What Supreme Actually Means

8 Sept 73 , Stokholm


Prabhupada:

...yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]

Sri bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan means the Supreme Being. That is also dictionary word. In the... I consulted the Oxford Dictionary, "God." God means "the Supreme Being." And the Supreme means... That is also stated in the dictionary, "The greatest authority." So God means the greatest authority, supreme, Supreme Being. We have got little idea of supreme. Suppose when you go to work in our office, the proprietor of the establishment or the managing director of the establishment, he's called the supreme. We have got experience of the Supreme Court. In India, we have got Supreme Court. If there is any judgment which is not accepted by the litigant, he can go to the Supreme Court. And in the judgment given in the Supreme is final. No more any appeal. That is final. Supreme means that, final.

So bhagavan uvaca. Bhagavan means the Supreme Being. We are all beings. We are also living entities. Similarly, Bhagavan, or God, He's also a living entity. As living entity, we are the same. But He's the supreme living entity. No more greater than Him. Here, we can distinguish. I am here. You may be greater than me. Another person may be greater than you. Another person may be greater than him. In this way, you go on searching, greater, greater, greater, greater, and when you come to a person, nobody is greater than him, that is God. Nowadays, it has become a fashions, so many gods. Especially, they come to your country, Western country. But God cannot be plural number. God is always singular number, one. If God is plural number, then that is not God. That plural-number God may be the living entities. We are living entities, and God is also living entity, but the supreme living entity. That is the difference. It is Vedic statement.

nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman
(Katha Upanisad 2.2.13)

Description of God. He's nitya. Nitya means eternal. And we living entities, we are also eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. We, at the present moment, in the material condition, we are changing body. That change of body is called death. Actually, the living entity within the body, he has no death. Na jayate na mriyate va kadacit. This description we have got in the Vedic literature. So God is also nitya, eternal. We are also eternal. God is also cognizant, and we are also cognizant. We have got knowledge, and God has got knowledge. The difference is that I have got knowledge limited within this limit of this body. I have no knowledge what is going on in your body; neither you know what is going on in my body. Therefore, we are individuals. But God is, although individual, He's spread everywhere. That is God.

Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. God is within this universe, within yourself, within myself, within the atom. Andantara-stha-paramanu... Paramanu means atom. He's within the atom also. But I, you, we are limited within this body. We are limited. I cannot say that I understand what is going in your body, pains and pleasure. That I cannot say. But I can understand pains and pleasure of my body. So the quality is the same. God has knowledge. You, you, me, we have got knowledge. But our knowledge is limited. God's knowledge is unlimited. But knowledge is there, cognizant. Therefore the Vedas says nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). He is the supreme eternal amongst all other eternals. He's the supreme cognizant amongst all other cognizants. This is the difference.

So Bhagavan means the supreme opulent. Bhaga means opulence. Just like riches, reputation, strength, beauty, knowledge, renunciation. These are called opulences. So every one of us has got little opulences. I have got also little money. You have got also little money. But I cannot claim, neither you can claim that you are the proprietor of all the riches of the world or the universe. That you cannot claim. Nobody can claim. But God can claim. That is the difference. God can claim. As He claims... We understand from the Bhagavad-gita:

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
[Bg. 5.29]

God says that "I am the enjoyer of everything." We are acting in this material world to enjoy something. We are working day and night to get some fruit of our labor and enjoy it. Everyone, either he's doing business or he's a professional man or he's a worker or anything he is, he's working very hard, day and night, to enjoy something. So... But we cannot claim that we can enjoy everything in this world. Although we have got the desire, but limited power to enjoy. The unlimited enjoyer is Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like we want to enjoy life, family life. We marry one wife. Or, in some countries, more than one wife -- two, three, four. But when Krsna married, He married 16,108. So... And sixteen thousand wives were given sixteen thousand palaces. And each wife got ten children. And Krsna also expanded Himself into 16,108. That is God. For us, it is very difficult to maintain even one wife at the present moment. This is the difference. Just try to understand what is the meaning of this word bhagavan. Bhaga means opulence. This is one of the opulences, richness. When Krsna was present on this planet, He was so rich that He could maintain sixteen thousand queens in sixteen thousand very costly palaces, made of marble, the furnitures made of ivory, and the beds were made of silk, and each and every room was decorated, bedecked with jewels, glittering jewels, so that at night there was no need of electricity or lamp. These descriptions are there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam of Krsna's palace, Krsna's sixteen thousand wives, Krsna's expansion into sixteen thousand forms. This is Bhagavan. Bhagavan means unlimitedly potential. That is Bhagavan.

So here in this chapter, we are trying to understand what is Bhagavan. This Krsna consciousness movement means to try to understand what is Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is our endeavor. It is very difficult to understand Bhagavan, but there is process, you can understand God, or Bhagavan. That process is being described by the Supreme Lord Himself, Bhagavan. Bhagavan uvaca. What is that process?

mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]

"My dear Arjuna, now I shall explain to you. You hear with attention." Tac chrnu. What is that? Mayy asakta-manah partha. "You have to increase your attachment for Me." Mayy asakta. Mayi asakta. Mayi means "unto Me," and asakti means "attachment." Mayy asakta-manah. Mind has to be trained up in such a way that you increase your attachment for God, or Krsna.

When we speak of Krsna, you understand "God." Krsna is one of the names of God. There are many millions of names, of which "Krsna" is the chief. Because this word, Krsna, means all attractive, because He's fully opulent. Just like if, in this material world, if one man is very rich, he's attractive. He draws attention of the people in general. If he's very powerful, he draws attention. If he's very reputed, famous, he draws attention. If he's very wise, learned, he draws attention. But Krsna has got all these things in fullness. Therefore, He draws attention of everyone. Therefore His name is Krsna. This "Krsna" means all-attractive. He has got all the attractive features. Therefore He's called Krsna. So Krsna says: "Just try to increase your attachment for Me. Practice this." It is not difficult. Just like we have got attachment for something here in this material world. Somebody's attached to do business, somebody's attached to woman, somebody's attached to man, somebody's attached to riches, somebody's attached to art, somebody's attached to... So many things. There are many subject matters of attachment. So attachment we have got. That we cannot deny. Everyone. We have got some attachment for something. That attachment should be transferred for Krsna. That is called Krsna consciousness. We are attached to something with consciousness, not blindly. So we have got the consciousness. When we turn our attachment, or train ourself to increase our attachment for Krsna, that is called bhakti-yogam. Bhakti-yogam. You have heard the name of yoga. Yoga means connecting link. So if you practice this bhakti-yoga, then, gradually, you increase your attachment for Krsna. That is the... It is stated also in the Bhagavad-gita: bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. "If you practice bhakti-yoga, that is called bhaktya, then you can understand Me. Not otherwise."

There are different types of yoga system, bhakti-yoga, jnana-yoga, karma-yoga, hatha-yoga, dhyana-yoga. So many yogas. But the bhakti-yoga is the supermost. That is stated in the last chapter. I am reading before you the Seventh Chapter. At the end of the Sixth Chapter, Krsna says:

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]

Yoginam api sarvesam. One who practices yoga system, he's called yogi. So Krsna says, yoginam api sarvesam: "Of all the yogis..." I have already stated. There are different kinds of yogis. "Of all the yogis..." Yoginam api sarvesam. Sarvesam means "of all yogis." Mad-gatenantar-atmana: "One who is thinking of Me within himself." We can think of Krsna. We have Krsna's form. Krsna Deity, we worship. So if we engage ourself in the worship of the Deity, the form of Krsna, which is nondifferent from Krsna, or, in the absence of Deity, if we chant the holy name of Krsna, that is also Krsna. Abhinnatvan nama-naminoh [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. Krsna is Absolute. Therefore, there is no difference between Him and His name. There is no difference between Him and His form. There is no difference between Him and His picture. There is no difference between Him and His topics. Anything about Krsna is Krsna. This is called absolute knowledge. So either you chant the Krsna's name or you worship Krsna's form -- everything is Krsna.

So there are different forms of devotional service.

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]

You just hear about Krsna. That hearing is also Krsna. Just like just now we are trying to hear about Krsna. So that hearing is also Krsna. These boys and girls, they are chanting. That chanting is also Krsna. Sravanam kirtanam. Then smaranam. When you chant of Krsna, if you remember the picture of Krsna, that is also Krsna. Or you see the picture of Krsna. That is also Krsna. You see the Deity of Krsna. That is Krsna. You learn something about Krsna. That is also Krsna. So anyway,

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]

Any of the nine items, if you accept, you immediately contact Krsna. Either you accept all the nine items or eight or seven or six or five or four or three or two, at least one, if you rigidly take and... Suppose this chanting. It does not cost anything. We are chanting all over the world. Anyone can chant by hearing us. It does not cost you. And if you chant, there is no loss on your part. So... But if you do, then immediately you contact Krsna. That is the benefit. Immediately. Because Krsna's name and Krsna is non...

Abhinnatvan nama-naminoh [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. These are the descriptions of the Vedic literature. Abhinnatvan nama-naminoh. Nama cintamanih krsnah. Krsna's name is cintamani. Cintamani means spiritual. Cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu [Bs. 5.29]. These are the Vedic descriptions. Where Krsna lives, the place is described: cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. So nama, the holy name of Krsna, is also cintamani, spiritual. Nama cintamanih krsnah. He is the same Krsna, person. Nama cintamanih krsnas caitanya [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. Caitanya means not dead, but living entity. You can get the same benefit by chanting name as you get personally talking with Krsna. That is also possible. But this will be gradually realized. Nama cintamanih krsnas caitanya-rasa-vigrahah. Rasa-vigraha means the pleasure, reservoir of all pleasure. As, as you chant the name of Hare Krsna, so gradually you relish some transcendental pleasure. Just like these boys and girls, while chanting, they're dancing in joyfulness. Nobody could follow them. But they are not crazy fellows, that they're chanting. Actually, they're getting some pleasure, transcendental pleasure. Therefore they're dancing. It is not that the dog-dance. No. It is really spiritual dance, the soul's dance. So... Therefore, He's called rasa-vigraha, reservoir of all pleasure.

Nama cintamanih krsnas caitanya-rasa-vigrahah purnah [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. Complete. Not that one percent less than Krsna. No. Cent percent Krsna. Complete. Purna. Purna means complete. Purnah suddhah. Suddha means purified. There is contamination in the material world. Material, any name you chant, because it is materially contaminated, you cannot continue it for very long. This is another experience. But this chanting of Hare Krsna mantra, if you go on chanting for twenty-four hours, you'll never feel fatigued. That is the test. You go on chanting. These boys can chant twenty-four hours, without eating anything, without drinking water. It is so nice. Because it is complete, spiritual, suddha. Suddha means pure. Not materially contaminated. Material pleasure, any pleasure... The highest pleasure in the material world is sex. But you cannot enjoy it twenty-four hours. That is not possible. You can enjoy it for few minutes. That's all. Even if you are forced to enjoy, you'll reject it: "No, no more." That is material. But spiritual means there is no end. You can enjoy perpetually, twenty-four hours. That is spiritual enjoyment. Brahma-saukhyam anantam [SB 5.5.1]. Anantam. Anantam means unending.

So in order to enjoy this spiritual pleasure, you have to practice some tapasya, austerity. Because you are spiritual, every one of us, spiritual. Aham brahmasmi. We are not this material body. We change. It is for certain years. Again we change: another body, another body. This changing of body is going on because we are seeking material pleasure. So God is giving us different types of body for enjoying different types of material pleasure. But if we want to enjoy spiritual pleasure, then you do not require to change body. That is the mission of Krsna consciousness. That every one of you want pleasure, but that pleasure, in the material world, you cannot enjoy perpetually. But if you purify yourself of this material contamination, if you do not accept this material body again, and you remain in your spiritual body, then you enjoy transcendental bliss eternally.

So this human form of life is meant for that purpose. Lower than the human form of life, cats and dogs, they cannot understand what is spiritual pleasure. That is not possible. But in the human form of life you can understand what is spirit and what is matter and what is spiritual pleasure and what is material pleasure. This distinction we can make. That much consciousness is developed in the human form of life. But if we misuse this developed consciousness for material pleasures, then we are missing the opportunity. This is Krsna consciousness movement. Our Krsna consciousness movement is that you have got this human form of body. Don't miss the opportunity. That you can, if you properly utilize, if you train yourself, you can be transferred to the platform of eternal, spiritual bliss. This is Krsna consciousness movement.

So here Krsna is teaching, Himself, how you can become Krsna conscious. The first item, He says: mayy asakta-manah partha. "My dear Arjuna, if you increase your attachment for Me, that is the beginning." And that is the end. That is beginning, and that is end. It is not that beginning is something... Spiritual means it is nothing beginning, nothing end. The beginning and the end, the same thing. If you increase your attachment for Krsna... Because, at the present moment, in our material conditional life, we have no attachment for Krsna. We have got attachment for non-Krsna. So you have to transfer that attachment to Krsna. Attachment is there; simply you have to transfer the object of attachment. So here it is said: mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. This is yoga. This is meditation. If you are fond of meditation, then you meditate upon Krsna, on the form of Krsna, playing flute, bluish color, having a peacock on His head. The description is there. Barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam.

venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam
barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.30]

Venum kvanantam. Krsna is, you'll see, Krsna's picture, always a flute in His hand. Always joyful. Because He's the Supreme Lord, there is nothing moroseness. Always joyful. That is the symptom of spiritual life. You'll see Krsna always smiling, always playing on His flute. As you see in this material world also, somebody, he has got a flute and he's playing, enjoying. So this is imitation. That enjoyment will not last. But Krsna's flute-playing is eternal. He's enjoying eternally. Venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam [Bs. 5.30]. And His eyes are just like lotus petals. Very beautiful. Venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam, barhavatamsam asitambuda-su... Barhavatamsam, a peacock feather, He's very fond of a peacock feather. So that is on His head. Barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam. Very beautiful body like new, blackish cloud. But very beautiful. Blackish cloud. Asitambuda-sundarangam. Kandarpa-koti-kamaniya. But, although he's blackish, He is more beautiful than millions and trillions of Cupids. Kandarpa... Therefore, He's all-beautiful.

venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam
barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.30]

Visesa-sobham. Specifically beautiful. Visesa-sobham govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami.

So this Deity, description of Krsna, is there in the temple, in the book. So if you always simply think of this beautiful form of Krsna, that is called perfect meditation. If you simply think of. That is very easy. If you... We are always attracted by beautiful things. So Krsna is the most beautiful. So if you meditate upon Krsna, then your meditation becomes very easy and perfect. Because Krsna has said that yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. "Of all the yogis, one who is thinking of Me within himself," mad-gatenantar-atmana sraddhavan, "with devotion and faith," bhajate yo mam, "engaged in devotional...," sa me yukta..., "he's the first-class yogi." So you can become a first-class yogi at home without any expenditure, without any loss. But you come, become the greatest yogi and achieve the result. Krsna consciousness movement is so nice. And we are distributing this system of yoga... We don't charge anything. We are not business man, that we give you something and charge something. Of course, when we give you book, we take, because we have to pay to the printers, to the press man. That is another thing. So far our words are concerned, our service is concerned, we don't charge anything. That is not our movement. That is free.

So Krsna says mayy asakta-manah partha. In this way, you can begin your attachment for Krsna. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam... This is yoga. To increase attachment for Krsna is the first-class yoga system. But how it can be done? Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. You have to take shelter of Krsna or His representative. Asraya. Asraya means to take shelter. You cannot practice this yoga separately. You have to take shelter of Krsna or His devotee. That is called mad-asraya. Or mad-asraya means "one who has taken shelter of Me." One may say that "How can I take shelter of Krsna? Krsna is not here present." He's present everywhere. It is a question of realization. Then you can take shelter of His representative. Mad-asraya. Asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac... [Bg. 7.1]. Asamsayam, "without any doubt," samagram, "in complete," yatha, "as," jnasyasi, "you can understand," tac chrnu, "you hear from Me." Krsna is describing Himself, how you can increase your attachment for Krsna.

This will be very elaborately described. We have no time to read now, but one or two verses I can speak before you. Just like Krsna says: raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh [Bg. 7.8]. Raso 'ham. Rasa means the taste, or the attractive taste. Just like when you eat sweetmeat or any, any eatables, there is some nice taste for which you eat. Or you drink water. You are thirsty; you want water. But there is a good taste in the water. Otherwise, how you quench your thirst? There is taste. Everyone knows. So Krsna says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: "Any liquid thing, the taste, which attracts you, that is I am." Even you are a drunkard, you are fond of tasting wine, I should recommend that you simply think that "This taste of wine is Krsna." That will make a yogi of you. That will make you the greatest yogi. If you simply think this, that "I am tasting wine. Oh, very nice taste. This is Krsna." Is there any loss if you think like that? This is Krsna consciousness. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh: [Bg. 7.8] "I am the shining of the sun and the moon." Now, every day, morning, you see the sun shining. So as soon as you see the sun shining, if you think of Krsna: "Oh, this sun shining is Krsna," you become a yogi. You become a yogi. At night also, as soon as you see the moonshine, so immediately, if you think, "This moon shining is Krsna..."

So you can become Krsna conscious in any circumstances. There is no limitation, that "You have to become Krsna conscious under this condition, that condition." The condition will be enunciated later on. First of all, try to become Krsna..., that you, at least, you drink water and so many times in a day, you just try to think that the taste of the water is Krsna. That is the beginning of your Krsna yoga system. And then, if you chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, then you'll become, gradually, the greatest yogi without becoming very learned scholar, without becoming Vedantist, without becoming religionist or... Simply by this process you try to practice, and your life will be perfect.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 7.1 -- Upsala University Stockholm, September 8, 1973

© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.