"The Perfect Philosophy"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.27
October 2, 1972, Los Angeles

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

rsayo manavo deva
manu-putra mahaujasah
kalah sarve harer eva
saprajapatayah smrtah

Translation: "All the rsis, Manus, demigods and descendants of Manu, who are especially powerful, are plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord. This also includes the Prajapatis."

Prabhupada: So prajapati, the beginning there was only Lord Brahma. The whole planetary system was to be populated. Therefore first of all Brahma, and then the seven rsis, then the Kumaras, then Rudras. In this way... Manus. Then Manu's son, his son, his son. In this way the... (aside:) What is that sound? The whole universe is populated. It is not the rascal Darwin's theory that "There was no human being. It came out of a stone, the life." The first is the most intelligent person, Lord Brahma.

So they are called prajapati. Praja means generation. Pati means master, husband. So all these prajapatis, as we learn from Bhagavad-gita... Manur iksvakave 'bravit. Vivasvan manave praha. Vivasvan, sun-god, he spoke to his son Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. Krsna said that "First of all I told to Vivasvan, the sun-god, and then he described, he handed over the knowledge to his son, Vivasvan, Vaivasvata Manu." This is the age of Vaivasvata Manu. So in one day there are fourteen Manus, in one day of Brahma. So in one month how many?

Devotee: Two hundred twenty.

Prabhupada: Two hundred twenty. In this way, in one year, there are so many Manus in Brahma's... Some five thousand Manus in one year. So, so many Manus, and his sons are coming. Manu. From Manu, the word man has come. Manusya. The man, this word, is from Manu. We are all sons of Manu. There are two descendants of Manu. No, two descendants, ksatriya family. One from the sun-god and one from the moon-god. Two families, ksatriyas. Royal order. So Manu is from the sun, and the descendants, surya-vamsa, they are from Manu. Manur iksvakave 'bravit. Manu, his son was Iksvaku. Maharaja Iksvaku, king. He was the king of this planet, the original forefather of Lord Ramacandra's dynasty. Maharaja... Lord Ramacandra appeared in the family of Manu. And similarly... Surya-vamsa. Similarly, Lord Krsna also appeared in yadu-vamsa.

So these families, dynasties, are very, very old. Every... According to Vedic system, any family -- brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, those who are higher caste -- they must give at least seven generations account. Otherwise he is not a respectable family. Seven generations. His father, his father, his father, his father, his father, like that. When there is marriage, then there is check corroboration. The bride's party and the bridegrooms party, they should narrate their seventh generation. If within their seventh generation it, what is called, collide, becomes the one man, then there will be no marriage, because it becomes the same family. One cannot marry in the same family. He must pick up another family. Otherwise one could marry his own sister. No. That is not possible.

So these family descendants... Still there is gotra. Gotra means in which family one is coming. Everyone must say his gotra and family title. Gotra means the guru, disciplic succession. Acyuta-gotra. We Vaisnava, our gotra is acyuta-gotra, Krsna. Krsna's name is Acyuta. Because we give up our other family gotra. We accept. Actually, originally everyone is coming from Krsna. From Krsna the Karanarnavasayi Visnu. From Karanarnavasayi Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu. From Garbhodakasayi Visnu, Brahma. From Brahma, the sages, the Manus. In this way, everyone is descended from Krsna. And Krsna confirms also in the Bhagavad-gita,

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad-yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
[Bg. 14.4]

"I am the origin, or seed-giving father." Trees, plants, aquatics, by their karma they have to accept different dress, but as spirit soul, everyone is part and parcel of Krsna. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7].

So it is said here that manu-putra mahaujasah. Of course, those who are Prajapatis, they are very famous. Naturally. They are the original. But all of them are kalah sarve harer eva. Kala. Kala means just like part of the, part, plenary expansion of Krsna. Then the expansion of the plenary expansion, then again expansion, again expansion. In this way, the first expansion is called prakasa. Just like first expansion is Baladeva, from Krsna. These things are described in Teachings of Lord Caitanya. You must read. The first expansion is Baladeva. The next expansion is from Baladeva, Sankarsana. From Sankarsana, Vasudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, like that. So the first expansion is called prakasa. Then there are divisions: prabhava, vaibhava... In this way, as you have learned from previous verses, many thousands of expansions. We are also expansion, but we are separated expansion, living entities. Svamsa-vibhinnamsa. Svamsa. Just like this my hand is my part and parcel of my body, direct expansion. And from the hands there are so many hairs. They are also from the hand. Just as my head. And from the head there are so many hairs. So they are also expansion. But they are separated expansion. I can cut my hair, but I cannot cut my throat.

So there are expansions, svamsa, personal expansion, and separated expansion. The personal expansions are called visnu-tattva. Baladeva... Just like Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His personal expansion is Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu. And Srivasadi they are separated expansion. Although they are associates, but Srivasa, jiva-tattva; and Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu, visnu-tattva. And Gadadhara is sakti-tattva. So in this way, God is person and His personal expansions are innumerable, unlimited. Visnu-tattva. They are worshipable. And other tattva, sakti-tattva and jiva-tattva, they are meant for service. But all together taken, that is one. That is Absolute Truth.

So there are many different philosophical views of the Absolute Truth, how He is one with the energies and the separated expansion. So here it is explained that kalah sarve harer eva. Everyone is expansion from Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But those who are prominent, they are called prajapatis. Prajapatis means directly expanding. These Kumaras, they were also offered to become prajapati, but they refused their father's request. So "We are not going to marry and beget children." So Brahma was angry. So when he was angry, then Lord Siva, Rudra, from his eyes generated. In higher circle the generation can be produced from any part of the body. But we cannot understand. We simply know one part wherefrom the generation comes. No. In higher circle... Just like many living entities came out from Brahma's nostril, eyes, ear. Just like Lord Brahma himself came out from the navel of Visnu. This requires specific power. Not that we have got some stereotyped ideas. Therefore we sometimes find difficulty to understand the description of the Vedas and the Puranas. They do not believe. As soon as we say that there was a lotus flower sprouted from the navel of Lord Visnu, and on that lotus flower Brahma generated, they call it a story. No. These are not stories. These are fact. But our philosophy is Dr. Frog's philosophy. You see? I can simply understand that three feet water in the well. That's all. If there is beyond that, description of Atlantic Ocean, it is beyond my conception. I therefore refuse. This is going.

This is the so-called scientists, philosophers. They have got a teeny brain, which they cannot accommodate so many big things. Therefore they disbelieve. And therefore they are nastika. But every description in the Vedic literature, they are fact. That is called astikyam, to have staunch faith. Our process is, therefore, whenever we speak something, we have to quote some Vedic version. Then it is corroborated. It is fact. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Vedas, Vedanta says, The Absolute Truth is that which is the origin, source of everything. There must be something, original source. Otherwise how things are coming? This conviction means faith. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. So those who will argue, "Why shall I surrender to Krsna?" But one who will accept, he becomes benefited.

So Vedic knowledge should be accepted as it is. Don't try to comment. If you go on commenting with your teeny brain, then you will never be able to achieve the success. That is the process. Vedavan. I have given you several times this example, that in the Vedas it is said that cow dung is pure, although it is the stool of an animal. We accept: "Yes, it is pure." And actually you find, yes, it is pure. If you analyze, you'll find all antiseptic properties. Now how in stool? Stool is septic. Septic tank, where has stool. But this stool is anti... It is practical. You can see. But wherefrom we get this information? From the Vedas. The knowledge received from the Vedas, there is no mistake. There is no illusion. It is perfect. Just like here, we have read the passage that four lakhs of years, 400,000's of years after from this time, there will be incarnation of Kalki. His father's name should be Visnu Yasa. The place where He will appear, it is Sambhal. Everything is stated there. Now 400,000's of years it will... Lord Buddha appeared 2,500 years after the Bhagavat was written. That's came a fact.

So if we take the Vedic statement, Vedic literature statement, as fact, then our knowledge is perfect. You don't require to research. There is no need. It is perfect knowledge and very easy. Krsna says that imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. So Krsna said this. Arjuna was playing just like ordinary man, although he is not ordinary man. Just to give us lessons, he was asking question just like ordinary man. So when Krsna said that "I spoke this Bhagavad-gita science of God, or philosophy, to Vivasvan, the sun-god," He clarified the matter. He said... Arjuna said, "My dear Krsna, You are my contemporary, of the same age. So how can I believe that You spoke Bhagavad-gita some 400 millions of years ago to sun-god? How can I believe You?" So Krsna answered, "Yes, you were also present, but you have forgotten. I remember." That is the difference between God and human, living entity. God knows everything, past, present, future. We do not know. We are teeny. We cannot be equal with God at any stage of life. Even Arjuna, who is constant companion of Krsna, he is also forgetting that... Krsna replied, "Both you and Me had many, many births. We appeared. But you have forgotten; I remember. That is the difference."

So the difference between God and ordinary living entity must be there. Anyone who is claiming as the Supreme Lord or God, he is a blasphemer. He is a rascal. He's a cheater. So you should not be influenced by such rascals. God is always great, always great. There is no equal, no greater. That is called great. Nobody can be equal with God and nobody can be greater than God. Everyone under God. Asamordhva. Therefore God's another name is Asamordhva. "A" means none. Sama means equal. Urdhva means greater. Asamordhva So everyone is emanation from God, but nobody is equal with God. But the visnu-tattva, They are the same. There is no difference between Krsna and Ramacandra, Narayana, Visnu, because They are visnu-tattva. Baladeva. They are equally powerful. But jiva-tattva, we living entities, although we are part and parcel of God, we are not equally powerful. That is called the philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, simultaneously one and different. Simultaneously one and different. Just like in Bible also, Jesus Christ is claimed as one with God, but at the same time different. As son, he is different. As representative of God, he is one. That is the philosophy, perfect philosophy. All living entities, anything within this manifestation, even this whole world, is one with God. Idam hi visvam bhagavan ivetarah Narada Muni said to Vyasadeva. Idam hi visvam. This whole universe is God. Idam hi visvam bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, ivetarah. But it appears like different.

So now, according to this formula, idam hi visvam bhagavan... Then forgetfulness of Bhagavan. Forgetfulness of relationship with Bhagavan, Krsna, is materialism. The... Actually, everything is Bhagavan, but when we forget the relationship of this world and Bhagavan, Krsna, that is materialism. Just like we are offering some foodstuff to Krsna. So Krsna is eating matter? No. Krsna cannot eat matter. He is spirit. Then how we are offering the same rice and dal to Krsna which is also being cooked in the hotel? The thing is that here is the sense that "This rice or dal is given by Krsna." There is remembrance of Krsna. Therefore it is spiritual. And there, in the hotel, they do not know Krsna. Therefore it is matter. That is the difference between matter and spirit. Actually, everything is emanation from Krsna, so there cannot be anything matter. Idam hi visvam bhagavan. But the forgetfulness... The material world is... What is this material world? The material world is everyone is forgetting Krsna. Their only business is to forget Krsna. Therefore it is material. But if Krsna consciousness is there, the mat..., no more material world.

Just like this temple. This temple is spiritual, Vaikuntha. It is not Los Angeles. Don't think like that. It is Vaikuntha. Because here every second the remembrance of Krsna is there. Therefore it is not Los Angeles. Or anyone who remembers Krsna always, twenty-four hours, he is living in Vaikuntha. He is not in the kingdom of maya. That is required. Satatam cintayanto mam: "Always thinking of Me." In the Bhagavad-gita you will find, satatam cintayanto mam. So if you keep this practice, always thinking of Krsna, then you are not in the material world. You are always in the spiritual world. For practical example: just like there are foreign embassies in foreign countries. So long they are within the embassy, they are not living in the foreign country. That is the law. Suppose I belong to some foreign embassy. So I have done something criminal. So the American government cannot arrest me from the embassy. When I come out, he can arrest. So ships also, when they are on the port of a foreign country, so on the ship also the foreign police force cannot arrest anyone. These are the etiquette, law.

So if it is possible in ordinary dealings, so why not possible spiritually? And that's a fact. If you keep always yourself in Krsna consciousness, you do not belong to this material world. Then actually you are part and parcel of Krsna, your spiritual identity.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.27 -- Los Angeles, October 2, 1972