Everything is growing on account of Krishna

The abode of Lord Sri Krsna is described in the Bhagavad-gita, Fifteenth Chapter, sixth verse:

na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah
yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama

“That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. And anyone who reaches it never comes back to this material world.” (Bg. 15.6)

This verse gives a description of that eternal sky. Of course we have a material conception of the sky, and we think of it in relationship to the sun, moon, stars and so on, but in this verse the Lord states that in the eternal sky there is no need for the sun nor for the moon nor fire of any kind because the spiritual sky is already illuminated by the brahmajyoti, the rays emanating from the Supreme Lord.

We are trying with difficulty to reach other planets, but it is not difficult to understand the abode of the Supreme Lord. This abode is referred to as Goloka. In the Brahma-samhita it is beautifully described: Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah. The Lord resides eternally in His abode Goloka, yet He can be approached from this world, and to this end the Lord comes to manifest His real form, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. When He manifests this form, there is no need for our imagining what He looks like. To discourage such imaginative speculation, He descends and exhibits Himself as He is, as Syamasundara. Unfortunately, the less intelligent deride Him because He comes as one of us and plays with us as a human being. But because of this we should not consider that the Lord is one of us. It is by His potency that He presents Himself in His real form before us and displays His pastimes, which are prototypes of those pastimes found in His abode.
-Bhagavad-gita Introduction


Room Conversation
--
September 1, 1973, London

Prabhupada: . . . that there is no brain behind this creation. How foolish they are. There is no brain in this artistic work. And how wonderfully, . . .because it is automatically coming, artist. Anything, you take flower. So, without brain how this thing can happen? But these rascals they do not understand. They say nature. What is this nature? Nature is an instrument, but the brain is God. Just like you paint a flower with the brush. The brush is not the creator of that painting, you are creating. Similarly, it appears that it is happening naturally. Nature is only brush, but the brain is God.
Guest: Yet no two are the same, are they?
Prabhupada: Eh.
Guest: They are not the same.
Prabhupada: Yes. Varieties. Everything is variety. Everything is variety, full of varieties. We find the same species of rose. Still, you’ll find varieties. In human, twin brothers you will find still varieties.
Guest: And in Goloka Vrndavana, are there still varieties? Are there still varieties in Vrndavana?
Prabhupada: Vrndavana?
Srutakirti: Goloka Vrndavana, are there still varieties he said.
Prabhupada: Oh yes. There are varieties. Ananda, ananda, pleasure means varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. Without varieties, just like we prepare from grains, sugar, ghee, hundreds of varieties. If you simply give grain, ghee and sugar, it will not be enjoyable. But the same thing, you prepare in varieties and give you a plate, oh, you’ll say, “Oh, so nice thing.” The ingredients are the same. Grains, ghee and sugar, that’s all. Similarly, this material world, the ingredients are the same. Namely five gross elements and three subtle elements, finer. Earth, water, air, fire, sky. These are gross elements. And mind, intelligence, ego these are finer elements. Combined together this material world has come. The brain behind is a living entity. Just like we are using these ingredients, these five elements: earth, water, air, fire, sky, making this building, making this table, making this chair, vase, so many things, harmonium, pictures, book. So the ingredients are the same, but my brain is working in different varieties. My brain or your brain. Human brain. Similarly this material cosmic manifestation is full of varieties. The brain behind it is Krsna. That is stated, you have read our Bhagavad-gita?
Guest: I’ve taken a look.
Prabhupada: There is a verse. Find out:

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]
Srutakirti:
mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]

“This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.”
Prabhupada: Purport?
Srutakirti: It is clearly stated here that the Supreme Lord, although aloof from all the activities of the material world, remains the supreme director. The Supreme Lord is the supreme will and the background of this material manifestation, but the management is being conducted by material nature. Krsna also states in Bhagavad-gita that of all the living entities in different forms and species, “I am the Father.” The father gives seeds to the womb of the mother for the child, and similarly the Supreme Lord by His mere glance injects all the living entities into the womb of material nature, and they come out in their different forms and species, according to their last desires and activities. All these living entities, although born under the glance of the Supreme Lord, still take their different bodies according to their past deeds and desires. So the Lord is not directly attached to this material creation. He simply glances over material nature; material nature is thus activated, and everything is created immediately. Because He glances over material nature, there is undoubtedly activity on the part of the Supreme Lord, but He has nothing to do with the manifestation of the material world directly. This example is given in the smrti: when there is a fragrant flower before someone, the fragrance is touched by the smelling power of the person, yet the smelling and the flower are detached from one another. There is a similar connection between the material world and the Supreme Personality of Godhead; actually He has nothing to do with this material world, but He creates by His glance and ordains. In summary, material nature, without the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, cannot do anything. Yet the Supreme Personality is detached from all material activities.
Guest: Is modern science materialism, Prabhupada? Is it materialism?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: All, all materialism?
Prabhupada: Just dealing with earth, water, air, fire, sky. That’s all.
Guest: And in this time, modern science, you know, physics, chemistry, mathematics; is this all materialism?
Prabhupada: All materialism.
Guest: All materialism.
Prabhupada: They do not know what is spiritual.
Guest: And inside these people doing this work, is it Krsna? Or what is it makes them do the work?
Prabhupada: No. The soul is a living being. So nature is supplying material and he’s molding in different forms. Just like earth is not man’s creation. Earth is God’s creation, or it is product of God’s energy. But we are using this earth and molding in different forms, different pots, different dolls. So ingredients are supplied by God. Nature means God’s energy. We simply handle them. We cannot produce anything, we transform only. Just like this iron, we cannot produce iron. It is gotten from the mine, iron bar. Now we have transformed into different forms. Because we have got creative energy like God, not very great, in very minute quantity. So as God has created by His intelligence, the whole universe—we are creating this table, this pillow, this harmonium—that’s all. What you are finding?
Srutakirti: I was just looking at that verse again.
Prabhupada: Which verse?
Srutakirti: Mayadhyaksena...
Prabhupada: Oh.

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]

The Bhagavad-gita is the perfect information of everything. One has to study carefully, that’s all. It is perfect information. And you can accept it with your good logic. Not that blindly you accept. Now just like Krsna says: “The material elements are My energy.” Now you can consider, you can argue, you can make argument, you’ll come to the conclusion. Just like material elements, water, the vast water. The ocean, Atlantic Ocean, vast water. So it is created by God’s energy. How can you explain with your argument? Because it is said there, Krsna says, that “This is My energy.” Now, if you accept it, it is all right. But if you have got hesitation, what is your reason?
Guest: Because one man says one thing and one man says another thing. So many people have different things to say.
Prabhupada: No, personally. Suppose I ask you. What is your, you want to ask me?
Hamsaduta: You have, that letter has a return address from Mandalibhadra?
Prabhupada: Yes, it is here. Now the water... Just like from your body, water is produced, is it not?
Guest: Transformed?
Prabhupada: Transformed or whatever, but you see urine is coming, perspiration is coming. So these different waters are produced by your energy within the body. So why not from God’s energy the vast water?
Guest: Yes, truly.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: But why should he give us...
Prabhupada: Because God is unlimited, He has got unlimited energy. have got limited energy. I can pass urine, say one pound, I can have perspiration say, one ounce but if God likes He can produce unlimited water. Why this one Atlantic Ocean? Many millions of Atlantic Oceans He can produce. Water produced from His body. So where is the difficulty to understand? When Krsna says that the elements... Other matters are growing. Just like the hair. Now, today, I have shaved. Three days after, again it will grow. So I have got my energy within by which I’m constantly growing. But, hair is a material thing. So anything you take, it grows from the Supreme. It is very easy to understand.
Guest: Hmm. And ah, this inside, it grows because of Krsna does it?
Prabhupada: Everything is growing on account of Krsna. Your body, inside or outside, it is made of these five elements: earth, water, air, fire, like that. lt is nothing but combination of these five elements.
Guest: Is the water inside the same as the water in the ocean?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: It’s the same water.
Prabhupada: Yes. You... Have you tasted ever perspiration?
Guest: Hmm?
Prabhupada: Perspiration, have you tasted?
Guest: Tasted it, yes, salt.
Prabhupada: Salt, yes.
Guest: Ocean, yes.
Prabhupada: It has got.
Guest: But one ocean is not the same as another eh? My business is mathematics. It’s not very transcendental.
Prabhupada: You are teacher?
Guest: No, not anymore. It’s not very transcendental.
Srutakirti: He’s asking if his business is transcendental.
Prabhupada: No, if it is used for Krsna, then it is transcendental. If it is used for your sense gratification, then it is material. That is the difference.
Guest: Yes. And how do you know whether you’re using it for Krsna or not?
Prabhupada: Yes. That requires training from the Krsna’s representative, guru. Just like these boys are being trained up in Krsna consciousness. So it requires little training. Just like you are mathematician. To make another student mathematician, you have to train him. You have to teach him how to calculate two plus two equal to four. It will never be five. If somebody says, “No, my calculation is two plus two equal to five.” Will it be accepted?
Guest: I’m afraid sometimes it can be true. (laughs)
Prabhupada: How it can be true?
Guest: One plus one can equal three.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Guest: One plus one can equal three sometimes.
Prabhupada: Is there mathematical calculation?
Guest: I know that it’s ah... I mean things reproduce. Life is not so fixed, not so rigid. But one does have to be trained, it’s true. Training is, some people can understand and some people cannot understand.
Prabhupada: That is difference of understanding.
Guest: Yes.
Prabhupada: The fact is true. But if I cannot understand, that is my misfortune.
Guest: Yes. And if I can’t understand what this is the end of the... So yes, it’s the same. I think this is right.
Prabhupada: God is fact. But if somebody cannot understand, it is his misfortune.
Guest: Yes. And another time, another place.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: As you say, there are many oceans. The Christians say, “In my father’s house are many mansions.” A Chair. (indistinct) Good enough?
Prabhupada: No, you can sit down.
Guest: This has come a long way from the Barrier Reef, the Pacific. These shells. The shells.
Prabhupada: Oh yes.
Guest: From the Pacific. From the Barrier Reef, Australia. You know the Barrier Reef?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest: Yes, that’s where they come from, the Barrier Reef.
Prabhupada: I have seen the reef.
Guest: You have?
Prabhupada: In Australia.
Guest: Oh, yes. I would like to see that. The sea is wonderful, isn’t it? You like the sea they tell me.
Prabhupada: Oh yes. Very green, clear.
Guest: Always a different color though. Always a little different isn’t it?
Prabhupada: Well, reef I have seen. It is about, not less than two hundred feet.
Guest: Really? They say under the water is beautiful, the light, and the color.
Prabhupada: They go under the water?
Guest: They go, yes, under the water, in skin-diving. The coral, coral? Grows coral doesn’t it? They say it’s all, very beautiful. Jaya. Well, thank you, Prabhupada, jaya.
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. Give him prasada. Thank you.
Srutakirti: Take a little sweet.
Prabhupada: What is your name?
Guest: Peter.
Prabhupada: Peter, oh yes.
Guest: Thank you very much.
Prabhupada: Jaya. (end)

Everyone Is Trying To Become The Supreme, So There Will Be Volence

"...tasmad yudhyasva bharata"[Bg. 2.18]

Yuddha, fighting, Arjuna was ksatriya. It is his duty. Because here, in this material world, violence is also required. Violence. Because everyone is competitor, everyone is trying to become the Supreme, so there will be violence. Just like in your state, at the present moment, there is violence because one party is trying to become Supreme than the other. That is going on everywhere, all over the world, the struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to become supreme than the other.

So there must be violence. So expecting that there will be violence, the ksatriya class required. Just like in the state, expecting that there will be violence, therefore the police department is maintained, the military department is maintained. So you cannot avoid violence from this material world. It is useless proposal.

Our Mahatma Gandhi tried to stop violence. He started the nonviolence movement, but factually he had to die by violence. So ksatriya, they are trained up violent to become violent to stop violence. That is required. Therefore Krsna advises that “Don’t try to become nonviolent because...” Tasmad yudhyasva bharata. “Don’t think that by killing the body, your grandfather, or your nephews and your brother on the other side, they will be finished. No. They’ll live. The body may be destroyed.” Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20].

But actual soul, he’ll transmigrate. According to Vedic philosophy, if a ksatriya dies in proper fighting, then he is immediately transferred to the heavenly planet, the heavenly planet. Because he sacrifices his body for right cause. Formerly, the fight was not a very trifle thing. After much consideration, then fighting or war was declared. Just like the fighting between the Kurus and the Pandavas; first of all, there was great endeavor to stop the fight. Krsna Himself became the messenger and was going from this party to another. Because Krsna... Both the parties were Krsna’s family relatives.

So He wanted to stop and mitigate the misunderstanding by mutual settlement. But it was not possible. The Duryodhana’s party said that “We are not prepared to spare even a small piece of land which can hold the tip of the needle.” Sucagra-bhumi. Then it was decided there must be fight. That fighting was meant for the ksatriyas. Formerly, there was no democracy. The so-called democracy. Democracy means that there was one king only; now there are hundreds of kings. One king and few ministers. Now one governor, one, I mean to say, three dozen secretaries, and three dozen... So many things... It is overburdened. The tax, tax is overburdened because there are so many officers. They have to be sumptuously paid. So tax is required.

So in this age, Kali-yuga, by, I mean to say, finishing the monarchical system, people have accepted the democratic system, but it is not very much improvement. Because the state expenditure has very much increased and people are very much overburdened with taxes. So Krsna advises that tasmad yudhyasva. Tasmad yudhyasva bharata. “Don’t think that your grandfather, or the other party, relatives, they’ll be destroyed by fighting. It is not the fact, that, by destruction of the body, the soul is destroyed.” Real purpose is... Bhagavad-gita. That we should understand that the soul is always existing, even... Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20].

ya enam vetti hantaram
yas cainam manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijanito
nayam hanti na hanyate
[Bg. 2.19]

There is another example. Krsna says... Because the soul is immortal, eternal, so if somebody kills somebody, the body is destroyed, but the soul is not destroyed. So if one thinks that “I have killed him, he’s finished,” he’s also foolish. And one who thinks that “If I have died in the fight, then I will be finished.” No. Ubhau tau na vijanitah. Both of them are ignorant. Ubhau tau na vijanito nayam hanti na hanyate.

The living soul is never killed, neither he can kill others. For duty’s sake... Of course, when there is fight... That is called dharma-yuddha. Dharma-yuddha, by the order of the Supreme. Just like Arjuna was fighting by the order of the Supreme. That is dharma-yuddha. If there is no sanction by the dharma, there is sastra injunction, “In this case fighting should be there, in case, in this case, there should be no fighting...” So one who follows the principles of regulation in the Vedas, that is called dharma-yuddha.

Even there is fight, there is religion, there is piety. Even by killing and being killed. Two ksatriyas are fighting. Either he kills or he is being killed, in both ways they are profited. That will be explained. Just like Arjuna was advised that “My dear Arjuna, why you are hesitating to fight? Both ways you’ll be benefited. If you can kill your enemies, then you get the kingdom, you enjoy. And if you are killed, then you are promoted to the heavenly planets. So where is your loss? Where is your loss?” This is the instruction given. A ksatriya who is fighting for the real cause, as sanctioned by the dharma-sastras, when both ways he’s profited. If he becomes victorious, he’s profited, but if he’s killed in the battle, he’s also profited. Both ways.

ya enam vetti hantaram
yas cainam manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijanito
nayam hanti na hanyate
[Bg. 2.19]

Then the next verse He clearly explains:

na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire
[Bg. 2.20]

This soul... “Do not think that soul is born.” No. As God is ever-existing, the soul is ever-existing. It is not... There is no question of birth. And when there is no question of birth, there is no question of death. Because we experience, anything, anybody, who has taken birth, he dies. Nobody will live here.

So if the soul has no birth, there is no question of death. And as Krsna, God, God is eternal, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam Purana [Bs. 5.33]. Purana means old. Because Krsna is the original person, therefore He must be Purana, the oldest, older than Brahma. Because Brahma is given birth by Krsna. Therefore Krsna has been addressed in the Bhagavad-gita as prapitamaha [Bg. 11.39]. Brahma is called pitamaha, the grandfather, and prapitamaha means “the father of the grandfather.” So Krsna has been addressed as prapitamaha, “father of Brahma.”

Therefore He’s adi-purusa. Actually, within this creation, Lord Brahma is the original person, because he was firstborn. There was no other person before him. But he’s given birth by Narayana, from the abdomen of Narayana in the lotus flower. Therefore He’s the father of Brahma. Prapitamaha [Bg. 11.39]. So Krsna here says, because that Mayavadi philosophy’s also nullified here. Because here it is said, na jayate, na jayate mriyate va kadacin nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah. Mayavada philosophy says that the living entity has become separated on account of illusion. Not becomes separated. He is... There is no separation. But it is illusion; he’s thinking, “I am different from God.” But Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah jiva-loke sanatanah [Bg. 15.7].

That amsa, part and parcel of God, he’s sanatana. Not that, being covered by illusion, he’s thinking “I am separated.” He’s separated always, sanatana. That is the statement of the Vedas. Separated. Although separated, quality one, but that separation, that fragments of Krsna, that is sanatana. It is not that by maya we are fragmental separated; when we are liberated, we merge into the body or the effulgence of God. We are separated in..., perpetually. Although we are eternal, but we are perpetually... vibhinnamsa. In the Varaha Purana it is said, vibhinnamsa, “separated part and parcel.” So we should understand very clearly that, although we are eternal, part and parcel, but we are separated. Separated in this sense that we are, everyone of us, are individual, not merge into the existence. Everything is existing. In the Bhagavad-gita, you’ll find: mat-sthani sarva-bhutani naham tesu avasthitah. Everything is existing in Him, Krsna. But still, Krsna is not the living entity.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.

[from the Prabhupada Folio Vedabase Lecture "Bhagavad-gita 2.12 Hyderabad, November 17, 1972"]

Space Travel

A living being, especially civilized man, has a natural desire to live forever in happiness. This is quite natural because, in his original state, the living being is both eternal and joyful. However, in the present conditioned state of life, he is engaged in a struggle against recurring birth and death. Therefore he has attained neither happiness nor immortality.

The latest desire man has developed is the desire to travel to other planets. This is also quite natural, because he has the constitutional right to go to any part of the material or spiritual skies. Such travel is very tempting and exciting because these skies are full of unlimited globes of varying qualities, and they are occupied by all types of living entities.

The desire to travel there can be fulfilled by the process of yoga, which serves as a means by which one can transfer himself to whatever planet he likes—possibly to planets where life is not only eternal and blissful, but where there are multiple varieties of enjoyable energies. Anyone who can attain the freedom of the spiritual planets need never return to this miserable land of birth, old age, disease and death.

One can attain this stage of perfection very easily by his individual effort. He can simply follow, in his own home, the prescribed method of bhakti-yoga. This method, under proper guidance, is simple and enjoyable. An attempt is made herein to give information to the people in general, and to philosophers and religionists in particular, as to how one can transfer oneself to other planets by this process of bhakti-yoga—the highest of all yogic processes.

From the book Easy Journey to Other Planets
by His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acharya for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

krishna.org

Never Think 'I Have Become Big'

Hrdayananda: Oh. "Thereafter Lord Brahma requested Prahlada Maharaja, who was standing very nearby, and asked Prahlada Maharaja to go forward and said, 'My dear son, Lord Nrsimhadeva is very, very angry upon your demonic father, and you can go forward and appease Him, the Lord.' "

Prabhupada:

prahradam presayam asa
brahmavasthitam antike
tata prasamayopehi
sva-pitre kupitam prabhum
[SB 7.9.3]

So all of them, all the demigods, they wanted to pacify. The Lord was very angry, but they failed. Then, at last, they requested Laksmiji to pacify the Lord. She could not dare to approach Him; what is the speaking of pacifying? Then, at last, they decided that "This five-years-old boy, the Lord may be compassionate upon him. And for him He has appeared, so let him be engaged in pacifying the Lord." So Brahma, the head of all the demigods presented there, he decided, prahladam presayam asa. He pushed him forward: "My dear Prahlada, my dear son, better you go forward and pacify." It is something like to push a little child in the cage of the lion. It is something like that. Nobody dared. So Prahlada Maharaja, he knew very well that "However ferocious He may be, I am not afraid. He is my Lord. I am not afraid." He was jolly, innocent, pure devotee. He had no fear. So he was sent: "My dear Prahlada, you try."

So brahma avasthitam antike. He was very near sitting, but he had no fear. Just on the lotus feet, near the lotus feet of the Lord, he was sitting. Others were contemplating. He was free, that "I am under the shelter of the Lord." Svapada-mule, mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh. "He is Murari, and everything is under His feet." This is the conclusion when one is advanced in Krsna consciousness. Prahlada Maharaja, although he was a boy of five years old, it did not matter. He was first-class devotee, maha-bhagavata. That is possible. The devotional service is nothing material. It is spiritual. So there is nothing impossible, impossible. That is real appreciation of spiritual life. If one thinks that "Prahlada Maharaja was only five years old. How he could offer such nice verses in glorifying the Lord?" that is possible. Bhakti does not depend on the age. Bhakti depends on sincerity of service. It is not that because one man is older than me, therefore he will be greater devotee. No. Ahaituky apratihata. First of all, bhakti must be without any motive, without any motive of personal sense gratification. That is real bhakti. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. We have to make all our desires zero. Jnana-karmady-anavrtam. People are trying to understand the whole creation by knowledge, but bhakti does not depend on knowledge. Jnana-karma... Or karma. Karma means fruitive action. Not that because you are a very big businessman, you are very successful, therefore it will be easy for you to understand Krsna. No. That is not possible. Or if you think one is very poor in knowledge, lowborn, no education, still he can understand bhakti and Lord, provided he is pure devotee.

So material conditions, they are not practically applicable to spiritual life. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, therefore, He said, eho bahya age kaha ara. Whatever Ramananda Raya was proposing, "This is the beginning of bhakti..." He suggested varnasrama-dharma, karma-tyaga, karma-sannyasa, even full surrender, sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. All, everything, Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, eho bahya age kaha: "These are external formality. If you know something better than this, please explain." So Ramananda Raya, when, I mean to say, quoted a verse from Brahma's prayer, sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih prayena ajita api jito... Krsna is ajita. Nobody can conquer Him. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat [Bg. 7.7]. Nobody is greater in every respect. Not that "Krsna is shorter at least in this respect." He is shorter in one respect, that He could not repay back the obligation He received from the gopis. He was only shorter to the gopis. That is His grace. He said that "I cannot repay you. It is impossible. Please be satisfied with your own service." That is the gopis. So He was shorter always, especially before Radharani. He felt Himself shorter. Otherwise He is the Supreme. He is always the Supreme. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. So if you want to conquer over this unconquerable Krsna, then, according to the prayer of Brahma and appreciated by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih: "You remain in your place, it doesn't matter, but you become very humble. Don't be puffed up." Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva. You should not think yourself that you are very advanced, "By my speculative knowledge I can understand God." That is mistake. That is not possible. You have to give up first of all this attempt, that "I am very learned," "I am very rich,"or "I am very this and that. Therefore for me to understand God, it is nothing." They think like that. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhih [SB 1.8.26]. Those who are very much proud, they do not take Krsna consciousness very seriously. They think, "These poor fellow who had no money, no foodstuff, they have come in the name of Krsna for begging. So it is for them. It is not for us. I am very rich. I am very opulent. I am very educated. I am very aristocratic. So for me there is no need of." The Indians say like that in your country. "Now we have known this Krsna, Hare Krsna. We have... Now it is not needed. Now it is technology."

So these puffed-up persons cannot understand Krsna. One has to become very humble. Christ also says, "The kingdom of God is for the humble and the meek." That is actually... And Krsna also says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is the beginning of humbleness: "Yes, I have nothing, insignificant." Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam [Bg. 7.19]. This is real knowledge, to remain always insignificant before guru -- Krsna. Then it is profit. If somebody thinks that "I have become more than my guru, more than Krsna," then he is finished. So one should become very humble and meek. It doesn't matter where he is situated, either this institutionally, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. Even one has taken sannyasa, he should remain always humble. So never we should think that "I have become very big personality." That was the instruction of my Guru Maharaja, that bada vaisnava -- "I am very big Vaisnava. Everyone should come and obey my orders" -- this is condemned position. The real position is one should be very humble and meek. Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva. Namanta means humble. One should be prepared to learn from... Namanta eva san-mukhari... Those who are pure devotee. From them one should be very much anxious to hear. That, the same thing, anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Who has no other desire in the material world except to serve Krsna, he is pure devotee. So one should be anxious in humbleness to hear from such personality. Sthane... It doesn't require to change. There are so many questions sometimes: whether it is necessary to take sannyasa and It is... By the routine work, it is necessary. But if one is serious, so for him it is not necessary -- ahaituky apratihata -- because for a serious student of devotion, Krsna is in his hand. So anyway, even if you are a sannyasi or grhastha or vanaprastha, it doesn't matter. You should remain very humble. That is required. Sthane sthitah. And you should hear from the realized soul in humbleness. Then the Krsna, the great, He will be conquered by you.

So Prahlada Maharaja was that type of maha-bhagavatam. He was not... As a child, he had... He did not know the sophistry or formality to become unnecessarily very prestigious. He was by nature a small boy. Just like here, these boys. If you insult, he doesn't care for it because he is child. Or if you praise him, he does not think himself very much puffed up. This is child's nature. So Prahlada Maharaja was in that position. He didn't care. His father wanted to chastise him in so many ways. He didn't care. He (was) always thinking, "He is my father. He is joking. That's all." This is simplicity. This is simplicity. This simplicity is very valuable. So Prahlada Maharaja was in that position. Therefore Brahma selected him, that "My dear Prahlada, my dear child, please approach the Lord. You can try to pacify Him." Prahradam presayam asa brahmavasthitam antike, tata: "My dear child, my dear boy," tata prasamayo upehi, "please go forward and try to pacify Him." Sva-pitre kupitam prabhum: "Our Lord, Prabhu, He has become very, very angry." Nobody can excess in His anger. Just like nobody can excel the Supreme Personality of Godhead in anything, similarly, when He is angry, nobody can excel Him. He becomes so angry. So He is always... "God is great" means great in everything. When He is angry, nobody can excel Him in His anger. And when He is very peaceful, nobody can excel Him. This is God. Asamaurdha. God means nobody is equal; nobody is greater. So when the Lord was angry, nobody can show His anger equally and nobody can become greatly anger or more greatly angry than Krsna. He is always topmost. This is... So such anger was exhibited. Why? Now, it is said, sva-pitre kupitam. He's inducing, Brahma inducing, that "We never seen the Lord so angry, but it is on account of your father, so it is your duty. You go there." (chuckles) The child will accept, "Yes. My father committed so many offenses. Therefore it is my duty to pacify the Lord." Therefore he is reminding because he was a child, "My dear child, it is for your father He has become so angry, so it is your duty. Go and pacify Him." So every word in Bhagavata, there is meaning. Sva-pitre kupitam prabhum: "Don't think that it is our duty; it is your duty. Although we are Brahma, Laksmi, all right. So real duty is yours." This is little joking.

So Prahlada Maharaja is prepared, "All right," either for his father or for everyone. That is Vaisnava. Vaisnava does not consider that "I have to pray to Krsna for my father, for my mother." No. Vaisnava is ready to offer prayer... Para-duhkha-duhkhi. He is always unhappy, seeing these fallen conditioned souls unhappy. Other... Vaisnava personally, he has no unhappiness. Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaranyah. That will be explained. Tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrta-magna-cittah, soce tato vimukha-cetasa, indriyartha-maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. So Vaisnava is always sorry for the rascals in the world. Otherwise he has nothing to be unhappy. He can sit down anywhere; he can sleep anywhere; he can eat anything. He doesn't require anyone's help. He... As Krsna is self-sufficient, similarly, Krsna, not exactly like that, but a Vaisnava is also self-sufficient, depending only on Krsna. That is Vaisnava. So he has nothing to lament or nothing to regret. He is always pleased in the service of the Lord, but he is always sorry for the conditioned souls who are for suffering the material pangs on account of ignorance.

Thank you very much. (end)

listen

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976

Krsna - The Original Person

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam

adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[BrahamaSamhita 5.33]

So advaita. Advaita means without duality. Advaita acyuta, Krsna and Krsna’s expansion. Krsna’s expansion: Baladeva, Sankarsana, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. Then Narayana, then Maha-Visnu, Karanodakasayi Visnu—innumerable expansions. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Each and every form, Krsna’s, they are without any duality. Just like I and my photograph, that is my expansion, but it is not one; it is dual. What service you can take from me, you cannot take the service from the photograph. Therefore it is not advaita; it is dvaita, duality. You may have millions of photographs, but each one of them, they’re different. But Krsna, He has got millions of forms, they’re one. That is the difference. Advaitam acyutam.

Acyutam means one who does not fall down. Because he has expanded in so many forms, it does not mean the potency of Krsna has decreased. The same thing you chant in the Isopanisad: purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate. Krsna is so full, purna. Purna means complete. If you take complete Krsna from Krsna, still, He is Krsna. That you cannot understand in the materialistic condition, because if I have got one rupee or one dollar, if I take that one dollar, then it becomes zero. But Krsna is so complete you go on taking Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, still, Krsna is complete. Advaita acyuta. Acyuta means does not diminish or does not fall.

Advaitam acyutam anadi. Anadi means which has no beginning. Because we have got this material body we have got a beginning. You may ask somebody, “What is your birthday?” That means beginning. Anything material, it has got a beginning and end. Anything which has got beginning has got end also, and change also. So Krsna has no beginning, there is no end, and there is no change. Try to understand. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta means unlimited. Unlimited forms, Krsna. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam. He’s the original, oldest person. Because adyam, original.

Just like if you find out in your family who is the original man, so as far as you can count, you go a hundred years, two hundred years back, find out who is the origin of your family members, so that man must be Purana. Purana means very old. Krsna, being the original person, adi-purusam... Govindam adi-purusam. Adi means original. So you do not think that he might have become very, very old. Because our material conception... Sometimes we paint picture: “God is the original person. Then He must be very old. He must have grown so much white, gray hairs.” No. The Vedic knowledge says, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam [Bs. 5.33]. The oldest man, but nava-yauvanam ca, always just like a young man, sixteen to twenty years old. That is called nava-yauvana.

When a man or woman comes to sixteen years, that is the beginning of youthful life. So sixteen to twenty years, this is very nice—in full energy. And that is the time for growth, intelligence. Unfortunately, we spoil this period, so we become less intelligent, life becomes shorter. If we spoil this period, then our life will be shortened. And if we keep this period complete celibacy, brahmacari, then you can live up to hundred years. So this period is very nice. It is called nava-yauvana, just new youthful life. So Krsna you’ll find all new, always new youthful. You’ll never find Krsna’s picture as old. Nava-yauvanam ca.

Then again, it is said, vedesu durlabha. (aside:) What is that sound? Vedesu durlabham. Vede means in the Vedic literature, if you make research work how Krsna is, then it will be very difficult. Then you come to the impersonal only. Vedesu durlabham. You have to go beyond the Vedas. What is that? Vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. Krsna is available through His confidential devotee. Not that if anyone has studied very nicely all Vedic literatures he’ll understand Krsna. No. Maybe, but it is very difficult. Krsna can be delivered by His devotee, atma-bhaktau. Therefore you have to take shelter of Krsna’s devotee. That is parampara system.

If you want to understand Krsna, if you want to have Krsna... Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung a very nice song. He’s praying to a Vaisnava, vaisnava thakura tomara kukkura bhuliya janaha more: “Sir, Vaisnava, you are Thakura. You are as good as Krsna, or God. Kindly accept me as your dog.” Vaisnava thakura tomara kukkura bhuliya jana... Kukkura means dog. Just like dog follows the master very faithfully. We have to learn something from the dog. The dog also is a teacher: how to become faithful to the master. That teaching we can have even from the dog. He is very satisfied. Whatever food you give, he’ll not protest. Still, he’ll remain faithful. There are so many good qualifications of a dog. So therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, vaisnava thakura tomara kukkura bhuliya janaha more: “Kindly accept me as your dog. I shall serve you faithfully.” Why?

Krsna se tomara krsna dite para: “Because Krsna is yours, you can deliver Krsna.” Very nice song. “Krsna is yours. By your devotional service, you have made Krsna your property; so you can deliver Krsna to me. Therefore I want to follow you as faithfully as a dog.” Vedesu durlabham. This is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita: vedesu durlabha. If you study independently all the Vedas... Veda is the source of knowledge. So vedesu durlabha, it will be difficult. But if we approach Krsna’s devotee, then it will be very easy. Vedesu durlabham

adurlabham atma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33].
advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam
adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvenam ca
vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.33]

This is the next sloka. The record is angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti [Bs 5.32]. Next sloka is this, advaitam acyutam anadim. You can repeat. Advaita. I say, you say. (devotees repeat:)

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam
adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca
vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.33]
(sings:)
advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam
adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca
vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.33]

Thank you very much. (end)

[Lecture by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya for ISKCON, on "Sri Brahma-samhita", Verse 33, New York, July 19, 1971]

What is an Avatāra?

In the Chaitanya-caritamrta of Krishnadasa Kaviraj, the following verses summarize these principles of incarnation:

"sṛṣṭi-hetu yei mūrti prapañce avatare..."

"The avatāra, or incarnation of Godhead, descends from the kingdom of God for material manifestation. And the particular form of the Personality of Godhead who so descends is called an incarnation, or avatāra. Such incarnations are situated in the spiritual world, the kingdom of God. When they descend to the material creation, they assume the name avatāra."

There are various kinds of avatāras, such as puruṣāvatāras, guṇāvatāras, līlāvatāras, śaktyāveśa avatāras, manvantara-avatāras and yugāvatāras-all appearing on schedule all over the universe. But Lord Kṛṣṇa is the primeval Lord, the fountainhead of all avatāras. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa descends for the specific purposes of mitigating the anxieties of the pure devotees, who are very anxious to see Him in His original Vṛndāvana pastimes. Therefore, the prime purpose of the Kṛṣṇa avatāra is to satisfy His unalloyed devotees.

The Lord says that He incarnates Himself in every millennium. This indicates that He incarnates also in the age of Kali. As stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the incarnation in the age of Kali is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who spread the worship of Kṛṣṇa by the saṅkīrtana movement (congregational chanting of the holy names), and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout India.

He predicted that this culture of saṅkīrtana would be broadcast all over the world, from town to town and village to village. Lord Caitanya as the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, is described secretly but not directly in the confidential parts of the revealed scriptures, such as the Upaniṣads, Mahābhārata, Bhāgavatam, etc. The devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa are much attracted by the saṅkīrtana movement of Lord Caitanya. This avatāra of the Lord does not kill the miscreants, but delivers them by the causeless mercy of the Lord.

[From The Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Chapter 4.8, purport, by His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder Acarya for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness]

Hare Krishna Mantra

Krsna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. And the process is recommended by authorities for this age.

By practical experience also, we can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel transcendental ecstasy from the spiritual stratum. When one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane. This chanting of

Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama
Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare

is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, surpassing all lower states of consciousness--namely sensual, mental and intellectual. There is no need of understanding the language of the mantra, nor is there any need of mental speculation nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration, without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy.

Tapasya- A Requirement for Spiritual Life

Nitai: "By penance only can one even approach the Personality of Godhead, who is within the heart of every living entity and at the same time beyond the reach of all senses."

Prabhupada:

tapasaiva param jyotir
bhagavantam adhoksajam
sarva-bhuta-guhavasam
anjasa vindate puman

From this verse we can understand the Absolute Truth is realized in three features: bhagavantam adhoksajam, jyoti, param jyoti, and sarva-bhuta-guhavasam. The first realization is jyoti, the next realization is sarva-bhuta-guhavasam, and the last, final, realization is bhagavantam adhoksajam. The example we have given many times, that the sun is there. The first realization is that we come in touch with the sunshine. That is very easy. Anyone can come in light of the sunshine. It is open to everyone. Then the another feature of the sunshine is the sun globe. That is not so easily available. You cannot go to the sun globe. According to the modern scientific conclusion, we can understand that the sun globe is away from us by 93,000,000's of miles, and still, we cannot tolerate the temperature. And what will be your position if you go to the sun globe? Before reaching sun globe even by some millions of... We are already apart 93,000,000 miles, and suppose when there is three million miles apart from ninety, then the temperatures is so high that we will be finished. We cannot approach the sun globe even, and what to speak of entering into the sun globe? That requires a different body.

Of course, there are living entities in the sun globe, within the sun globe. And there is the predominating deity also, the president. You may call. There is a state. Just like you have got here, United State, there is state also. And there is also president, and the president's name is Vivasvan. Everything is there in the sastra. We read from Bhagavad-gita, Krsna said, "I spoke to Vivasvan, the president or the predominating deity in the sun globe." So this is all fact. It is not fiction. You are seeing the sun globe, and you are seeing that the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. So it is a globe; therefore there must be inhabitants. But their body is different. That is... Just like this earthly planet is made of earth or dirt;that is made of fire. This is within these five elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether. So the mixture of these things are there also, but the fire element is there prominent. As here, in this earth, all the mixtures are there, but here the earthly element is prominent. So this is also one of the material worlds.

So there are different varieties of planets. That is God's creation. This is also God's creation, that is also God's creation, but I cannot go there. Land is God's creation, water is God's creation, but you cannot live in the water, and the fish cannot live on the land. Similarly, although there are millions and trillions of planets within this universe, you have to live in that particular planet where you are destined to live. That is condition. You cannot go to the sun planet or moon planet. Otherwise what is the meaning of conditioned life? Conditioned life means you are given opportunity to live on this planet, or the other living entities, they have been given opportunity to live in the sun planet. So they cannot come and live here, and we cannot go there and live there. This is called conditioned life. You must live under condition. You are not free. Otherwise they are attempting so much to go to the moon planet. But we are doubtful whether they are actually going. But no benefit has been derived by this excur... Simply you have spoiled your energy, time and money. That is..., means conditioned, that you cannot violate the conditions of the nature. That is not possible. But they are thinking they are free. They can do whatever they like. That is called ignorance, mudha, rascal. They are living under condition, but they are falsely thinking that "We are free." Is it not? Where is that freedom? Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. This rascal civilization do not admit this. They are so fool that they are conditioned in every step, and still they are thinking they are free. This is called illusion.

Therefore, to get that freedom, you have to work for it. Freedom does not come so automatically. Just like you are diseased. You are under the control of fever or some other painful condition, under some disease. So you have to undergo some penance. Just like you are suffering from some boil on the body. It is very painful. Then, in order to cure it, you have to undergo the surgical operation if you want to be cured. Therefore tapasa. That is tapasa. Tapa means painful condition, tapa. Just like temperature. If you are put into high temperature, 110 degree, then it is very intolerable for you. It is very painful. Even for us Indians;we are born in India, tropical climate; still, when the temperature is more than hundred, it becomes intolerable. And what to speak of you? You are born in a different temperature. Similarly, we cannot tolerate lower temperature. If it is below fifty degree, it is intolerable for us. So there are different climates, different temperature. And in Canada they tolerate forty degree less than zero.

So it is a question of different condition of life. But we are conditioned: high grade temperature, less temperature, high grade cold. But we can we trained up to any kind of conditional life. That capacity we have got. There is a Bengali proverb, sarire na mahasaya ya sahabe taya saya,(?) means "This body is," means, "it can tolerate any condition, provided you practice it." It is not that, that you are under certain condition, and if you are changed, it becomes so intolerable that you cannot live. No. If you practice...

Just like nowadays nobody is going. Formerly they are going to the Himalayan mountain, and there is very cold. And the tapasya... There is practice, method: in high scorching heat the saintly person or sages, they will ignite fire all round. Already there is high temperature, and still they will get fire all round and go on, meditation. This is tapasya. These are the items of tapasya. There is scorching heat and they will arrange that. There is pinching, chilly cold, less than hundred degree, and they will go under water and put the body up to this and meditate. These are the items of tapasya. Tapasya. So for God realization formerly people used to undergo such severe type of penances, and at the present moment we are so fallen, we cannot tolerate these four principles? Is it very difficult? We are imposing some tapasya, that "Don't indulge in these things. No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." These are the items of tapasya for advancing in Krsna consciousness. So is it very difficult? It is not difficult. If one can practice, go within the water up to the neck in chilly pinching cold, is it more difficult to give up illicit sex and meat-eating and intoxication? We are not advising, "No sex." Illicit sex. So where is the difficulty? But the age is so fallen that even these primary tapasya we cannot execute. That is the difficulty.

But if you want to realize God, as it is said here, tapasaiva, only by tapasya, only by penance, one can realize. Otherwise not. Otherwise it is not possible. Therefore this word is used, tapasaiva. Tapasa eva: "only by tapasya." There is no other means. Tapasa eva param. Param means the Supreme. If you want to realize the Supreme, the Absolute, then you must agree to certain type of tapasya. Otherwise it is not possible. The preliminary little tapasya. Just like ekadasi. That is also item of the tapasya. Actually on the ekadasi days we shall not take any food, even drink water. But in our society we are not doing so much strictly. We say, "Ekadasi, you don't take food grains. Take little fruit, milk." This is tapasya. So we cannot execute this tapasya? So if we are not prepared to undertake even this very, very easily executable tapasya, then how we can expect go back to home, back to Godhead? No, that is not possible. Therefore here it is said, tapasaiva, tapasa eva. Eva means certainly. You have to. Now, executing this tapasya, penances, are you loser? You are not loser. Now, anyone who will come from outside, they will see in our society, our members, boys and girls. They say, "bright-faced." Do they not? They see distinction. One priest in plain cloth... I was going from Los Angeles to Hawaii. One priest, he came to me in the plane. So he asked my permission, "Can I talk with you?" "Yes, why not?" So his first question was that "I see your disciples very bright-faced. How it has been done?" He's sincere. So where is the loss? By undergoing, by denying all these things, sinful activities, we are not loser. We can live very simple life. We can sit down on the floor, we can lie down on the floor. We don't require much furniture, neither large amount of gorgeous dress. So tapasya required. If we want advancement in spiritual life, we must accept some sort of tapasya. In the Kali-yuga we cannot accept such severe type of tapasya as in the cold, we go underneath, under water, sometimes drowning or sometimes up to this, and then meditate or chant Hare Krsna. That is not possible. The minimum. So tapasya must be there.

So we should note it by this verse that some sort of tapasya must be done if we are serious about God realization. That is wanted. And then the first realization is jyoti, brahmajyoti. Generally, the Mayavadi transcendentalists, they think that this realization of brahmajyoti is all in all. The yogis, they think that realization of sarva-guhavasam, sarva-bhuta-guhavasam... Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. God is there in everyone's heart. This is accepted in all sastra. In the Bhagavad-gita says, here also it is said, sarva-bhuta-guhavasam. Guha means the heart, core of heart. So He is there. So one feature is brahmajyoti; another feature is sarva-bhuta-guhavasam. The Lord is everywhere, not only your heart, my heart or any animal's heart, beast's heart, bird's heart, but He is also within the atom. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham. Paramanu means atom. Within the atom there is also. Sarva-bhuta-guha, within, avasa, He is living there. So this is one feature. This is called Paramatma feature, or Supersoul feature. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gita, ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata: "I am also owner of this body, but I am distributed in everyone's heart." In another place, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah.

So God is present everywhere. He is omnipotent, omnipresent. So in our temple He is already there, and still more manifest, He is present here as arca-vigraha, the form of the body by which He can accept our worship. He can accept. It is not that He is different from the original Krsna. No, He is Krsna, the same Krsna, goloka eva nivasati, who is living in Goloka Vrndavana, but akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37], He can present Himself in different forms for accepting service for realization.

So the arca-vigraha is also Krsna. Therefore, adhoksajam. Adhoksajam, adhah-krtam aksajam jnanam. Our knowledge is what we see. We can see stone. We can see metal. We can see other material elements, wood. So Krsna has appeared as we can see Him. Because we cannot see more than stone, wood, metal, therefore Krsna has appeared as stone statue. But He is not stone statue. That we have to understand. He is Krsna, but He is so kind that He has appeared before us as we can see Him. This is the philosophy, not that stone is Krsna. Stone is also Krsna in the ultimate sense because stone is the expansion of energy of Krsna, material energy. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva..., bhinna me prakrtir astadha. This is called philosophy of inconceivable one and different. The same example can be given: just like the sunshine. In the sunshine there is heat and temperature. [break] ...say the sunshine has come... (aside:) Why you are standing? If you stand... This side. "If the sunshine has entered my room, therefore sun has entered my room." This is Mayavadi philosophy. No. By the entrance of sunshine within your room, the sun has entered and has not entered. This is right philosophy. Acintya-bhedabheda. Acintya, simultaneously one and different.

This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's philosophy, acintya-bhedabheda. We cannot think, adjust, that how one thing can be the other thing. That we cannot experience due to our little fund of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge. But in case of Krsna, God, that is possible, simultaneously one and different. So here, if you think... To the atheist this form is made of stone, and they are thinking that "These crazy fellow, they are worshiping a stone." In that sense, Krsna is not there. If a crazy man breaks the statue, he does not break Krsna, but he breaks the stone. This is simultaneously one and different. For the devotee, He is Krsna. All the time He is Krsna. Because even if you take it as stone, stone is also Krsna because it is expansion of Krsna's energy. The same example: the sunshine is also sun. And Krsna is, being omnipotent, He can accept your service any way. Provided you want to render service, Krsna is ready to accept it.

Therefore our duty is that we should never think of this Deity as something made of stone or metal. We should always think, "Here is Krsna personally present." That is devotion. And we should worship Him like that. We should offer respect, that "Here is Krsna. We cannot do anything wrong." And therefore there is list of offenses of worshiping, sixty-four... Or how many? It is stated in The Nectar of Devotion. Do you discuss this? So we should avoid these offenses, not that "Here is a stone statue. He is not going to see I am doing this offense." Then that is not very good. We should always feel that "Here is Krsna, personally present." Actually He is personally present. Then are we so fool, that we are worshiping a stone deity? No. "We" means we have installed this Deity under the direction of previous authorities, acaryas. So it is not whimsical. We have installed the Deity exactly under the direction of the previous acarya, and therefore the Deity is personally present, Krsna. As He is present everywhere, sarva-bhuta-guhavasam, similarly, He can live in many millions of temples simultaneously and live at the same time Goloka Vrndavana. That is Krsna. That is Krsna's omnipotency. So Krsna, being very kind, He has appeared in our various temple. So we should very careful that "Here is personally present Krsna. Here is... Personally, Radharani is there. Personally, Lord Caitanya is there, Lord Jagannatha is there." But He is keeping Himself is such a way that you can handle in any way. Even if you commit some mistake, He does not protest. But we should not commit any mistake. That is our duty. We should not create such thing as it is offensive. Therefore the direction is there in the sastra that "You do like this. Do like this; there will be no offense." And offenseless service will make you more and more advanced in spiritual life.

So Krsna has... Bhagavantam. Here it is said, bhagavantam. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krsna, but He is adhoksajam, beyond our sense perception. Adhoksaja. Adhah-krtam aksajam jnanam. Our knowledge is limited within this sense perception. That's all. We can see so long the light is there. If the light is not there, then our seeing power is finished. Therefore it is limited. And Krsna is beyond this limitation. Therefore His name is Adhoksaja. Adhah-krtam aksajam indriya-jnanam yena. Aksajam jnanam means "knowledge acquired by sense perception." Aksaja. Aksa means "eyes," and ja means "generated." So I see this book because my eyes are seeing it is book. But as soon as the light is off, I cannot see where is the book and where is the table, where you are. Similarly, we cannot see at the present moment by the imperfect senses what is Krsna. Therefore it is Krsna's kindness that He has appeared before you in a manner by which you can see Him. This is Krsna's mercy. Not that the atheistic philosophy, "They are worshiping Deity, some stone, some metal," not like that. He is adhoksaja. We cannot see Krsna with our present eyes, but we can see Him through the scripture. The "through the scripture" is that although we cannot see Him by our present imperfect senses, adhoksaja, beyond our perception, still, we can see Him. How? Through the authorities. Through the authorities. The same example, as I have given, that I do not know who is my father, but through the authority of mother, I can see him: "Here is my father." This is called authority seeing. If mother certifies that "My dear child, here is your father," that is the only certificate, authority, you can understand who is your father. Otherwise there is no... By experimental knowledge, by mental speculation, "He may be my father, he may be my father, he may be my father..." That you go on speculating for many millions of years. Still, you will not be able to understand who is your father. But if you take the authority of your mother, immediately you understand. That is, means, adhoksaja. You cannot speculate what is God, but if you take the authority, then you can understand God. Otherwise it is not possible.

athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-
prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi
janati tattvam bhagavan-mahimno
na canya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan

This is a verse. It is said, "My dear Lord, Your lotus feet," padambuja-dvaya, "can be understood by a person who has received a little favor of You." Athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi: "One who has received little favor, he can understand." And what for others? "For others," na ca anya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan, "if they speculate for millions of years, still, they will not be able to understand." Just like in your country Bhagavad-gita was being read for the last two hundred, three hundred years. So many scholars, so many Indian scholar or American, they have written Bhagavad-gita. But not a single person understood Krsna, not a single person. But now, when they are reading Bhagavad-gita As It Is, they are understanding by the mercy of God. The mercy is shown if you follow the process, authoritative process. Prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi. One who has received a little, minute quantity of the favor of Krsna, he can understand Krsna. And others, if they go on speculating for millions of years, they will not be able to. This is a fact. Therefore He is called Adhoksaja.
So our Krsna consciousness movement is the authorized process by which you can understand Krsna, the Supreme Lord. By other methods it is not possible. Krsna personally says,

manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]

Nobody can understand. Out of many millions and trillions of persons, one is interested how to make his life success. Otherwise they are not interested even. Like cats and dogs they are jumping here and there. That's all. And out of those persons who are interested, some may understand what is Krsna. So Krsna is not so very easily understood, but by the grace of Krsna we can understand Him if we follow. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "My dear Dhananjaya, there is no more superior power than Me, or greater than Me." So if we accept the statement of Krsna, then we understand Krsna immediately. Otherwise, by speculation, it is not possible. That is the fact. There are so many... Such a person, such a big, who is estimated as very, very big person, Mahatma Gandhi, he could not understand Krsna. From his writing we see. He said, "I don't believe that there was any person Krsna living ever." Just see. He could not understand. Similarly, Dr. Radhakrishnan, Tilak, so many big, big scholars, they have written comment on Bhagavad-gita, but they, still they have proved that they're rascal number one. Because they did not follow the process of understanding Krsna, therefore they could not understand. And here even a child, our Syamasundara's daughter, (s)he used to go to somebody and ask him, "Do you know what is Krsna?" He says, "No, I do not know." "He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Just see. And all these boys and children, they are learning so easily Krsna, and a person like Mahatma Gandhi, he said that, something different. You see? Just see. This is the position.

So you have to follow the authoritative principles by the parampara system. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau [SU 6.23]. If you have got faith in God, Krsna, and similar faith in the spiritual master and follow his instruction, then you will understand Krsna in His different features: jyoti, bhagavan, and sarva-bhuta-guhavasam. He is the brahmajyoti just like the sunshine, and He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna, and He is the Supersoul, Paramatma, in everyone's heart. The process is tapasaiva, a little tapasya. So whatever little tapasya we have prescribed, you follow. You will understand Krsna. And if you understand Krsna, then your life is successful.
Thank you very much. (end)

[Bhagavatam 3.12.19--Dallas, March 3, 1975, given by HDG AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya for ISKCON]

The Frog In A Well

Scientists, for instance, may speculate about distant stars and planets, but they can never come to any conclusions without experience. One may go on speculating throughout his life and never reach any conclusions. It is especially useless to speculate about God. Therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam recommends that all sorts of speculation should be given up. It is recommended instead that one become submissive, realizing that not only is he an insignificant creature, but that this earth is only one small point in the great universe. New York City may seem very large, but when one realizes that the earth is such a small spot, and that on the earth the United States is just another small spot, and that in the United States New York City is but a small spot, and that in New York the individual is only one out of millions, then one can understand that he is not so very important after all. Realizing our insignificance in the face of the universe and God, we should not be artificially puffed-up but should be submissive. We should be very careful not to fall prey to the frog philosophy.

Once there was a frog in a well, and upon being informed of the existence of the Atlantic Ocean by a friend, he asked the friend, “Oh, what is this Atlantic Ocean?”
“It is a vast body of water,” his friend replied.
“How vast? Is it double the size of this well?”
“Oh no, much much larger,” his friend replied.
“How much larger? Ten times the size?” In this way the frog went on calculating. But what is the possibility of his ever understanding the depths and far reaches of the great ocean? Our faculties, experience, and powers of speculation are always limited. We can only give rise to such frog philosophy. Therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam recommends that we give up the method of speculation as a waste of time in trying to understand the Supreme.

After giving up speculation, what should we do? Bhagavatam recommends that we become submissive and hear the message of God submissively. This message may be found also in the Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures, in the Bible or the Koran—in any bona fide scripture—or it may be heard from a realized soul. The main point is that one should not speculate but should simply hear about God. What will be the result of such hearing? Regardless of what one is—whether he be a poor or rich man, an American, European or Indian, a brahmana, sudra or whatever—if one but hears the transcendental word of God, the Lord, who can never be conquered by any power or force, will be conquered by love. Arjuna was a friend of Krsna’s, but Krsna, although the Supreme Godhead, became Arjuna’s chariot driver, a menial servant. Arjuna loved Krsna, and Krsna reciprocated his love in this way. Similarly, when Krsna was a child, He playfully took the shoes of His father, Nanda Maharaja, and put them on His head. People may try very hard to become one with God, but actually we can surpass that—we can become father of God. Of course God is the father of all creatures, and He has no father Himself, but He accepts His devotee, His lover, as a father. Krsna agrees to be conquered by His devotee out of love. All one has to do is hear the message of the Lord very carefully.
In the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita Sri Krsna gives additional ways in which He can be perceived in every step of life:
punyo gandhah prthivyam ca
tejas casmi vibhavasau
jivanam sarva-bhutesu
tapas casmi tapasvisu

“I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.” (Bg. 7.9)

The words punyo gandhah refer to fragrances. Only Krsna can create flavors and fragrances. We may synthetically create some scents or fragrances, but these are not as good as the originals that occur in nature. When we smell a good natural fragrance, we can think, “Oh, here is God. Here is Krsna.” Or when we see some natural beauty, we can think, “Oh, here is Krsna.” Or when we see something uncommon, powerful or wonderful, we can think,“Here is Krsna.” Or when we see any form of life, whether it be in a tree, in a plant, or an animal or in a human being, we should understand that this life is part and parcel of Krsna, for as soon as the spiritual spark, which is part and parcel of Krsna, is taken away from the body, the body disintegrates.

bijam mam sarva-bhutanam
viddhi partha sanatanam
buddhir buddhimatam asmi
tejas tejasvinam aham

“O son of Prtha, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men.” (Bg. 7.10)

Here again it is explicitly stated that Krsna is the life of all that lives. Thus at every step we can see God. People may ask, “Can you show me God?” Yes, of course. God can be seen in so many ways. But if one closes his eyes and says, “I shall not see God,” then how can He be shown?
In the above verse the word bijam means seed, and that seed is proclaimed to be eternal (sanatanam).

One may see a huge tree, but what is the origin of this tree? It is the seed, and that seed is eternal. The seed of existence is within every living entity. The body itself may go through so many changes—it may develop within the mother’s womb, come out as a small baby and grow through childhood and adulthood—but the seed of that existence that is within is permanent. Therefore it is sanatanam. Imperceivably we are changing our bodies at every moment, at every second. But the bijam, the seed, the spiritual spark, does not change. Krsna proclaims Himself to be this eternal seed within all existences. He is also the intelligence of an intelligent person. Without being favored by Krsna, one cannot become extraordinarily intelligent.

Everyone is trying to be more intelligent than others, but without the favor of Krsna this is not possible. Therefore whenever we encounter someone with extraordinary intelligence we should think, “That intelligence is Krsna.” Similarly, the influence of one who is very influential is also Krsna.
balam balavatam caham
ka ma-raga-vivarjitam
dharmaviruddho bhutesu
kamo ’smi bharatarsabha

“I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O Lord of the Bharatas [Arjuna].” (Bg. 7.11)

The elephant and the gorilla are very strong animals, and we should understand that they get their strength fro m Krsna. The human being cannot acquire such strength by his own endeavor, but if Krsna so favors, a man can get strength to exceed the elephant thousands of times. The great warrior Bhima, who fought in the battle of Kuruksetra, was said to have strength ten thousand times that of an elephant. Similarly, desire or lust (kama) which is not against religious principles should also be seen as Krsna. What is this lust?

Lust generally means sex life, but here kama refers to sex life which is not against religious principles, that is to say, sex for the begetting of good children. If one can beget good Krsna conscious children, he can have sex thousands of times, but if he can only beget children who are raised in the consciousness of cats and dogs, his sex life is to be considered irreligious. In religious and civilized societies, marriage is intended as an indication that a couple is to engage in sex for begetting good children. Therefore married sex life is considered religious, and unmarried sex life is considered irreligious. Actually there is no difference between the sannyasi and the householder provided that the householder’s sexual activities are based on religious principles.
ye caiva sattvika bhava
rajasas tamasas ca ye
matta eveti tan viddhi
na tv aham tesu te mayi

“All states of being—be they of goodness, passion or ignorance—are manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything—but I am independent. I am not under the modes of this material nature.” (Bg. 7.12)

One may question Krsna in this way: “You say You are sound, water, illumination, fragrance, the seed of all, strength, and kama, desire—does that mean that you exist simply in the mode of goodness?” In the material world there are the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Thus far, Krsna has described Himself as that which is good (for instance, sex in marriage according to religious principles). But what about the other modes? Does not Krsna exist in them? In answer, Krsna replies that whatever is seen in the material world is due to an interaction of three modes of material nature.

Whatever can be observed is a combination of goodness, passion or ignorance, and in all cases these three states are “produced by Me.” Because they are produced by Krsna, their position is in Him, but He is not in them, for Krsna Himself is transcendental to the three modes. Thus, in another sense, bad and evil things, which are produced out of ignorance, are also Krsna, when they are applied by Krsna. How is this? For example, an electrical engineer is producing electrical energy. In our homes we are experiencing this electrical energy as coldness in the refrigerator or heat in the electric stove, but at the power plant electrical energy is neither cold nor hot. The manifestations of this energy may be different for the living entities, but for Krsna they are not different. Therefore Krsna sometimes acts on what appears to be the principles of passion or ignorance, but for Krsna there is nothing but Krsna, just as for the electrical engineer electrical energy is simply electricity and nothing else. He makes no distinction that this is “cold electricity” or that is “hot electricity.”

Everything is being generated by Krsna. Indeed, the Vedanta-sutra confirms: athato brahma jijnasa janmady asya yatah: [Bhag. 1.1.1] everything is flowing from the
Supreme Absolute Truth. What the living entity is considering to be bad or good is only so for the living entity, for he is conditioned. But because Krsna is not conditioned, for Him there is no question of bad or good. Because we are conditioned, we are suffering from dualities, but for Him everything is perfect.

From On The Way To Krishna, Excerpt from Ch. 3 "Seeing Krsna Everywhere and Always"
By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya for ISKCON

VIDEO: Srila Prabhupada Installing Mahaprabhu

Better Than Fame, Welth, Sex, Followers. . .

“O Almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy beautiful women. Nor do I want any number of followers. What I want only is the causeless mercy of Your devotional service in my life, birth after birth.” (Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) In this verse, Caitanya Mahāprabhu addresses the Supreme Lord as Jagadīśa. Jagat means “universe,” and īśa means “controller.” The Supreme Lord is the controller of the universe, and this can be understood by anyone; therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu addresses the Supreme Lord as Jagadīśa instead of Kṛṣṇa or Rāma. In the material world we find many controllers, so it is logical that there is a controller of the entire universe. Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not pray for wealth, followers, or beautiful women, because these are material requests. Usually, people want to be very great leaders within this material world. Someone tries to become a very rich man like Ford or Rockefeller, or someone else tries to become president or some great leader that many thousands of people will follow. These are all material demands: “Give me money. Give me followers. Give me a nice wife.” Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu refuses to make such materialistic requests. He frankly says, “I don’t want any of these things.” He even says, mama janmani janmanīśvare. That is, He’s not even asking for liberation. Just as the materialists have their demands, the yogīs demand liberation. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not want anything of this nature. Then why is He a devotee? Why is He worshiping Kṛṣṇa? “I simply want to engage in Your service birth after birth.” He does not even pray for an end to birth, old age, disease, and death. There are no demands whatsoever, for this is the highest platform, the stage of bhakti-yoga."
[Path of Perfection, CH.8: Failure and Success in Yoga]

The Matchless Gift

The aim of this Krsna consciousness movement is to bring all living entities back to their original consciousness. All living entities within the material world are, to varying degrees, afflicted with a type of madness. This Krsna consciousness movement aims at curing man of his material disease and reestablishing his original consciousness.

In a Bengali poem a great Vaisnava poet has written, “When a man is haunted by ghosts, he can only speak nonsense. Similarly, anyone who is under the influence of material nature should be considered haunted, and whatever he speaks should be considered nonsense.” One may be considered a great philosopher or great scientist, but if he is haunted by the ghost of maya, illusion, whatever he theorizes and whatever he speaks is more or less nonsensical. Today we are given the example of a psychiatrist who, when requested to examine a murderer, proclaimed that since all the patients with whom he had come in contact were more or less crazy, the court could excuse the murderer on those grounds if it so desired. The point is that in the material world it is very difficult to find a sane living entity. The prevailing atmosphere of insanity in this world is all caused by the infection of material consciousness.

The purpose of this Hare Krsna movement is to bring man back to his original consciousness, which is Krsna consciousness, clear consciousness. When water falls from the clouds, it is uncontaminated like distilled water, but as soon as it touches the ground it becomes muddy and discolored. Similarly, we are originally pure spirit soul, part and parcel of Krsna, and therefore our original constitutional position is as pure as God’s. In Bhagavad-gita Sri Krsna says:

mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah sasthanindriyani
prakrti-sthani karsati

“The living entities in this conditional world are My fragmental parts, and they are eternal. But due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Bg. 15.7)

Thus all living entities are part and parcel of Krsna. By Krsna it should always be remembered that we are speaking of God, Krsna denoting the all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead. As a fragment of gold is qualitatively the same as a gold reservoir, so the minute particles of Krsna’s body are therefore qualitatively as good as Krsna. The chemical composition of God’s body and the eternal spiritual body of the living entity is the same—spiritual. Thus originally, in our uncontaminated condition, we possessed a form as good as God’s, but just as rain falls to the ground, so we come in contact with this material world, which is manipulated by the external material energy of Krsna.

When we speak of external energy or material nature, the question may be raised, “Whose energy? Whose nature?” Material energy or nature is not active independently. Such a concept is foolish. In Bhagavad-gita it is clearly stated that material nature does not work independently. When a foolish man sees a machine he may think that it is working automatically, but actually it is not—there is a driver, someone in control, although we sometimes cannot see the controller behind the machine due to our defective vision. There are many electronic mechanisms which work very wonderfully, but behind these intricate systems there is a scientist who pushes the button. This is very simple to understand: since a machine is matter, it cannot work on its own accord but must work under spiritual direction. A tape recorder works, but it works according to the plans and under the direction of a living entity, a human being. The machine is complete, but unless it is manipulated by a spirit soul, it cannot work. Similarly, we should understand that this cosmic manifestation which we call nature is a great machine and that behind this machine there is God, Krsna. This is also affirmed in Bhagavad-gita where Krsna says:

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate

“This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all the moving and unmoving beings, and by its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.” (Bg. 9.10)

There are two kinds of entities—the moving (such as human beings, animals and insects) and nonmoving (such as trees and mountains). Krsna says that material nature, which controls both kinds of entities, is acting under His direction. Thus behind everything there is a supreme controller. Modern civilization does not understand this due to lack of knowledge; it is the purpose of this Society for Krsna consciousness therefore to enlighten all people who have been maddened by the influence of the three modes of material nature. In other words, our aim is to awaken mankind to its normal condition.

There are many universities, especially in the United States, and many departments of knowledge, but they are not discussing these points. Where is the department for this knowledge that we find given by Sri Krsna in Bhagavad-gita? When I spoke before students and some faculty members at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the first question raised was: “Where is the technological department which is investigating the difference between a dead man and a living man?” When a man dies, something is lost. Where is the technology to replace it? Why don’t scientists try to solve this problem? Because this is a very difficult subject matter, they set it aside and busily engage in the technology of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. However, Vedic literatures inform us that this is animal technology. Animals are also trying their best to eat well, to have an enjoyable sex life, to sleep peacefully, and to defend themselves. What then is the difference between man’s knowledge and animal’s knowledge? The fact is that man’s knowledge should be developed to explore that difference between a living man and a dead man, a living body and a dead body. That spiritual knowledge was imparted by Krsna to Arjuna in the beginning of Bhagavad-gita. Being a friend of Krsna’s, Arjuna was a very intelligent man, but his knowledge, as all men’s, was limited. Krsna spoke, however, of subject matters which were beyond Arjuna’s finite knowledge. These subjects are called adhoksaja because our direct perception by which we acquire material knowledge fails to approach them. For example, we have many powerful microscopes to see what we cannot see with our limited vision, but there is no microscope that can show us the soul within the body. Nevertheless, the soul is there.

Bhagavad-gita informs us that in this body there is a proprietor. I am the proprietor, and others are the proprietors of their bodies. I say, “My hand,” but not “I hand.” Since it is “my hand,” I am different from the hand, being its owner. Similarly, we speak of “My eye,” “My leg,” “My this,” “My that.” In the midst of all of these objects which belong to me, where am I? The search for the answer to this question is the process of meditation. In real meditation, we ask, “Where am I? What am I?” We cannot find the answers to these questions by any material effort, and because of this all the universities are setting these questions aside. They say, “It is too difficult a subject.” Or they brush it aside: “It is irrelevant.” Thus engineers direct their attention to creating and attempting to perfect the horseless carriage and wingless bird. Formerly, horses were drawing carriages and there was no air pollution, but now there are cars and rockets, and the scientists are very proud. “We have invented horseless carriages and wingless birds,” they boast. Although they invent imitation wings for the airplane or rocket, they cannot invent a soulless body. When they are able to actually do this, they will deserve credit. But such an attempt would necessarily be frustrated, for we know that there is no machine that can work without a spirit soul behind it. Even the most complicated computers need trained men to handle them. Similarly, we should know that this great machine, which is known as the cosmic manifestation, is manipulated by a supreme spirit. That is Krsna. Scientists are searching for the ultimate cause or the ultimate controller of this material universe and are postulating different theories and proposals, but the real means for knowledge is very easy and perfect: we need only hear from the perfect person, Krsna. By accepting the knowledge imparted in Bhagavad-gita, anyone can immediately know that this great cosmic machine, of which the earth is a part, is working so wonderfully because there is a driver behind it—Krsna.

Our process of knowledge is very easy. Krsna’s instruction, Bhagavad-gita, is the principal book of knowledge given by the adi-purusa Himself, the Supreme primeval person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is indeed the perfect person. It may be argued that although we have accepted Him as a perfect person, there are many others who do not. Rut one should not think that this acceptance is whimsical; He is accepted as the perfect person on the evidence of many authorities. We do not accept Krsna as perfect simply on the basis of our whims or sentiments. No—Krsna is accepted as God by many Vedic authorities like Vyasadeva, the author of all Vedic literatures. The treasure house of knowledge is contained in the Vedas, and their author, Vyasadeva, accepts Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Vyasadeva’s spiritual master, Narada, also accepts Krsna as such. Narada’s spiritual master, Brahma, accepts Krsna not only as the Supreme person but the supreme controller as well—isvarah paramah krsnah: [Bs. 5.1] “The supreme controller is Krsna.”

There is no one in the creation who can claim that he is not controlled. Everyone, regardless of how important or powerful, has a controller over his head. Krsna, however, has no controller; therefore He is God. He is the controller of everyone, but there is no one superior to Him, no one to control Him; nor is there anyone equal to Him, no one to share His platform of absolute control. This may sound very strange, for there are many so-called gods nowadays. Indeed, gods have become very cheap, being especially imported from India. people in other countries are fortunate that gods are not manufactured there, but in India gods are manufactured practically every day. We often hear that God is coming to Los Angeles or New York and that people are gathering to receive Him, etc. But Krsna is not the type of God manufactured in a mystic factory. No. He was not made God, but He is God.

We should know then on the basis of authority that behind this gigantic material nature, the cosmic manifestation, there is God—Krsna—and that He is accepted by all Vedic authorities. Acceptance of authority is not new for us; everyone accepts authority in some form or another. For education we go to a teacher or to a school or simply learn from our father and mother. They are all authorities, and our nature is to learn from them. In our childhood we asked, “Father, what is this?” and father would say, “This is a pen,” “These are spectacles,” or “This is a table.” In this way from the very beginnings of life a child learns from his father and mother. He learns the names of things and the basic relations of one thing to another by questioning his parents. A good father and mother never cheat when their son inquires from them; they give exact and correct information. Similarly, if we get spiritual information from an authority and if the authority is not a cheater, then our knowledge is perfect. If we attempt to reach conclusions by dint of our own speculative powers, however, we are subject to fall into error. The process of induction, by which, reasoning from particular facts or individual cases, one can arrive at a general conclusion, is never a perfect process. Because we are limited and our experience is limited, it will always remain imperfect.

If we receive information from the perfect source, Krsna, and if we repeat that information, then what we are speaking can also be accepted as perfect and authoritative. The process of parampara or disciplic succession is this very process of hearing from Krsna or from authorities who have accepted Krsna and repeating exactly what they have said. In Bhagavad-gita Krsna recommends this process of knowledge:

evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way.” (Bg. 4.2)

Formerly knowledge was passed down by great saintly kings who were the authorities. In previous ages, however, these kings were rsis— great learned scholars and devotees—and because they were not ordinary men the government which they headed worked very nicely. There are many instances in Vedic civilization of kings who attained perfection as devotees of God. For example, Dhruva Maharaja went to the forest to search out God and by practice of severe penance and austerity found God within six months. Although he was only a five-year-old prince with a very delicate body, he was successful because he followed the directions of his spiritual master, Narada. The first month Dhruva Maharaja was in the forest, he simply ate some fruits and vegetables once every three days and drank a little water every six days. He finally restricted his inhalation of air and stood for six months on one leg only. After he executed these severe austerities for half a year, God became manifest before him, eye to eye. It is not necessary for us to practice such severe austerities, but simply by following in the footsteps of Vedic authorities we also can see God eye to eye. This vision of God is the perfection of life.

The Krsna consciousness process is based on austerity, but it is not very difficult. There are restrictions governing eating and sex life (only prasadam, food first offered to Krsna, is taken, and sex is restricted to married life), and there are other regulations which facilitate and foster spiritual realization. It is not possible in these days to imitate Dhruva Maharaja, but by following certain basic Vedic principles, we can make advancement in spiritual consciousness, Krsna consciousness. As we advance, we become perfect in knowledge. What is the use in becoming a scientist or a philosopher if we cannot say what our next life will be? A realized student of Krsna consciousness can very easily say what his next life is, what God is, what the living entity is and what his relationship with God is. His knowledge is perfect because it is coming from perfect books of knowledge such as Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam.

This then is the process of Krsna consciousness. It is very easy, and anyone can adopt it and make his life perfect. If someone says, “I’m not educated at all, and I cannot read books,” he is still not disqualified. He can still perfect his life by simply chanting the maha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Krsna has given us a tongue and two ears, and we may be surprised to know that Krsna is realized through the ears and tongue, not through the eyes. By hearing His message, we learn to control the tongue, and after the tongue is controlled, the other senses follow. Of all the senses, the tongue is the most voracious and difficult to control, but it can be controlled simply by chanting Hare Krsna and tasting Krsna prasadam, food offered to Krsna.

We cannot understand Krsna by sensual perception or by speculation. It is not possible, for Krsna is so great that He is beyond our sensual range. But He can be understood by surrender. Krsna therefore recommends this process:

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

“Give up all varieties of religiousness, and just surrender unto Me; and in return I shall protect you from all sinful reactions. Therefore, you have nothing to fear.” (Bg. 18.66)

Unfortunately, our disease is that we are rebellious—we automatically resist authority. Yet although we say that we don’t want authority, nature is so strong that it forces authority upon us. We are forced to accept the authority of nature. What can be more pathetic than a man who claims to answer to no authority but who follows his senses blindly wherever they lead him? Our false claim to independence is simply foolishness. We are all under authority, yet we say that we don’t want authority. This is called maya, illusion. We do, however, have a certain independence—we can choose to be under the authority of our senses or the authority of Krsna. The best and ultimate authority is Krsna, for He is our eternal well-wisher, and He always speaks for our benefit. Since we have to accept some authority, why not accept His? Simply by hearing of His glories from Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam and by chanting His names—Hare Krsna—we can swiftly perfect our lives.

From The Matchless Gift
By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada