The World Is Impersonal
Nitai: "The unmanifested eternal
combination of the three modes is the cause of the manifested state and is
called pradhana. It is called prakrti when in the manifested stage of
existence."
Prabhupada:
yat tat tri-gunam avyaktam
nityam sad-asad-atmakam
pradhanam prakrtim prahur
avisesam visesavat
[SB 3.26.10]
Visesa means varieties, and avisesa means without variety. Just like we have got experience: the earth is there. Now, if... From the earth, you can make so many other things. You can make doll. You can make pot. You can make balls. You can make bricks. You can make house. So many things you can make. So this transformation into forms, that is called visesa, varieties. And when the transformation is not there, that is called avisesa or nirvisesa.
So visesavat. The word is used here, visesavat. It appears like visesa, variety, but actually it has no variety. It is the material element. In another place it is said, tejo-vari-mrdam vinimayo yatra tri-sargah amrsa. Somebody says, amrsa. It is created. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said this creation is going on, bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. It is created at a certain time, and then again it is annihilated. And when annihilated, mixed together, that is avyaktam. And when they are again created into forms, that is called vyaktam. Just like you lump of gold and prepare many ornaments. You can make bangles, you can make necklace, earring, and so many things. And again melt it -- it becomes lump of gold. So that is the distinction between vyaktam and avyaktam. When they are made into varieties, that is called vyaktam, and when it is again mixed together, then it is called avyaktam.
So sri-bhagavan uvaca. Kapiladeva is speaking, He is Bhagavan. The word Bhagavan we have explained several times. Bhagavan is person. Uvaca. Bhagavan said... "Bhagavan said" means Bhagavan is person. Unless one is person, he cannot say, he cannot speak. So the source of knowledge is Bhagavan. Bhagavan is the origin. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, aham evasam agre: "Before the creation, I was there." And when Bhagavan speaks "I was there," that means He was not alone. Just like here is Krsna, Bhagavan, He is not alone. He is with Radharani and the gopis and the cowherds boy and His friends. That is described in the Brahma-samhita. Bhagavan is not alone.
cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-sata-
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.29]
venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam
barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.30]
alola-candraka-lasad-
ratnangadam pranaya-keli-kala-vilasam
syamam tribhanga-lalitam niyata-prakasam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.31]
There are hundreds of verses like this.
So Krsna is not alone. Krsna is always in varieties. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). He is anandamaya.
ananda-cinmaya-rasa-
tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih
goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.37]
He is ananda-cinmaya-rasa, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. So Krsna is not nirvisesa; He is savisesa. But this material world is actually nirvisesa, but it appears something like varieties. The same thing, the example, I have already given: a lump of matter -- either you take earth or water or gold or silver -- and you can make varieties of things, cause and effect. But that is nirvisesa. But the spiritual world, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1], as it is said in the Vedanta-sutra, the origin of everything, the cause of all causes, that is full of spiritual varieties. That is not nirvisesa. Here in this material world we are seeing these varieties. We have got these planets. On the planets there are so many mountains, so many trees, so many plants, so many houses, in each and every planet. Don't think the other planets, that is void. No. They are also full of varieties. Full of varieties.
We get information: yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-
So these varieties are material varieties. Material varieties means when it is nonmanifested, it is called pradhana, and when it is manifested, it is called prakrti, or nature, material nature. But these varieties, the material pradhana... Pradhana is nityam, but the prakrti is not nityam. Nityam means eternal. But there is another world, paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bg. 8.20]. That is sanatanah. That is eternal. We have got this experience of this material world. This is not eternal. This is... Just we have got experience of this body. This body is created at a certain stage, and it will stay for some time, and it will transform into many other forms from this body, and then it will dwindle, and then it will vanish. Similarly, the whole material creation is like that. It is created by the interaction of the three modes of material nature. First of all it is a lump of matter, mahat-tattva. It is called mahat-tattva. That mahat-tattva is above this universe, above the sky. Above the sky there are seven layers. Each layer is ten times more than the other layer. In this way, that is called mahat-tattva. Total material elements, they are stocked there. And then these varieties take place. And above that mahat-tattva, there is spiritual world, paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bg. 8.20], another material nature. That is called Brahmaloka or Vaikunthaloka. There are also spiritual planets. And above all such planets...
Just like in this material world there are millions of planets and the topmost planet is called Brahmaloka, where Brahma lives. From Brahma, all other things are created. So beyond that... This is manifested, prakrti. Beyond that, there is nonmanifested, total stock. That is called avyakta or pradhana. And beyond that, there is the spiritual world. Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bg. 8.20]. There is another bhava, or nature. Bhava, svabhava, or nature -- the same word. So that is sanatana. When everything will be annihilated in this material world... Because material world... Anything in this material world, it will be annihilated at a certain stage. Just like my body will be annihilated. Anything. This table will be annihilated. This microphone will be annihilated. Anything will be annihilated. But there, the same things are there, but they are eternal and spiritual. They are eternal; they are never to be... Even after annihilation of this whole cosmic manifestation, the spiritual varieties will not be annihilated. This information we get from Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literature.
So Kapiladeva, the Personality of Godhead, He is person. We should always know that Bhagavan, Bhagavan is person, full of six opulences. And because He is full of six opulences, therefore He has got His form.
isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
[Bs. 5.1]
His vigraha, His form, is not like our form. And because we do not know that Krsna has got His spiritual form, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah, therefore ordinary man thinks that "Krsna is also a man like me." Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. One who does not know what is Krsna, he says, "Krsna is also a man like me. Krsna also gets a body like me." But that is not the fact. Those who do not know about Krsna... Because to know Krsna, that is not ordinary thing.
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]
"Out of many persons, they are trying for self-realization, siddhi." That is called siddhi. "And out of many thousands and millions of siddhas" -- siddhas means one who is self-realized; they are called siddhas -- "out of them, one may know what is Krsna." So Krsna cannot be known by ordinary human being. One must be first of all siddha; then, out of the siddhas, the most topmost siddha, he can understand what is Krsna.
But Krsna is so kind that He comes personally and manifests Himself. Tadatmanam srjamy aham.
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
[Bg. 4.7]
"When I appear..." There is time. In one day of Brahma, Krsna appears. Everything is there in the sastra. That means some millions of years after, once Krsna comes within this universe. And when He comes, He comes on this planet and in Vrndavana. Therefore Vrndavana is so important. This Vrndavana is replica of the original Vrndavana. There is Krsna's place.
goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya
devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.43]
There is the topmost planet in the spiritual world which is called Goloka Vrndavana. So below the Goloka Vrndavana... Goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43]. Everything is below the Goloka Vrndavana planet. And all of them are called devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu [Bs. 5.43]. Devi-dhama, the devi-dhama means this material world. This is controlled by Devi, Durga.
srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-
chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga
icchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sa
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.44]
The Vaisnava philosophy is that govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. Govinda is adi-purusa. Aham sarvasya prabhavah [Bg. 10.8]. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said. Krsna says that "I am the original source of all, everything." So the devi-dhama, the mahesa-dhama, and the hari-dhama, they are all expansion of Krsna. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate. The whole spiritual world and the material world is manifestation of the energy of Krsna.
aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah
[Bg. 10.8]
One who understands this science... Iti matva bhajante mam. Who? Now, budha, one who has understood very perfectly well through the sastra, through sadhu. Sadhu, sastra, guru. The source of information is sadhu, sastra, guru.
That is also recommended in the
Bhagavad-gita:
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
[Bg. 4.34]
So we have to approach to a guru, tattva-darsi. Tattva-darsi. Tattva-darsi means... What is tattva? Tattva means truth. One who has seen the truth. We have to approach such tattva-darsi. And what is that tattva?
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]
Tattva means the tattva-vastu, the Absolute Truth, is manifested in three features: Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. They are actually the same thing, but different realization.
I have given several times this example: Just like the sunshine, the sun globe, and the sun-god, Narayana, within the sun globe, that is one thing. One thing means that Narayana within the sun globe, his bodily effulgence is so glowing and bright. This is called sun's blazing effulgence. So the sunshine is also expansion of that glowing effulgence. So they are one thing. Just like fire. Fire, direct fire, temperature, and just outside the fire, temperature, and the heat of the fire outside -- although they are one, but the temperature different. Similarly, the sun-god and the sun globe and the sunshine, they are one, but different temperature. So one who knows this... That means one who knows that the Brahman effulgence is just like the sunshine outside, and the Paramatma feature is the expansion of the Supreme Lord everywhere. Andantara-stha-paramanu. He is everywhere, even within the atom. That is Paramatma feature. And ultimately it is coming from Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Aham sarvasya prabhavah [Bg. 10.8]. So one has to understand. Budha bhava-samanvitah. Budha. Budha means one who knows. So such person we have to... Tattva-darsi, one who knows what is tattva, what is Brahman, what is Paramatma, what is Bhagavan -- we have to approach such person. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12].
So in this way, as Devahuti... Devahuti is the mother of Kapiladeva, but she is taken instruction from his (her) son. His (her) son is... Kapiladeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So it doesn't matter whether God appears as my son or guru or father. God is there always. So we have to take knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is perfect knowledge. Because He is the origin of everything. Govindam adi-purusam. Adi-puru... The original person. So if we take lessons from the original person, that is perfect knowledge. Otherwise it is imperfect knowledge. So that... Somebody was asking about the parampara. So that parampara is very necessary, to know the knowledge by the parampara system. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. Parampara is very important thing. Therefore, unless we take to the parampara system, which is, in another word, it is called sampradaya... Sampradaya.
So to understand the Absolute Truth, there are four recognized sampradayas: the Brahma-sampradaya, the Rudra-sampradaya, the Kumara-sampradaya, and the Sri-sampradaya. Sri-sampradaya mean one sampradaya is coming from directly from the goddess of fortune, Laksmi. That is called Sri-sampradaya. And one sampradaya is coming from Lord Brahma. Tene brahma hrda adi-kavaye. The adi-kavi is Lord Brahma. He learned from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Tene brahma hrda. The Supreme Personality of Godhead instructed Lord Brahma from within the heart: tene brahma hrda. Hrda means within the heart. So in this way, instruction is received from Lord Brahma, from Lord Siva, from Laksmiji the goddess of fortune, and the Kumaras, Sanat-kumara, Sanaka, Sanatana, Sananda Kumara. They have got a sampradaya. So we have to approach the sampradaya. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Abhigacchet: "must approach the sampradaya," either of the sampradaya. Sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah: "If you don't take your instruction, mantra, from the sampradaya, then it is useless." It has no meaning, because they do not know. Therefore we have to take sampradaya, accept sampradaya.
So there are four sampradayas of the Vaisnavas. At the present moment they are known as Madhva-sampradaya, or Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya; or Ramanuja-sampradaya; or Visnu Svami-sampradaya; and Nimbarka-sampradaya. Here in Bombay, Vallabha-sampradaya, they belong to the Visnu Svami-sampradaya. So we have to approach the sampradaya. Without sampradaya, whatever we learn, that is not perfect. Sampradaya-vihinas ye mantras te nisphala matah. Just like we have got very nice example that in political field there are parties: "This is Congress party," "This is Communist party," "This is..." So these parties are recognized. Unless you belong to some party, you cannot stand for election. As it is there in the political field, sampradaya-vihina ye, they cannot stand, similarly, if one person who desires to advance in spiritual life, he must take initiation from the sampradaya.
So we belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya. Gaudiya means, Gaudiya... Gauda-desa is called Bengal. There are panca-gauda. Punjab is also called Gauda-desa. There are five gauda and five dravida. In southern India, they are called dravida, and in the north India, they are called gauda-desa. So Gauda, Bengal is also Gauda, and the Vaisnavas belonging to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult, they are called Gaudiya-Vaisnava, Bengali Vaisnava. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu happened to be a Bengali, but He belonged to the Madhva-sampradaya. His guru was Isvara Puri, and his guru, Isvara Puri's guru, was Madhavendra Puri. And Madhavendra Puri belonged to Madhvacarya-sampradaya. The Gopala, the Nathadvara Gopala, that belonged to... Originally it was owned by Madhavendra Puri. Then it was delivered, the Deity was delivered, to the Visnu Svami-sampradaya.
So anyway, if we require knowledge, factual knowledge, we must receive it directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is perfect knowledge. Therefore Devahuti is receiving knowledge. Although Kapiladeva is his (her) son, but because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he (she) is taking knowledge from Him. And if we take knowledge from Him also -- everything is there in the book -- then that is perfect knowledge. Therefore it is said, bhagavan uvaca. As Bhagavan is complete, purna, purnam adah purnat purnam udacyate -- He is purna, sampurna, complete -- so that knowledge is perfect.
So Kapiladeva is giving knowledge, beginning how the creation, the material creation, is begun. He is beginning from that point of view. Pradhanam prakrtim sad-asat and yat tat tri-gunatmakam. This material world is tri-gunamayi, tri-gunatmakam, or tri-gunamayi, the same thing. As Krsna said, daivi hy esa gunamayi, gunamayi [Bg. 7.14]. Guna. This material world, this prakrti, is gunamayi; there are three modes of material nature. So we are controlled by these tri-gunamayi, and we have to become gunatitam. As Krsna advises to Arjuna, traigunya-visaya veda nistraigunyo bhavarjuna: "You just try to become above the three gunas." That is human life. Human life is not meant for remaining within the category of these three gunas and struggle for existence. That is not human life. That is animal life.
mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah sasthanindriyani
prakrti-sthani karsati
[Bg. 15.7]
Krsna said that "The living entities, they are My part and parcel. They are as good as I am." But because the part and parcel of gold is also gold... It is nothing else. It may be small gold, but it is gold. Similarly, we may be very small fragmental part of the Supreme Person, Brahman, but we are Brahman. This is Brahman. Aham brahmasmi. This is Brahman realization. It is not very difficult. If you simply understand that "I am part and parcel of Krsna," that is Brahma-jnana. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. It does not take very much time, but it requires little brain, that "If I am part and parcel of God, then I must be qualitatively the same." Part of gold is also gold.
So that self-realization is not very difficult. But it requires a little fortune and intelligence. Aham brahmasmi. These big, big saintly person, they are undergoing severe penances and austerities to understand aham brahmasmi. But if you believe in the Bhagavad-gita statement, Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah: [Bg. 15.7] "The living entities are My part and parcel." So if Krsna is Parabrahman... Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. This is accepted by Arjuna when he heard Bhagavad-gita. At the end, he is accepting, "Krsna, You are Parabrahman." So if we are part and parcel of Parabrahman, then we must be Brahman. Where is the difficulty? So this brahmaham, brahmasmi, this Brahman realization, can be understood in a moment if you believe Bhagavad-gita as it is. But if you foolishly interpret in this way and that way, then it will take millions of years. You will not understand what is Bhagavad-gita, what is God, what is... But if you take it as it is, then immediately you can understand that you are Brahman. There is no difficulty.
So what is the duty of the part and parcel? That is also very easy to understand. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty of the finger? I ask the finger, "Please come here." It comes immediately. I ask the finger, "Come here." So that means service. Therefore part and parcel's duty is... Just like in a office, if I say, "This man is one of our part," or "one of my partner," a partner means he is working for the same interest. That is partner. So similarly, we are part and parcel of Krsna -- that means we must be partner of Krsna. And what Krsna wants? Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam [Bg. 18.66]. He wants. So as partner of Krsna, you should preach that "You surrender to Krsna." That is your business.
Thank you very much. (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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