"Who Can Understand Krsna?"

74/08/06 Vrndavana, Bhagavad-gita 4.14


Prabhupada: So in another place Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Karma, every living entity is bound up by the resultant action of his own karma, but Krsna is not like that.

The, in the English constitutional law it is said that "The King can no, king can do no wrong." King can order punishment for the criminal, but the king is never criminal. King cannot be punished. Your President Nixon is fighting on this point. Although people wants to impeach him, he's fighting on this point, that "I am not wrong." Actually, that much facilities must be given to the head executive. If he becomes under the laws, then his position is not exalted. The... That is the principle of accepting in the highest order of life.

So in the material condition, that is not applicable perfectly, but so far spiritual condition is concerned, God must be given full freedom. Otherwise there is no meaning of God. If God is also under the, under your laws... Sometimes: "Why God has done like this?" They inquire like that. This question sometimes put. "Why God has put us into this condition?" These are foolish questions. But the real conception of God is that He is free to do anything, whatever He likes. You cannot say, "Why God can... Will... God will do this, will do not that." No. That is not the conception of God.

So here Krsna says that na me karma-phale sprha. He is atmarama. Atmarama. Atmarama means He is fully satisfied in Himself. And He can create so many things. He is creator. So there is no question of desiring something. He can do anything, whatever He likes. But... That will be explained.

He sets example. Just like in the previous verse. We have already discussed.

catur-varnyam maya srstam
guna-karma-vibhagasah
tasya kartaram api mam
viddhy akartaram avyayam
[Bg. 4.13]

Although He has set up the principle of varnasrama-dharma, but He's not within the varnasrama-dharma. Just like Krsna takes the incarnation of becoming a pig, but that does not mean He is a pig. Ordinary conception of pig we have got. Or He takes the incarnation of a fish, but that does not mean He's ordinary fish.

So similarly, He comes here as a human being, as son of Nanda Maharaja, or husband of Rukmini, or son of Vasudeva, but actually, He is nobody's son. He is everybody's father. He is the origin. Nobody can be cause of His creation. This idea should be understood. And if anyone understands that Krsna, or God, is not under any rules and regulation and laws of this material world, then he understands Krsna perfectly.

Just like Krsna performed the rasa dance. At the midnight many young girls came by hearing His flute, and He danced with them. This is, from Vedic standard, it is not very moral. Because at dead of night, with others' wives or sisters or daughters, to dance... Krsna was young. That is not very good example from Vedic principles. But He did it. So, so... And that is the highest understanding of Krsna consciousness.

Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau muhuh. All the Gosvamis, even Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu... He was a sannyasi. He was very strict about woman. No woman could come near Caitanya Mahaprabhu. As a sannyasi. But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita: "There is no better method of worshiping Krsna than the method conceived by the gopis."

And the Gosvamis also... Srila Rupa Gosvami... Vande srila-rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. The Six Gosvamis, they gave up their material opulence. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat. They gave up their... They were ministers of the government, very exalted position. Their associates were most aristocratic persons. But he gave up everything. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim. Mandala-pati means leaders of the society, big, big men, zamindars or government officers. So he gave up, tucchavat, considering them most insignificant. Tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tucchavat bhutva dina-ganesakau karunaya. They have, gave up their opulent family. He was also belonging to the aristocratic family. He gave up. And became a mendicant, beggar, madhukari. They were asking one capati from one grhastha. They would not accept three or four or..., capatis at a place. Only half, one, like that. All in this way.

So so much in the renounced order of life. But they lived -- how? Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau muhuh. They were always thinking of the gopis' dealing with Krsna. So from this standpoint of view, the, the dealings of the gopis with Krsna, that is not these ordinary human dealings. That is all spiritual. Without understanding the spiritual platform of Krsna and the gopis... Nobody try to understand it. Then they will be misled. So... Therefore Krsna says. People may not be misled. Sometimes He's seen to be acting against the social laws. Therefore Krsna warns, na mam karmani limpanti: "These social, political or religious laws do not apply to Me." Na mam karmani limpanti.

This question was raised by Pariksit Maharaja when Sukadeva Gosvami described the rasa-lila. So that... "Krsna appeared on this material world, dharma-samsthapanarthaya, paritranaya sadhunam [Bg. 4.8], dharma-samsthapanarthaya. So why He violated these rules of dharma?" Violation because, according to Vedic civilization, nobody can mix with other's wife or other woman. Even in moral principle, as Canakya Pandita said, matrvat para-daresu. "All women should be treated just like mother." Not like the present society. Formerly, every woman should be addressed as "mother," Mataji. And now they have invented "Bahinji." No. Woman should be addressed as "mother." Matrvat para-daresu.

So this question was put forward by Pariksit Maharaja before Sukadeva Gosvami, "How Krsna danced with others' wives and sisters, like that?" This is against principle of dharma. So just to clear the position of Krsna... Krsna is personally said, personally saying also, and this is confirmed by Sukadeva Gosvami that tejiyasam na dosaya. Krsna cannot be polluted.

Because by chanting Krsna's name one becomes purified, how Krsna can be polluted? If, by chanting... Ceto-darpana-marjanam... param vijayate krsna, sri-krsna-sankirtanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And in another place, kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet. Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna, one becomes freed from all sinful activities. Kirtanad eva krsnasya. Especially. Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah. He becomes free from all contamination.

In material world we are simply becoming contaminated. Therefore karmani limpanti. In the... We are becoming entangled by the reaction of our karma. Karmana daiva-netrena jantur deha upapatti [SB 3.31.1]. By karma, the jantu, means living entity, is getting different types of body one after another, one after another. In this way he's wandering 8,400,000 forms of bodies. This is karma. Therefore to the living entities, as we are... We are bound up by the laws of karma. But Krsna is not like that. Na mam karmani limpanti.

This is to be understood. Unless we understand Krsna, that He is not bound up by the material laws, then we do not understand Krsna. And if anyone understands it perfectly, then what is the result? The result: iti mam yo 'bhijanati karmabhir na sa badhyate [Bg. 4.14]. If one understands clearly that Krsna is not under any material laws, then he also becomes not bound up by any material laws. Simply by knowing it. Karmani nirdahati ca bhakti-bhajam.

In the Brahma-sutra it is said... Brahma-samhita. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma... Indra, indra-gopa, and the King Indra, both are named as indra. Yas tu indra-gopam atha maha-indra sva-karma-phala-bhuk. Everyone is enjoying the resultant action of his karma. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhanurupa-phala-bhajanam atanoti [Bs. 5.54]. Everyone is enjoying or suffering the resultant action of his karma. Sva-karma-phala-bhuk. But karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam [Bs. 5.54]. But one who is in the devotional service, although he has to suffer the resultant action of his past karma, but that is reduced to the minimum. Karmani nirdahati. Or practically no.

For whom? Bhakti-bhajam, those who are devotees, who are devotees. So who can understand Krsna is not under the laws of any material nature? Only the bhaktas. Bhaktas can understand. Who can understand Krsna? Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Only the bhaktas can understand Him. Therefore Bhagavad-gita was spoken to Arjuna, bhakto 'si, "You are My devotee." So Krsna, Krsna's name, Krsna's form, Krsna's attributes, Krsna's pastimes, they can be understood by the bhaktas only, not the nondevotees. Nondevotees cannot understand that na mam karmani..., this process, that Krsna is not bound up by any material laws.

The example is given by Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit: tejiyasam na dosaya. Tejiyasam. Just like the sun. The sun is evaporating the urine from the street. But that does not mean sun is infected. Although sun is evaporating the urine, the stool, or any contaminated place... Rather, he is, sun is sterilizing that process. This is practical. If sunshine is anywhere, even the most contaminated place, the sun does not become contaminated, but the place becomes purified. Is it not a fact?

Similarly, Krsna... Krsna was very beautiful. So gopis became attracted with Krsna. As it is natural, a young boy is attracted with young woman or young girl is attracted... That is natural. Yuvatinam yatha yunah.(?) It is natural. So the gopis, they were attracted by Krsna's beauty. And therefore they went to Krsna. But the result was that the gopis became purified; Krsna remained uncontaminated. This is understanding of Krsna. Some way or other, if one reaches Krsna, he becomes... Kamat krodhad bhayat. Either by lusty desire or by anger or bhayat... Just like Kamsa. Kamsa was always thinking of Krsna, that "Krsna is coming. So how shall I kill Him? How shall I kill Him?" Bhayat, out of fear. So he also got salvation. Krsna killed him. He got salvation. So gopis approached Krsna out of lusty desire, but they became purified. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. So even one approaches Krsna with impurity, he becomes purified. Now, Krsna does not become impure. Don't think like that. Therefore Krsna said,

ksipram bhavati dharmatma
sasvac-chantim nigacchati
kaunteya pratijanihi
na me bhaktah pranasyati
[Bg. 9.31]

So somehow or other, approach Krsna. Then your life is perfect. Krsna does not become imperfect. Krsna is always... In the Isopanisad: apapa-viddham. Description of God is there. Apapa-viddham. That Krsna, or the Lord, is never contaminated by any so-called... For Him, there is nothing sinful. This is understanding of Krsna. Na mam karmani limpanti. Why He should be? Therefore, if anyone understands, studies Krsna perfectly, about His activities, about His birth, about His name, about His form, anything... He has got everything like us. He has got His form. He has got His activities. He has got His attributes. Everything is there. But they're all transcendental.

Therefore His name is sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. His vigraha is sac-cid-ananda. His vigraha is not like us. The Mayavadis, they mistake. Therefore they imitate Krsna. The rascal Mayavadis, they imitate Krsna. "I am Krsna. I can play flute like Him. I become Krsna, by playing flute." This is all rascaldom. Krsna's vigraha is different. You cannot imitate Krsna. Even you imitate, that does not mean you become Krsna. This is rascaldom. Krsna is not... Na mam karmani limpanti. Therefore Krsna says, this, janma karma me divyam. That is all transcendental. Krsna's body... Just like sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Krsna's body is eternal. My body is not eternal. So how can I imitate Krsna? Krsna's body is eternal, sat. Krsna's body is full of knowledge. And I am full of ignorance, my body. I do not know. If there is some disease in the finger. But...

Just like the other day. There was some trouble. Now automatically, the skin is being purified. So I do not know how it is being done. Therefore full of ignorance.

But Krsna is not like that. Sat cit. Cit means knowledge. He knows everything. Not only Himself. He knows everything. Vedaham samatitani. Krsna says, "I know everything." In the Bhagavatam it is said, janmady asya anvayad itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah [SB 1.1.1]. Krsna knows everything. But I do not know. I do not know how many hairs are here. And still I am claiming I am Krsna.

So do not compare Krsna with any human body. That is great offense. To think of Krsna as, ordinary human being and as equal, or a human being is Krsna, these are, two things are offensive. Aparadha. Mayavadi haya krsne aparadhi. That is the statement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Mayavadi, those who think that "Krsna is like us," Mayavadis, they are aparadhi, they are offender to Krsna. They are punishable. They are punishable, offender. Therefore we should rightly understand Krsna.

His activities we should not imitate. Krsna's activities are worshipable. We cannot imitate Krsna's activities. Janma karma me... His activities are transcendental. You cannot... How you can imitate? Can you imitate to lift a mountain as Krsna did? You can imitate falsely Krsna's rasa-lila. That is very easy. But can you imitate Krsna to lift up the mountain? Then how you are Krsna, equal with Krsna? This is all rascaldom. Krsna is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], and you have got this rotten material body. Therefore cannot be compared with Krsna. This rotten material body is subjected to the material laws. But Krsna is not under the material laws. That is real understanding of Krsna. Janma...

And if you really understand... That is stated here. Iti mam yo 'bhijanati. In this way, if one understands Krsna, karmabhir na sa badhyate, he does not become entangled with the karma. In another place it is also confirmed: janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. If one understands Krsna's activities, Krsna's birth and Krsna's form, Krsna's attributes, if one can understand tattvatah, in truth, not by mental speculation. In truth, as it is, then what happens? Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. He does not get any more material body after leaving this body.

So try to understand Krsna on this principle, as Krsna says. Don't imagine, don't speculate. Then your life will be perfect.
Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! [break]

Jagadisa: ...Srimad-Bhagavatam there is one sloka which describes that Maharaja Yudhisthira and his younger brothers all attained the spiritual world in the self-same body. Does this mean that they had their spiritual bodies while they were on the earth?

Prabhupada: Yes, that is possible. They went to heaven, heavenly planet? No? No, where? Where it is?

Jagadisa: Bhagavatam, they are, you described that they were going to the Krsnaloka planet.

Prabhupada: Hm. So that's all right. But not this body. With their spiritual body. Yes.

Brahmananda: In your lecture you quoted Canakya Pandita that a man must see every woman other than his own wife as mother. How should a woman see other men?

Prabhupada: As son. (laughter)

Brahmananda: That was my idea.

Prabhupada: Yes. If I see woman as mother, she must see me as son. That's all. That is the system. The brahmacari, the sannyasi go to beg alms from door to door. "Mother, give me some bhiksa, alms." And it is the duty of the grhastha to treat brahmacari and sannyasi as their son. As they maintain their children with food, shelter, cloth, similarly the brahmacaris and sannyasis, they are dependent on the society. They should be treated as the sons of the society. And they must supply their necessities, bare necessities. A sannyasi, brahmacari, does not want more than what they need. They should not collect more than what they need. Bhiksa nirvahana. Not collect more and enjoy at others' cost. No. That is not the business of sannyasi. They can collect so much as they need. That's all.

Devotee: When you address a woman, do you...

Prabhupada: Hm?

Devotee: When you address a woman do you use the word "Mataji"? Is that the right, proper word for her?

Prabhupada: Mataji. Yes, very good. "Mother." All right. Chant. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.14 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974