"Be A Great Master - Give God's Message"

69/05/09 Colombus, Bhagavad-gita 4.1


Pradyumna: Bhagavad-gita, chapter number four, "Transcendental Knowledge."

One: "The Blessed Lord said, I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind. And Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku." Purport: "Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gita traced from a remote time when it was delivered to the kings of all planets. The royal order is especially dedicated to the protection of the inhabitants, and as such, its members should also understand the science of the Bhagavad-gita in order to rule the citizens and protect them from the onslaught of material bondage to lust. Human life is meant for cultivation of spiritual knowledge, an eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the executive heads of all states and all planets are obliged to impart this lesson to the citizens by education, culture, and devotion."

Prabhupada: Hm. Stop. So in this verse the exact Sanskrit word is

imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur iksvakave 'bravit
[Bg. 4.1]

evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha (mahata)
yogo nastah parantapa
[Bg. 4.2]

So this Bhagavad-gita, science of Bhagavad-gita, is not a new presentation. Just from this verse we can understand that it was instructed to the sun-god. Sun-god, apart from what is the duration of age of sun-god, but from the Manu, because the next statement is vivasvan manave praha... Vivasvan. The sun-god's name is Vivasvan. Just like your, the chief executive head is called the president, similarly, there is a chief executive head also in the sun planet, president. And the present president's name is... Just like your present president's name is Mr. Nixon, similarly, the present predominating deity in the sun planet is known as Vivasvan. So everything is in detail.

This is called Vedic literature. Vedic literature is not concerned only with this planet. Vedic literature deals with all the universal planets. Just see here is the statement. Krsna says that "In the beginning I explained this science of Bhagavad-gita to the present predominating deity of sun planet, whose name is Vivasvan." Do you think that Krsna is playing joke or speaking something lie, that he said to Vivasvan, the present presiding deity? No, that is not possible. Actually He has spoken. And Krsna... One... Others may think of Krsna... Avajananti mam mudhah [Bg. 9.11]. Rascals and fools may think of Krsna as ordinary man, but in India the great acaryas, just like Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu -- practically these acaryas are guiding the whole destiny of the Hindu world -- they have all accepted Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So whatever Krsna is speaking, that is right.

Now, you can understand that if Krsna spoke to the sun-god, and the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, then how old is this science of Bhagavad-gita. Apart from sun-god's duration of age, if we simply take the present age, Vaivasvata Manu, Vaivasvata Manu, the age of Vaivasvata Manu is seventy-one multiplied by forty-three hundred thousands of years. Forty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by seventy-one. It is a very long duration of life. Now, at the present moment the Vivasvan, the Vaivasvata Manu's age is half-finished. That means the number, the numerical strength, forty-three hundred thousands of years into seventy-one, divide by two. So long years Bhagavad-gita was spoken.

So Bhagavad-gita is not a new thing, a new adventure. And the person who spoke Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god, does it mean that He left something to be commented by some, these mundane men to understand the meaning of the Bhagavad-gita? Such a great personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He told something which is to be understood by the interpretation of a mundane scholar? Do you think it is reasonable? No. Whatever he spoke, that is all right. And that is clear. There is no question of interpreting in a different way. Just like here, "The Blessed Lord said, ‘I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvan.' " What is difficulty there? Is there any word which you cannot understand? Is anyone here who cannot understand these lines? It is clear. "The Blessed Lord said, ‘I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god whose name is Vivasvan.' " It is clear. How you can interpret?

Now, the thing is, unless I think of Krsna that "He is an ordinary man. How He could say to the sun-god Vivasvan?" Then the interpretation is required. But that sort of thinking is not bona fide because if you want to study Bhagavad-gita, you have to take the words of Bhagavad-gita. The Blessed Lord. He is Lord. He can say. The Lord is not like ordinary man. That "Because we cannot say to the sun-god, therefore Krsna cannot say," that is our foolishness. Why should we calculate Krsna's activity with my activities? Therefore all the commentaries who think Krsna as ordinary man, they are null and void. Such commentaries should not be accepted.

We have explained in our introduction that all the commentaries in the market, they are simply presentation of the particular commentator's personal view. That is not Bhagavad-gita. If you want to understand Bhagavad-gita, then you should understand as they are said. You don't interpret in your own way.

Now, because there should be some doubt of the ordinary man, that "How Krsna could say to the sun-god?" that is explained in the next verse. Because Arjuna was taking instruction from Krsna, he knew Krsna, what He is. Otherwise he would not have accepted him as a spiritual master. But because others would doubt, "This is fictitious that Krsna said to the sun-god. How it is possible?" so you will find Arjuna said, "The sun-god Vivasvan is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?" Krsna is taking our position, er, Arjuna. Persons who are thinking of Krsna as ordinary person, so Arjuna is trying to clear that point, that Krsna is not ordinary person. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore he has put this question, that "The sun-god Vivasvan is senior by birth to you."

Sun-god, Vivasvan, the sun planet, father of Manu... Manu's age we cannot calculate. About forty millions of years ago Manu was born, and his father, we do not know what is his age. So how it is possible, if Krsna is ordinary man, He spoke to him? That is being cleared. So what He answered? "The Blessed Lord said, ‘Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot." That is the difference between God and man. That is the difference between God and man. We cannot remember. Even we cannot remember what I did at this time yesterday. That is our forgetfulness, is our nature.

To commit mistake, to forget, to be illusioned, to be cheated, imperfection of the senses -- these are our qualifications. Every one of us, anyone who is in this material world, they are subjected to these defects: he is sure to commit mistake -- "To err is human" -- he is subjected to be illusioned, and he has a cheating propensity. Just like a mundane scholar. I do not wish to name. A mundane scholar, he admits, his introduction, that it is very difficult to interpret Bhagavad-gita in one's own way. It is so tightly fitted. Actually it is so. Unless you contradict yourself, you cannot interpret Bhagavad-gita according to your own way.

So Arjuna is clearing that, and Krsna is saying, "The difference is that I take, I appear..." As you will find later on, Krsna says, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]. Whenever there is discrepancies in the procedure of religious function and there is predominance of irreligiosity, at that time God or God's representative comes to this world to make things nicely. So Krsna appears. Krsna appears, and we also appear.

But our appearance and Krsna's appearance is different. We have accepted this body, we have appeared in this world, forced by our karma according to our past deeds. Just like we are sitting. Every one of us have different features of body. Why? According to different karma. The body is made according to karma. That is the explanation of difference. So we cannot know. And we can understand that your mentality, my mentality, is different. You act in different way; I act in different way. That is the way, every one of us. Therefore we are forced to accept a certain type of body according to our karma. But Krsna does not. We change our body. Just try to understand.

This forgetfulness means change of body. Just like we had some certain type of body in our previous life, but we do not know. Forgotten. Because I have changed the body, therefore I have forgotten. What to speak of my last birth? Even in your childhood, when you were, say, three or four years old, you did so many things. But do you remember them? No. Because you have changed the body. That body is gone. Therefore we have forgotten. Forgetfulness means change of body. We are changing body every second, every minute. Therefore we are forgetting. And Krsna does not forget. That means he does not change body. This is pure understanding of Krsna.

Krsna said that "Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them." Many, many. Thousands and thousands of times Krsna appeared on this world, but He remembers everything. And I cannot remember about my childhood. So how can I become one with Krsna? These Mayavadi philosophers, they are declaring that "I am God." How you can? What is your qualification that you become God? God is not so cheap thing. People have taken it that "Everyone can become God. Every one of us God." This is another illusion, another maya, because we do not know what is God. Here is God. He says that "Many, many millions of years ago I spoke to sun-god. I remember it." This is God. Simple truth. This is the proof that He is God. Read the explanation, purport. "In the Brahma-samhita..." Read it.

Pradyumna: Oh. "In the Brahma-samhita we have information of many, many incarnations of the Lord. It is stated there, ‘I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Govinda, Krsna, who is the original person, absolute, infallible, without beginning, although expanded into unlimited forms, still the same, original, the oldest, and the person always appearing as a fresh youth."

Prabhupada: The exact verse in Sanskrit word is

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]

Advaita. Advaita means Krsna expands Himself. Krsna can expand Himself. That is God.

Just like I am sitting here. You are sitting here. Suppose you are wanted by your, some relative at home, but if somebody inquires that "Mr. such-and-such is at home," so the reply will be, "No. He's not at home." Krsna is not like that. Krsna, goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. He is present everywhere. It is not that because Krsna was speaking with Arjuna in the battlefield of Kuruksetra, therefore He was not in the Goloka or Vaikuntha. Not only Goloka, Vaikuntha, everywhere. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gita Krsna is here also, now. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna is everyone's heart. In your heart there is Krsna. In my heart there is Krsna, everyone's heart. So Krsna is not like that.

Therefore, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta means unlimited -- but one, advaita. There is no difference. Just like the electricity power. I give you a crude example. Unlimited factories are running in electricity. Different types of work is being utilized by electric energy, but the electricity is one. Similarly, God is one, but He can expand. That is His potency. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport].

In the Bhagavad-gita you will understand in the Thirteenth Chapter that Krsna says, ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata [Bg. 13.3]. The living entity... I am living entity; you are living entity, every one of us. I am living in this body; you are living in this body. We have got different bodies. So Krsna said that "The living entity is the proprietor or the knower of the particular body." But He says again, ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi: "I am also knower of this particular body," sarva-ksetresu bharata, "in every body." Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. He is in every body, in every atom. That is Krsna.

Now I am living in my body. If there is pain here, I can understand, "Here is pain." But if there is some pain in your body, I cannot understand. Therefore I am different from you. But Krsna can understand what is pain or pleasure in my body, and what is pain or pleasure in your body and everyone's body. That is Krsna. Sarva-ksetresu.

That is God, not that, simply by claiming, "I am God. I am the same God." And how you claim God? Can you tell what I was thinking? Can you tell what he is thinking? No. Then how... What kind of God you are? Don't accept a cheap God. These are the symptoms of God. Adv aitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. He has got ananta, unlimited... There are unlimited living entities. In the Vedas it is stated, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13): "There are unlimited living entities, unlimited eternals. But there is one, another, one supreme eternal, supreme entity."

What is the difference between this, the unlimited number, or plural number, and one singular number? That is also answered. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman: "That singular number one entity is supplying the, all the necessities of all the plural number living entities." We are plural number entities. The living entities, we are plural number. Nityo nityanam. This nityanam is plural number, possessive case, in Sanskrit. And He is nitya. He is one, singular number. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman: "That one is supplying the necessities of all living entities."

Don't you see how God is supplying all the necessities of birds, beasts, and everyone? Ours also. We don't acknowledge. Because we are civilized, we are, we do not acknowledge. The birds, beasts also do not acknowledge, but because they are birds and beasts. So we are just becoming like birds and beasts, denying the existence of God, denying the authority of God.

We are taking advantage. Vidadhati kaman. If Krsna does not supply you this light, sunlight, you will die. But He does not charge anything. But because you are human being, you should try to repay: "Oh, Krsna is giving us so much facilities. Let me render some service unto Him." This is Krsna consciousness. This is to acknowledge, "O God, You are so kind. You are giving so many things. So I have collected this fruit. It is Your fruit, I know. Still, please accept." This is finish, your business. You are a great devotee. You are a great Krsna conscious personality, and Krsna says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Krsna does not want you, from you, very nice thing. Krsna is complete in Himself. He can produce many, many nice things. He is not begging from you, but still, He is expecting something from you because He is supplying so many things to you. Is it not?

Suppose if you have got a friend, you always give him. Don't you expect something: "Oh, I give so many things to my friend. He does not offer me anything?"? Don't you feel, out of love? Father, mother, they do so many things for the children. If the children do not do anything for the father and mother, are they not happy? Are they happy? No. They are unhappy: "My children are so ungrateful."

Although He does not want -- Krsna is full in Himself -- but if we supply something to Krsna... Krsna's good is to be supplied to Krsna. The fruit is not produced by you. Krsna says, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati: [Bg. 9.26] "Anyone who offers Me a little fruit, a little water, and little leaf, oh, I accept." Tad aham asnami, bhakty-upahrtam: "Because he has brought with the devotion and love, I accept it." If Krsna accepts your offering, then your life becomes sublime. That is Krsna consciousness.

Simply we should have to acknowledge. We are getting so many facilities from Krsna. He is sitting within your heart, He is supplying you all necessities, He is giving you sunlight, He is giving you rainy, seasonal rains, fruits, flowers, grains, and you are so ungrateful that you do not acknowledge?

In your Christian Bible also it is said. You go to church: "O God, give us our daily bread." That's all right. Krsna is supplying you bread. Otherwise wherefrom you are getting bread? You cannot manufacture bread in the factory, or wheat or rice. You can manufacture some iron tools, that's all, not eatables. But you cannot manufacture nice grains. That is not possible. It is supplied by Krsna. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman.

So try to understand in this way Krsna consciousness, God consciousness. Then your dormant relationship with God and Krsna will be revived. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Lord Caitanya says, "By revival of Krsna consciousness means the dirty things accumulated on our heart will be dissipated, immediately vanished." Then we shall see, "Oh, this is my position. I am Krsna's, and Krsna is mine."

So although Krsna is present everywhere, as it is stated here, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam [Bs. 5.33]. Adyam means the original personality. Krsna is the original father. You will find in the Bhagavad-gita, sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayo yah: [Bg. 14.4] "In every specie of life, all types of forms of life, their mother is this material nature, and I am the seed-giving father." The father is the seed-giving agent, and mother gives the body.

So this material nature is our mother. According to Vedic conception, the material nature, mother, is worshiped. There are seven kinds of mother. Not one mother.

atma-mata guroh patni
brahmani raja-patnika
dhenur dhatri tatha prthvi
saptaita matarah smrtah

Atma-mata, real mother, from whom I have taken birth, atma-mata. Guroh patni, the wife of spiritual master. Atma-mata guroh patni brahmani. Brahmani, the wife of a brahmana, learned scholar. Atma-mata guroh patni. Why learned scholar? He is also guru because from learned scholar you learn so many things, and guru teaches us so many things. Therefore he is father, and his wife is mother.

Atma-mata guroh patni brahmani raja-patnika. Raja-patnika means a queen. And now there is no king, queen, but formerly there was king and queen. So queen is also mother because king is father. He is giving protection to the citizens. Atma-mata guroh patni brahmani raja-patnika dhenuh, cow. Cow is our mother. Why? She is supplying milk. You are drinking milk. So you are killing cows? Oh, that's not good, killing mother. Atma-mata guroh patni brahmani raja-patnika, dhenur dhatri tatha prthvi. Prthvi, that material nature, is also mother be-cause by the material nature, I got this body.

So if you study Vedic literature very nicely and if you try to understand, then your life will be sublime. So this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to give you all the authoritative information from Vedic literature. They are not manufacturing anything. They are not empiric philosophers presenting something, mental concoction. No. Therefore this Bhagavad-gita, we have presented: Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

This is our business, just like a post peon's business is to deliver the envelope as it is. And if there is good news, it is for you. If it is bad news, it is for you. But the peon's business is to deliver as it is. Similarly, our business is to present Krsna's message as it is. Then you become spiritual master. Spiritual master does not become grown just like tree. No. It is carrying the message from higher authorities as it is stated. "I told this message," Krsna says, "to Vivasvan, the sun-god. He told to his son Manu. Manu told to his son Iksvaku. In this way this is coming down. Now it is broken. Therefore I am saying unto you, Arjuna."

So there is no difficulty in administering this Vedic message to the world provided we simply carry the same message as it was delivered by Krsna unto you. That is not very difficult. Anyone can do it. You simply try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is and distribute it: "Krsna says this." That's all. You haven't got to comment or add anything, something. But to present, you can speak something, but the central point should not be missed. Then people will be benefited. Then people will be benefited. They will receive the message as it is, and this is transcendental message. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says,

amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa
yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna'-upadesa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Lord Caitanya says that "Every one of you become the spiritual master, every one of you. Why one, two? Every one of you." "Oh, spiritual master is very difficult job." No. No difficult job. Caitanya Maha... Amara ajnaya: "Just try to carry out My order. That's all. Then you become spiritual master." And if you interpolate, if you put something nonsense, rubbish, to show your so-called rascal's education, then it is spoiled. Immediately spoiled. And if you present as it is, then it is pure.

Sarpocchista-payo yatha. Avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam. Hari-katha, this message of Bhagavad-gita is hari-katha. Hari means the Supreme Lord. His word. Therefore it is warned that to "Do not try to hear this message of Hari or the Supreme Lord from rascal nondevotee. Do not try to hear." Why? Sarpocchista-payo yatha. Just like milk is very nutritious food, but if a little milk is touched by the tongue of a serpent, whole thing is spoiled. A serpent, a very thin tongue, if he touches the milk, oh, the whole milk is spoiled. So if we take such milk, "Oh, milk is very nice," no. Because it is touched by the serpent's lip, it should not be taken. Similarly, any transcendental message, any Vedic literature, unless it is presented by a self-realized devotee, it is poison. You simply misunderstand the whole thing, and you do not get the benefit. Rather, you become a victim of misunderstanding.

Therefore this parampara system, evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. "The Blessed Lord said that ‘I said to Vivasvan. Vivasvan said to Iksvaku. Iksvaku said to Manu. Manu said to his son.' " In this way, rajarsi. Rajarsi. Formerly the kings were taken instructions, the head of the state, because they were responsible for the citizens' spiritual life, not only material prosperity but spiritual prosperity. That is the verdict of Vedic literature.

The father is responsible, the teacher is responsible, the husband is responsible for development of spiritual life of their dependent. Bhagavata says that "If you cannot develop the spiritual life of your dependent, then don't become a spiritual master, don't become a teacher, don't become a father, don't become a husband." These things are restricted. So it is very nice culture, this Vedic culture. Try to understand.

And Bhagavad-gita is the essence of such Vedic knowledge. And it is being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Krsna. Try to understand it as it is; then your life will be sublime. You will feel joyful always. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). Abhyasat: "By nature we are joyful." But what is that nature? That spiritual nature, not this material nature. Material... Manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]. If we remain in the material nature, then our whole struggle for existence will continue. It will never stop. But if you take to the spiritual nature, Brahman nature, brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54], you immediately become joyful. So everyone... (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969