"Process For Understanding God" 67/01/01 New York, Bhagavad-gita 10.2-3

Prabhupada:

na me viduh sura-ganah
prabhavam na maharsayah
aham adir hi devanam
maharsinam ca sarvasah
[Bg 10.2]

So Lord Krsna says that nobody knows Him. Aham adir hi devanam. If you... What to speak of the human society, even you take the demigods who are more intelligent and more advanced than the human society in other planets, they also do not know.
And maharsayah. Maharsayah means that seven great sages. Their planet is near the Pole Star. You have seen it that like asking questions, seven stars. So these stars are different planets for different great sages. They also do not know.

So na me viduh sura-ganah prabhavam na maharsayah aham adir hi devanam: [Bg 10.2] "I am the original... I am the source of all these maharsayah, all these demigods." He's the father of everyone. Maharsinam ca sarvasah: "I am not only the origin of these demigods, but I am also the origin of all these great sages." That means He is the origin of this universe. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is very nicely described how this universal form took place and how Brahma was created and from Brahma the rsis were created, how population increased generally. These descriptions are there. So actually He is the origin. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. As it is said in the Vedanta-sutra, everything is emanating from Him.

So He's also... According to this version, He's also origin of Paramatma, the Supersoul. And He is also the origin of nirvisesa or impersonal brahmajyoti. Because it is said, aham adir hi devanam maharsinam ca sarvasah. Sarvasah means, "Anything that you have any conception of, of all them, I am the supreme source."

Therefore, as it is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Absolute Truth is realized in three phases, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam [SB 1.2.11]. Advayam means nonduality, one. The one supreme truth, Absolute Truth, is realized in three phases, brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate: realization of the impersonal Brahman, or the glowing effulgence, just like sunshine, then the localized Supersoul, then Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

And there are many expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: Narayana, Adhoksaja... There are many innumerable planets in the spiritual world, and all of them are emanation from the Krsna planet. And the Krsna planet, the supreme deity is Krsna.

This description we have got in several Vedic literatures, Brahma-samhita and Vedanta-sutra, Bhagavata, in Puranas, in Upanisad. Everywhere these descriptions are there. Those who are scholarly student, they'll get information, and the whole thing is summarized in Bhagavad-gita. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is known also as Gitopanisad. At the end of every chapter you'll find these things are written, gitasu or upanisatsu. It is one of the Upanisads. You have read Upanisad. The Bhagavad-gita is also one of the Upanisads, and therefore Bhagavad-gita is known as Gitopanisad.

So if nobody knows the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then how He can be known? If He is not known to the demigods, if He is not known to the great sages, then how He can be known? Yes. He can be known. He can be known in this way. When the Supreme Lord comes before you and He reveals Himself before you, then you can know. You cannot know by your imperfect senses.

Our senses are imperfect. We have... Several times we have described in this meeting that our senses cannot realize the Supreme Truth. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. Our senses are so imperfect that simply by expanding the sense power artificially, speculating, we cannot realize. These are described in different way in different scriptures.

So He can be known how? That is also described -- sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah: when you become in a submissive attitude and you chant. Jihvadau. Jihvadau means the realization begins from the tongue. God realization begins from the tongue. Therefore the tongue's function is to eat and to vibrate sound. So these two processes, vibration of Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare and eating krsna-prasada... You cannot allow your tongue to taste anything and everything. If you can control your tongue for eating krsna-prasada and if you engage your tongue in vibrating the transcendental sound Hare Krsna, then sevonmukhe hi jihvadau.

By this submissive process that "I surrender my tongue to the Supreme Personality of Godhead," then by controlling the tongue, you controlling all other senses. You go to a straight line from the tongue to the down, all senses will be controlled. And if you cannot control your tongue, then you cannot control your senses.

So the first and foremost thing is that you control your tongue. Don't allow your tongue to taste everything and anything. Krsna has given us so many nice preparation. Day before yesterday we were present here. We had feasting. Everybody had tasted. So many nice things we have got. Krsna baro doyamoy, koribare jihwa jay, swa-prasad-anna dilo bhai. Our tongue is very fastidious. He wants to taste this, taste this, taste this. But Krsna is so kind that He gives us varieties of prasadam so you can taste them, you can satisfy your desire at the same time you become spiritually advanced. This is a nice process.

It is not that in this association you have to do this. You can learn this art, and you can have it in your home. You can also prepare such preparation, nice preparation, at your home, offer to Krsna. That is not very difficult. We every day prepare and offer to Krsna and chant the mantra,

namo brahmanya-devaya
go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-dhitaya krsnaya
govindaya namo namah

That's all. It is not very hard. Everyone can prepare the foodstuff and offer to Krsna and then take it, and then with family members or with friends you can sit down and chant before the picture of Krsna,

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

and live a pure life. Just see the result. If every home, every person, takes to this principle of understanding Krsna, it will become... The whole world will become Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha means where there is no anxiety. Vaikuntha. Vai means without, and kuntha means anxiety. This world is full of anxiety. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat. Because we have accepted this temporary existence of material life, therefore we are always encumbered with anxiety. Just the opposite thing is there in the spiritual world where the planets are called Vaikuntha. Vaikuntha means without anxiety.

We want to be free from anxieties. Everyone is trying to get himself free from anxieties, but he does not know how to get out of this anxiety. This taking shelter of intoxication is no use to get oneself free from anxieties. It is a drug. It is oblivion. Sometimes, for some times we forget everything, but again when you come to your consciousness the same anxieties and same thing are there. So this will not help you.

If you want to be free from anxieties and if you want actually life eternal with bliss and knowledge, then this is the process. This is the process. You have to understand Krsna. Here it is clearly stated that na me viduh sura-ganah [Bg 10.2]. Nobody can understand. But there is way. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. This is a process. There are several places in Srimad-Bhagavatam this process is described in a different way. Just like in one place it is stated that

jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
ye prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyam

It is very nice verse. It is said that ajita, nobody can know. God's another name is Ajita. Ajita means nobody can conquer Him. Nobody can approach Him. Therefore His name is Ajita. So Ajita becomes conquered. Ajita jito 'py asi. Although the Lord is unknowable, the Lord is unconquerable, still, He is conquered. How? Sthane sthitah.

Persons... Let them remain in their own position but adopt this principle. What is that? The principle is that jnane prayasam udapasya. Give up this nonsense speculation, volumes of books. The world is producing every year volumes of books, and they're useless. After six months that is useless, thrown. So don't take to that speculative process, this way and that way, this way and that way, because our senses are limited. How you can have the Supreme Truth known by these imperfect blunt senses?

So my senses, my speculative power may be greater than you, and another person's speculative power may be greater than me, but nobody can... Here it is clearly stated, na me sura-ganah viduh. What you are? You are human being. Even the sura-ganah and the great sages, they cannot. Therefore the Brahma says that jnane prayasam udapasya. Give up this process of so-called knowledge, researching, speculation. Give up this. Udapasya, udapasya means throw it away. Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva. Namanta means just become submissive. Just acknowledge yourself that your senses are limited. You are subordinate even to the material nature and what to think of God? Everyone is subordinate to the control of the Supreme Lord. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Nobody can be equal or greater than God. Therefore your qualification should be: be submissive. Don't waste your time in speculating. Be submissive.

Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva and san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam. San-mukharitam means just try to hear about the glories of the Supreme Lord from the mouth of realized souls. Don't go to the unauthorized persons. Now, how you can know what is the difference between unauthorized and authorized? That you can know also. There is description. That, in Bhagavad-gita you'll see, who is authorized, who is not authorized. The Lord says, evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. This authority is handed over by disciplic succession.

So just like Krsna is handing over the authority to Arjuna. And Arjuna says param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. So here, if we follow the Arjuna's process and if we try to understand as Arjuna understood, then the authority is there. It is not very, very difficult to understand who is authority. So sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva san-mukharitam. You have to find out that authority. That's all. That authority you have to find out and remain in your place and try to hear submissively everything, svayam eva sphuraty adah. As soon as you become submissive and hear from authorities, then the whole thing will reveal within yourself. God is the always ready to be revealed to you. But how does He reveal? He reveals as soon as you become submissive, you become devotee, you become Krsna conscious, you just follow the path traversed by the great mahajanas, great acaryas. Then it is... Everything is known.

Although He's not known even to the demigods, even to the great sages, he can be known to you at your home, ajita jito 'py asi, although He is unconquerable, if you adopt this process. So you have to adopt the process only. Otherwise, if you don't adopt the process, there is no alternative. You cannot know. Because greater personalities than us in the human society, the devas, the sura-ganah... Sura-ganah means the demigods. They cannot know.

And if you follow this principle, to understand the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead, then what will be the result? It is stated here,

yo mam ajam anadim ca
vetti loka-mahesvaram
asammudhah sa martyesu
sarva-papaih pramucyate

Sarva-papaih pramucyate. As soon as you understand thoroughly... You can understand thoroughly. This is the process. And how you understand? The standard of understanding? The standard of understanding is that the Supreme Lord is anadi. He is the cause of all causes, but He is not caused by any other cause. He has no other cause. Just like Krsna is stated,

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

Karana means cause. He is the cause of all causes. To understand Krsna the Supreme Lord is to thoroughly be convinced that He is the cause of all causes. Yo mam anadim. Anadi means He has no other cause.

Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. And He is the proprietor. He is the master. He is the proprietor of all planets, either in this material world or in the spiritual world. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. Asammudhah. Not by... Not accepting blindly. Don't accept blindly. You have got... God has given you power of reasoning, power of arguments. But don't argue falsely.

The process is... That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. If you want to understand that transcendental science, then you have to follow this principle. What is that? Tad viddhi pranipatena. You have to surrender. The same thing: just like namanta eva. Unless you become submissive, you cannot be a surrendered soul.

And where? Pranipata. Where you will find a person that "He is... Here is a person where I can surrender"? Then that means we have to make a little test where to surrender. That much knowledge you must have. Don't surrender to any nonsense. You have to... And how that intelligent or nonsense can be found out? That is also mentioned in the sastra. That is mentioned in the Katha Upanisad. Tad viddhi pranipatena pari... [Bg. 4.34]. Katha Upanisad says that tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. This srotriyam means that one who is coming in disciplic succession. And what is the proof that he has come under the disciplic succession? Brahma-nistham. Brahma-nistham means he is fully convinced about the Supreme Absolute Truth. So there you have to surrender. Pranipata. Pranipata means prakrsta-rupena nipatam, no reservation.

If you find out such person, then surrender there. Pranipata. And try to serve him, try to please him, and question him. The whole thing will reveal. You have to find out such an authoritative person and surrender unto him. Surrendering unto him means surrendering unto God because he is God's representative. But you are allowed to make questions, not to waste time, but for understanding. That is called pariprasna. These are the process. So everything is there. We have simply to adopt it. But if we don't adopt the process and simply waste our time by intoxication and speculation and all nonsensical activities, oh, that is not possible ever. You'll never understand what is God. Because God is not understandable even by the demigods and by the great sages. What is our teeny efforts?

So these are the process. And if you follow, asammudhah, asammudhah, if you follow the principles and slow but sure, asammudhah, without any doubt, if you make... That is the... Pratyaksavagamam dharmyam. If you follow, you'll understand, yourself, "Yes. I am getting something." It is not that you are in blindness, you are blindly following. As you follow the principles, you'll understand.

Just like if you eat proper nourishing foodstuff, you'll feel yourself strength and your hunger satisfied. You haven't got to ask anybody. You'll feel yourself. Similarly, if you come to the proper path and if you follow the principle, you'll understand, "Yes, I am making progress." Pratyaksa... In the ninth chapter He has said pratyaksavagamam dharmyam susukham.

And it is very easy. And you can do in happy mood. And what is the process? We chant Hare Krsna and eat krsna-prasada and study Bhagavad-gita philosophy, hear nice musical sounds. Is it very difficult? Is it very difficult? Not at all. So by this process you'll be asammudhah. Nobody can cheat you. But if you want to be cheated there are so many cheaters. So don't make a cheater and cheated society. Just follow the parampara system as it is prescribed in the Vedic literature, as it is recommended by Krsna. Try to understand it from the authoritative source and try to apply it in your life.

Then asammudhah sa martyesu. Martyesu means... Martya means those who are eligible for dying. Who are? These conditioned souls, beginning from Brahma down to the insignificant ant, they are all martya. Martya means there is a time when they will die. So martyesu. Amongst the dying mortals he becomes the most intelligent. Asammudhah sa martyesu. Why? Sarva-papaih pramucyate. He is free from all kinds of reactions of sinful action.

In this world, in this material world, I mean to say, knowingly or unknowingly, we are all always committing sinful acts. So we have to get out of this reaction. And how to get out of it? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. If you do, act only for Krsna... Yajna means Visnu or Krsna. If you only act for Krsna, then you are freed from the reaction of anything. Subhasubha-phalaih. We do something auspicious or inauspicious. But those who are in Krsna consciousness and acting in that way, he has nothing to do with what is auspicious or inauspicious because he's in touch with the most auspicious, Krsna. So therefore sarva-papaih pramucyate. He becomes freed from all reactions of sinful activities.

This is the process. And if we adopt this process, so ultimately we can get in touch with Krsna and our life becomes successful. The process is very simple, and we can, everyone can adopt. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967