This is realization of God. There is difference, varieties; at the same time they're one, unity in variety. So in the Brahma-saṁhitā also it is stated, eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. There are many millions of universes, jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means this universe, and koṭi means millions. Don't think this is the only universe. There are many millions' universes. In God creation there is no limitation. Everything unlimited. Even this universe, to us it is a great, wonderful thing. We do not know even what are there in the four corners of this universe, millions and millions of stars, millions of planets, millions and millions of oceans, mountains, and what to speak of living entities? Everything unlimited. The universe... It is also stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). In the effulgence of Brahman... The example is also there. It is not very difficult. Just like in the sunshine is the effulgence, shine. Sun is there, and the shining is there, but within the shining there are innumerable planets. In the daytime we cannot see, but at night we can see wherefrom these stars and planets coming. They are already there. In the sunshine, due to the bright sunshine, we cannot see them, but they are existing. As our planet is existing within the sunshine, so similarly, there are millions of planets. They are also existing. Yasya... Similarly... Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). This is only universe, but these each universe, millions of universes, they are existing within the Brahman effulgence, brahmajyoti, both spiritual and material. Everything is there.
Unity in variety
Expressions researched:
"in varieties there is unity"
|"there are immense diversities in unity for variegatedness"
|"unity in varieties"
|"unity in variety"
|"varieties, unity in diversity"
|"variety in unity"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 7
Unity in variety is real knowledge, and therefore giving up variety artificially does not reflect perfect knowledge of monism. According to the acintya-bhedābheda philosophy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there are varieties, but all of them constitute one unit. Such knowledge is knowledge of perfect oneness.
"By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them." The Lord can defy Himself. Thus there is variety in unity (ekatvaṁ bahutvam).
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
Kṛṣṇa's energy—His māyā-śakti, or svarūpa-śakti—is one, but it is manifested in varieties. parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8 (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport)). The difference between Vaiṣṇavas and Māyāvādīs is that Māyāvādīs say that this māyā is one, whereas Vaiṣṇavas recognize its varieties. There is unity in variety. For example, in one tree, there are varieties of leaves, fruits and flowers. Varieties of energy are required for performing the varieties of activity within the creation. To give another example, in a machine all the parts may be iron, but the machine includes varied activities. Although the whole machine is iron, one part works in one way, and other parts work in other ways. One who does not know how the machine is working may say that it is all iron; nonetheless, in spite of its being iron, the machine has different elements, all working differently to accomplish the purpose for which the machine was made. One wheel runs this way, another wheel runs that way, functioning naturally in such a way that the work of the machine goes on. Consequently we give different names to the different parts of the machine, saying, "This is a wheel," "This is a screw," "This is a spindle," "This is the lubrication," and so on.
Kṛṣṇa's power is variegated, and thus the same śakti, or potency, works in variegated ways. Vividhā means "varieties." There is unity in variety. Thus yogamāyā and mahāmāyā are among the varied individual parts of the same one potency, and all of these individual potencies work in their own varied ways. The saṁvit, sandhinī and āhlādinī potencies—Kṛṣṇa's potency for existence, His potency for knowledge and His potency for pleasure—are distinct from yogamāyā. Each is an individual potency. The āhlādinī potency is Rādhārāṇī. As Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī has explained, rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmāt (CC Adi 1.5). The āhlādinī-śakti is manifested as Rādhārāṇī, but Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī are the same, although one is potent and the other is potency.
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So Māyāvādī philosophers, they take one side only, that it is one. They do not understand what is the difference, what is the different taste, varieties. They cannot understand the varieties, unity in diversity. They cannot understand. Just like sugar and milk—you prepare so many sweetmeats: "This is rasagullā, this is sandeṣa, this is burfi, this is this, this is that." Hundreds of preparation you can... But what is that? That sugar and milk. So similarly, variety is the mother of enjoyment. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. Therefore they have been described in the Bhāgavata, vimukta-māninaḥ, aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They are thinking that now they have become one with the Supreme, Nārāyaṇa. They address between themselves, "Namo nārāyaṇa," that "Everyone has become Nārāyaṇa." This is their... "Everyone is Nārāyaṇa," that's all right, but still, different. That distinction is made by the Vaiṣṇavas. The same example: The different energies, material energy and spiritual energy, they are different. One is superior, one is inferior. But when you go to the central point from where all energies are coming... Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. This is the Vedic injunction, "From where everything is emanating."
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Dr. Patel: Nothing can happen without the śakti. Nothing can happen without the energy.
Prabhupāda: That's all right, but the...
Dr. Patel: You cannot move your finger...
Prabhupāda: But you cannot avoid the varieties.
Dr. Patel: But variety is produced by...
Prabhupāda: Just like in your body, this is your head, this is your hand. Everything is body. But if you say, "Everything is body," what is this nonsense?
Dr. Patel: How can it be nonsense?
Prabhupāda: Ah! It is nonsense!
Dr. Patel: That particular...
Prabhupāda: Why there is separate name, "This is head, this is hand, this is leg."
Dr. Patel: When this thing, whole body, was in the embryo...
Prabhupāda: Then it is called "unity in varieties." That is called.
Dr. Patel: And I will... Shall I speak?
Prabhupāda: Yes. But you cannot say the head and the leg is the same!
Dr. Patel: Let me talk now.
Prabhupāda: You cannot say that!
Dr. Patel: Shall I talk it now?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: When this body was being manufactured in the embryo, in the womb.
Prabhupāda: No, I know that you don't require this! I know that.
Dr. Patel: Yes.
Prabhupāda: It is matter. But it becomes varieties.
O'Grady: I'm saying its difficult to argue about one kind of situation in terms of another kind of situation when the nature of the problem or the nature of the result is different.
Prabhupāda: No, the kinds or varieties may remain, but sometimes the varieties help. Just like if you bring varieties of flower in a vase, it becomes very beautiful, but they are all flowers. So you have to become flowers. So even in varieties there is unity of beauty.
O'Grady: Yes, I accept that, of course.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
There is God's law, nature's law. Let the man and woman combine together, live peacefully. The woman takes charge of the household affairs, the man may take charge of bringing money, and they meet together, have Deity at home, together chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty? That is unity. Combine together, working differently but for the same purpose, for pleasing Kṛṣṇa, then you will become happy. That is equality. Unity in variety. That is wanted. Variety is enjoyment. Variety is not disturbing. Just like Kṛṣṇa gave, all of them fruits, but variety. They are coming from the same source, earth, but Kṛṣṇa is so intelligent—varieties of fruit, varieties of flowers, varieties of grain, varieties of brain. That is enjoyment. So, take instruction from Kṛṣṇa. Why He is sending so many varieties? He could have given one fruit, the coconut. With great difficulty to chop it you can get out the water, no? There are so many nice fruits. Just see Kṛṣṇa's intelligence. So Kṛṣṇa has made the varieties. Why should you disturb? Let the variety be united, just like these varieties are united, and it looks nice, and if you eat that will be nice. Why you want to stop the variety? That is Māyāvādī. Equality does not mean to stop variety. All the varieties combine together for the same purpose. That is required. Is it not? One must know how to put the variety to look very (indistinct). If all the vases have only rose flowers it would not have been so beautiful. Rose is costly, but the leaves are not costly. But the leaves and the rose fit together, it becomes very good variety. That art is required, how to keep varieties together for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and look very beautiful. This art is known to the Kṛṣṇa conscious person, not to the fools and rascals. Why Kṛṣṇa has made varieties? Why you should try to change? That is lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When Kṛṣṇa has made so many varieties there is some purpose. That one should understand. That is intelligence. You can organize these farms very nicely. Then this devil's workshop will stop.
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
The fact is that we all living energies in different species of life are all individual parts and parcels of the Supreme Energetic person as the son is the part and parcel of the father. The whole creation including all material or spiritual planes and planets are different parts and parcels of One Unit only but there are immense diversities in unity for variegatedness is the necessary paraphernalia of eternal pleasure which we are all seeking in the wrong way without the right information to have it.
BACK TO GODHEAD can direct the right way of such happiness even in the material field by the simple adjustment of re-establishing our lost relation with Godhead. We wish that people may kindly read this paper for some time with due attention and critical gravity. We are always prepared to answer any relevant question in this regard from any quarter who may be seeking after the Absolute Truth.
| Page Title: | Unity in variety |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, Jayaram |
| Created: | 29 of Sep, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=4, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=3, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 10 |