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]