"Seeing Krishna Within the Heart"

74/04/28 Hyderabad, Bhagavad-gita 7.2



Devotee: Translation. "I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to be known."

Prabhupada: Hmm.

jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam
idam vaksyamy asesatah
yaj jnatva na iha bhuyah anyat
jnatavyam avasisyate
[Bg. 7.2]

Yesterday I was speaking in that meeting... What is school?

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: So, I began from the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, how to develop Krsna consciousness. This Krsna consciousness movement can be introduced to every living entity. There is a verse in Caitanya-caritamrta, it is said there, nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. Nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means, just like we eat. All living entities, they eat. There is no, nothing new introduction when we eat or sleep or have sex life, or when there is danger we will defend. These are nitya-siddha, natural. Wherever there is a living entity, these four things are there. It doesn't matter whether he is human being or a small microbe. These things are there. Nitya-siddha. Similarly, krsna-bhakti, love of Krsna, that is also natural. It is not artificial. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. But somehow or other, by our association with this material nature, we have forgotten. We are not material nature. That is the first education of Krsna consciousness or spiritual knowledge. We are spiritual, and Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godead, He is also complete spirit. He is not material. Even the impersonalist, Sankaracarya, he has described about Narayana in his commentary on Bhagavad-gita, narayanah parah avyaktat. Narayana, the Personality of Godhead, is not anything of this material world. Parah avyaktat, avyaktat andha sambhavah. But from the avyaktat, this material world, or the universe, is created. Therefore Narayana or Krsna... Krsna is the original Narayana. That is a big definition or understanding from the Vedic knowledge, that Krsna, from Krsna first expansion is Baladeva, from Baladeva there is Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. In this way, expansion takes place. And from Sankarsana also Narayana, Vaikuntha Narayana. And from Narayana the Purusa Avatara, Visnu. In this way there is expansion. Ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan. So, the Narayana or expansion of Narayana, Krsna or expansion of Krsna, they are not of this material world. Narayanah avyaktat. Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah. There is another, spiritual, world. Vyako 'vyaktat sanatanah. Avyaktat is material, and above this avyaktat, there is a sanatanah, eternal abode.

So, this Krsna consciousness movement, it is nothing of this material world. This Hare Krsna mantra, it is also not any vibration of this material world. There is a verse by Narottama dasa Thakura, golokera prema-dhana hari-nama-sankirtana. This hari-nama-sankirtana is vibration from the spiritual world. Just like you receive some message, vibration of the material world, from Europe, from America. So that is not Indian vibration but American vibration or European vibration. Similarly, there is vibration in the spiritual world. Simply one has to catch. You must have that machine. So, that machine is there within you. The heart is the machine where you can receive the spiritual message, because within the heart there is Narayana. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese. Particularly it is mentioned, hrd-dese. So because Narayana, or isvara, is situated within the heart of everyone, there is no necessity of researching where is Narayana. The sastra says it is within your heart. Therefore the yogis, they practice yogic rocess how to see Narayana within the heart. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa yam pasyanti yogino. The yogic process is to see Narayana within the heart. Similarly, you can hear also Narayana by this transcendental vibration. He can be perceived, because we have got senses, different senses. We can see, and we can hear also. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Absolute Truth, by any of your senses, either by seeing or by hearing, it is the same thing. Nama cintamanih krsnas caitanya-rasa-vigrahah. Rasa-vigrahah. Nama, this name, holy name of Krsna or holy name of Rama, they are rasa-vigrahah, transcendental blissful form. That is also... Vigraha means form. That form is understood through the ear, and it goes to the heart. In this way we can perceive Narayana by chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra. It requires little practice, as they are enunciated in the sastras and directed by the spiritual master. Then one can understand, or one can see. Just like, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiv hrdayesu viloka, the same thing hrdayesu. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati. Similarly, the same thing is stated there in the Vedic literature. Bhagavad-gita is also Vedic literature, Brahma-samhita. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. Same, the same thing hrda.

So, anyone can see God within his heart, if he adopts the process, bona fide process. Narayana is within you. Therefore, great, great saintly persons, they are sitting in a lowly place, alone. But he is not alone. He is with Narayana, Krsna. He is seeing always there. So he is not alone. We are always accompanied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead as paramatma, antaryami, within the heart. That is the Vedic statement, that there are two birds sitting on the same tree. One bird is enjoying the fruit of the tree, and the other bird is simply witnessing. So the two birds, jivatma and paramatma, are always associated. He is so kind, He is just looking forward, "When this jivatma, who is illusioned, bewildered, captivated by this material world, material enjoyment, when he will come back again to Me?" Just like father and the son, the son who has gone out of home. The father is always looking forward when the son would come back at home and enjoy. Similarly, Krsna, the supreme father, He is always looking forwad when we shall go back to Him. Therefore, He comes personally, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham. The general opportunity for human being is to understand God, or Krsna, and go back to Him again. We have come from Him, but we are attracted by this material enjoyment, which is not very pleasurable. It is suffering. Just like here, without this fan, it was uncomfortable, excessive heat. So, excessive heat, excessive cold, so many things, adhibautic, adhyatmic, adhidaivic. We are actually suffering always. This is the nature of this material world. Stringent laws of the material world. And still we are trying to become happy by some adjustment. This is called struggle for existence. In this way we cannot be happy.

Real happiness is there, yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah man-maya mad ar..., mam upasritah bahavo jnana-tapasa puta mad-bhavam agatah. These are the descriptions in the Bhagavad-gita. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah. Vita-raga. Raga means attachment. So we are now attached to this material world. So, by practice one becomes vita-raga, no more attachment for the material world. That is possible. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra ca. If you develop your normal bhakti, or devotional life, that krsna-bhakti nitya-siddha sadhya kabhu naya. It has to be awakened. Then you will become vita-raga. Bhaya-krodha, and this material world is always fearful. Every living entity is fearful what will happen next. There are, just like at the present moment, everywhere, every time, every, always we are fearful. Bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad. As soon as we forget our constitutional position and Krsna, then an artificial way of fearfulness is created. So vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah man-maya ma upasritah. But this bhaya can be overcome, and this attachment can be overcome when we become Krsna conscious. Man-maya mam upasritah bahavo jnana-tapasa puta mad-bhavam agatah. Mad-bhavam, My nature. The spiritual nature of the spiritual world, that came. How? This is the process, vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah man-maya mam upasritah. Bahavo. Not only one, two, but bahavo, many. Bahavah jnana-tapasa puta. By..., one has to be purified. That is called putah. Without being purified you cannot enter into the spiritual world. Vita-raga-bhaya, jnana-tapasa puta, mad-bhavam agatah. So these are the statements of the Bhagavad-gita and there are many others, statements. So this Krsna consciousness movement is meant for taking back all the suffering humanity, all living entities, back to home, back to Godhead. This is the sum and substance of Krsna consciousness movement.

So, here Krsna says that, "I am explaining to you how that knowledge of going back to home, back to Godhead can be attained." Therefore He is saying here, jnanam te aham sa-vijnanam. Jnanam means theoretical knowledge. That is called jnanam. And sa-vijnanam means practical knowledge. Just like in the scientific department of colleges, there are, for understanding anything scientifically there are two divisions: practical and theoretical. So jnanam is theoretical, and vijnanam means practical. Simply to know there is God, this is theoretical knowledge. But when actually you become connected with God, you practice the activ..., godly activities, that is called vijnanam. So, Krsna will explain in this chapter the knowledge of God, both theoretically and practically. Jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam vaksyami, "I shall speak to you," asesatah. Asesatah means vividly. Asesatah. "And briefly," samanvitah. And when it is said asesatah, that means elaborate. But yaj jnatva, "if somehow or other you understand this knowledge" yaj jnatva, na iha, "in this material world," iha, iha means this material world; bhuyah, "again"; anyat, "anything more"; jnatavyam avasisyate, "no more," "you require no more further knowledge to understand." That is the statement in the Vedas, yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati (Mundaka Upanisad 1.3). If you simply understand Krsna, because Krsna is everything, so if you understand Krsna, automatically you understand what is this world, what is this earth, what is this water, what is this fire. This is material things. What is this air, what is this sky, what is this mind, what is this intelligence, what is this ego, and what is the soul. In this way you understand everything, because these material elements -- earth, water, fire, air, sky -- that will be explained in the next verse, it is the expansion of Krsna's energy. As there are energies and the energetic, just like the fire. The fire has got two energies. One energy is the heat, and one energy is light. Just like in the morning, as soon as you see the light from you window, you can understand that there is sunrise. By the energy, light of the sun, you can understand there is now the sun on the sky. Heat also. When you are too much heated, even within the room, even if you do not see the sun, you can understand that this heat is due to the sun. Similarly, we have to understand the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by perceiving the different energies. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate. At the present moment we are trying to understand the energy of Krsna. We cannot see directly Krsna. But as soon as you see the energy or you perceive the energy, you can understand there is Krsna, there is God. That is called intelligence. This is called jnanam. And when you are directly in connection with Krsna, or directly in the service, that is called vijnanam.

jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam
idam vaksyamy asesatah
yaj jnatva na iha bhuyah anyat
jnatavyam avasisyate
[Bg. 7.2]

Now, why this jnanam required? Because our mission of life is to... You can not understand with your foolish brain what is God. That is not possible. They are trying to understand God by the limited senses. How you can understand? We are defective in so many ways. First of all we commit mistakes, and we are illusioned, we try to cheat others, and our senses are imperfect. So, how you can understand with your limited senses, with so many defects? That is not possible. Therefore you have to understand God from God Himself, or from His representative. Therefore Krsna said that, mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. Mad-asrayah: "directly under My direction, or under the direction of My representative." You cannot understand Krsna if you remain under your personal intelligence. Everyone says that "I shall understand this by my own dint of knowledge, by speculation." That is not possible. Krsna says that you have to understand. Here also it is the same thing said, jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam vaksyamy aham, "I shall speak to you." So this is the secret of success, if you want to understand God, what is God. Everyone, there are many philosophers, scientists, they are trying to understand God by research, but that research will not help you. You have to understand directly from God, or from God's representative. That is the way.

So, in the Vedic literature it is said,

athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-
prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi
janati tattvam...
Janati tattvam, te deva.

"My Lord, one who has received, one who is able to receive a little favor from You, he can understand Your tattva."

athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya-
prasada-lesanugrhita eva hi
janati tattvam (bhagavan-mahimno)
na canya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan
[SB 10.14.29]

Others, who are simply speculating, they cannot understand You. Therefore, people are bewildered how God is person. But they cannot understand, because they have not taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, or His representative. It is impossible for him. Naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-sama... [Bg. 7.25]. Krsna cannot be exposed to the nondevotees. Naham prakasah sarvasya. Not anyone, ordinary common man, can understand. Therefore, we have to understand Krsna, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, from Krsna, not from anyone who is simply speculating or wrongly interpreting Bhagavad-gita. They cannot understand. That is the way.

jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam
idam vaksyamy asesatah
yaj jnatva na iha bhuyah anyat
jnatavyam avasisyate
[Bg. 7.2]

Therefore our Krsna consciousness movement is just to try to understand what is Krsna. That's all. What is Krsna. Because if you perfectly understand Krsna, then immediately you become liberated, and you become eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. That is stated, divyam. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. If one can understand Krsna, why He appears, why He disappears, and... And these are, they are all transcendental; they are not ordinary. Because we understand Krsna as a historical person, a person like me, maybe a very great personality with more power than me. Yes, that He is, but you do not know how much powerful He is. Because He is God, He is powerful in full. There is no deficiency in His power. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah. He is powerful in complete, purnam, purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate [Iso Invocation]. Even though Krsna, from Krsna all His power is taken away, still He is purnam, He is still all-powerful. So, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. So we haveto understand Krsna in truth, not superficially. In scientifically, vijnanam, jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam. Not foolishly, that "I can interpret Krsna." Some rascal says that Krsna means black. Some rascal says Krsna means this, Krsna means a debauch, as according to one's character and angle of vision. But real meaning of Krsna is param brahma. Krsi go va... Krsi bhu-vacaka-sabda nasta nirvrtti-vacaka (?) iti krsna param brahma iti abhidhiyate. Krsna means param brahma. Krsna means all-attractive. So we have to take the understanding of great personality. Rama. Rama. Rama means param brahma.

ramante yogino 'nante
satyananda-cid-atmani
iti rama-padenasau
param brahma iti abhidhiyate

So this Hare Krsna Hare Rama means direct connection with the param brahma.

nama cintamanih krsnas
caitanya-rasa-vigrahah
purnah suddho nitya-mukto
'bhinnatvan nama-naminoh

These things have to be understood, that nama-naminah abhinnatvan, identical. So when we chant "Krsna," "Hare," "Rama," they are directly connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even though we do not know how to chant, there are, according to sastric, I mean to say, injunctions, there are ten kinds of offenses. When we avoid that offenses, then it is pure chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra. So even if we chant with offenses in the beginning -- it cannot be free of offenses -- still it will act. Just like you come near the fire, you can feel the warmth, and with direct touch it becomes red hot. So, we have to be in touch with the fire, then gradually we become warmer, warmer, warmer, warmer and red hot, red hot. Just like another example, just like you take a lead, iron rod, and keep in touch with the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, warmest, then gradually the iron rod becomes red hot. When it is red hot, then it is fire. You touch that iron rod anywhere, it will burn. The quality of fire is already acquired. Similarly, if you keep always in touch with Krsna,

smartavyah satatam visnur
vismartavyo na jatucit
sarve vidhi-nisedhah syur
etayor eva kinkarah

The, to become advanced in Krsna consciousness, the first principle is smartavyah satatam visnur, "Always remember Visnu, or Krsna." That is the beginning, to touch. Vismartavyo na jatucit, never forget. So this Hare Krsna maha-mantra, if you chant, there is no expenditure, but the profit is very, very great, because you are touched in Krsna, and Krsna and Krsna's name nondifferent, identical. Nama cintamanih krsnas caitanya-rasa-vigrahah, purnah. It is not that partial, purnah, because the name is of the purnah. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate [Iso Invocation]. This is the Vedic version.

So it is not very difficult. Simply try to be in touch with the vibration. Where is the wrong there? What is the loss there? If you chant, just like these boys, they, you have seen the picture, they have taken it seriously. They are working in the field: Hare Krsna. They are working in the factory, of incense factory: Hare Krsna. Where is the wrong there? Why India is not taking this? If you work in your factory, if you chant Hare Krsna, then what is the loss there? But you will remain always in touch with Krsna, smartavyah satatam visnur. This formula is (indistinct). We shall talk so many nonsense things, but you are not, (indistinct), desiring to chant Hare Krsna. This is our fault. Otherwise Krsna is so kind. Nama rupe krsna avatara. Krsna is now descended in His vibration form, Hare Krsna, this Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga, because we cannot do anything, therefore Krsna has become very easily available in the form of His holy name, Hare Krsna. Krsna is available. You can see Krsna, you can touch Krsna, you can tlk with Krsna. As you may advance in Krsna consciousness, that is possible. Then, gradually making progress means gradually you will be lover of Krsna. That is required. Mayy asakta, as soon as you become lover, you become attached. That is required. Now, at the present moment, we are attached to so many things, because we have forgotten Krsna. Now gradually, if you increase your attachment for Krsna, then you will forget all these material. That is liberation. That is liberation. Bondage means we are becoming more and more attracted with this material world, and on account of this attraction, we have to accept another body, material body. And as soon as you accept a material body, you become under the control of this material nature. Liberation means to be freed from the control of the material nature. It is a great science. Try to understand. Therefore it is said, jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam. It is not sentiment. It is not religious sentiment. It is a science. Krsna consciousness means to understand the sciece of Krsna. We are understanding so many subject matters scientifically, but we are neglecting one thing: how to understand Krsna scientifically. That science is described here, jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam. Jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam aham vaksyamy asesatah yaj jnatva [Bg. 7.2]. If you simply try to understand the science of Krsna, then all other sciences will be automatically understood. Just like if you understand what is one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, zero, then you understand the whole mathematical science, because the mathematics means that one, two, three, four, five, six, this way, that way, this way, that way. The only, the figures are all, the digits are the one, two, three, four. So therefore one has to learn one, two, three, four, up to nine, and zero. Similarly, if you understand Krsna, the, indirectly and directly, everything is Krsna. That is the highest scientific understanding of everything. That is a fact. Krsna is earth, Krsna is water, Krsna is air, Krsna is fire, Krsna is sky, rsna is mind, Krsna is intelligence, Krsna is ego, and Krsna is soul. So, this is required, jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam.

Then next verse Krsna says that,

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

The same thing, tattvatah, we have to understand. In the Fourth Chapter it is said that janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. That tattvatah, you can understand Krsna tattvatah. Then another place Krsna says, bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah. So our aim should be to understand Krsna tattvatah in truth, not superficially, not by foolish commentary. If we simply try to follow what Krsna has said, what is the difficulty? There is no difficulty, but foolishly we interpret in a different way, and maya takes away our knowledge, mayayapahrta-jnana. He is thinking that he is very learned scholar, but he is fool number..., rascal number one. Therefore Krsna says mayayapahrta-jnana. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah. Krsna is speaking so many ways about Himself. Without understanding Krsna in His own way, we are trying to understand Krsna in different way. Therefore Krsna says mayayapahrta-jnana, asuri bhavam. The atheistic class of men, they interpret in a different way, because theirknowledge has been taken by maya. And why it is so? Because they are sinful. duskrtinah, mudhah, naradhamah. These things are there. You will find in Bhagavad-gita. It is not our manufactured word. Therefore, our proposal is, try to understand Krsna. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is! Do not misinterpret, do not be misled by the misinterpreters. Then your life will be successful. You will understand what is Krsna, and you will become Krsna conscious. Then, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya.

So, the, in the Western world, they are taking more and more seriously about this Krsna consciousness movement. So our only request is that in India also, at least those who are sympathetic with this movement, kindly try to understand Krsna scientifically, and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 (New-2003)