṛṣṇa's holy name." That is mukti.
And if you want to serve Kṛṣṇa in His gigantic form, universal form, you do not know where to catch Him. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa showed His gigantic form to Arjuna and he was terrified: "Please again become in your original Kṛṣṇa form." Even Arjuna who is always constant companion of Kṛṣṇa, friend, he was also terrified by His gigantic universal form.
So Kṛṣṇa is greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. That is Kṛṣṇa's greatness. Here in the material world, a thing which is very big, it cannot become small. But Kṛṣṇa, because He is the almighty God, He can become the greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).
So Kṛṣṇa is bhoktā and we are bhogya. It is not our position that we become Kṛṣṇa and become bhoktā, no. That is wrong conception. You cannot become the enjoyer. You are enjoyed. But when you want to imitate Kṛṣṇa and want to become enjoyer, then you are sent in this material world. This is material world. Why we are in this material world? We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We should remain with Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual world. But why we are put into this material world? That is explained. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān (BG 13.22). Because constitutionally a living entity is not enjoyer but enjoyed.
So Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "All kinds of forms that are coming out of the 8,400,000 species of life," tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, "I am the seed-giving father, and the material body is given by the material nature." Just like father gives the seed, impregnates the mother, and the mother supplies the body. The body belongs to the mother, and the spirit soul belongs to... Not be... To the supreme father. But it comes through the material father. Actually the supreme father is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. So Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Kṛṣṇa is not monopolized. This is a wrong theory, "He is a Hindu god." No. He is for everyone. Otherwise how you Americans, Europeans and others outside India, how you are accepting? Because originally Kṛṣṇa is your father, everyone's father. Mamaivāṁśo jīva (BG 15.7), all living... Not only you, but the animals, the trees, the plants, the insects, the serpent, the aquatics, the fish—everyone the son of Kṛṣṇa. This is daivī sampat.
Therefore when you come to the daivī sampat, then you understand that we all are brothers, universal brotherhood. Not that "The American is my brother, and the American cows are not my brother. Let them go to the slaughterhouse." This is all defective understanding. The real understanding is that "God, or Kṛṣṇa, is the supreme father, and we are all sons of God." This is real under... Paṇḍitaḥ. That is real knowledge. Therefore those who are in real knowledge, sama-darśinaḥ, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.
Prabhupāda: No. That is a wrong theory. If Māyāvādī is absolute..., jīva is absolute, then why they have become conditioned? Why? What is the answer?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They are dependent on some higher absolute.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, is it possible for one person to be part demon and part devotee in the same person?
Prabhupāda: If he's a devotee, he's not demon at all, if he's devotee.
Devotee (2): But he may have some demoniac qualities?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That, if he is seriously devotee, that demonic qualities will disappear very soon. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30), kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Just like electric fan is moving, and you make the switch off. Still you will find, it is moving. But that movement will stop very soon because switch is off. Similarly, a devotee, if it is sometimes found that he is demonic, that demonic, if he is sincerely a devotee, that demonic qualities will go very soon.
| Page Title: | That is wrong (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 25 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=31, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 31 |