Seeing the Real Person
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.17
Bombay, November 17, 1974
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Nitai: "At that time the soul can see
himself to be transcendental to the material existence and always
self-effulgent, never fragmented, although very minute in
size."
Prabhupada:
tada purusa atmanam
kevalam prakrteh param
nirantaram svayam-jyotir
animanam akhanditam
[SB 3.25.17]
This is self-realization. Self-realization means to see one's proper identity. At the present moment we are not finding out our proper identity. We are seeing to the body. I see you, your body, and you see me, my body. We have no vision of the real person, which is, who is occupying this body. This is the first lesson we get from Bhagavad-gita: dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Dehi... This body is called deha, and the owner of the body is called dehi. So
dehino 'smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptih...
[Bg. 2.13]
So when we can see that we are not this body, "I am not this body," that is beginning of self-realization. That is called brahma-bhuta [SB 4.30.20] stage. Aham brahmasmi: "I am not this material body." Aham brahmasmi. This is self-realization.
So what is the identification of the jiva, of the soul? Very minute. Animanam. Very, very minute, infinitesimal. God is infinite, and we are infinitesimal, very small particle. Just like sun. Sun is very big, but the sunshine, it is a combination of very minute, bright articles, atoms. Everyone knows. It is a combination of, I mean to say, dazzling, bright... Similarly, we are also a small, bright particle, the same quality. Svayam-jyoti. Just like God, or Brahman, is jyoti, we are also jyoti. But Brahman is all-pervading, infinite; we are animanam. So Mayavadi theory is that "At the present moment... I am the same." They, their theory is ghatakasa-potakasa. Just like a ghata, or in a pot, there is, within the pot there is sky, and outside the pot there is sky. So the separation is due to the wall of the pot. If the... When the wall is broken, then the inside sky and the outside sky become one. This is Mayavada theory.
Therefore here it is said, akhanditam. Akhanditam means not that the sky within the pot is fragmented from the whole sky. That cannot be. In the Bhagavad-gita also it is said, acchedyo 'yam. Acchedyah, it cannot be cut into pieces. Akhandita. That means it is minute perpetually, eternally. Mamaivamso jiva-bhuto jiva-loke sanatanah [Bg. 15.7]. Sanatanah means eternally we are small. Anu, animanam. And God, or Krsna, is Vibhu. "God is great" means He, nobody is equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. That is greatness. God is great. But we say, "God is great," but we do not know how great He is. He is so great that millions of universes are coming from the holes of His body.
yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya
jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah
visnur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viseso
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.48]
The millions of universes are coming from the breathing of Maha-Visnu. So that is a little idea of the greatness of God, Krsna. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,
athava bahunaitena
kim jnatena tavarjuna
vistabhyaham idam krtsnam
ekamsena sthito jagat
[Bg. 10.42]
"This great, this material world, is situated on the strength of one part of Me."
So this is self-realization. We must understand our position. In the Puranas also, our minute particle identification... What is that? One ten-thousandth part of the top of the hair. We cannot see even the top of the hair. That you divide, kesagra, kesa agra, the front portion of the hair. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. You divide into one hundred parts. Satadha kalpitasya ca. Again take one part and divide into hundreds parts. That is the dimension of the jiva. That small particle is there within the ant, the microbic germ, and he, that part is within the elephant. q. That is the dimension. So self-realization... Self-realization means one must know his identity. That identity, that small particle is there, within me, within you. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Dehi is within the idea. But because it is so small, with our material eyes it is not possible to see. There is no such instrument that you can find out. Therefore on account of our inability to find it out, we say, "It is nirakara," because we cannot calculate what is the akara, or what is the dimension. But the akara is there. The living entity has got full akara. If you have studied the small microbes... Sometimes I see at night when I work a small insect just like a full stop. It is walking. That means the whole physiological combination, anatomy, physiology, is there. But you cannot... You see just a like a full stop. So within that there is the soul. And within the elephant or big animal there is also the soul. The soul is there. Asmin dehe, dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. That is there.
So when we actually realize what we are, brahmanubhuti, then our life is successful. Now we are identifying with this body. So long we are identifying with this body, we are no better than the cats and dogs. Whatever knowledge you may have scientific knowledge, if you do not know yourself, then you are nothing but the animal. The animal does not know. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]. If somebody considers that "This body, I am self," identifies... "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brahmana," "I am ksatriya," "I am man," "I am woman," "I am elephant," and so on... So this kind of identification, yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke... Kunape means this is a bag made of kapha-pitta-vayu, tri-dhatu. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih [SB 10.84.13]. And thinking that, in bodily relationship, I am thinking, "He's my own man, or relative..." Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu. Kalatra means because we have intimate relation with woman and offspring, children born of her, so kalatradisu. And bhauma ijya-dhih. And the land as ijya. Ijya means worshipable. Nowadays it is very prominent. I heard that for land there was a fight in somewhere near. So that is going on, nation to nation, community to community. So bhauma ijya-dhih. They are thinking, "This land is mine. The land of my birth is mine." We have seen. There was fight between Hindu and Muslim during partition days: "This is my Pakistan," "This is my Hindustan." So bhauma ijya-dhih.
Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih [SB 10.84.13], yat-tirtha-buddhih salile... Now, we go to tirtha-sthana, we go to Hardwar and Vrndavana and other nice holy places... And the Christians go to Jordan. So... Jerusalem. They take birth in the Jordan. So yat-tirtha-buddhih salile. Salile means water. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij janesv abhijnesu. But have no interest to understand his identification, spiritual identification, from the acarya. Janesv abhijnesu. Abhijna means one who knows, acarya. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. This is the Vedic instruction. To understand your spiritual identity, you must find out a proper guru. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet. So he has no such knowledge. Acaryavan puruso veda. So he has no knowledge. The superficial. So sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13], such person is no better than the cows and the asses -- means animal.
So this is self-realization, when one understands that "I am not this body. I am minute particle of the Supreme." Krsna says... Everything is said there. We have to realize it. Krsna says, mamaivamsa. Although amsa... Amsa and amsi, the whole and the part. Part is never equal to the whole -- that is axiomatic truth -- but it is equal in quality. Just like little particle of gold is also gold. It is nothing but else. Similarly, although we are part and parcel of Krsna, very minute, infinitesimal, animanam, perpetually, eternally, still, we are not as big as Krsna. Just like small particle of this sea water. The chemically composition is the same; you'll find the same taste. And if you analyze, you'll find all the same ingredients, chemicals, within the small particle. But the small particle is never equal to the sea, small particle of the water. This is said... If I think, "Because I am qualitatively one with God, therefore I have become God," that is mistake. That is avisuddha-buddhayah [SB 10.2.32]. They have been described in the sastras as avisuddha, unclean intelligence. Unclean intelligence. Ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninah. The, some Mayavadi philosophers, they think that "I am the same, so 'ham." So 'ham does not mean that I am equal to God. Nobody can be equal to God or greater than God. That is not God. Krsna says in the Bhagavad..., mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7].
So nobody can be greater than God or equal to God. That is... That means greatness of God. Asamordhva. Asama. Asama means nobody is equal to Him. And nobody is greater than Him. That is God. If somebody claims to be God, then he has to prove that nobody is equal to him and nobody is greater than him. Then he's God. This is the simple definition of God, that nobody equal to Him and nobody greater than Him. That is Krsna. Krsna says that mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "My dear Dhananjaya, Arjuna, there is no more superior authority than Me." And in the Brahma-samhita it is said, isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Isvara. Isvara means controller. So we small living entities, very minute, still, we are controller. We control. At least, we control our family members, my wife, my children. Or if I am bigger, I control my office, or I control my factory, I control the country, I become president. In this way, controller, controller, bigger controller, bigger controller, you go to the Brahma, the controller of the universe. But he is also not Supreme Controller. It is said, tene... Brahma is meditating. Although he is the greatest creature, living creature, within this universe, he's also meditating to learn controlling. Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye muhyanti yat surayah. He learned first of all how to control over the universe. Then he became Brahma. Of course, he was born Brahma, but still, he was to be educated. Just like we require to be educated. So Brahma was educated. So who educated him? Krsna. Aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. Krsna says. Aham adir hi devanam. Deva, the original deva, is Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara. So Visnu, Krsna is Visnu, but He is the instructor of Brahma and Siva also. This is the shastric conclusion. That is greatness. That is greatness.
So we should not falsely claim that "I am as great as the Supreme God." No. We should understand this, animanam. Svayam-jyo... Etad jyotih, I am as effulgent... Just like spark. Spark is jyoti, but not as brilliant, effulgent, as the original fire. The original fire -- phat! phat! -- there are some sparks. You have got experience. The spark is also jyoti. If a spark falls on your cloth, it will immediately burn. The burning capacity is there. But it is not as good as the original fire. Svayam-jyotih. Here it is said, nirantaram. So nirantaram means there is, so far jyoti is concerned, there is no difference, but the small, very small. Animanam akhanditam. This is self-realization. Don't falsely claim that "Because I am qualitatively one with God, therefore I am God." No. You may be god. God means controller. But you are not the Supreme God. The Supreme God is Krsna. Isvarah paramah. Parama means Supreme. We are isvara, we may be isvara. I may be isvara for few persons, another may be for a big nation, another may be for the... You can go on increasing. But you cannot reach the, I mean to say, position of God. That is avisuddha-buddhayah.
Therefore sastra says, ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah [SB 10.2.32]. One who has advanced very much in spiritual knowledge, but he is thinking himself, "Now I have become liberated..." Sometimes they claim, "I have become Narayana." Therefore Mayavadis, they address one another, "Namo narayanaya." Everyone has become Narayana. So how everyone can become Narayana? So many Narayanas? No. Narayana is one. God is one, Narayana. Therefore sastra warns,
yas tu narayanam devam
brahma-rudradi-daivataih
samatvenaiva vikseta
sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam
[Cc. Madhya 18.116]
He's pasandi. If one compares Narayana with other demigods... Now, unfortunately, it has come to so downtrodden position, the intelligence, that they are talking of "daridra-narayana." What is this? This is farce. Narayana is the exalted Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even Sankaracarya, he says, narayanah parah avyaktat: "Narayana is beyond this universe." Parah avyaktat. Avyaktat anya-sambhavah. And the whole universe is product of this avyakta. So we should not compare Narayana with anyone else, what to speak of darid ra. That is a foolishness. Narayana is Laksmi-pati, the husband, the controller of the goddess of fortune, and how He can be daridra? This is misunderstanding. Therefore sastra warns,
yas tu narayanam devam
brahma-rudradi-daivataih
samatvenaiva vikseta
sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam
[Cc. Madhya 18.116]
If anyone thinks that Narayana is..., or other demigods are equal to Narayana, sa pasandi. He is pasandi, atheist.
So we should not think like that. You may think that you have become liberated, you have got the position of Narayana... That is all false thinking, avisuddha-buddhayah. They have been addressed as avisuddha, nonpurified, buddhayah, intelligence. Not intelligent. Ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas tvayy asta-bhavat [SB 10.2.32]. This is... Why these things happen, one compares Narayana with ordinary demigod or ordinary man? Because avisuddha-buddhayah, their intelligence is not purified. So aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah [SB 10.2.32]. Such persons, by severe austerities and penances, may elevate oneself to the position of Brahman. Still, aruhya krcchrena param... Param padam means brahma-pada. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32]. Again he falls down. Why? Anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah: "Because they neglected to worship Your lotus feet." So unless one becomes devotee, there is no secure position in the spiritual world. One may... Just like a very crude example. You may have very powerful sputnik. Just like these people are trying to go the moon with powerful... What is called, the machine?
Devotees: Rocket.
Prabhupada: Rocket, yes. But then, going with great force, but aruhya krcchrena... Similarly, one can rise up to the Brahman effulgence, but if there is no shelter. Just like these people are going, but they don't get any shelter. But they come down again. Similarly, one, by severe austerities and penances, may go up to the Brahmaloka, but he has no position. He has no position. Because in the Brahmaloka, or Vaikunthaloka, in the Paravyoma, the spiritual sky, there are spiritual planets. They are called Vaikunthaloka. Hundreds and millions there are. Very, very big, big planets than these material planets. So unless you get a shelter in one of the planets, then you again fall down.
So that is... Because we are after ananda, sac-cid-ananda... Simply to rise to the platform of Brahman, that is sat, partial realization of the Absolute Truth, sat. Then cit. Cit means knowledge. That is also partial. Ananda. Sac-cid-ananda. When there... Ananda you cannot get. Just like if you, simply in the sky you fly, you don't get ananda. Therefore you have come to down, come down again to the airplane, airport. Without that, there is no ananda. Similarly, simply rising up to the Brahman effulgence, there is no ananda. Ananda means you have to enter into the spiritual planet, where Narayana, Krsna, is there. Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. You have entered to that eternal planet. You must get some residence. The impersonalists, they do not get that. They remain... Just like you remain in the sky. You cannot be happy. You want some planet, but if you cannot get planet, then again you come back in this planet. So aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32]. Again in this material world. Therefore we have to take to Krsna consciousness. That is real self-realization. And what is that? Very simple thing. Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. If you simply try to understand what is Krsna, why does He come, what is His business, what is His form...
janma karma me divyam
yo janati tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti...
[Bg. 4.9]
Simple process. You try to understand Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness movement. We are simply teaching how to understand Krsna. And if anyone is fortunate to understand, then his life is successful. Janma karma me divyam yo jana...
So tada purusa atmanam kevalam prakrteh param. Prakrteh param. Now we are thinking, "I am the product of this material world. I am Indian." What I am Indian? Because my body is Indian, I am Indian? No. I am the spirit soul, hrdayananda. That is self-realization. The whole world is fighting: "I am Indian," "American," "I am Pakistani," "I am Hindustani," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brahmana." Dehatma-buddhih. So one has to realize that "I am not this body." Kevalam prakrteh param. "I am beyond this body, far, transcendental to this material world." How it is possible? Tada kama-lobhadayas ca ye. We have discussed this verse yesterday. Aham mamabhimana utthaih kama-lobhadi, kama-lobhadibhir malaih. So long we have got the desire, lusty desire and greediness, for enjoying this material world, then it is not possible. We have to free, we have to become free from these lusty desires.
So this is bhakti-yoga process. Bhakti-yoga. If we adopt the bhakti-yoga process, then you become free from the kama-lobha. Kama-loba means the influence of tamo-guna and rajo-guna. So as soon as we become free from... We have to become free from all the gunas. Because ceto gunaih, cetah khalv asya bandhaya. So to become free from the gunas, that is simply explained in the Bhagavad-gita. You engage yourself in devotional service; you become immediately fee from the influence of the gunas. Mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate [Bg. 14.26]. Anyone who is engaged in rendering service to the Lord, bhakti-yoga... Bhakti-yoga, according to the... Because we are not expert in approaching the Supreme Lord, therefore we have to follow the principles of bhakti-yoga as enunciated by the acaryas. Just like when a boy goes to the school, he has to follow the rules and regulations, but after some time, when he becomes accustomed, then he hasn't got to be taught. He learns automatically. He comes exactly in time to the school, he takes his seat, he studies nicely.
Therefore abhyasa-yoga-yuktena cetasa nanya-gamina [Bg. 8.8]. We have to practice abhyasa-yoga. You must chant sixteen rounds. That must be done. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama... You must rise early in the morning, perform mangala-aratrika. Sadhu-sastra. By the order of spiritual master, by the order of the sastras, you have to execute this function of bhakti-yoga, and as soon as you become attached to it, you become practiced to it, immediately you become self-realized.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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