"Oneness Is Variety"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.32
November 11, 1972, Vrndavana



Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

yatha hy avahito vahnir
darusv ekah sva-yonisu
naneva bhati visvatma
bhutesu ca tatha puman

Translation: "The Lord, as Supersoul, pervades all things, just as fire permeates wood, and so He appears to be of many varieties, though He is the absolute one without a second."

Prabhupada:

yatha hy avahito vahnir
darusv ekah sva-yonisu
naneva bhati visvatma
bhutesu ca tatha puman

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna is residing along with the living entity within the heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, that Isvara, the Supreme Personality, is residing in everyone's heart. In another place it is said, ksetra-ksetrajna chapter, ksetrajnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata. Ksetrajna means the knower of the body. I, you, every one of us, we are individual living entities. We are also ksetrajna. I know this is my body, this is my finger, this is my hair, this is my leg. Jna. Jna means one who knows. So I know; you know. You know about your body; I know about my body. Therefore we are all ksetrajnas. Ksetrajna means one who knows about his field of activities.

Everyone has been given, awarded, a certain type of field of activities for sense enjoyment. We want a certain type of body, certain type of sense enjoyment, and Krsna gives us the facility through the agency of material nature. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Actually we are dependent. I want something; Krsna gives us through the material agent. At the same time, He also accompanies, as a friend. The footnote is there: dva suparna sayuja sakhaya samanam vrksam parisasvajate tayor anyah pippalam svadv atty anasnann anyo 'bhicakasiti. Sruti-mantra. So both the living entity, and the Supersoul is sitting on the same tree. This body is supposed to be the tree, and the heart is supposed to be the nest. And in the nest, as there are two birds, similarly, there is one bird, the living entity, individual, and the Supersoul, both. One is eating the fruit; the other is simply observing, witnessing. Anumanta upadrasta. Anumanta means "giving order." Just like a child wants to take something, but he also depends on the order of the father. The child is insisting: "Father, I want this." Father says, "No, you don't take it." "I shall touch it. I shall touch the fire." Father says, "No, don't touch it." But he's insisting and crying, so father says, "All right, you touch." Similarly, we create our own fortune and misfortune. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]. So the father wants us to do something else, but we want to do something else against the wish of the father. Similarly, Krsna wants that everyone of us should surrender unto Him and work according to His direction, but we want to do against His will. Therefore we create our own fortune and misfortune. That is the way.

So there are different types of body, and each one is acting in a different way. Different way means the... Why they are working different way? If the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Paramatma, is the same in the..., in each and every body -- isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61] -- why one is acting different from the other? One is acting different... That is the action of the individual soul. The Supersoul is there, simply sanctioning: "All right, you do like this." Because he's insisting. And He's sanctioning: "All right, you do like this." Therefore naneva bhati visvatma. Visvatma, the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He appears to be acting differently. He's not acting differently. Just like the magistrate. Magistrate is giving different judgment: "This man should be treated like this. This man should be treated..." The man, the magistrate, is the same, but because the culprit is different, therefore he has got to give different judgment. Culprit is different; he's not different. He's one. This is the proof that Paramatma and jivatma are two different personalities. They're not one. This is the proof. Why? Naneva bhati visvatma. He's Visvatma, the Supersoul. Why one is acting as a hog, one is acting as a dog, one is acting as a demigod, Indra, Candra, Varuna? Why these differences? We are all living entities, jiva-tattva, and the Visvatma, the Supersoul, is the same in everyone's heart. Why they are acting differently? This is the proof that there is individual soul, jivatma, and the Paramatma, Paramatma is sanctioning. The same example: the magistrate, or judge, is giving different judgment because the criminals, or the complainers, they are different. Naneva bhati visvatma bhutesu ca tatha puman.

The example is given: yatha hy avahito vahnir darusu. In every wood, there is fire. A small wood, there is small fire; in big wood, there is big fire. The fire is the same, but according to the different size of the wood, fuel, the, the, what is, the flames of the fire appears to be different. The flame of the fire appears to be different because the living entity is different, of different types. They have got different desires, according to the contact of the material quality. Karanam guna-sangah asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Why they are different? Because karanam, the cause, is -- karanam means cause -- is guna-sangah asya. Asya, or this living entity, he is associating, contacting different qualities. There are three qualities: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna; and again, if you mix these three qualities, then three into three, it becomes nine. Then again mix it: nine into nine, it becomes eighty-one. Therefore there are 8,400,000 species of life, different qualities. Naneva. Naneva bhati. And in every living entity, within the heart of every living entity, the Visvatma, the Supersoul, is there.

So He's not different. As like the darusu, as the fuel wood are different, and therefore the flame appears to be different, similarly although Visvatma, the Supersoul, is one, because He's acting with individual soul different according to his different association, mentality, desires... Every account is kept. Just imagine how many numberless there are living entities. Asankhya. Jiva-bhago sa vijneyah sa canantyaya kalpate. There is no, you cannot... Innumerable. And each and every individual soul is doing according to his own desires and every account is kept. Just imagine how expert accountant is required. Every account is kept. Because He has to be offered again another body, taking account of his activities. Karmana daiva-netrena. He's acting. Innumerable living entities. So how big brain is Krsna, you can just imagine. And not only one planet -- there are innumerable planets, there are innumerable universes. Everything innumerable. That is called unlimited. Everything innumerable. And still, some rascal claims that he is God. How much brain a God requires, he does not know. How big brain... Anvayad itaratas ca arthesu abhijnah. These are analyzed, what is the nature of the Absolute Truth. Athato brahma jijnasa. How He is? What He is? Immediately the answer is janmady asya yatah: [SB 1.1.1] "From Him, everything is emanating." Everything is taking birth from Him. Janma. Not only janma, birth, but existence, maintenance, janmadi. Janmadi means birth, maintenance and death. Creation, maintenance and annihilation. Janmadi. Asya, anything you take, asya. Janmady asya [SB 1.1.1]. Janmady asya yatah. From whom everything is emanating, everything is taking birth, this cosmic manifestation, it is being maintained in Him. And again, when it is annihilated, it enters into His own energy. Prakrtim mam gacchati. From His prakrti, from His energy, Krsna's energies, external energy, these five elements come out -- earth, water, fire, air, sky. Five gross elements and three subtle elements -- mind, intelligence ego. This is the eight, these are the eight elements of material creation. Then all the living entities, those who wanted to enjoy this material world, they are impregnated within this material energy and they come out with different bodies for enjoying different types of sufferings of happiness. There is no happiness; it is all suffering, but we take: "It is happiness." That is called illusion.

So in this way the whole creation is going on under the direction of Krsna. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita: mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. Under His supervision... Just imagine how expert supervision is there, that the sun is rising exactly in the same moment as it is to be done. The waves of the sea are going on perpetually, but the waves cannot come beyond the limit. We have walked on the sea beach. So just at ten, one, three feet, the big ocean, Pacific Ocean is... But we are certain that this Pacific Ocean cannot come beyond this limit. We are certain. How we are certain? Because there is the order of Krsna. Mayadhyaksena. Because we know, I know, you know that there is God's order... The Pacific Ocean may be very, very big, but still, he cannot disobey the order of the Supreme. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. This is understanding of Krsna. Krsna consciousness means you have to study everything, how things are going on. And this is stated. You have to simply think, "Yes." You have to confirm by your brain. If you have got dull brain, then how you can study? Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram. The prakrti, the material nature, is working under His direction. And you can verify it, how nature is working correctly, exactly. Unless there is some systematic order, how everything is working systematically. As soon as there is spring, immediately thousands and millions of trees, immediately the foliage comes out. Immediately. And as soon as there is fall, September, last, all the leaves fall down, immediately. So this is the process of creation. Just like in Bible it is said, "Let there be creation," and there was creation. So it is fact, actually. But we cannot understand how much powerful is Krsna, or God. Simply by His will, simply by His will, everything takes place. Millions and millions of things come out immediately, and millions and millions of things immediately annihilated. That is Krsna. That is God. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10].

So the Supersoul, Visvatma, He's one. But because we are different, therefore we are acting differently. The question may be raised that if Visvatma, the Supersoul, is one, why there are different activities? The different activities due to our will, our selection: "I want to act in this way." So He gives the facility. Just like somebody wants to drink, the government gives license for liquor shop. Now, it is not that everyone is drinking, but there is facility for the drunkards. Because the drunkards want to drink, so government gives facility: "All right. Here is a liquor shop. You drink." But as soon you commit some offense by drinking, you are arrested. So this arrest of the drunkard, is it the government's will or the person created such situation to be arrested? So in this way, the whole world is going on. Samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah. Krsna says, "I am equal to everyone. I don't..., I'm not envious of everyone, or anyone, or I am friendly to everyone." He's friendly, actually He's friendly. But people, they accuse Him: "Why God has created this distress? Why I am suffering?" You are suffering for your own fault. God created you to become happy. He's happy. You are part and parcel of Krsna. You should be happy. But you don't accept the way of happiness. That is your fault. You don't accept... Krsna says that you shall be happy in this way:

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

Why you claim this is your property? Why you claim? Everything is belonging to Krsna. That is your fault. So you must suffer. You are a thief. Stena eva sa ucyate. Anyone who does not offer things to Krsna before using, he's a thief. That is prasadam. That is Vaisnava philosophy. The whole process is to accept the Supreme. So long we do not accept the Supreme, that is maya. That is maya. That is going on. Nobody wants to accept the Supreme everyone wants to become Supreme. Even after performing severe austerities, penances, still, they want to become one with the Supreme. This is also maya.

Therefore Bhagavata says, vimukta-maninah. They are thinking that after undergoing such severe austerities and penances, now he has become God. That is maya. He does not know. He's not God. But he claims like that, falsely. This is the cause of his suffering. Nobody can be..., can become God or equal to God. That is not possible. The same quotation: ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya. Only the Supreme God, Supreme Person, Isvara, supreme controller, is Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. You are, why you are, rascal, trying to become Bhagavan, God? This is maya. He does not know. He's thinking that "I have become God." This is maya. Avisuddha-buddhayah. Avisuddha-buddhayah means his intelligence is not yet cleansed. It's still dirty. Although he has undergone good austerities, penances or taken sannyasa, but the mind is dirty. Mind is dirty. So that will not help. The whole process is ceto-darpana-marjanam. We have to cleanse our heart. We have to understand our position. Then it will be successful. If we don't cleanse our heart by regular chanting,

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam
[Cc. Antya 20.12]

So we have to understand our position. The dirty things should be removed completely, always by hearing krsna-katha. That is the way of understanding. Only way. This Vrndavana is so important, valuable. Why? Because anywhere you go in Vrndavana, there is the opportunity of hearing krsna-katha. This whole Vrndavana is simply cultivation of Krsna consciousness. Unfortunately, we take to other consciousness here. Therefore we become condemned. In Vrndavana, if we take other consciousness, then we become condemned. Condemned means he -- still, the opportunity's there -- condemned to accept a body other than a human being. But he's helped. Because he's in Vrndavana, he's making progress. Even as animal, as hogs and dogs, he's making progress, because he's in Vrndavana. So Vrndavana is so important, because here anyone can get the opportunity of Krsna consciousness. Therefore it is so important. Vrndavana-dhama. Dhama means where Krsna resides. That is called dhama. Vrndavana-dhama. Aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama. Dhama means residence. Tad-dhama vrndavanam. So Vrndavana is not polluted. Vrndavana is always helping us. Anyone who comes to Vrndavana, he's helped immediately, even though he is criminal number one. But if we remain in criminal mentality in Vrndavana, then we have to accept another birth to suffer. Then it will be all right, and then again he will be elevated. Due to Vrndavana... The Vrndavana influence will act, but if we commit something against the Vrndavana principle, then we have to accept...

Karmana daiva-netrena. Karmani nirdahati... It is said in the sastra, the karma is reduced for the devotees. That much facility's there. Karma is reduced means in other place, if you commit some sinful activities, then you have to accept a body, and then evolution will take place gradually. Then you again come to human form of body. Then again, if you are intelligent enough, you can utilize. But in Vrndavana the karmani nirdahati... Suppose for your sinful, criminal acts you become hogs and dog; next life you are elevated. That is karmani nirdahati. The karma, the cycle of fruitive activities is reduced. But you have to accept. You have to accept. But nirdahati. But why should we waste our time accepting another body of dogs and hog? That we should be very much careful. Although it is nirdahati, it is reduced, why should we accept even that reduced punishment? That should be our principle. But we do not know. We commit ignorance. Therefore Rupa Gosvami has described: sinful activities are done due to ignorance, ajnana. Just like a child touches the fire. Everyone knows if you touch fire, it will burn, but the child, out of ignorance, touches. Therefore the child is under the protection of the parents so that the child may not do something wrong and suffer.

So naneva bhati visvatma bhutesu ca tatha puman. These varieties of living entities, it is due to the variety of desires of the living entity. Otherwise Visvatma, He's one. He's one. And the living entity is also one, because he's the manifestation of marginal potency of the Supreme. Therefore, as marginal potency, the living entity is one. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. One who knows that the living entities, they're part and parcel of Krsna, and they belong to the marginal potency... Therefore they do not see any difference out of the varieties of bodies. He sees only the spirit soul. And due to the varieties of body, the activities are different, although the direct, the Supreme Soul, Supersoul, is the same, one. This is the conclusion.

yatha hy avahito vahnir
darusv ekah sva-yonisu
naneva bhati visvatma
bhutesu ca tatha puman

So according to our body, we act different. The direction and sanction is there by the Supersoul. This is the purport of this verse.
Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.32 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972