"Transcendental Nature Study" 74/08/15 Vrndavana, Bhagavad-gita 7.9

Pradyumna: "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."

Prabhupada: So Krsna is describing how He is spread everywhere, in details. In the beginning, before this verse, He has mentioned in so many ways. So we can see Krsna in every step and every moment. If we practice to see Krsna, it is not difficult. Whenever there is fragrance... Just like rose flower, beauty and fragrance, you can immediately remember Krsna, "Here is Krsna." Simply we have to practice it.

So as soon as you remember Krsna or you say or utter the word "Krsna," immediately Krsna contacts you. You are in contact with Krsna immediately. And if you remain constantly in contact with Krsna by studying all these details, then where is the lack of Krsna consciousness? And if you remain always in that way, Krsna conscious, then you are the topmost yogi. Yoginam api sarvesam [Bg. 6.47]. Very easy. It is not at all difficult. Simply you have to practice. As soon as there is nice fragrance, nice flower... In another place it is said that the nice flower, or any flower that is fructified, that is blooming, that is smiling, smiling of Krsna. So you can see Krsna smiling as soon as you see a flower.

So I do not know why they say, "Can you show me Krsna?" Krsna is showing Himself in so many ways. They will not take it. It is not at all difficult to see Krsna every moment, in every step, if we study what Krsna says: "I am," "This is." Punyo gandhah prthivyam ca. Everything is there. Now, within the earth, the every stock is there. The flavor of rose flower is there, and the flavor of some other flower is also there, but you cannot take out by your so-called scientific chemical process. You take some lump of earth and extract from it the flavor of rose. It is there. That is a fact. Because you sow the seed of a rose flower, it will exact the rose flavor from the earth. That's a fact. Who can deny it? Otherwise, wherefrom the flavor is coming? Krsna also, He, it is said, jivanam sarva-bhutesu. He's the life, seed. Bijo 'ham... Next, next verse He'll say, bijam mam sarva-bhutanam. Bija, the seed. The seed is so nicely made by Krsna's brain that as soon as you put on the seed within the earth and put some water, it will come out, fructify, and gradually grow and exact the flavor, the color, everything. This is a fact. No, everybody knows. Not only that, a small seed of banyan tree... Bijam mam sarva-bhutanam. There is also Krsna. Otherwise how this wonderful thing can happen? A small seed just like a mustard seed, and it... Not only one tree, but many millions of fruits, and in each fruit, many millions of trees. This is Krsna's brain. You cannot do that. The so-called manufacturers, they can manufacture one watch, very complicated, but not that from that watch many watches will come. No, that is not possible.

But Krsna is so powerful, omnipotent, that He has manufactured... Because He is there. Bijam mam sarva-bhutanam. Whenever He is there, He can play wonderful things. This is the study of Krsna consciousness. Where is the difficulty? Bija... Punyo gandhah prthivyam ca tejas ca, tejas casmi vibhavasau. Now, this electric lamp, it is brilliant or it has got some heat, temperature. Wherefrom it is coming? It is coming from Krsna. That's a fact. Cause of all causes.

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
[Bs. 5.1]

This is a fact. These are explained here. Everything, that is there. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1].

But we should not, like Mayavadi, we should not make mistake: because the electric bulb, or electric light, is being caused by Krsna, therefore the electric lamp is Krsna. No, not that. Krsna -- always separate from the electric light. The Mayavadi says that "Because Krsna is there in the electric lamp, or in the tree, or in the seed, or in the color, or in the flavor, therefore Krsna is finished. There is no more Krsna. Because Krsna has spread Himself in so many ways, therefore Krsna is finished." This is material consideration. Just like you take a piece of paper and make it small fragments and throw it, then the original paper is lost. This is material.

But Krsna is not like that. Krsna is a person, and from His energies so many varieties of productions are coming out. But still, He is existing. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasisyate. He's purna. Not that because so many things have been taken from Krsna, Krsna is finished. This is material life. They cannot conceive of the omnipotency. They accept God is omnipotent, but they cannot understand what is that omnipotency. The omnipotency is that so many things are being manifested by the Krsna's energies, but Krsna is not lost. Krsna is there. We haven't got to worship so many things, pantheism. No. That is not our... Pantheism, the same idea, that "Krsna, or the Absolute Truth, has become divided into so many ways; therefore everything combined together is the Absolute Truth," this is the theory of pantheism. But ours is Vedic proposition, that Krsna is the cause of everything. Varieties of material and spiritual things are there, but Krsna's identity is there in Vrndavana. Vrndavanam parityajya padam ekam na gacchati. Krsna is there. Akhilatma-bhutah. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. That is stated.

goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya
devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.43]

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]

So these features of Krsna, how He is simultaneously one and different, acintya-bhedabheda... Krsna is this electric lamp, and still, He's not the electric lamp. Krsna is this pillow, but He's not the pillow. If, when we say that Krsna is everything, therefore... Just like some big mission, they say, "Anything we accept as God, it is all right." No. We do not say like that. Neither Krsna says. When Krsna speaks of worshiping, He does not say that you worship the electric light or something else. Mam ekam, that is the instruction. Not that "Krsna has become everything; therefore everything has to be worshiped." No. This is wrong. This is acintya-bhedabheda. We have to take shelter of Krsna personally -- mam ekam saranam vraja -- not the varieties. You have to understand that varieties are dependent on Krsna, but not that "Because there are varieties, therefore Krsna is finished." No, that is not the philosophy. Jivanam sarva-bhutesu tapas casmi tapasvisu. Especially tapasvi...

Tapasvi means those who are seeking after eternal happiness. Karmis, yogis, there are many tapasvis. But real tapasvi... Tapo divyam. That is... Divyam means transcendental. Just perform tapasya for realizing Krsna. Tapo divyam. Otherwise, Hiranyakasipu, he also performed tapasya. What was that tapasya? He performed severe tapasya, so much so that the whole universe became perturbed and Brahmaji came to see, "What do you want?" "No, I am performing tapasya for becoming immortal. So if you make me immortal, it will be very kind of you." He said, "I am myself not immortal. How can I make you immortal? That is not possible." So the idea is he also performed tapasya, but that tapasya was for material gain. But that is not tapasya.

Tapasya means to undergo voluntarily some inconveniences of this body. Because we are accustomed to enjoy bodily senses, and tapasya means voluntarily to give up the idea of sense gratification. That is tapasya. Tapasya. Just like Ekadasi. Ekadasi, one day fasting, fortnight. That is also tapasya. Or fasting in some other auspicious day. That tapasya is good, even for health, and what to speak of advancing in Krsna consciousness. So we should accept this tapasya. The upavasa. There are many prescribed days for fasting. We should observe. And the preliminary tapasya, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no..., no meat-eating... There may be some inconvenience, those who were accustomed to this practice, but we'll have to accept. Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam. If we want to purify our existence... At the present moment our existence is not purified, impure. Therefore we are suffering. Just like when one's physiological condition becomes infected, he suffers from fever and other symptoms of disease, similarly, we are suffering in this material world on account of this material body. If we want really happiness, then we must accept tapasya. Tapasya is required. Without tapasya, if you think that very easily... Or "Without tapasya, I can get it simply by imagination," then you become sahajiya, to take things very easily. No. Tapasya.

Therefore Krsna says that tapas casmi tapasvisu. That acceptance of tapasya means that tapasya is itself Krsna. You associate with Krsna. When you voluntarily give up meat-eating or intoxication, this giving-up, this process, is Krsna. Krsna says, tapas casmi tapasvisu. This is tapasya. Tapasya means to accept voluntarily something as enjoined in the sastras. Sastra says... Krsna says. Whatever Krsna says, that is sastra. What is Veda? Veda means what Krsna says; that is Veda. There is no other Veda. Just like in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, tene brahma hrda. Brahma hrda. Brahma means Veda. Brahma, sabda-brahma. So Krsna tene, imparted, injected brahma, Vedic, Vedic sabda, sabda-brahma, Vedas, tene brahma hrda, through the heart. Krsna is situated in everyone's heart. So Brahma had no other spiritual master, but Krsna is there within the heart. Therefore Krsna's name is Caitya-guru. Buddhi-yogam dadami tam. The caitya-guru, the guru... Krsna is so kind. He is guru within, and when we are serious, He manifests Himself as a spiritual master. This is described in the Caitanya-caritamrta.

So guru is helping from inside and from outside. Antar-bahih. So Krsna is so kind. Therefore Krsna manifests Himself as spiritual master. Therefore Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says, saksad-dhari, saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih. Manifestation of empowered. One who is pure devotee, he's empowered by Krsna to act as spiritual master. Therefore spiritual master should be accepted: saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktah **. It is described there. Tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih. Those who are learned scholars, actual devotees, they accept. But that does not mean guru is Krsna. Kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. Now, that, if you accept, you... Accept means you honor spiritual master as good as Krsna, because he's representative. But not that Mayavada philosophy that guru and Krsna is the same. This is simultaneously one and different. Kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya. He is as good as Krsna because he is very, very dear to Krsna. Why dear? Because he's preaching on behalf of Krsna. What Krsna wants, he's doing that. Therefore he's very dear.

Krsna wants everyone, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. A guru's business is that. Guru does not mean that he takes the position of Krsna. He simply teaches people that "You accept Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You surrender unto Him. You always think of Him. You always offer your obeisances. You become a pure devotee of Krsna." This is guru's business. It is not very difficult. Anyone who is sincerely following Krsna's instruction and instructing others also to do that, that is acarya. Apani acari prabhu jivere sikhaya. This is acarya. You behave yourself exactly as it is stated in the sastra, as it is ordered by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as it is ordered by Krsna... Apani acari jivere sikhaya. And you teach all your disciples, who comes to you as your disciples, teach them. This is acarya.

So acarya, guru, representative, it is not difficult. Simply one has to become very, very sincere. One must undergo the simple tapasyas as prescribed in the sastras. Caitanya Maha... Yes. Haridasa Thakura. Apani acari prabhu jivere sikhaya. He was preaching also the glorification of chanting Hare Krsna by personal example; therefore he is accepted as guru. All the Vaisnavas, all the acaryas, Gosvamis, they acted accordingly and preached. Therefore they are acaryas. And Krsna says, acaryam mam vijaniyan nava-manyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27]. These are the instructions.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is there. It is very simple. There is no difficulty. We have to always... Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. Now, for us, those who are materially attached, we cannot think twenty-four hours of Krsna. It is very pleasing, but because we are materially attached, we cannot do that. Therefore Krsna is prescribing that "You see the varieties of this material world and try to remember Me." These are the varieties: punyo gandhah prthivyam ca tejas casmi vibhavasau. "You study, nature study." Just like we study nature study, similarly, "You study nature and see these important points. And there I am." It is very scientific. You study nature and pick up some point and Krsna says that "This is I am." Where is the difficulty? This is Krsna consciousness. You drink water -- you remember Krsna. You see the light -- remember Krsna. You see the flavor, aroma of very nice flower, punya gandhah -- immediately remember Krsna. Practice this. It is not difficult.

Actually, we have to think of Krsna... Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Always thinking of Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. Here is Krsna's form. Therefore we have to worship Deity. Constantly, if we worship, then Krsna's form is always impressed. I can see Krsna any, any time. If I close my eyes, I will see Krsna, how Krsna is nicely dressed. I see Krsna is very pleasingly eating what I have prepared with devotion, bhaktya. Real thing is bhaktya, not official. Not official. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. He does not accept anything even it is not offered with bhakti and by the bhakta. He does not accept. Why He shall accept? Is He hungry like me? No. He simply wants to see how you have learned to love Krsna, bhakti, how you are eager to serve Krsna. That is... Krsna wants to see. Otherwise He does not require your service. Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bs. 5.29]. He's always being served by hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune. They are so much afraid. They are goddess of... We are praying here goddess of fortune, "My mother, Goddess of Fortune, give me some fortune." They are... The goddess of fortune is afraid if Krsna may reject. Just like Rukmini. When Krsna was joking with her, she thought, "Maybe Krsna is going to leave me." Immediately fainted. Immediately fainted. That is the goddess of fortune.

So humbly, so fearfully, they are engaged in Krsna's service. What Krsna's service we can give? What we are? We are nothing. Insignificant. So why Krsna accepts our service? Why He comes in His arca-murti to accept our service? Just to induce you how to serve Him, bhakti. That is wanted. Therefore He says, "So you give Me even patram puspam phalam toyam. It doesn't matter. But give Me with bhakti." Yo me bhaktya prayacchati. This is real business. (?) If you have no bhakti, if you officially make, Krsna does not touch it. Krsna is not so poor. Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam govindam adi-purusam tam... [Bs. 5.29]. So whatever you do, you should always be humble: "Krsna, I am quite unfit. So whatever I could collect with my capacity, kindly accept." This is our only plea. Otherwise, don't be proud that "I am doing so much for Krsna. Krsna will be obliged to accept it." It is not like that. Trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna. This is wanted.

So it is very easy, very sublime, but we have to learn it. And learning is also not very difficult. Here is everything, varieties. You always think of Krsna, and Krsna will give you intelligence. Buddhi-yogam dadami tam. Tesam nityabhiyuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam. Tesam nityabhi... One who is always thinking of Krsna, "Here is Krsna, here is Krsna, here is Krsna, here..." Nitya abhiyukta. Tesam nityabhiyuktanam. Krsna... You cannot cheat Krsna. That is not possible. Krsna is within your heart. He is seeing everything, your intention, your purpose, your activities, everything. Upadrasta. In the Bhagavad-gita it is... Upadrasta-anumanta. He is witness. You cannot cheat Krsna. Be sincere, and try to serve Him. He'll accept your service. And He will give you intelligence. Your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 7.9 -- Vrndavana, August 15, 1974