Virat-rupa (Lectures and Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"virad-rupa" |"virat-rupa"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:

This material cosmic manifestation is there, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The nature is, it is sometimes manifested and sometimes it is dissolved, annihilated. Everything material, that is the way. Just like our body. It is created at a certain date, and it will be annihilated at a certain date. Similarly, this gigantic body... That is also body of the Supreme Lord, virāt body. Virāt means gigantic. Kṛṣṇa will show His virāt-rūpa to Arjuna. So this external body, exactly just like we have got our this external body.

Lecture on BG 2.21-22 -- London, August 26, 1973:

So this proves that the spiritual body is not impersonal. It is not a zero, it is, it has got form. But the form is so minute, aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān: one form is lesser than the atom. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Two forms are there spiritual. One is the Supreme Lord's form, virāḍ-rūpa, mahato mahīyān, and our form, aṇor aṇīyān, lesser than the atom. That is stated in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān ātmāsya jantor nihito guhāyām.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

This is Śrī-vigraha, Kṛṣṇa's arcā-mūrti. Kṛṣṇa has taken, advented, as avatāra, arcā-avatāra. Arcā-avatāra means made of stone, wood, metal, jewel, or coloring, painting. There are eight kinds of arcā-avatāra. So Kṛṣṇa has consented to descend before us to accept our service in a manner which we can do. If Kṛṣṇa remains in His virāḍ-rūpa, then it will be very difficult to capture Him. Kṛṣṇa remains in virāḍ-rūpa, but He becomes arcā-vigraha, a small deity, so that everyone can worship Him at home. It does not take much time, it does not take much place. To make dress of Kṛṣṇa you can utilize little cloth. Kṛṣṇa is agreeable to accept your service.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Melbourne, June 29, 1974 :

How you can dress? You have no capacity to dress. But Kṛṣṇa has kindly accepted a form, the Deity. You can purchase cloth according to your means, and with your great devotion, you can dress. Similarly, the gigantic gigantic virāṭ-rūpa, universal form, the whole, it s described in the Bhagavad-gītā that He is eating, the whole humanity is going on in His mouth. Then where you will get such food? (laughter) The whole human..., the whole universal living entities can be devoured by Kṛṣṇa. But, because you are not able to offer such gigantic food to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says, "All right, give Me," patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam, "give Me a little flower, give Me a little fruit, give Me a little water, I shall accept it." This is called arcana-viddhi. Kṛṣṇa has agreed to accept your service as you can afford to do. It is not idol worship. It is actually worshiping Kṛṣṇa.

So therefore Kṛṣṇa said, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha, that simply you have to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. This is bhakti-yoga.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

Śrī Bhagavān is the possessor of all kinds of opulences. Then what is difficulty for Him to remain within the atom? Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. He can remain within the atom, He can remain within the universe in His gigantic virāṭ form, as He showed to Arjuna, virāḍ-rūpa. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He's smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest. In this way, Kṛṣṇa will explain Himself.

So... The process is... What is that process? Kṛṣṇa says mayy āsakta-manāḥ, "Unto Me become attached." Āsakta, attached. So how this attachment will increase? Mayy āsakta-manāḥ yogaṁ yuñjan, this is a yoga, to become attached to Kṛṣṇa. This is the beginning. If you come to the temple daily and you see the transcendental form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1) of Bhagavān... This Bhagavān which you see, it is nondifferent from the original Bhagavān. Don't differentiate, that "This is a stone statue of Bhagavān." No. He is Bhagavān. He is Bhagavān, arcā-mūrti, arcā-vigraha.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

Either you paint, either you make a form from wood, from stone, from jewels, and according to Vedic system there are so many different types of Deities. So Kṛṣṇa can accept your service in any way. That is Kṛṣṇa's omnipotency. He has got omnipotency. But we can handle. If we simply, if we want to worship the gigantic virāṭ-rūpa of Kṛṣṇa, if you want to dress Him with cloth, where is such..., where is there such amount of cloth? How you can do it?

So it is Kṛṣṇa's kindness that He has appeared before you in a small form, so according to your capacity, you can make very nice dress, and Kṛṣṇa, you can dress Him. And by dressing Him, Kṛṣṇa will understand that "Here is my devotee. He is giving Me some service." This is the position. Therefore temple worship, the Deity worship is necessity for the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. Simply if you think that "Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. I shall think of Kṛṣṇa, meditate on Him," that is not possible. Meditation, that is also regu..., requires good qualification. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). But Kṛṣṇa, by His kindness, arca-mūrti, a child can see also Kṛṣṇa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

Therefore sun is described, yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Savitā means sun. Yac-cakṣuḥ. Savitā is that actually, the eyes. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. Without sunshine, you cannot see, in any part of the universe, in any planet. So factually, the sun is supposed to be the eye of... One eye is the sun, another eye is the moon, of the Absolute, virāḍ-rūpa. So when He sees, then you can see. Without His seeing, you cannot see. We are very much proud, "Can you show me God?" "And what can you see, rascal? Unless God sees, you cannot see. Why you are so much proud of seeing, 'We have not seen, we have not seen'? And what you can see?" They are so rascal that these teeny eyes, they are proud of, they can see God. They can see this thing, they can see... But first of all understand what you can see, without seeing by the God. God sees by the sun. Then you can see. So your seeing power is so dependent, and you are so much proud that you can see. Just see how much the whole world is full of rascals! Do they not say, "We have not seen God"? And what you can see? You cannot see even yourself, and what you will see God?

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Los Angeles, August 27, 1972:

If you don't believe that He's not eating... But from the Vedic injunction we can understand that you put the food plate before the Lord, and Lord is seeing, and that is His eating. He's not hungry, but He can eat the whole universe at a time. This is God's position. He can devour the whole universe, as you have seen the virāḍ-rūpa.

So this yajña performance required fire. Tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ. Trayīmaya. Trayī means Vedas. There are three departments of Vedas; therefore it is called trayī. Trayī means three: karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa and upāsanā-kāṇḍa. So in karma-kāṇḍa platform, fruitive activities, the sacrifice is required, and for sacrificing, you require fire, so that you can gradually understand what is the Absolute Truth. Similarly, if you want to see Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, then you have to come to the platform of goodness. You cannot remain on the platform of ignorance and passion.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

Upendra: "His body is eternally in spiritual existence par excellence." Purport: "The conception of virāḍ-rūpa or viśva-rūpa of the Supreme Absolute Truth is specially meant for the neophyte materialist who can hardly think of the transcendental form of the Personality of Godhead. To them a form means something of this material world and as such an opposite conception of the absolute is necessary for them in the beginning to concentrate their mind in the power extension of the Lord. As stated above the Lord extends His potency in the form of mahat-tattva which includes all material ingredients. The extension of power by the Lord and the Lord Himself personally are one in one sense but at the same time the mahat-tattva is different also from the Lord. Therefore the potency of the Lord and the Lord are non-different. The conception of the virāḍ-rūpa specially for impersonalist is thus non different from the eternal Form of the Lord. This eternal form of the Lord exists prior to the creation of the mahat-tattva and it is stressed here that the eternal Form of the Lord..."

Prabhupāda: Just like in the Bible it is said "God said, 'Let there be creation.' " That means before the creation, before this material creation, God was there. And the material... There was nothing material. Therefore, God's body cannot be material, because He existed before the creation of matter. So before creation of matter, there was nothing like matter, though God was there.

Lecture on SB 1.7.27 -- Vrndavana, September 24, 1976:

You cannot go on very long time. That is not possible. You'll be disgusted. Unless there is feeling, bhāva, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has very kindly come here to receive, to take, accept my humble service. He's so great that He cannot be approached by a person like me." Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān.

Suppose for the impersonalist, virāḍ-rūpa, the sky is the head of the Personality of Godhead. They think like that. And the big, big mountains are the bones, and big, big oceans are the holes of the body, and the trees, they are... In one sense, it is all right. But if you take the virāḍ-rūpa, how you can capture? It is impossible. He has virāḍ-rūpa. He has shown virāḍ-rūpa to Kṛṣṇa (Arjuna), but you cannot capture that virāḍ-rūpa. You are tiny. Therefore He is so kind that He has appeared before you in this temple so that you can touch Him actually, you can serve Him, you can dress Him, you can offer Him eatables. It is... Therefore, if we think like that... Not think. It is a fact. Because God is not only very big. Mahato mahīyān aṇor aṇīyān.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

So meditation means concentrating the mind to find out God, where He is within my heart. That is real perfection of yoga. So people do not know this science. Here it is nicely explained that antar bahir avasthitam. The virāḍ-rūpa... Just like Arjuna wanted to see the gigantic form of God. He showed him. So we can see the gigantic form in this universe. That is described in the Bhāgavatam. You have read that the big, big mountains, hills, they are the bones of the gigantic form. So they are described. The highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, is the head, or what it is called? Skull? What is this portion? Skull. So the rivers are the veins. The seas are holes like here we have got. In this way it is all described, the gigantic form. So... And gigantic form, at the same time, He is within your heart, very small form.

So He is within and without. Simply we have to purify our eyes to see Him. That's all. You can see God without and within, but you cannot see with these eyes.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

What is called in English, cūrṇa? Powder, something? Anyway... So when our eyes are cleansed we thinks clearly; similarly, if we apply the ointment of love of God on the eyes, then we can see God. Just like Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa. Kuntī is seeing. Others, they do not understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the Pāṇḍavas, and the Pāṇḍavas' mother, they know that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Alakṣyam. Just like Kṛṣṇa was exhibiting His virāḍ-rūpa in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Only Arjuna was seeing, nobody else.

So God reveals Himself to the devotee. Although... Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja was seeing that Nṛsiṁha-deva has come, and his father, atheist father, he was challenging, "Where is your God?" So God is everywhere, but He is not visible to the nondevotee. But one who is devotee, he can see Him. Every... Not only once. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). Sadaiva means always. He is seeing always Kṛṣṇa. That is the position of saintly person.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

In time everything can be done. In time you can become very happy, and in time you can become very distressed, very much distressed, unhappy. Time can give you. And time is also Kṛṣṇa, kāla-rūpeṇa. When... You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that, in the Eleventh Chapter... I've just now forget that..., that "Who are you?" Kāla. The virāḍ-rūpa, the universal form seeing, Arjuna said, "Who are You, Sir?" So He said that "I am in the kāla-rūpa, in the form of time, now. I have come to kill the all, all of you." So therefore our business should be that this life should be utilized only for complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No other business. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult. And it is not very difficult. Not at all difficult. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). But it is difficult. It is very difficult. It is to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra twenty-four hours. Those who are not accustomed, they'll become mad simply by chanting. It's difficult. You cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura, that "Now I shall go in a secluded place and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." It is not possible, sir.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Melbourne, June 26, 1974:

We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa in this temple, not an ordinary being. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He is greater than the greatest and still, He can become smaller than the smallest. That is his greatness. He can become... He can show Arjuna the virāḍ-rūpa, the universal form; at the same time, He can talk with Arjuna as ordinary friend. This is Kṛṣṇa. You have read Bhagavad-gītā. He was talking on the chariot as his friend, but when there was need, He... Arjuna wanted to see the universal friend, and Kṛṣṇa showed him that universal form, gigantic form, everything including. So that Kṛṣṇa is ātmā, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān and Brahman. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11).

So kṛṣṇa-praśna means all-including, everything—past, present, future, moving, not moving, and big and small. This is Kṛṣṇa understanding. Kṛṣṇa understanding means past, present, future, small, large, moving, not moving. This is Kṛṣṇa understanding. But everything is in either of these categories.

Lecture on SB 3.25.26 -- Bombay, November 26, 1974:

This temple is meant for that purpose, that people will come see the Deity. The Deity is Kṛṣṇa. Don't think otherwise. Kṛṣṇa has agreed to be dressed by you. If you think of Kṛṣṇa, about His virāḍ-rūpa, you will fail to bring dress for that virāḍ-rūpa. His head is on the sky; another leg is on the Pātāla. That is also true. But you cannot conceive of Kṛṣṇa in His virāḍ-rūpa and at the same time dress Him and give Him something to eat. That is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has become so merciful. Here, of course, the Deity is very big. Not very big. In Hyderabad we have got three times bigger Deity, like... But you can have a small Deity. Many Vaiṣṇava, they carry Deity with them, a small Deity in a small box, and they worship. So Kṛṣṇa... Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He can become bigger than the biggest and the smaller than the smallest. That is Kṛṣṇa.

So real thing is bhakti, bhaktyā. Therefore it is said, bhaktyā pumāñ jāta-virāga aindriyāt. And the more you serve Kṛṣṇa, serve Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974:

Similarly, this gigantic body of this universe, that is also resting on the gigantic spirit. That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that equal. We are very small, and God is great.

So the great body, this universal body, as Kṛṣṇa showed universal body to Arjuna, so it is possible for Kṛṣṇa to show the universal body, virāḍ-rūpa. You cannot show. You cannot show. It was Arjuna's request to exhibit the virāḍ-rūpa because Arjuna knew it that "Because I am accepting Kṛṣṇa God, so many God will be there later on. A man will claim to become God. But as I am requesting Kṛṣṇa to show the virāḍ-rūpa, similarly, if some fool accepted the another fool as God, he should request him, 'Please show your virāḍ-rūpa.' Then accept him. Otherwise don't accept." So God has virāḍ-rūpa. So both God and we are, living entity, are of the same quality. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi means so 'ham. These words, Vedic words, are there to indicate that "Qualitatively, I am as good as God. He is spirit soul; I am also spirit soul.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

Unless Kṛṣṇa becomes available to your service, then how you can serve? We have, at the present moment, no eyes to see Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, out of His causeless mercy, He has appeared in His original form just to receive or accept service from you. You cannot serve Kṛṣṇa in His virāḍ-rūpa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has come to you to accept your service in this metal or stone form. But He is not metal or stone. This is called kṛṣṇa-tattva-jñāna.

Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. These things are forbidden. You cannot... Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīḥ. Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, the same thing—if you think that this mūrti is made of stone, śilā-dhīḥ, or Śālagrāma-śilā, if you think it is śilā or stone, this is nārakī-buddhiḥ. This is not recommended. It is... Don't think. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. And those who are guru, spiritual master, Vaiṣṇava, if you think of them that he is ordinary human being, that is forbidden. Gāṅga-jala or caraṇāmṛta, if you think ordinary water, that is forbidden. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. Vaiṣṇava, who has become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, if you think that he belongs to this caste, he belongs to that caste, that is also forbidden. Nārakī-buddhiḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.26.19 -- Bombay, December 28, 1974:

This is the division. The brāhmaṇa is to be considered the mouth of the Virāḍ-rūpa Bhagavān, the universal form of the Lord; kṣatriya, the bāhu, the arms; and vaiśya, the belly; and śūdra, the leg. So they are meant for cooperation, not that simply falsely becoming proud that "I am brāhmaṇa. You are śūdra." No. The brāhmaṇa is equally important than the śūdra, though both of them are required. But comparatively, because brāhmaṇa is considered to be the brain, he's very important. So the brain must be there. Otherwise, simply possessing hands and legs, what is the meaning if there is no brain?

So at the present moment there is practically no brain, simply hands and legs and belly. Not even hands, simply belly and legs. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Rajas, rajas means belly, filling up. And tamas, ignorance, ordered. The leg is ordered, "Go there"; it goes. They cannot do anything independently. So rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, at the present moment the rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, is very prominent. But therefore society is imperfect. There must be a section of people, sattva-guṇa, and..., sattva-guṇa especially, to guide.

Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975:

So actually, everything has got form, and there is—why not?—the form of God also. He has got virāḍ-rūpa, and He has got small, also, rūpa. We have got experience of the virāḍ-rūpa in the Bhagavad-gītā. But that is not permanent rūpa. Permanent rūpa of Kṛṣṇa: Dvi-bhuja-muralīdhara. He has got two hands and playing on flute. That is permanent rūpa. Virāḍ-rūpa, as it was shown to Arjuna, it is called naimittika, "under certain conditions." That is not eternal rūpa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta... Anādi, eternal.

The eternal rūpa is described in the śāstra,

veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ

barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam

kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.30)

The eternal form is veṇuṁ kvaṇantam. Kṛṣṇa is always playing on His flute. That is eternal form. His eternal pastimes and eternal form is in Vṛndāvana. He does not go anywhere personally, leaving Vṛndāvana. Padam ekaṁ na gacchati. He is always in Vṛndāvana, but at the same time, He is everywhere.

Lecture on SB 3.26.45 -- Bombay, January 20, 1975:

So that something else, ultimately if we can realize, that is Kṛṣṇa. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Kṛṣṇa is there even within the paramāṇu, electrons, protons. There is; He is there. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Kṛṣṇa showed Arjuna the virāḍ-rūpa, the gigantic universal form. So one side, He is universally represented, virāḍ-rūpa. And in another side He is within the aṇu paramāṇu, smaller than the aṇu, smaller than the paramāṇu. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. That is Kṛṣṇa. Mahīyān. But these are all material forms. In the Bhagavad-gītā, you will find in the Eleventh Chapter, Arjuna is requesting to come to His original form. So he was very much threatened, or frightened, and he requested, "This form is very much unbearable to see. Please come to Your original form." So Kṛṣṇa first of all came to His form, four-handed Viṣṇu form; then again He came into His two-handed Kṛṣṇa form, and that is the ultimate, real form of Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa has got many forms. Every form is Kṛṣṇa's form. That's a fact.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

You have got so much energy that as soon as you cut your hair, immediately next moment it begins to grow. Thousands and millions automatically growing. As soon as the body is dead, then no more growing, because energy is gone. So similarly, as in your body so much subtle energies are working, just imagine this universal body of Kṛṣṇa, virāṭ-rūpa, how much subtle energies are working. So that we do not know. That is our ignorance.

So any slight deviation from the law and we are put into undesirable condition. That is a fact. Just like here, according to Vedic principle, the laws are given by Manu, Manu. From Manu, the word manuṣya has come, or "man." And there is Manu-saṁhitā. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is stated that if a man commits murder then he should be hanged. He should be hanged. That is followed by every human society. Why? Because the sinful activities which he has enacted, if he is punished in this life, then he'll not so suffer again in the next life. His punishment will be finished. So that is a favor.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:

Oh, that is not possible. You are independent. You don't care for God. But God will come. You will see. Kālo 'smi. When Kṛṣṇa showed the gigantic form, virāḍ-mūrti, Arjuna enquired, "Who are You, Sir?" Because he was dealing with Kṛṣṇa as friend, but after seeing the virāḍ-rūpa, the gigantic universal form, so he enquired, "Who are You, Sir?" He replied, kālo 'smi: "I am kāla, kāla. I have appeared to take away all these sinful demons." So Kṛṣṇa appears still in form of war, big gigantic war, and takes away so many millions of people by one stroke. This is going on. So we should have sense that "We hear from the śāstras that we are eternal. Why we are subjugated to these laws of nature, kāla? I do not wish to die, I do not wish to suffer, I do not wish to be old man, I do not wish to be diseased, and these things are forced upon me. I have to accept, and still, I am so fool, I am thinking I am independent." This is called foolishness, rascaldom.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

So those who are unaware of the Vedic knowledge, they consider that this is idol worship. It is not idol worship. It is directly worshiping the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord has, by His mercy, descended to accept your service. If you want to dress the Supreme Lord, if you take His virāḍ-rūpa, universal form, where is your cloth and how you can dress? Eh? You haven't got so much cloth. In spite of having so many mills, you cannot dress the virāṭ form. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, by His omnipotency, He becomes a smaller just to be handled by you. That is His mercy. Not that... Just like Kṛṣṇa became a small child of Yaśodā. That does not mean Kṛṣṇa has diminished in His power. He immediately showed. When there was attempt to kill Him by the Pūtanā, immediately He showed His Godly power. So we have to study like that, that God in any circumstances is God. God is never made. Any circumstances, God is God. God... Not that by meditation, pressing your nose, you become God. No. That is not God. God is God.

Lecture on SB 7.9.36 -- Mayapur, March 14, 1976:

That is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. So this difference of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's greatness we can see when we have purified ourself, tīvra-tapasā pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ. Then it is possible. That is... The whole bhakti system means tīvra-tapasā pariśuddha-bhāvaḥ.

So evaṁ sahasra-vadana. Sahasra-vadana. This virāṭ-rūpa. This is māyāmayam. Kṛṣṇa's virāṭ-rūpa is another feature. His real rūpa or form is dvi-bhuja-muralīdhara, two hands. That is His original form. There is in the Brahma-saṁhitā,

veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ

barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam

kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.30)

That is Kṛṣṇa's real form. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam: "He is playing on flute." But here it is said that sahasra-vadanāṅghri-śiraḥ-karoru. Here Brahmā saw He has got many sahasra... What is that? Sahasra-vadana, faces, aṅghri. As soon as there is face, as soon as there is one face, there must be two legs, two hands.

Lecture on SB 7.9.36 -- Mayapur, March 14, 1976:

So similarly, number of hands and legs must increase proportionately. So Lord Brahmā saw Him in His virāṭa-rūpam, virāṭ-rūpam. Kṛṣṇa, Brahman, Brahman, Para-brahman. Para-brahman means the great, the great. And He is Para-brahman. Nobody is greater than Him. So if anyone wants to see Kṛṣṇa in His Para-brahman rūpa, then He exhibits His virāṭ-rūpa. Just like Arjuna saw virāṭ-rūpa, the same. But that is not His natural form. That is māyāmayam. Because one... Suppose one wants to see God and he is not very advanced. Even if he's advanced, sometimes we want to see the superior in His great opulence.

But the Vṛndāvana-vāsī, they are so affectionate, so attached to Kṛṣṇa, they do not want. They do not want to know what is God. They simply want Kṛṣṇa, to love. This is Vṛndāvana. There is no necessity. Kṛṣṇa manifested in so many ways big, big activities in Vṛndāvana, killing daily almost a demon. But still, the Vṛndāvana-vāsī did not accept Him as the Supreme Lord. They thought that some demigod has appeared. They did not know that He is the Supreme Lord. That is another māyā, yoga-māyā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.36 -- Mayapur, March 14, 1976:

Yes. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is always yaśodā-nandana. He is always ready to be chastised by Mother Yaśodā, by the gopīs, and sometimes by His friends. That is Vṛndāvana Kṛṣṇa. That is real Kṛṣṇa; that is real God. And this form of God as Brahmā saw, virāṭ-rūpa, that is māyāmayam. Because Brahmā, such exalted person, he was meant for creating this universe, he becomes bewildered, seeing Kṛṣṇa as a cowherd boy. That was also exhibited. When Brahmā understood that "A cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana is said to be the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, my master," so he also examined whether Kṛṣṇa, that boy, was his master. He took away His calves and cowherd boys for a second, and he saw that Kṛṣṇa has expanded Himself to so many cows and calves and cowherd boys. Then he submitted. Similarly, Indra also wanted to examine Him. So everyone... Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). Yatra muhyanti sūrayaḥ. So even Lord Brahmā, Lord Indra, and others, big, big demigods, they become bewildered to understand Kṛṣṇa. So Brahmā saw the virāṭ-rūpa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.48 -- Vrndavana, April 3, 1976:

And if you think the atom is very, very small, that is also Kṛṣṇa. There is no, nothing greater than Kṛṣṇa, nothing smaller than Kṛṣṇa. These are two contradictory things. So simply if... "Kṛṣṇa is simply as big as the sky"—the Māyāvādī philosophy—"He cannot be small like the Deity." That is their mistake. He is as big as the sky and as small as the atom. In the intermediate stage, He is everything. Why He cannot be smaller like the Deity, small Deity, so that I may have the facility to serve Him? I cannot serve Kṛṣṇa when He's as big as the sky. That is not possible. I cannot decorate Him when He shows His virāṭ-rūpa. I think the whole world's, all the mills, they cannot supply cloth. (laughter) But Kṛṣṇa agrees to become very small. With little cloth I can dress Him. And Kṛṣṇa accepts. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Even little small piece of cloth the devotee is covering Kṛṣṇa and thinking that "I am dressing nicely." Kṛṣṇa accepts that. That is Kṛṣṇa. Yes.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 -- New York, July 26, 1971:

So many rules and regulations are there. Similarly, in the higher planetary system also, where you get ten thousand years of duration of life, and their one year is far, far greater than ours. That is scientific.

So these, this material world is also the virāṭ-rūpa, universal form, of the Lord. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti (Bs. 5.32). I'm just trying to explain what is the body of the Supreme Lord. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna was shown the virāṭ-rūpa, the universal form of the Lord. Now why Arjuna wanted to see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa? The reason is that Arjuna knew it very well... Because in the Tenth chapter Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa that paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Lord, paraṁ brahma, and pavitra, the purest." So Kṛṣṇa..., Arjuna knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, and still, in the Eleventh Chapter he requested Kṛṣṇa that "If You'll kindly show me Your universal form." Try to understand. Arjuna knew it very well that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Los Angeles, February 9, 1975:

The atheist will say, "They are worshiping some idol." No. That is not fact. They do not know that here is Kṛṣṇa personally. He is accepting the devotees' service in a manner in which we can serve Him at the present moment. If Kṛṣṇa shows you the virāṭ-rūpa, then you cannot serve Him. Where you'll get the dress of the virāṭ-rūpa? The whole world's cloth factory will fail you. (laughter) Therefore Kṛṣṇa is accepted, a four-feet-small Deity, so that you can acquire Kṛṣṇa's dress within your means. You can put Kṛṣṇa within your means. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Therefore it is forbidden, arcye viṣṇu śilā-dhīḥ. If any rascal thinks that in the Viṣṇu form, as stone, as wood..., vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, devotees considered as belonging to certain nation, caste, these are nārakī-buddhi. This is not to be done. It is fact that here is Kṛṣṇa. Very kindly, just to show me favor, He has come in this form. But He's Kṛṣṇa; He's not stone. Even it is stone, that is also Kṛṣṇa, because there is nothing else but Kṛṣṇa, anything. Without Kṛṣṇa, there is no existence. Sarvaṁ khalv idam brahma.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: Like a big tree, the every leaf, every branch, every twig, every flower is a part and parcel of the whole tree. Similarly, virāṭ-rūpa. Apart from Kṛṣṇa's personal rūpa, the virāṭ-rūpa as it was manifested before Arjuna, if you take the virāṭ-rūpa, the whole universal form of the Lord, then anything within the universe is part and parcel of that virāṭ-rūpa, the resulting form.

Śyāmasundara: So the choice between a good and a bad action should be practiced to reduce evil, not just theoretical. That's his idea. That's his point.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No theory. This is practical. Now, as a big machine, the screw is a part, so if every part works nicely, the machine goes nicely. So if we understand... Just like I think last night I was explaining mukha baho rūpa divya: the gigantic body, the brāhmaṇa class, they are the mouth. So one must do the duty of the mouth. The mouth speaks, vibrates and eats. So our proposition is to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Then the mouth duty, the brāhmaṇa's duty, is performed. Similarly, the kṣatriya's duty—again we come to that varṇāśrama-dharma. So everyone is factually part and parcel of God and executes his prescribed duty, then it is perfect.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 12, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So unless we accept acintya-śakti of God, it is not possible to understand what is God. Inconceivable potency. And that is actually a fact. We want to bring God to our level, that's frog philosophy. Atlantic Ocean to the level of well. That is foolishness. That is foolishness. We have to understand that this whole universe... Just like Arjuna saw the virāḍ-rūpa, universal form. So this whole universe is the form of the Lord. So if in my body there are so many chemicals, enzymes, and other things, so how much there must be, proportionately? Suppose if we find some portion of chemicals in my body, you will find less in the ant's body. Or you will find more in the elephant's body. So if I can create so many chemicals within my body, how much chemicals He can create? On that account... Your theory, that combination of hydrogen, oxygen makes water, that is a fact. But you are surprised, wherefrom such a big quantity of hydrogen, oxygen came so that the ocean is there. That you cannot calculate. But we answer: "This hydrogen, oxygen is there in the body, universal body of the Lord."

Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: "There is no superior authority beyond Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of all." When one understands Kṛṣṇa like that... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that "I am also Kṛṣṇa, I am also Kṛṣṇa." But people who follow, they do not ask him that "If you are Kṛṣṇa, you show something as Kṛṣṇa showed. Kṛṣṇa lifted the Govardhana Hill when He was seven years old. And you are seventy years old. What you have done like that?" (laughs) So everyone wants to become Kṛṣṇa, but he cannot manifest Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. Kṛṣṇa showed the virāṭ-rūpa to Arjuna. What you have got? So this is Māyāvāda. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "Nobody can be superior than Me or equal to Me, equal to Me." Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is Asamordhva. Nobody is equal; nobody is above Him. Asamordhva. So in this way if we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we become liberated. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). And this tattvataḥ is very significant.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, he is creating trouble for himself because the rascals will represent that "I am incarnation of God." Therefore Arjuna is asking him, "Now show me your virāṭ-rūpa." So these rascals, bewildered by these so-called gods, they should ask, "Show me your virāṭ-rūpa. Then I shall accept you." That is the process. Not that "I am incarnation of God." How you become incarnation? Just lift one hill. Or show me virāṭ-rūpa. Or show me that you have sixteen thousand wives and you are maintaining them in sixteen thousand palaces. Then you call yourself that "I am incarnation of Kṛṣṇa." Otherwise, you rascal, I cannot believe you. For them. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa... He knows what is Kṛṣṇa, but because in future some rascal will come and will say that "I am incarnation of God," therefore it is a warning that before accepting one rascal as incarnation, you ask him to show virāṭ-rūpa.

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So because Arjuna was not accustomed to this impersonal theory...

Dr. Patel: Even the pastime, rūpa vi...(?)

Prabhupāda: Yes. But he wanted to see the virāṭ-rūpa. Therefore he said, "If you think that I shall be able to see, then You can give me."

Dr. Patel: Shall I read further?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Śrī bhagavān uvāca, paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi śataśo 'tha... (BG 11.5)

Prabhupāda: So it was not difficult for him. Immediately He showed him. That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that "I shall show you some day privately."

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So this virāṭ-rūpa is subordinate. Darśayāmāsa hari. Hari is the supreme. And the virāṭ-rūpa is a feature, not that virāṭ-rūpa is original.

Dr. Patel: One of the features of His multiple features.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Virāṭ-rūpa. Not that the... Māyāvādīs take the virāṭ-rūpa is the origin, and this rūpa, Kṛṣṇa, that is māyā. Therefore they are called Māyāvādīs. But actually, Hari manifested or exhibited...

Dr. Patel: One of his multiple...

Prabhupāda: Multiple features.

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now even in His virāṭ-rūpa, He is person, kirīṭina. He has got helmet. Kirīṭina. Then?

Dr. Patel:

paśyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣyaṁ samantād

dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam

(BG 11.17)

tvam akṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ

tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam

tvam avyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā

sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣo mato me

(BG 11.18)

He is now frightened after seeing these things.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Must be frightened. Now, suppose all of a sudden, if you see a very big person, you will not be frightened? Because you are not accustomed to see that.

Dr. Patel: Anādi-madhyāntam ananta-vīryam ananta-bāhuṁ śaśi-sūrya-netram paśyāmi tvāṁ dīpta-hutāśa-vaktraṁ... (BG 11.19)

Prabhupāda: Now here is one important thing: śaśi-sūrya-netram. The śaśi, the moon, and the sun are the two eyes of God. Now in Brahma-saṁhitā it is also confirmed yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām.

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Ah, this is the comparison now, that divi, "In the sky, if there were thousands of suns at a time, then the brilliance of the virāṭ-rūpa could be understood." This is an example.

Dr. Patel: He saw everyone in him.

divi sūrya-sahasrasya

bhaved yugapad utthitā

yadi bhāḥ sadṛṣī sā syād

bhāsas tasya mahātmanaḥ

(BG 11.12)

Tatraikasthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ (break)

Prabhupāda: ...in Him. Then he got...

Dr. Patel: Then he got frightened and then he...

Prabhupāda: The varieties, varieties. The varieties, he is seeing. That is the vision of the Vaiṣṇavas. The Vaiṣṇavas also know that everything is one, but he sees the varieties.

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Although this is virāṭ-rūpa, still, there are aneka, many varieties. And each one of them is personally described. Yes.

Girirāja: (continues synonyms to end) "Translation: Arjuna saw in that universal form unlimited mouths and unlimited eyes."

Prabhupāda: Unlimited mouths. The unlimited person. As soon as you say, "unlimited mouths," means unlimited person. That is not imperson. Even in His aneka-mūrti He is person. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter, that all we remained person in the past, we are persons at present, and we shall continue to become persons in the future. So this impersonal description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is for the persons who do not understand what is God.

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Girirāja: "It was all wondrous. The form was decorated with divine, dazzling ornaments and arrayed..."

Prabhupāda: Again personality. And where do they get the idea of impersonal, even in the virāṭ-rūpa? How do they get? What is the authority?

Chandobhai: Gopīs are personal.

Prabhupāda: No, no, everything is being described as person. So where is the question of imperson? Even in His aneka mūrti, in the virāṭ form, universal form, there are persons. At least from Bhagavad-gītā, nobody can prove that the Absolute Truth, God, is imperson. That is not possible. But still, they are doing that. That means they do not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā, although they are very much proud of regular scholar of Bhagavad-gītā. So am I right or wrong? Let us discuss.

Chandobhai: He is both personal and impersonal.

Prabhupāda: No, no, why?

Morning Walk -- April 4, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, here it is described person. Although the virāṭ-rūpa is there... Virāṭ-rūpa is considered...

Chandobhai: Virāṭ-rūpa is personal.

Prabhupāda: Personal. So but...

Indian man: Kṛṣṇa has also declared...

Dr. Patel: For personal communication...

Indian man: Kṛṣṇa says that I am both personal, impersonal, and I am above that.

Prabhupāda: No, no. That imperson does not mean that He is not spiritually person. Impersonal means He does not become... That... This description of person, they are not these material persons.

Chandobhai: Ah, then it's all right. Spiritual personality, everyone believes. That's correct. Then there is no rift. Spiritual personality.

Morning Walk -- June 12, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: So therefore they have to become our student and become our disciple to understand this science. Otherwise, why there is propaganda if we remain the same fool and rascal? That, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that the stone is also, that is virāḍ-rūpa. That is also Kṛṣṇa.

Satsvarūpa: But by that argument, then, this body is also Kṛṣṇa, made of earth and water.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is Kṛṣṇa's. But you are thinking you are. That is Kṛṣṇa's. Therefore this body should be engaged for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You, as soon as you accept this body is Kṛṣṇa's, then you cannot employ it for other purposes. But that realization you have no. Why do you say it is Kṛṣṇa's? You are thinking your body. Or you are body. Where is that consciousness?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation With Radha-Damodara Sankirtana Party -- March 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: You know, if Kṛṣṇa is virāḍ-rūpa, so big mouth, so big belly, that, whatever you give, that is not sufficient. So here we are spreading Kṛṣṇa's mouth very widespread. Here is the plan for Māyāpur temple. This is the.... This is only residential quarter. Real temple is not yet constructed. It will occupy 350 acres of land. So you are the pillars of this construction work. We are doing all your construction work on your contribution. So go on preaching and distributing books. If we get the.... We are.... Books are.... As your pushing on the sale is very nice, then the customers are also there. These are American Express? No, no.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Barclay's Bank.

Prabhupāda: Now everyone is issuing these traveler's check.

Garden Conversation -- June 23, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: So shadow has come from Supreme, and light has also come from the Supreme. So there is no distinction, ultimately. Just like earring, golden, manufactured from gold, and gold which is not manufactured. So this distinction-manufactured or not manufactured, secondary. But really the earring is also gold, and the lump of gold is also gold. So why should we say that earring is false? It is also gold. In relationship with the supreme source, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), there is no such distinction. In another place, while Vyāsadeva was instructed by Nārada, he said, idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaro. This viśva, the virāṭ-rūpa, is also Bhagavān, but it appears different from Him. Just like the shadow appears different from the sunshine, but actually, taking the central point of emanation, it is different manifestation. That's all. Tree—there are so many varieties. One is trunk, one is branch, one is twig, one is leaf, one is.... So the varieties are there, but the tree is one, the root. So ultimately there is no variety, only one. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. The difference is the Māyāvādīs, they abruptly say everything is one. Not everything is one.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- May 11, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: No, you feel. That is another thing. You can feel so many things. That is not authorized. But if you are searching after that one, here is the one. That is accepted by the all authorities and ācāryas. And He showed His viśva-rūpa, virāḍ-rūpa, that everything is there. Practically Arjuna was shown the virāḍ-rūpa. So why don't you accept Him? What is your objection?

German man (1): I have no objection.

Prabhupāda: Then why don't you accept?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then why don't you accept?

German man (1): I accept. Right when I got into Gītā, I start to read it and I start to follow, I tried to follow.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.