Krishna Is All-Powerful

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.2
Mayapur, February 12, 1977

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Pradyumna: (reads synonyms, etc.) "Translation: The goddess of fortune, Laksmiji, was requested to go before the Lord by all the demigods present, who because of fear could not to so. But even she had never seen such a wonderful and extraordinary form of the Lord, and thus she could not approach Him."

Prabhupada:

saksat srih presita devair
drstva tam mahad adbhutam
adrstasruta-purvatvat
sa nopeyaya sankita
 [SB 7.9.2]

So Sri, Laksmi, she is always in company with Narayana, Bhagavan. Laksmi-Narayana. Wherever Narayana there is, there is Laksmi. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yassasah sriyah. Sriyah. So Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always full in six opulence: aisvarya, riches, samagrasya,  all riches... Nobody can compete with Him. Here in the material world there is competition. You have got one thousand; I have got two thousand; another man has three thousand or three millions. Nobody can say, "Here is the end. I have got money." No. That is not possible. There must be competition. Sama urdhva. Sama means "equal," and urdhva means "greater." So nobody can become equal with Narayana, and nobody can be greater than Narayana. This has become a fashion nowadays, that daridra-narayana. No. Daridra cannot be Narayana, neither Narayana can be daridra, because Narayana is always accompanied by Sri, Laksmiji. How He can be daridra? These are manufactured foolish imagination. Aparadha.

yas tu narayanam devam
brahma-rudradi-daivataih
samatvena vikseta
sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam
[Cc. Madhya 18.116]

Sastra says, yas tu narayanam devam. Narayana, the Supreme Lord... Brahma-rudradi daivataih. What to speak of daridra, even if you equalize Narayana with such big, big demigods like Brahma or like Lord Siva, if you look that "Narayana is as good as Lord Brahma or Lord Siva," samatvena vikseta sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam, immediately he's a pasandi. Pasandi means most wretched. This is the sastric injunction. Yas tu narayanam devam brahma-rudradi-daivataih samatvena.

So this has become a fashion, to equalize Narayana with everyone. So in this way India's culture has been dismantled. Narayana cannot be equal. Narayana personally says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Another word is used: asamaurdhva. Nobody can be equal with Narayana, Visnu-tattva. No. Om tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti surayah. This is Rg mantra. Visnoh padam paramam padam. Bhagavan is addressed by Arjuna, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. Paramam bhavan. So this pasandi imagination will kill one's advancement, spiritual life. Mayavada. Mayavada. So therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has strictly forbidden to associate with Mayavadi. Mayavadi bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa: [Cc. Madhya 6.169] "Anyone who has associated with the Mayavadi, his spiritual life is finished." Sarva-nasa. Mayavadi haya krsne aparadhi. You should be very, very careful to avoid these Mayavadi rascals. There cannot be such thing as "Narayana has become daridra." It is impossible.

So Narayana is always associated with saksat srih. Sri, especially here, Sri, Laksmiji, is mentioned, that she is associated with Narayana constantly. That Sri expansion is in the Vaikunthaloka. Laksmi-sahasra sata-sambrahma sevyamanam.

cintamani prakara-sadmasu kalpa vrksa
laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi sahasra-sata sambrahma-sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
 [Bs. 5.29]

Not only one Sri, Laksmi, but laksmi-sahasra-sata. And they are serving the Lord, sambrahma sevyamanam. We are praying to Laksmiji with sambrahma, "Mother, give me little money. Give me little favor I may be happy." We are worshiping Sri. Still, she does not remain, Sri. Sri's another name is Cancala. Cancala, she is in this material world. Today I may be millionaire, tomorrow I may be beggar in the street. Because every opulence depends on money. So money, here nobody can have fixed up. That is not possible. That Sri which is so flickering, they are worshiping the Lord with sambrahma,  with respect. Here we are thinking, "Laksmi may not go away," but there, Sri is thinking, "Krsna may not go away." That is the difference. Here we are afraid that Laksmi may go away at any moment, and they are afraid Krsna may go away. This is the difference. So such Krsna, such Narayana, how He can be daridra? This is all imagination.

So saksat sri. She is always associated. If anyone tries to separate Sri from Narayana, then he will be vanquished. The example is Ravana. Ravana wanted to separate Laksmi from Rama. This attempt is so dangerous that Ravana, instead of becoming happy... He was so-called happy, materially opulent. But as soon as he separated Laksmi from Narayana, he became vanquished with all his friend. So don't try to do that, to separate Laksmi from Narayana. She cannot be separated. But if anyone attempts like that, he'll be ruined. He'll be ruined. The example is Ravana. So at the present moment people are very much fond of sri, money. Sri-aisvarya. Sri-aisvarya. Sri-aisvarya prajepsavah. General people, they want sri, money, or beauty, beautiful woman. Sri-aisvarya, money, riches. Sri aisvarya prajepsavah. Praja. Praja means family, society, money. They want. So Sri is always hankered after, searched after. But do not try to keep Sri alone. Then you'll be ruined. This is the instruction. You do not try to keep Sri alone. Keep always with Narayana. Then you'll be happy. Keep Narayana. So those are riches, those who have got riches, rich, they should worship Narayana also with that money. Spend money. Money is meant for service of Narayana. So if you have got money, don't spoil it like Ravana, but engage it in Krsna's service. If you have got money, just spend it for very costly temple, for installing Laksmi-Narayana, Radha-Krsna, Sita-Rama, like that. Don't spoil your money in other way. Then you'll always remain rich. You'll never become poor. But as soon as you try to cheat Narayana, that "I have taken Your Laksmi," you starve. That policy is very bad.

So anyway, wherever there is Sri, there is Narayana, and wherever there is Narayana, there is Sri. Therefore Narayana and Sri... Nrsimhadeva is Narayana, and Laksmi, They are constantly assoc... Therefore the devas, the demigods, when they saw that "Narayana, Nrsimhadeva, was very, very angry. Nobody can pacify Him," so they thought that "Laksmiji is personal associate, constantly with Narayana, so let her go and pacify Him." That is stated here. Saksat srih presita devair. The devas, Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and others, they requested, "Mother, you try to pacify your husband. It is not possible by us." But she also became afraid. She also became afraid. Saksat srih presita devair drstva tam mahad adbhutam. She knows that "My husband has appeared as Nrsimhadeva," but because that wonderful feature of the Lord was so fearful, she did not dare to come before Him. Why? Now, adrstasruta-purvatvat: since she also never knew that the her husband can assume the form of Nrsimhadeva. This Nrsimhadeva feature was specifically adopted for Hiranyakasipu. This is all-powerful. Hiranyakasipu took benediction from Lord Brahma that no god, demigod can kill him, no man can kill him, no animal can kill him, and so on, so on, so on. Indirectly he made a plan that nobody could kill him. And because first of all he wanted to become immortal, so Lord Brahma said that "I am not immortal. How can I give you the benediction of becoming...? That is not possible." So these raksasas, demons, they are very intelligent, duskrtina, intelligent -- but for sinful activities. That is the feature of the raksasa. So he planned something, that "Indirectly I shall take benediction from Lord Brahma in such a way that I'll remain immortal." So in order to keep Brahma's promise, Narayana appeared as Nrsimhadeva, half lion and half man. Therefore adrstasruta-purva. Even Laksmi did not see such feature of the Lord, the half man, half lion. This is Narayana or Krsna, all-powerful. He can assume any form. That is... Adrsta asruta-purva. Never saw. Although she is associated with the Narayana, but she never saw such wonderful feature of the Narayana. Therefore it is said, adrsta asruta-purvatvat sa na upeyaya sankita. Laksmiji is chaste. So sankita: she was fearful, "May be He's different person." And she is the chaste, the most chaste. How she can mix with different person? Therefore sankita. This word is used, sankita. Although she is supposed to know everything, still, she was thinking, "May not be my husband." This is the ideal chaste, chastity, that even Laksmiji, being doubtful about Visnu, she did not talk, did not approach. Sankita. This is another quality of Laksmiji. She became afraid, "He may not be Narayana." Because she's never experienced of her husband such wonderful feature, half lion and half man. So adrstasruta-purvatvat sa nopeyaya sankita.

So if we study the character of Laksmi-Narayana, then we shall cease to manufacture such words as daridra-narayana or this or that. No. We should therefore never follow this pasandi.

yas tu narayanam devam
brahmarudradi-daivataih
samatvena vikseta
sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam
 [Cc. Madhya 18.116]

Pasandi means devil, or nondevotee. Abhakta hina cara. Be careful not to mix with nondevotee who imagines about God. They do not believe in God actually. This pasandi means who do not believe in God. They think that there is no God, but they simply say, "Yes, there is God, but God has no head, no tail, no mouth, nothing." And then what is God then? But these rascals say nirakara. Nirakara means there is no God. Say frankly that there is no God. Why do you say, "Yes, there is God, but He has no head, no tail, no leg, no hand"? So what is there? So this is another cheating. Those who are atheist, they say frankly, "I do not believe in God. There is no..." That we can understand. But these rascals, they say, "There is God, but nirakara." Nirakara means there is no God, but sometimes the word is used nirakara. But that nirakara does not mean God has no akara. That nirakara means that not this material akara. Isavarah paramah krsnahsac-cid-ananda vigrahah. His body is sac-cid-ananda. That is completely impossible to see within this material world. Our body is not sat. It is asat. This body which I have got now or you have got, it will remain so long this life... And when it is finished, it is finished forever. You'll never get this body again. Therefore asat.

But Krsna's body is not like that. Krsna's body is the same, sat, always the same. Krsna's another name is narakrti. Our body is imitation of Krsna's body, not that Krsna's body is imitation of our body. No. Krsna has got His body, narakrti, nara-vapu. These things are there. But that vapu is not like this asat. Our body is asat. It will not stay. His body is sac-cid-ananda. Our body is asat, acit and nirananda, just opposite. It will not stay, and there is no knowledge, acit, and there is no bliss. Always we are unhappy. So nirakara means not a body like this. His body is different. Ananda cinmaya rasa pratibhavitabhis [Bs. 5.37]. Ananda-cinmaya. Angani yasya sakalendriya vrtti-manti pasyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti [Bs. 5.32]. His angani, angani, parts of the body, are described, sakalendriya-vrtti-manti. I can see with my eyes. My, this special function of my, this part of the body is to see. But Krsna, sakalendriya-vrtti-manti -- He can not only see, but He can eat also. That is import. By seeing, we cannot eat, but whatever we offer, if Krsna sees, He eats also. Angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti. So how we can compare Krsna's body with our body? But avajananti mam mudhah [Bg. 9.11]. Those who are rascals, they think that "Krsna has two hands, two legs; therefore I am also Krsna. I am also." So don't be misled by the rascals, pasandi. Take as there in the sastra, learn it from authorized sources, and be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.2 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1977

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"Don't Be Animalistic Scholar"

75/02/12 Mexico, Bhagavad-gita 2.12



Prabhupada: Read the translation.

Hrdayananda: (Spanish) (translates into Spanish throughout lecture)

Prabhupada:

na tv evaham jatu nasam
na tvam neme janadhipah
na caiva na bhavisyamah
sarve vayam atah param
[Bg. 2.12]

So Krsna began His teaching to Arjuna, chastising him that "You do not know anything; still, you are talking like a learned man." This is the fault of a person without any spiritual knowledge. Every man in this material world is almost without any spiritual knowledge. Still, they are proud of their learning, their knowledge, their degrees. This is going on. When Sanatana Gosvami approached Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he first of all presented himself as a person without knowledge. Sanatana Gosvami was coming of a very brahmana, aristocratic family. He was very learned scholar in Sanskrit and Urdu; still, he presented himself before Caitanya Mahaprabhu as a foolish man. So actually that is the position. He said, gramya-vyavahare pandita, tai satya mani, apanara hitahita kichui na jani. He said that "These common men say that I am very learned pandita, but I am such a rascal, I do not know what I am."

So this is the position for everyone. You ask any learned scientist, professor, "Who are you?" He'll say, "I am Mr. John." He'll say, "I am Mr. John, I am American," or "I am Mexican," "I am Indian," like that. So this is ignorance. Nobody is this body. That is the first lesson of spiritual knowledge. So long we identify with this body, that "I am Mr. Such-and-such," "I am American," "I am Indian," this is all ignorance. When you actually understand that you are not this body -- therefore you are not American, nor Indian nor Mexican, but you are spirit soul -- then your spiritual education begins. And that is... In Sanskrit it is called aham brahmasmi: "I am spirit soul." Spiritual... Spirit soul has no connection with this material world. When one understands fully this, I mean to say, fact, that spirit soul is different from this material world, then he's actually learned. In that stage he's called situated in brahma-bhutah stage. The symptom of brahma-bhutah is brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as one becomes self-realized, he becomes jubilant, jolly. So long one identifies with this body, he is unhappy, full of anxiety.

So Bhagavad-gita begins with this point, that one should know that he is not this material body. That knowledge is lacking at the present moment throughout the whole world. Yes. Everyone is identifying with this body like the animals. Therefore Krsna chastised Arjuna that "You have got animalistic concept of life and still speaking like a very learned scholar. No learned scholar laments on account of this body." It is said in the Bhagavad-gita, dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. Dhira... Dhira means one who is sober by education. He is not disturbed. Just like when a man dies, his relatives lament, cry, "My father is gone. My father is gone. My father is no more," or "My son is no more." Anyway, they lament like that. But if he is little sober, he can understand, he can study, that "I am lamenting, ‘My father is gone,' ‘my son is gone,' but he's not gone. He's lying on the bed or on the floor. Then why I am speaking ‘gone'?" If some friend asks him, "Why you are lamenting, ‘my father is gone,' ‘my son is gone'? He's lying here," but still he will say, "No, he's not. He may be lying there, but he's gone." That is puzzle. He's lying there and gone? What is this contradiction? That is the point to understand about the soul. The relative is lamenting, crying, "My father is gone." That means he never saw his father; he saw the body only. But at the time of death of his father he understands that this father is not this body; that is soul.

So when we come to this understanding that every one of us, we may be in different body, but we are not this body, we are spirit soul, so that time, our actual knowledge begins. Now Krsna is describing what is the nature of that soul. He says... Whenever we sit down together we say "I, you and they," first person, second person and third person, "I, you, or he." There cannot be more than these three. I can say "I," I can say "you," and I can say "he." So Krsna says in this verse that na tu eva aham jatu: "Either I, you, or he, none of us ever born." Because we are not this body, the birth takes place of the body, not of the soul. The soul is described here that he does not take birth. It is not that he was not existing in the past; now he has taken birth. It is not like that. It is not like that, that the soul did not exist in the past; now he's existing. There are some philosophers, they think like that, that the living symptom was not existing before, and by the combination of matter the living force is there. But that is not the fact. The living being is there; therefore the life symptoms are there in the body. Therefore, when a man dies, because we do not know about the living force, we cry that "My father, my son, has gone."

So we should acquire knowledge from the authority. Krsna is the authority. He says that "All of us -- you, me, and all the others who have come to join this fighting -- it is not that they did not exist in the past. They existed. We existed, all, in the past, we are existing now, and after so-called death, or after quitting this body, we shall still exist." Now, the question will be "How I shall exist, either as American, Indian, or something else?" So that is very intelligent question. First of all, we have to understand that I, you, every one of us existed in the past, so how I existed in the past and how I shall exist in future? So past is past; that is gone. Now I am existing as a human being. It is my duty to understand how I shall exist in future. That is intelligence. If we do not prepare for the next life, then we are animals. Just like the human society. There is education. The father gives education to the child, thinking about his future. The cats and dogs, they do not give any education, neither they know what is the meaning of education. That is the difference between human being and animal. So if we are not educated in the matter of understanding what is our future, then we are no better than the animals. Yes. That education we can have in this human form of life. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

yanti deva-vrata devan
pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
bhutani yanti bhutejya
yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam
[Bg. 9.25]

The process is there. You can prepare your next life in this life. Just like they are attempting to go to the moon planet, but the fact is they could not go there. Why they could not go there? The reason is that wherever you go, you must be fit for that place. Even in this planet, suppose somebody goes from one place to another place. He has to make himself fit to go there. He must know what is the temperature there. Accordingly, he'll take his dress. Then he'll have to take permission of the state, visa, passport. So many things you have to arrange. Then you can go, not that all of a sudden anyone can come to your country, Mexico, without arrangement. Similarly, if you want to go to the higher planetary system, then you have to make your arrangement in this life. You cannot go to the moon planet by force because you have got a tiny airplane. That is not possible. Therefore Bhagavad-gita says, yanti deva-vrata devan [Bg. 9.25]. A man can go to the higher planetary system when he is preparing himself to go there. So there are millions and trillions of planets. Wherever you want, you can go. The descriptions are there in the sastra. But there is another description, the kingdom of God. That kingdom of God is there beyond this material sky. So we have to take information where that spiritual world is there. You can have it from Vedic literature. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. There is another nature, the spiritual nature, which is beyond this material nature. That material nature... Vyaktavyakta means some portion is manifested and some portion is not manifested. And we get information from Bhagavad-gita that the spiritual nature is beyond this manifested and nonmanifested cosmic situation. So Krsna says, the supreme authority says, mad-yajino 'pi yanti mam. If somebody cultivates Krsna consciousness, he can go there. It is not difficult; simply you have to change your mode of life. To become Krsna conscious means to be pure in the original spiritual existence. We are pure as Brahman, as spirit soul, but because we have contaminated these material modes of nature, our consciousness is now different. So on account of different consciousness, there are three classes of men. One class of men is very intelligent; one class of men, very passionate; and one class of men, fools and rascals. So in order to understand your promotion to the spiritual world, you have to become first-class man. First-class man means brahmana. A brahmana means he is truthful, he is self-controlled, he is simple, he is tolerant... In this way there are nine qualification to become first-class man. And to become first-class man, the preliminary qualification is that you should not become sinful.

So instead of becoming sinful, to become pious, you simply follow these four regulative principles. The first principle is illicit sex. That is forbidden. Sex is not forbidden, but illicit sex is forbidden. That is not very difficult. Everyone wants. That is the necessity of the body, that sex. As we want to eat, as we want to sleep, similarly, there is sex desire. But if you want to become first-class man, then don't have illicit sex. Except marriage, do not have sex. The human society... Therefore, human society, there is marriage. There is no marriage in the dog society. So therefore, sex life within marriage and regulative principle, that is not prohibited. That means anyone who follows these rules and regulation, he becomes purified and pious. Without becoming purified and pious, you cannot understand God. It is said therefore in the Bhagavad-gita,

yesam tv anta-gatam papam
jananam punya-karmanam
te dvandva-moha-nirmukta
bhajante mam drdha-vratah
[Bg. 7.28]

A person who is completely free from sinful activities, such person can become a devotee, a lover of God. So this Krsna consciousness movement is teaching to the human society how to become purified. There is no such restriction that "This man can be purified; that man cannot be." No, there is nothing like that. Everyone can be purified if he desires to be so. So immediately we may not be able to purify. As it is prescribed -- no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication -- it may not be possible because those who are accustomed, it is difficult to give up. Therefore the process is given very simple: "Chant Hare Krsna." So purification is absolute. That is necessary. Without purification, you cannot understand God. But the method we are prescribing... Not we are prescribing; it is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's prescription. We are simply propagating that "Chant Hare Krsna." Yes.

So I am very glad to see that you Mexican young boys, girls, ladies and gentlemen are coming here and joining the chanting Hare Krsna mantra. So I request you to continue this procedure. Please come here, join this chanting of Hare Krsna mantra, and take prasadam and go home. And surely you'll be purified and qualified for going back to home, back to Godhead. [break]

Hrdayananda: (translating from Spanish) So he is asking what type of piety is required to understand God.

Prabhupada: That we have already said: no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication.

Hrdayananda: (translates questions from Spanish) He wants to know if within marriage it is possible to achieve perfection.

Prabhupada: Yes. Human being is meant for marriage, not the cats and dogs. If you can remain without marriage, without sex life, that is very good, but if you cannot, then marry and be gentleman and remain peaceful.

Hrdayananda: (translates) If one can achieve Krsna consciousness outside the temple?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. You have to follow the rules and regulation, that's all.

Hrdayananda: He said, "If there is a spiritual world, what is it like, and what are the activities of Krsna there?"

Prabhupada: The same activities. Simply there is no sinful activity, that's all.

Hrdayananda: When one breaks the principles, can Krsna forgive him?

Prabhupada: Yes, Krsna can forgive you once, twice, not regularly. (laughter)

Hrdayananda: Sometimes people come and join our movement and follow the four principles, and even so, there appears to be some fault in their character in terms of their treatment of other people who come to the temple. So he says that he feels undoubtedly that by following the process gradually the defects will be eliminated, but is there any way to more rapidly...

Prabhupada: If a man comes, follows the regulative principle even for some time and again he falls down, so so long he has followed, that asset is permanent. Anything, spiritual asset, that is never lost. So little, little, little, when it is complete, cent percent, then you become liberated. Spiritual asset is never lost. So even a person comes to the temple and follows the regulative principle for some time -- again he falls down -- he's not loser; he's gainer. Others who do not take this lesson and outside they may perform his so-called duties very perfectly, he's loser. So at least for some time let every one of you come here and follow the restriction. And if you become perfect, is all right, but even if you go away, whatever you have done, that is your permanent asset. That is stated in the Bhagavad... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. And even that little asset can help you to become free from the greatest danger. There are many examples. They are stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Therefore, in this human form of life, at least we shall try to get some spiritual asset. So, in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated, even such person falls down, he is given chance next life to take birth in very rich, aristocratic family or in a very pious brahmana family. So, little spiritual asset in this human form of life will at least guarantee your next life in a very nice family. But without spiritual life there is no guarantee whether you are going to become human being or cat or dog. That's all right. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.12 -- Mexico, February 12, 1975