"Object Of Knowledge" 73/10/13 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 13.19

Prabhupada: Why don't you come forward? Back side, Yes.

iti ksetram tatha jnanam
jneyam coktum samasatah
mad-bhakta etad vijnaya
mad-bhavayopapadyate

"Thus the field of activities (the body), knowledge, and the knowable have been summarily described by Me. Only My devotees can understand this thoroughly and thus attain to My nature."

So svayam bhagavan, Krsna, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. We have many times explained the word bhagavan. Bhagavan means six opulences. Riches and... Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya. Potency. Viryasya yasasah, fame, reputation. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah, beauty, jnana, knowledge, and vairagya, detachment. When one is full with all these six opulences, he's God. So people try to get the opulences. Everyone is trying by karma, jnana, yoga. But nobody can attain the opulences in full strength. That is not possible. So the simple definition of God is that one who is in full six opulences, he's God. That has been analyzed by great saintly persons, including Lord Brahma, and it has been decided that the all the six opulences can be found in Krsna.

Therefore, Brahma's decree is given there in the Brahma-samhita,

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
[Bs. 5.1]

In the Bhagavad-gita also it is said, aham adir hi devanam maharsinam ca sarvasah. So that Supreme Personality of Krsna is giving us knowledge, the ultimate goal of knowledge. And the living entities, their body, field of activities in this thirteenth chapter they have been very thoroughly described. Although Krsna said it is summary. Because they cannot be described in full.

This body, how many bodies you have changed? Even in this life, we are changing our body. Every one of us, a little body of a child, then little grown-up body of a boy, then youthful body, then this old body. So as we are changing body, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. Similarly, after giving up this body, I will have to accept another body, and there are for eight million four hundred thousand species of forms of body. According to our karma, we have to accept another body.

Karmana daiva-netrena. By superior arrangement. You cannot say that "I want this kind of body." God is not your order supplier. You'll get. Either you ask for it or don't ask for it, you according to your karma, you'll have a next body. Karmana daiva... By the superior arrangement. If you work in this life like God you'll get next life a god's body. And if you work in this life as a dog then you get next the life as a dog. That is not in your hands. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Gunaih. According to your qualities, as you will work, and prakrti, nature, will give you a similar body.

Otherwise, why do we find so many varieties of bodies? So many varieties. Just like so many varieties of apartment, so many varieties of hotels, so many varieties of appointment. So you are appointed, you are put into an apartment, or hotel, according to the terms of your payment. That is karma. So you cannot say everything is also equal. That is nonsense. They cannot be equal because we are working under three qualities, goodness, passion and ignorance. If we work, field of activities... This, this body is field of activities. Nobody can work similarly because they have got field of activities different. My body is different, your body is different. You are acting according to your body. The hog is acting according to his body. The dog is acting according to his body. The president of some country is acting according to his body.

So we should have brain to understand that: "Why there are different personalities and different activities? Because there are different qualities. So to organize human society these qualities should be taken into consideration. We should divide. Just like in our body we have got four departments. This head department, the arm department, the belly department and the leg department. Everyone is working according to the departmental function. The brain is working differently. The office or the direction, the brain is giving direction. Then my hand is moving, my leg is moving. Similarly, there must be a directory department. In office also there are board of directors, then secretaries, then clerks, then menials, then servants, then caparasi. So even in your body this arrangement is there.

How can you avoid? If you simply say that "Let there be all heads," that cannot. Or "Let there be simply legs." That is cannot that cannot be. There must be the heads, the legs, the hands, the belly. Similarly, the whole society should be divided into that way and they should work cooperatively. The central point. Just like this head, leg, hands, they are working cooperatively for the benefit of this body, whole body. Actually for the benefit of this belly. Because we are all working now for eating without eating we cannot live. Then it is after sleeping, then mating the, then defending. First there must be arrangement for eating. So, practically the stomach is the king in this bodily arrangement, the stomach.

There is a story, Udarendriyanam in the Hitopadesa written by Visnusarma. There, there was strike. All the hands legs eyes, they observed strike, that "This belly, the stomach is eating only, and we are working. So we shall not work. We shall not work, stop working. Just like nowadays striking goes on. So they stopped working, and after few days, all of them became weak because they were not feeding the stomach. Then they arranged another conference. "Why we are becoming weak?" Then the fault was found out that because we are not giving to eat to the stomach. So all then agreed, "Well, let the stomach eat, and let us work." So this is the nature's arrangement. The stomach will simply eat and the hands and legs and eyes, they must work.

Similarly, the central point is Krsna, God. God must simply eat. You must work. We are all part and parcel of... Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. Just like part and parcel of my body. They must work. And the stomach shall eat. So this Krsna consciousness movement is that, that Krsna is the central stomach and you all work for Krsna. You are also benefited.

Just like here is Krsna. We are all working for Krsna whole day and night, but we are not starving. We are not starving, we are getting Krsna's prasada, nice foodstuff. So this cooperation should be... If you supply food to the stomach, the energy will be distributed to the hands, legs, fingers, eyes. And if you do not supply food, you cannot say that the fingers, if they capture a nice sweetmeat and if he cooperates, "No, I shall not give to the stomach. I shall eat." He cannot eat, the fingers cannot eat. It must give to the stomach and take the prasadam energy. Then the fingers and eyes will work, so we must serve.

Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita the last instruction is that "You surrender to Me. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So if we surrender to God and if we serve God, because we are part and parcel, then we shall be happy. The energy will come from the central.

Just like the energy is coming from the heart. Because, this is practical medically, and scientifically. The energy is coming. As soon as the heart fails, everything stops. And the energy is there because isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Hrd-dese, it is there, the isvara, the Supreme Lord as Paramatma, is situated within your heart. Now you find out, if you have got means to see. But the situation is given, described in the sastra.

Therefore yogis they try to find out God within the heart. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. Yogi, those who are yogis, transcendentalists, they are trying to observe the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dhyanavasthita, by meditation. That is real meditation, to focus the mind to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the heart. But who can see? That is also described in the sastra. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu [Bs. 5.38], again hrdayesu, hrdayesu. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah, santah, saintly person, being developed in Krsna consciousness, in love of Krsna...

Premanjana. And smearing the eyes with the ointment of love of Krsna. We can see Krsna, God, with these eyes when it is anointed with the particular medicine which is called love of Godhead. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah [Bs. 5.38], not ordinary man, santah. Advanced saintly persons. Santah sadaiva pasyanti. Where, where they see? Hrdayesu, in their own heart. Santah hrdayesu pasyanti. Yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **.

Yam syamasundaram. Krsna's another name is Syamasundara. He's blackish, but very beautiful. Generally, we don't like to see blackish people. But Krsna is so nice. Although He's blackish, He's kandarpa-koti-kamaniya. Barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam. These are described in the Vedic literature. Although He's blackish, He is more beautiful than millions of millions of cupids. Kandarpa-koti-kamaniya. So Krsna is so beauty. That is His Godliness. Because beauty is also... We don't worship nirakara. Beautiful, the most beautiful. The most beautiful. Krsna is the most beautiful, Radharani is the most beautiful. Couple, young couple. Our object of worship when we see how nice Radharani, how nice Krsna, beauty. Yes.

Wherefrom the beauty worship has come in this material world unless there is beauty in the original form, Krsna and Radharani? So God cannot be nirakara. Otherwise, why this beauty worship has come? What you'll say? Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. The Vedanta-sutra says. Whatever you see within this world, there is origin. It is only reflection. It is only reflection. Just like in the mirror, there is reflection of your beautiful face, and it looks beautiful because the face is beautiful. If the face is ugly, the reflection will be ugly.

So everything is there in God. Aham adir hi devanam. Another place, Krsna says, mattah sarvam pravartate. Aham sarvasya prabhavah. So Krsna is the origin of everything. Mattah sarvam pravartate. "Everything emanates from Me." That is the answer to the Vedanta-sutra, Brahma-sutra, Brahma-sutra. Athato brahma jijnasa. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. So the origin is there. The richness is there, the potency is there, the beauty is there, the riches is there, the knowledge is there, and the detachment is there. Just see.

Here, in this material world, it is all created by God. But how much He is detached, He does not live within this material world. He lives in His own abode, in the spiritual world. He has no attachment although He has created. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita.

maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na caham tesv avasthitah

Krsna says, maya tatam idam sarvam. Whatever you see, that is My expansion of energy." Just like the energy, sun, is there in the localized place and the energy, sunshine, is distributed all over the universe.

But you cannot say "Because I am in touch with the sunshine, therefore I am in touch with the sun." You are simultaneously, you are in touch with the sun at the same time not touching sun. Just like at the present moment at night we are not in touch with the sun because it is darkness. So when... We are not in touch with God when we forget Him. And as soon as we understand that everything is the energy of the Supreme Lord, then we immediately become in touch. That can be done, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38].

Therefore Krsna says, iti ksetram tatha jnanam jneyam coktum samasatah. "My dear Arjuna, now I have explained to you in summary, not in detail, what is this body, who is the knower of the body, proprietor of the body, ksetra-jna, and what is knowledge, and what is the object of knowledge. These things I have explained to you." So Krsna is explaining, everything. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita. You can become fully in knowledge if you read Bhagavad-gita carefully. But you must have the qualification. If you are a rascal, nonsense you cannot understand. This is plain thing. Rascals and nonsense cannot understand Bhagavad-gita. That is the first condition.

When Bhagavad-gita was taught to Arjuna, he said, bhakto 'si me sakha ceti rahasyam hy etad uttamam. "My dear Arjuna, I am speaking to you this mystery of Bhagavad-gita which was spoken long long ago to the sun-god, but now it is lost because the parampara is lost. Disciplic succession is lost. Therefore I am again speaking to you the same truth so that from you people will understand what is Bhagavad-gita."

"So why you have selected me, sir? I am an ordinary military man, I know how to fight. I am not a Vedantist, neither I am a brahmana. So why you have selected me? Because, the spiritual knowledge is meant for the Vedantist, brahmana, saintly person, and sannyasis. I am neither of them. Why You have selected me?"

Bhakto 'si. "Because you are My devotee." This is the qualification. Without becoming devotee no rascal can understand what is Bhagavad-gita. Again the same thing is spoken to Arjuna. Mad-bhakta etad vijnaya. "I have explained everything in summary, but only My devotee can understand. Not others." That is also concluded in the eighteenth chapter. One can understand God or Krsna: bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. If you want to understand Krsna, or God, then you have to become a devotee. Krsna does not say the jnani, karmi, yogi, they can understand. No.

Jnani, what is that jnani? Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. That is jnana. If you do not understand Krsna, if you do not surrender to Krsna, what is the value of your so-called knowledge? Srama eva hi kevalam. It is simply waste of time. If you do not understand Krsna you are studying Vedic literature, you are very good student of Vedas. That's all right. Have you understood Krsna? "No sir." Then it is useless. Useless waste of time. Because it is said: vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. If you actually understand Vedas, then you must understand Krsna. Jnani, I am jnani. What kind of jnani? Simply a speculation? Waste your time? This is not this, this is not this, this is not this? Neti neti vicara. This is simply called waste of... Kevala-bodha-labdhaye.

That is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhaktim udasya te vibho klisyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye. Kevala-bodha-labdhaye, simply to understand. And you can take any insignificant thing, and if you want to speculate upon it, you can write volumes of books, but what is the use of such knowledge? Simply waste of time.

But if by knowledge, you come to the point of bhakti, how to surrender to Krsna, then your knowledge is perfect. Therefore Krsna says that this knowledge, to surrender unto Me, how to surrender to Krsna, comes after many many births. Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. We are taking birth one after another, one after another, one after another. So in this way, not ordinary person. Ordinary persons, if they have no knowledge, then their next birth may be cats, dogs, trees, or anything else. Those who are in knowledge, urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah. Knowledge means those who are situated in the quality of goodness, prakasa, everything is clearly understood. That is knowledge.

So they, persons who are actually in knowledge, they are promoted to the higher planetary system. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha madhye tisthanti rajasah [Bg. 14.18]. If you have no knowledge, simply you are trying to enjoy the senses, as in this material world, everyone is busy how to enjoy senses, then you remain here. Madhye tisthanti rajasah. And if you are in darkness, neither you have knowledge, neither you have the capacity to enjoy this world, simply lazy and sleepy. That is the darkness. Then you become animal, trees, and other lower classes of species of life. These three things are going on.

Therefore, this knowledge means that to understand the Absolute Truth. That process is described. Jnanam. Amanitvam adambhitvam ksantir arjavam, acaryopasanam, bhakti. Mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate [Bg. 14.26]. Adhyatma-jnanartha-darsanam. Everything is described. Krsna said therefore that iti ksetram tatha jnanam. "I have described about this body and I have described about the knowledge and the object of knowledge. Everything I have described." But who will understand? That is also described here: mad-bhakta etad vijnaya. So that is the qualification. Unless one is devotee, one cannot.

That is so the politicians they cannot understand Bhagavad-gita. They will simply misuse. The politicians, the scholars, the so-called scholars, they cannot understand. Naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25]. They cannot understand. You have to become a devotee. Mad-bhakta. Devotee of Krsna. Not that... desa-bhakta. "That I am desa-bhakta. I am a bhakta of my wife, I am bhakta of my country." No no, you cannot understand. You get out. Mad-bhakta, krsna-bhakta. It is clearly said. How these rascals try to explain Bhagavad-gita without becoming krsna-bhakta?

It is clearly stated here. You have to become krsna-bhakta. If you actually understand, if you want to understand Krsna,"God, then you have to become. So this Krsna consciousness movement is for this purpose. We are making propaganda to teach people how to become krsna-bhakta and then he can understand Krsna, and as soon as he understands Krsna, he's liberated. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Krsna has already explained. If you simply understand Krsna in truth, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. He, after giving up this body, he does not come to this material world to accept another miserable body.

Then where does he go? Mad-yati tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. "He comes to Me. He comes to Me." Mad-bhava. Here it is also said, same thing, explained. Mad-bhakta etad vijnaya mad-bhavayopapadyate. Mad-bhava, "My nature." What is that nature? Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. Isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. He has got a body which is eternal, sat, and cit, full of knowledge. Sat, cit, and ananda, full of blissfulness.

So we are also searching after, because we are part and parcel of Krsna, we are also trying to become eternal. We are making scientific improvement how to live long. Nobody wants to die. That is also described previously. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. Actually we are making struggle. hard struggle, just to conquer over this miserable condition of life, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. But that is not possible. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi, you can conquer when you get the same nature as that of Krsna. Mad-bhavayopapadyate.

If you are able to acquire that nature, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1], then how is, how it is possible? That is mad-bhakta, mad-bhakta etad vijnaya. These three things. What is this body, who is the owner of this body, what is knowledge, what is the object of knowledge. If we understand these three things, then we can get, revive our original position. We are also sac-cid-ananda, but at the present moment our vigrahah, our body is different. This is, subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. This we have to conquer; this is the problem. I don't want to die, why death is enforced upon me? That these rascals they have no brain. That I don't want to die. How I can escape death? Just like we are trying to escape disease. We don't want to be diseased. As soon as we become diseased, we go to a doctor, we take medical help. "Sir, cure my disease, cure my disease." Then why don't you go to a doctor who can give you relief from death? But they have no brain. The educational system is so rascaldom that there is no brain. All over the world. There is no institution where people are being taught how to conquer over death. There is no such institution.

Only this Krsna consciousness movement is there. How to conquer over death. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. If one person is intelligent, if he's in knowledge, he should know that what improvement we are making. I am, I am Professor Einstein, big professor of science." "Sir, what you have done? You'll not die?" "No, I die." Then what is improvement? What is your improvement? Oh, you have discovered atomic bomb? That's all? Death is there. You have accelerated death. That's all. This is your qualification. People die, everyone dies, there is no need of atomic bomb. But you are great scientist, you have discovered atomic bomb so that a man who is not immediately to die, he'll also die. This is our improvement. And they're very much proud. Scientifically advanced.

First of all, discover that no more death. Then scientific advancement. No more disease. "No, we have got very good medicine for disease." That's all right. Stop disease. No, that we cannot do. Then what is the improvement? What is the improvement, nonsense? This is not improvement. Improvement means stop death, stop disease, stop old age, stop birth, also. There are so many contraceptive methods, birth control. Still, the population increasing. Increasing. So these are not solution. Real solution is here in the Bhagavad-gita. You get real knowledge, jnanam, jneyam, the object of knowledge. As it is stated by Bhagavad-gita, by Krsna Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Become His devotee, etad vijnaya, then, what is that? Mad-bhavayopapadyate.

Then, originally we, are part and parcel of Krsna just like a part and parcel of gold is gold. It is not earth or dirt, it is gold. But when it is covered by something else then it becomes something else. No. Similarly we are also as good as Krsna because we are part and parcel of Krsna. Acintya-bhedabheda. That is the philosophy of simultaneously one and different. We are one with Krsna in the sense by quality. As Krsna is sac-cid-ananda, eternal life, blissful life, knowledge, full of knowledge, we are also like that in minute quantity, not like Krsna. But there is the same quality. But now we are covered by this material energy. That Krsna is never covered. That is the difference between Krsna and ourselves although the quality is the same.

But we are prone to be covered. But Krsna is not prone to be covered. Otherwise, why should we take lessons from Krsna? If He's also like one of us, then what is the use of taking knowledge from Him? There is no use. But these rascals, they think that Krsna is like us. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because Krsna, by His causeless mercy comes down to teach you how to take you back to home, back to Godhead, rascals think that "Krsna is like us." Avajananti mam mudhah. Therefore Krsna says "All these lessons, instructions, can be assimilated, understood, by My devotee," mad-bhakta etad vijnaya. "And therefore they are eligible to get back his original consciousness." Mad-bhavayopapadyate. That is Krsna consciousness. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 13.19 -- Bombay, October 13, 1973

"Universal Effulgence Of Krsna" 73/10/12 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 13.18

Pradyumna: "He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone's heart."

Prabhupada: You have recited the word meaning?

Pradyumna: Yes Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada:

jyotisam api taj jyotis
tamasah param ucyate
jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam
hrdi sarvasya visthitam

Jyoti. Jyoti means light. There are different types of light. There is lamp. There is candle. There is electric bulb. The power also, they are different powers: one hundred powers, fifty powers, twenty-five... There are different grades of jyoti. But there is supreme jyoti.

Just like this moon. The moon. This night is full moon. This moon has got its illumination, but wherefrom this illumination comes? It comes from the sunshine. The sunshine is reflected on the moon, and the moon has become illuminating source. Just like in a mirror when there is reflection of the sunshine, the mirror can also reflect another dark place, not independently. Everyone... In childhood everyone has played with a mirror. Just put a mirror in front of the sunshine, and the reflection is there, and you can pass on the reflection in the darkest place and it will be illuminated. Have you got experience? Yes. Similarly, neither the mirror has got reflection, neither the dark place can be illuminated by the mirror. But when the sunshine is there on the mirror, the mirror acts as illuminating agent, and it dissipates the darkness of a corner. So sunshine is the source of all light.

In the material world we have got experience that sunshine, jyoti, prakasa... But wherefrom the sunshine comes? Sunshine is also a reflection of another jyoti, or illumination. That illumination is called brahmajyoti. And wherefrom that brahmajyoti emanates? That emanates from Krsna. Just like the sunshine is emanation from the sun globe, and the sun globe is fiery, illuminated, on account of the persons within the sun globe. They have got some bodily rays. That rays is emanating from their body. Therefore the whole sun planet looks like fiery planet. And from there the illumination comes, and it is reflecting on the moon, and the moon is illuminating the whole dark night. This is called purnima. So one is borrowing the illumination from the other. But there is the supreme source of illumination. That is Krsna.

That is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita: yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. Yasya prabha, the bodily rays of Krsna, being illuminated... In that illumination, which is called brahmajyoti, there are innumerable Vaikuntha planets. The Vaikuntha are self-illuminated. Therefore in the spiritual world there is no darkness. Tamasah param. Therefore is said here that taj jyotis tamasah param ucyate: "That spiritual world is beyond this material world." This material world is called tamah. Tamah means darkness. Just like this night, it is darkness. Why it is darkness? By nature it is dark. Simply by the sunshine, moonshine, electricity, we keep it brightened for some time. Otherwise, by nature it is darkness.

Similarly, there is another world, paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah [Bg. 8.20], another cosmic manifestation, spiritual manifestation, where there is no need of sunshine. Na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah [Bg. 15.6]. There is no need of sunshine. There is no need of moonshine as here in this darkness, material world. There is arrangement by God to illuminate the darkness of this world. There is sun; there is moon; there is electricity; there is fire. But in the spiritual world, which is tamasah param, which is beyond this darkness of this material world, there is jyoti.

Therefore here it is said, jyotisam api taj jyotih, param. There are different kinds of illumination, sunshine, moonshine, electricity, fire. But that jyoti which is directly emanating from Krsna's body, that is the real jyoti. So on account of Krsna's bodily rays, the whole creation is coming out. That is Krsna's inconceivable power, brahmajyoti. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Athato brahma jijnasa. In the Vedanta-sutra, you have to inquire about that param jyoti, brahmajyoti. And from that param jyoti, everything is coming out. Just like from the sunshine.

What is this material world? This material world is resting on the sunshine. Because the sunshine is there, therefore all the planets are rotating. There is a small machine. You'll find it. As soon as it is heated, within that machine the balls begin to rotate. Similarly, the certain temperature of the sunshine, the whole planetary system is rotating on the orbit, on account of the sunshine. This is scientifically true. And because there is sunshine, there is vegetation, there is water, there is rainfall, and from the rainfall, there is agricultural products.

So as the sunshine is the cause of all material variegatedness, similarly, the sunshine is also due to the brahmajyoti. The sunshine, yac caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam. The sun is described in the Brahma-samhita as the eyes of all the planets. Yac caksur esa, esa sakala-grahanam caksuh. The sun is the actual eyes for all the planets because unless there is sunshine you cannot see. We are very much proud of our eyes. Sometimes we challenge, "Can you show me God?" But he does not think that what power his eyes have got. It is simply completely dependant on the sunshine. If there is no sunshine his so called eyes are useless. Still, with that useless eyes he wants to see God. Just see. "Can you show me God? I am not seeing God, Therefore God cannot be seen. Therefore I don't believe in God." But he does not think that what power he has got to see. It is only dependant on sunshine. Not only this planet, all the planets, unless there is sunshine... Because it is darkness. This material world is simply darkness.

Tamaso ma jyotir gama. The Vedic instruction is that "Don't keep yourself in this darkness of material world. Come out to the spiritual world." Jyotir gama. So people do not think of their imperfectness of the senses, how the senses working, dependent on the laws of material nature. Still, one is very proud of his senses, especially of the eyes. Adhyaksina -- everything dependent on his eyes, although his eyes are completely useless without being helped by the light of the sun. So actually these eyes are useless. The eyes of the eyes is the sun. Yac caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam. Every planetary system there are many millions and trillions of living entities. They can see only when there is sunrise.

This gayatri-mantra is, therefore, offering prayer to the savita. Om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi. Sunshine. So sunshine is... But there are many suns, not only one sun. As there are many universes, yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. Koti means innumerable. Numberless universes. And in each and every universe there is sunshine.

So this sunshine is reflection of the brahmajyoti. Yasya prabha prabhavatah [Bs. 5.40]. When the bodily rays, shining rays, of Krsna is there, then all these universes are generated. The universes are also generated. In another place, yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]. Jagad-anda-nathah means... Jagad-anda means universe. Each universe has a principle living being. That is Lord Brahma. So there are many innumerable Brahmas also, innumerable Sivas, innumerable suns, innumerable moons, because there are innumerable universes. And each and every universe, there are innumerable planets. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi [Bs. 5.40]. Vasudha means this planet.

Vibhuti-bhinnam. Each planet has got different atmosphere. Therefore these people, they cannot understand what is the atmosphere. They understand. Some scientists, they say the atmosphere in the moon planet is two hundred degrees below zero. So there are difference of scientists' opinion, but according to Vedic literature we understand that there are innumerable planets, and one of the planets is the moon planet. Naksatranam aham sasi. Naksatranam: "Among the stars and planets," Krsna says, "I am the moon."

So jyotisam api jyotis tamasah param. So this jyoti, this illumination, is beyond this material world. And because there is illumination, that illumination is reflected in the material world. You will find the reflection, bluish reflection, in the sky. It means that brahmajyoti is bluish because it is coming out from the blue body of Krsna. Therefore it is bluish. We see the sky bluish, and in darkness we see, although it is darkness, there is some brightness in the sky. Always the sky is... The sky is everywhere, but the covering is seven times covered by different types of material elements, and that brahmajyoti is penetrating through the covers, and little reflection we can see in the sky. So therefore, here it is said,

jyotisam api taj jyotis
tamasah param ucyate
jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam
hrdi sarvasya visthitam

Visthitam. Krsna is situated in everyone's heart. Actually He is knowledge, and He is the object of knowledge, jneyam, and one should try to understand Krsna. Jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam. And He is in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Simply we have to know the process how to know Him. That is explained already, We have discussed. Amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa ksantir arjavam, acaryopasanam, indriya, vinigrahah, bhakti-yoga... Mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena... [Bg. 14.26]. These things are already discussed. So human life is meant for understanding this. Athato brahma-jijna... These are all Brahman subject. They are not material subject matter. Tattva-vastu. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam [SB 1.2.11].

So this Vedic civilization is meant for Brahman realization. Therefore we have got so many Vedic literatures. Bhagavad-gita is only a part, ABCD, the first book of spiritual knowledge. Still, people are so degraded that they cannot understand even Bhagavad-gita, the ABCD. What they will understand, other things? Their education is so poor and they are so unfortunate that even Bhagavad-gita which Krsna left behind Him...

Krsna was present five thousand years ago on this planet, and just to benefit us He left His instruction, Bhagavad-gita. Arjuna did not require the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. He was already enlightened, but he presented himself as a fool just to induce the Lord to speak on Bhagavad-gita, and it is noted by Vyasadeva, Vedavyasa, in the Mahabharata, so that people may take advantage of the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything is there, what is this brahmajyoti, what is this material world, what is that spiritual world, what is our object of life, what we should know.

But we are... Because we are so much influenced by the material world, especially in this age of Kali, the age of misunderstanding and quarreling, that people are... Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. Prayenalpayusah kalav asmin yuge janah. In this age their life is very short. Span of life is very short. And manda, all bad, not good men. Manda. And even there are so-called good men, they have their own process of knowledge, speculative process, godless. The main basic principle of speculative process is to avoid Krsna, to avoid God. There are so many commentaries on Bhagavad-gita to make Krsna nil. That is mental speculation. Somebody is saying that in the there is karma only recommended. Somebody says jnana. Somebody says yoga. Somebody says bhakti.

But actually Bhagavad-gita is meant for bhaktas. Bhakto 'si sakha ceti. Bhagavad-gita was instructed to Arjuna for his only qualification, that he was a devotee of Krsna. Bhakto 'si me sakha ceti. So the whole Bhagavad-gita is the essence of Vedic knowledge, and the Vedic knowledge means to understand Krsna. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15]. Vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. Even if you study Vedic literature, without bhakti, without studying the Vedic literature, you cannot understand the Absolute Truth. Bhaktya sruta-grhitaya. Tac chraddadhana munayo jnana-vairagya-yuktaya [SB 1.2.12]. Tac chraddadhana munayah. Those who are faithful, such great saintly persons, sraddadhana munayo jnana-vairagya-yuktaya... Jnana-vairagya-yuktaya. There is sufficient knowledge and vairagya, detachment.

Vairagya... Vedanta knowledge is not to be discussed on the table as a recreation, taking tea and smoking and discussing on Vedanta-sutra. This kind of discussion will not help. Jnana-vairagya-yuktaya. Vairagya. There must be detachment from material activities. Tac chraddadhana munayo jnana-vairagya... [SB 1.2.12], pasyanty atmani catmanam bhaktya sruta-grhitaya. Bhaktya. There must be bhakti. And what kind of bhakti? Not sentiment but sruta-grhitaya, taking, accepting bhakti, the devotional path, after being completely aware of the spiritual science. Bhaktya sruta-grhitaya.

Sruta. The specific meaning of sruta means this knowledge has to be received through the ear, through the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. Sruta-grhitaya. It is never explained in the Vedic literature that the science of God can be understood by the eyes. No. It has been mentioned, the tongue and the ear. These are the sources. Sruta-grhitaya. One must hear the Vedic literature. The Vedic literature is called, therefore, sruti. Srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. Srotriyam. Formerly there was no book. The students used to hear from the spiritual master. Sruta, srotriyam. That was perfect. There was no need of literacy. That ear is sufficient. Sruta-grhitaya. Tac chraddadhana munayo jnana-vairagya...[SB 1.2.12]. And hearing, hearing, hearing, one becomes enlightened with knowledge, and the effect of knowledge is vairagya. Vairagya, detachment. Otherwise, we, hearing or studying... But there is no vairagya.

Even big, big sannyasis, they cannot... They are in a saffron dress but they Vairagya... So far vairagya is concerned, if you study their inner history, there is no vairagya. They are attached to all kinds of material enjoyment. Simply a show-bottle dress. That will not help.

There must be vairagya. That vairagya can be achieved by bha... Bhaktya sruta-grhitaya. When you hear... Bhakta means through the devotees, or you becoming devotee. There must be devotional service. And bhakti means sevonmukha, the attitude of rendering service to the Lord. That is bhakti. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti means when you engage your senses for the service of the master of the senses, Hrsikesa. That is called is bhakti. Bhakti is not sentiment.

Just like these boys, these American, European boys, Indian boys, who are working for Krsna Consciousness. They are simply engaging their senses in the service of the master of the senses, Krsna. Therefore they are making progress. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. When you engage your tongue in the loving service of the Lord, He becomes revealed. He manifests Himself. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna... [Bg. 18.61]. He is already there within your heart, and if you become purified... Tat-paratvena nirmalam, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], if you become nirmala, if you become purified...

How you can become purified? Tat-paratvena. Just being absorbed in thought of Krsna. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. If you simply remain always in fire, then you remain always warm. There is no possibility of being caught by the chilly coldness. That is not possible. Daivi hy esa mama maya duratyaya.

daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]

So the only process for keeping yourself aloof from the touch of maya is bhakti. Is bhakti. That is the conclusion of all sastras. Without taking to the process of bhakti, you cannot get out of the influence of maya. That is required. That is the objective of life. Jneyam jnana-gamyam. So if we utilize our life for understanding the supreme, jneyam jnana-gamyam... Mayi ca, ananya-yogena bhakti... If you learn that art, how you can become ananya-yoga-bhakti, avyabhicarini-bhakti, then you'll understand what is Krsna. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. By tattva, by truth, you will be able to understand Krsna, and as soon as you understand Krsna, your life becomes successful. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah.

So the same tattva, in truth, not superficially, if you understand Krsna, then tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. After giving up this body, you'll not have to accept another material body. That is samsiddhim paramam gatah. That is highest perfection of life. If you don't accept anymore the material form of body...

There are eight million four hundred thousand species of body. Any type of body we accept, it is troublesome. It is miserable. Matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah. The bodily pains and pleasures are perceivable, matra-sparsa, because we have got this material skin, matra, and when it is touched, in touch with the influence of this material world, matra-sparsah, you become subject of pains and pleasures.

But if you don't have this material body, then you are untouched by the material qualities, you are completely in spiritual body, so there is no question of pains and pleasure. It is simply blissful life.

mam upetya punar janma
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
[Bg. 8.15]

That is the highest perfection of life. If you come back, if you go back to home, back to Godhead, Krsna, there you get sac-cid-ananda body, eternal, blissful body of knowledge. And that is our aim, jnana-gamyam, jneyam. That is jnana-gamyam.

Therefore the bhakti path has to be accepted -- bhaktya sruta-grhitaya -- by knowledge in the Vedic literature, by hearing. Sruta-grhitaya means I... You... The Vedic literature is also understood by hearing from the bona fide spiritual master. Satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah. Unless you hear from realized soul, it is not possible. Simply by speculation it is useless waste of time. Tesam klesala eva sisyate. After hearing for many, many years the Vedas from the non-realized soul, simply hearing from this hole of the ear and going out from the other hole -- that kind of hearing will not help us.

Therefore Krsna says that satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah. Satam prasangat. In the association of devotees, if you discuss about the message of Krsna, then it becomes very relishable, pleasing to the ear and the heart. And if we bring them into practical use of life, taj-josanad asu, very soon, apavarga-vartmani, on the path of liberation, sraddha, faith, bhakti, devotion, rati, attachment, anukramisyati, comes one after another, one after another. So this is the process. So we shall discuss tomorrow again. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973

"Krishna Is Eveywhere In Full" 73/10/11 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 13.17

Pradyumna: Although the Supersoul appears to be divided among all beings, He is never divided. He is situated as one. Although He is maintainer of every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours and develops all.

Prabhupada: Avibhaktam ca bhutesu, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. This is another statement of Bhagavad-gita, that the Lord, Supreme Lord, he is situated in everyone's heart, hrd-dese, particularly pointed out. Hrd-dese means "in the heart". Hrt means heart. So modern medical science, they see that the energy is coming from the heart and as soon as the heart stops to work, it is said that the body is dead. So here also the same thing is confirmed. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. They cannot say, explain, why the heart stops, but here we get the explanation that as soon as the soul, both the soul and the Supersoul, leave this body, then it is only a lump of matter only. "Dust thou art; dust thou beist." It is developed from these material elements, five gross elements and three subtle elements, but so long... It works as long as the soul, the spirit soul and the Supersoul, remains.

The soul and the Supersoul, it is stated in the Vedic literature, Upanisad, they are sitting in one branch of the tree together as friends. The soul and the Supersoul, both of them are within the heart. But the soul is now looking forward for material enjoyment. And the Supersoul is witnessing the material activities of the individual soul. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: anumanta upadrasta. Upadrasta means overseeing. For every action we are doing there is witness. That is karmavada, witness.

Suppose one man has done something wrong in the criminal court, one requires witness. Either to punish him or to release him, the witness required. So witness is there. The Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramatma, He is there as witness; anumanta upadrasta. Anumanta means without the sanction of the Paramatma, the individual soul cannot do anything. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah: "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: [Bg. 15.15] "Through Me everyone is getting remembrance, smrtir jnanam, knowledge and everyone is forgetting also." That is due to this Paramatma, or Supersoul.

We are now in forgotten state. This conditioned material life means we have forgotten our real constitutional position. I am thinking, "I am this body," but I am not this body. I am spirit soul; aham brahmasmi. But we have forgotten it. We have forgotten our relationship with the Supreme Lord. This forgetfulness is also due to the influence of the Supersoul. Because we wanted to act... Just like a very first-class dramatic director, he instructs the player in such a way that sometimes he forgets. The more he forgets he plays very nicely. Similarly, we wanted to enjoy this material world, so unless we forget completely that "I am spirit soul, I am not this body, actually I can not enjoy...? So that forgetfulness is also due to the Supersoul. He is giving us full chance. But His advice that "Do not become entangled in these material activities." Therefore his instruction is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is His instruction.

But we do not want that. We want to forget and entangle ourselves in these material activities. Therefore Krsna, by the agency of his maya, illusory energy, helps us in forgetting. But if we want to revive our original consciousness, then also Krsna helps you. Buddhi-yogam dadami tam. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te
[Bg. 10.10]

So two things. We are at liberty to make our choice. If we want to enjoy this material world, Krsna will provide it, provide all facilities. You can enjoy. But Krsna says that you'll never be happy, never be happy. You'll simply be more entangled. More entangled means now I have got this human form of body, but according to my desire at the time of death I may get another body, which may not be human form of body. There are eight million four hundred thousand forms of bodies. I can get one of them. These are very subtle things. One has to understand it. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. At the time of death our next body will be decided according to my mental condition.

So entanglement means today I am thinking, "I have got this body" -- Indian body or American body or this body or this body or fat body, thin body -- tomorrow I may not possess. As soon as I get another body, that means the chapter changes. If I get the body of a dog then I may act like a dog. If I get the body of a hog, then I act like a hog. And if I get the body of a God... God you cannot. Demigod, higher standard of life, then you can act like that. The body is the destiny. With the body everything is destined, your material happiness and distress, everything.

That is called adrsta. Adrsta means that which you can not see, but it has been fixed up by superior intelligence, that this much you will get. Therefore we see so many divisions of status; one man is working very hard day and night, but it is very difficult for him to collect even so much money that [he] can eat nicely. Because the body is made for that. Similarly, another man, born with silver spoon in the mouth. He hasn't got to try very much, but he gets his money quickly, very quickly. Therefore the Bhagavata says, that "Don't waste your time for so-called happiness and distress. Don't waste your time. Because you are already destined to receive a standard of happiness and distress." You cannot change it. But you can change your consciousness. That is possible. But you cannot change your material position.

The modern people, they do not know. They do not know it that material condition cannot be changed. Take, for example, the pig. His body is meant for eating stool. So you cannot induce him to eat halava. They cannot. He'll not accept it. Because the body is made like that. But in the human form, if we change our consciousness, then we become, we can revive our original status. Original status means eternal life of blissfulness and knowledge. That is the original life. Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. So that Supersoul is always helping us as friend. Therefore here it is said, avibhaktam ca bhutesu. Avibhaktam ca bhutesu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam. The Supersoul appears like an individual soul. He is staying as friend. So He has been divided. Vibhaktam iva, "as if divided." It is not divided.

The example you can understand Just like there is sun in the sky, and if you keep millions of pots with water, you will find the sun is reflected there. That does not mean that the sun has divided into millions. This is the best example. Just like there are millions of people standing at twelve o'clock. And you ask every one of them even five thousand miles away, that "Were is the sun?" Everyone will say, "It is on my head." Does it mean that the sun has divided into millions of personal..., on each head sun is standing. No, sun is one. But it appears like that.

Therefore, it is is said, avibhaktam ca bhutesu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam. He is not vibhakta. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Isvara, the Supreme Lord as Supersoul, is staying in everyone's heart. That does not mean he has become divided. No, he is one. That is already explained, that sarva-ksetresu bharata. Ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata. Krsna said that in each and every individual body there is the soul, ksetra-jna. This body is ksetra, field of activities. And within the body the soul is there. He is working according to the position, he is working. So he is ksetra-jna. Just like I know it is my body. I don't say, "It is I body." No, I say, "My body." You say, "My body." Everyone says. I know, "This is my body." If I see my finger, I think, "It is my finger." I don't think, "I finger," because I am not this body. Anyone, simply little sober thinking. So therefore, one who knows that "It is my body," he is ksetra-jna. He knows. And the body is called ksetra. Idam sariram ksetram ity abhidhiyate. This sarira is called ksetra, field of activities. According to my body, I am acting. That is my field of activities.

And Krsna says also that ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata. Just like I am living entity. I am soul. I know the business of my body; the pains and pleasures of my body I know. But the pains and pleasures of your body I do not know. Neither you know my pains and pleasures. So we are all individual. But there is another proprietor. Actually, He is the proprietor. He is the proprietor; we are simply occupier. Just like of a house there are two persons. One is the proprietor of the house; another tenant is the occupier. So we are simply occupiers. Real proprietor is Krsna. Sarva-ksetresu bharata. Ksetra-jnam capi mam... That is isvarah sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 18.61]. He knows everyone, what you are doing. Not only I, you. Everyone.

Therefore it is stated that "That Supreme person, Brahman," avibhaktam ca bhutesu, "He is staying in everyone's heart." That is Krsna. Just like I am sitting here. I am not in my apartment. You are sitting here. You are not in your apartment because you are limited. But Krsna, although he is living in his Goloka Vrndavana planet, he is everywhere. That is already explained. Yesterday we have already discussed. Bahir antas ca bhutanam acaram caram eva ca, suksmatvat... Sarvatah pani-padam tat sarvato 'ksi-siro-mukham. We have discussed all these things. That is Krsna. That is God. That He is in His... That is confirmed in the Isopanisad. Isopanisad. Isavasyam idam sarvam yat kinca jagatyam jagat, tena tyaktena bhu... And... So everywhere is Krsna; everywhere is God. Sarvatah pani-padam. He has got hands and legs everywhere. And because he has got hands everywhere, therefore when you offer something to Krsna, or God, with faith and love, He can accept. Not that because He is far, far away, therefore I am offering something with faith and love, He can not accept. No He can accept.

Just like a bank. A bank can accept your deposit from any branch. Immediately your account is credited. Similarly, in the Brahma-samhita it is said, goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. That is Krsna; that is God, that he is always existing in His abode, but akhilatma-bhutah, at the same time He is existing everywhere within the creation. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham. Some philosophers attempt, say that "He is everywhere, but He is not in His abode." That is mistake. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavisisyate. In his fullness, if He is presented everywhere, still, in his fullness He is in his abode. Just like I am not in fullness in my apartment. Maybe there is some message I can leave, but I am not in fullness. But Krsna, God, can remain everywhere in fullness. Akhilatma-bhutah. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37].

So that is Krsna Consciousness perception. And He is living. Because He... The Mayavadi philosophers, they are accepting that Krsna, or Parabrahman, or God, because He is in everywhere, He has no personal feature. That is a poor fund of knowledge. That is not God. Because we are thinking materially. Just like if I take a piece of paper and tear it into small pieces and throw it then the original paper has no existence. This is called Mayavada, Mayavada, or imperfect knowledge. Because I am thinking that materially, if one thing is broken into pieces and thrown, the original form is lost, no more. It becomes impersonal. No. The Veda says that purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate. You take the full God, full... Even God fully represented in every atom, still, He is purna. That is... One minus one equal to one. And one plus one equal to one. That is Absolute idea. But we calculate from materialistic point of view. As we with our tiny brain, we think like that.

Therefore Jiva Gosvami says, "Unless you accept inconceivable power of the Supreme Lord, you cannot understand God. That is not possible." If your compare with your conceivable power, that "God may be like this..." That Dr. Frog's calculation of the Atlantic Ocean. That story you know, frog, frog philosophy. Kupa-manduka-nyaya. A frog lives within the well, and he's calculating the length and breadth of the Atlantic Ocean. How it is possible? It is not possible. So we are the frogs in the well. We have got limited capacity to understand. Our senses are limited. We are thinking Krsna, or God, also, He is also limited. This is our fault. This is called poor fund of knowledge. You cannot compare with God. But the Mayavadi philosophers speculate like that and spoil their own time as spoils others'. But that is not possible. So

avibhaktam ca bhutesu
vibhaktam iva ca sthitam
bhuta-bhartr ca taj jneyam
grasisnu prabhavisnu ca

He is giving all the necessities. The Supreme Lord, he is giving all the necessities of every living entity.

Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. This is Vedic instruction. Upanisad. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam, eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. That two eternals and two living entities... One is plural number, nityanam -- this is plural number -- and nityah -- that is singular number. Nityo nityanam. The Lord is also a living entity. Just like we are living entity, we have got our senses, similarly, God has also senses, but his senses are not limited. Our senses are limited. That is the difference. So nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. And what is the difference between this singular and plural number? The eka, singular number, yo vidadhati kaman, bahunam.

And actually, God is feeding us. You will find in Africa, there are millions of elephants. Who is giving them food? In your home, within the hole, you will find millions of ants. Are you giving them food? Who is giving them food? There are so many birds and beasts. There is no ration, government ration for them. They are eating. No bird we have seen ever that it has died out of starvation. We have never experienced. But we are engaged in philanthropic work, to give food to the poor, as if God is unable to give food to the poor, because we have taken the position of God. So this is not our business. God has food for everyone. If one is suffering, that is his own fault. Just like in the hospital, you'll go. You'll find so many patients are starving. Does it mean the patients are starving for want of food? No. He must starve; otherwise he will not be cured. That is destiny, called.

So these are not our business to see. Our own business is how to revive our original consciousness. That is our only business. [break] (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 13.17 -- Bombay, October 11, 1973

"The Supreme Truth Is A Person" 73/10/10 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 13.16

Prabhupada:

bahir antas ca bhutanam
acaram caram eva ca
suksmatvat tad avijneyam
durastham cantike ca tat

The Supreme Truth, Absolute Truth, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We should always remember the Supreme Truth in the ultimate issue is the person. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. Without understanding this tattva, we cannot understand the Absolute Truth. The first realization is impersonal Brahman. Then still further, advanced realization is localized Paramatma, and still further, advanced realization is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
[SB 1.2.11]

The Absolute Truth, the same objective, to the less intelligent class of men or in the beginners, He appears to be impersonal, Brahman, impersonal Brahman.

Just like, the same example, as we are very, very far away, ninety million miles away from the sun planet, we can touch the sunshine, not the sun planet. That is not possible. We have no such power that we can touch the... Although the sun planet is there, everyone can go and touch it, but it is beyond our power. This is the position of our material experience, and what to speak of spiritual experience?

About the spiritual experience, it is stated in the Brahma-samhita,

panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo
vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam
so 'pyasti yat prapada-simny avicintya-tattve
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs 5.34]

There is a planet. Just like you see the sun planet. It is in your front, you are daily seeing it, but you have no power to go there. This is about the material planet, and how you can approach the spiritual planet where Krsna lives, Goloka Vrndavana? Goloka eva nivasati. Everything is there, but you require power to reach.

So, we can realize in the beginning the sunshine. Then, if we are able to approach the sun planet, that also not possible, but still, we can hope. But still, you have to enter the sun planet, and there is sun-god. From the sun-god the glaring effulgence, the sunshine, is coming. Although the sunshine and the sun globe and within the sun globe the sun-god, they are of the same thing, quality, light and heat, still, there are degrees of light and heat. You can touch the sunshine but you cannot touch the sun globe, neither you can enter the sun globe. That requires a different power.

So this is material, and now this sun shining and the sun globe is also stated in the Brahma-samhita, that

yac caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam
raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah
yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Now this sun globe, it is very powerful planet within this universe. Therefore it is called the king of all planets. Yac caksur esa savita. Savita means the sun planet. Sakala-grahanam raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah. Unlimited power, asesa-tejah. But still, this sun planet is also moving in its orbit. The sun planet has got its orbit. All planets, they have got their orbit. Yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakrah. Kala-cakrah. It is moving like that, sixteen thousand miles per second, the speed of sun planet. Everything is described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

So still, such a big planet, powerful planet, it is rotating under someone's order. That is Govinda. Yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. There must be someone directing. Don't think it is automatically moving. There is direction. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]

So we are not so intelligent to understand that the material nature is working, moving, under the direction of the Supreme Personality. But we can experience it.

Just like a machine, computer, a very subtle machine. It is working wonderfully. But there is a person who is pushing the button. Without that the machine is useless. It is lump of matter. Similarly this gigantic universe, cosmic manifestation, nature, is working very wonderfully. The sun is moving, moon is moving and the earth is moving, everything in right direction and minute time, and not a single inch is moving here and there. Everything is going on nicely. How? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita,

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]

It is under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So jneyam. Krsna is explaining the subject matter of knowledge. First of all Krsna has explained the process of knowledge. Amanitvam adambhitvam ksantir arjavam. Mayi cananya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicarini. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam. These are the process of knowledge, to know. If we remain befooled, ignorant, that we are missing the chance.

Everything we can know. This human form of body is specially meant for that purpose. You can understand what you are, what is this material nature, what is God and how we are related, how things are going on. Everything is there, but we are so foolish that we do not take care. We live like cats and dogs, eat something and sleep and have sexual intercourse and then we are afraid always and then die. This is cats' and dogs' life. Real life is to know, athato brahma jijnasa. That is real life, human life. One must be inquisitive to understand the Absolute Truth, brahma-jijnasa, not inquiring in the market, "What is the rate of share? What is the rate of rice? No, not for this inquiry. Jijnasuh sreya uttamam. To inquire about the Absolute Truth, uttamam, beyond this material nature. Udgata tamam. This material nature is called tama. Tamaso ma jyotir gama. These are the Vedic injunctions.

You have to enter, you have to understand the world of light. This world is the world of darkness. It is simply... We require, therefore, sunlight, moonlight, electric light. Otherwise it is dark. It is called tamah. But there is another world which is full of light. It is so full of light that you do not require the sunlight, moonlight or electric light there.

na tad bhasayate suryo
na sasanko na pavakah
yad gatva na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama
[Bg. 15.6]

The spiritual world there is. Paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. Everything is there, but we do not take care. We think that "We have understood three bighas of land, my neighborhood" or "this, my India" or "my America," "this planet," "That is sufficient knowledge." No, that is not sufficient knowledge. You have to know so many things. But if you understand Krsna, to understand Krsna means to understand everything. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati. If you try to...

This Krsna consciousness movement is that try to understand Krsna, as Krsna is speaking in the Bhagavad-gita. Don't mal-interpret. Don't be foolish, that "Krsna means this, Kuruksetra means that," manufacture some words and you be also foolish and make others foolish. No. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is. Then you'll understand everything.

Now here Krsna says, bahir antas ca bhutanam. The Absolute Truth is there, bahir antas ca, not that it is in a different position or different angle of vision. You are already in the Absolute Truth, even materially conception. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca. These are the material elements, five gross elements and three subtle elements. So even taken materially, so what is this material? We have already explained. The materials are different energies of the Supreme Lord. Bhinna me prakrtir astadha. Krsna says, "These eight kinds of material nature, subtle and gross, they are My energy, inferior energy." Itas tu viddhi me prakrtim param.

So, the mind is within, the intelligence is within, the soul is within, and outside your body... So this body made of five elements, they are also Krsna's energy, and within, the mind, intelligence and the soul, that is also Krsna's energy. Two kinds of energies: supreme, er, inferior and superior. Therefore He is outside and inside both. Bahir antas ca bhutanam. Every living entity, Krsna is existing outside and inside. Therefore we have to purify both outside and inside. That is our human life. Human life means to become purified. Because we are not purified, therefore we have to accept birth, death, old age and disease. This is the problem. Because we are not purified...

That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam. Rsabhadeva advised his sons, "My dear sons," tapo divyam, "just undergo austerities." This life, human life is for austerities, penance. Therefore you'll find in the Vedic civilization, big big saintly persons, big, big brahmanas, ksatriyas, rajarsis, they are engaged. Just like Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha was the prince, royal family, but still he left everything and underwent meditation to understand himself. There are many others. Bharata Maharaja, under whose name this country is called Bharatavarsa, at the twenty-fourth years of his age, he left his kingdom, his wife, little children, and went for austerity, penance. This is meant for.

This life is meant for not to live extravagantly without any responsibility like cats and dogs. We should be very responsible. Austerity. Little austerity. In the Kali-yuga you cannot undergo severe austerity, but even if you follow little austerity, little something must be done. Little austerity. Just like you do not commit any sinful life. What is that? No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. This much austerity. If you simply accept these four principles.

Now these Europeans and Americans, they are accepting. You see how they are advancing. You cannot understand the supreme pure, Absolute Truth, keeping yourself impure. It is not possible. You can understand God when you are pure. Yesam anta-gatam papam. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. You cannot understand God if you are sinful.

Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. Those who are not purified, sinful acting, sinful, acting only sinfully, such person is called duskrtina. Krtina, they are... Krti means meritorious. But these rascals are meritorious in doing all sinful activities. Sinful activities also require merit. Even if you become a very expert thief, this stealing is sinful activity, but it requires some brain. It requires some brain. Therefore the word is used, krtina. Krtina means meritorious. But duskrtina. Their merit is being applied for sinful activity. Similarly, there is another word, sukrtina. You can employ your merit for pious activities. The merit is the same.

Just like money. Money you can utilize for duskrtina and for sukrtina. You can utilize your money for drinking wine, illicit sex, meat-eating and gambling. And you can utilize your money for Krsna's service, for offering yajnas, for constructing temple, sacrifices, push on the sankirtana movement, Krsna consciousness movement. So money is not good or bad. As you utilize it... Similarly, merit, merit also, there. You have got already merit better than the animals, but you have to utilize it for proper service. That is called Krsna consciousness. Consciousness we have got, merit we have got. Simply we have to utilize.

Now, here Krsna says that bahir antas ca bhutanam. You have to undergo austerities to see Krsna both outside and inside. If you understand this philosophy, then your life is successful. Antar bahih, antar bahih. Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim, naradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim antar-bahir yadi haris tapasa tatah kim, nantar-bahir yadi haris tapasa tatah kim.(?) If you can see Krsna, antah, within, and bahih, outside, then your all tapasya finished. You are perfect now. Tapasa tatah kim. No more tapasya.

And if you cannot see the Supreme Lord inside and outside, then you may undergo various types of tapasya and education -- it is all useless, useless waste of time.

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]

If you cannot understand the visvaksena... Visvaksena is another name of Krsna, or God. Visvaksena-kathasu yah, dharmah svanusthitah pumsam. "I am a learned brahmana," "I am very expert ksatriya." "I am expert vaisya." This is called dharma, varnasrama-dharma.

Even if you execute your varnasrama-dharma... Nobody is executing nowadays. Everyone is sudra. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. But even if you execute your dharma, brahmana-dharma, ksatriya-dharma, vaisya-dharma, but even after doing so very perfectly, very orderly, if you do not develop your Krsna consciousness, visvaksena-kathasu yah, na ratim, if you do not feel attraction... Just like here, visvaksena-katha, krsna-katha, is going on, but nobody is interested. Nobody is interested. Visvaksena-kathasu ratim na utpadayet. There are so many educated persons, but they are not interested. They'll be interested to go to cinema, to the drinking house, to the meat-eating hotel. They are interested.

This is the position of Kali-yuga. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]. Therefore they are so unfortunate, always disturbed, always disturbed. Mandah sumanda-matayah. Prayenalpayusah kalav asmin yuge janah. First qualification is they do not live long. A very short period of life. And still manda, very bad. Manda-matayah. And they have got their philosophy, something rascaldom. Mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagyah, and all unfortunate. They cannot eat even properly. There is no milk, there is no ghee, there is no rice. This is the position of Kali-yuga.

So therefore in this age, if we want to save ourselves from this onslaught of this age, the proposition is kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah. Pariksit Maharaja was informed by Sukadeva Gosvami, "My dear King, I have described about the faulty nature of this age." Kaler dosa-nidhi. Dosa-nidhi means an ocean of faults. "But there is one good opportunity." Kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah. "There is one good quality." What is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet. Simply by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, one can become free from all this contamination and he can go back to home, back to Godhead." This is another advantage of Kali-yuga. In other yuga one has to undergo so much severe austerity, penances. Then one can realize. But in this age the things have been made easy. That is also mercy of Krsna because these people are so much, disturbed and fallen, downtrodden, they cannot undergo very severe austerity. Simply chant.

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Adi 17.21]

These are the shastric injunctions, and actually it is happening. In Europe and America they are simply chanting this Hare Krsna mantra. They are advancing very quickly to understand. This Bhagavad-gita, they are now reading as it is. Latest report is, in London we are selling fifteen thousand copies per month. So they are taking interest, because it is presented as it is, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, no rascal interpretation, "This meaning is this, this meaning that." What authority you have got to make like that? Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is. Then you'll be benefited.

So one has to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth both outside and inside. Antar bahis ca bhutanam acaram caram eva. There are two things. Some of them are moving, or with life, and some of them are not moving. Even living beings... Here it is called bhutanam. Bhutanam means living entities. So there are some living entities which are moving, just like we. Cats, dogs, human beings, and flies, and so many living beings, they are moving. And other living beings, just like trees, plants, they are standing one place. Sthavara-jangama. Sthavara means one place. Caram acaram. Suksmatvat, in every living being there is the Supreme Lord. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham. Even within the atom. Suksmatvat avijneyam. Because it is so small, minute... That minute means that Krsna's part and parcel. Krsna is the gigantic virat or vibhu, and we living entities, we are anu. Suksmatvat. So... (aside:) Don't talk.

Suksmatvat tad avijneyam. Because we have got... We have already explained this, that our eyes, they cannot see the subtle things, minute things. We require some instrument, just like microscope. But even with microscope, our so-called microscope cannot see what is that soul. It is very very minute. Ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. Jiva-bhagah sa vijneyah. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya. Kesagra [Cc. Madya 19.140], the tip of the hair, you...Sata-bhagasya. You divide into hundred, and then take one part, again divide into hundred. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madya 19.140]. That ten, one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair, it is so minute. But there is the thing, very minute.

Just like a small grain of poison, venomous poison. If it is injected in your body, you will die immediately. It has got so power. Similarly, the minute spirit soul is so minute, one ten-thousandth part. Still, because that minute spirit soul is there, you are moving, you are acting, your brain is working, you are denying the existence of God, you are doing all these things. Suksmatvat tad avijneyam durastham, durastham cantike ca tat.

Durastham. Now, you cannot calculate where this abode of God is there. Durastham. Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara. If you go with your plane with the speed of mind, panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi [Bs 5.34], by airplane, vayu-ratha... This vayu airplane is mentioned in the Brahma-samhita. Vayor athapi manasah, and with the speed of mind. Muni-pungavanam, discovered by great scientists, still, avicintya-tattve, it is so far away. Avicintya-tattve. Therefore it is called durastham.

And at the same time, antike, very near, very near, just like Krsna is standing here. One has to understand. Very near. He has kindly come to you, near, so near that you can touch His lotus feet, you can offer Him some foodstuff, you can decorate. He's agreeing, "Yes, I will accept your..." Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. And before this, Krsna has said, sarvatah pani-padam tat. He has got hands and leg everywhere. In the Vedas also it is confirmed, apani-pado javana-grhitah. Apani-pada, He has no hands and legs, but whatever you offer in sacrifice, He immediately accepts. How He accepts? How He accepts? That is called durastham. Very, very far away; at the same time, antike. Immediately... Provided you know the means. If you know, then you can see. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. That is God's power. He can remain far far, away, but He can immediately be approachable by the devotees.

There is another verse, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca, vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau [Bs 5.33]. Vedesu durlabham. If you want to understand the Absolute Truth by simply studying the Vedas, although the Vedas mean vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah... [Bg. 15.15]. Krsna is to be understood. That is the Vedic object. But if you have no devotional feeling, then, even if you go on reading Vedic literature for many millions of years, you'll not understand what is Krsna. Vedais ca sarvaih. Although it is the objective of Vedic study is to understand Krsna, so vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. But if you go through the mercy of a devotee, atma-bhaktau... Or He is very easily available to the devotees. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55].

If you simply speculate He'll remain dure. Durastham antike ca. But if you surrender as Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja... [Bg. 18.66]. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Simply by this process... He confirms it, that "Anyone who has taken this process..." Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. So simply by this process... Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. These are things in the Bhagavad-gita, plainly said. Unfortunately we do not read it, or even if we read it, we misinterpret it, or somebody mislead me. So-called scholars and so-called rascals mislead us, and we remain in the darkness.

So try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is, and your life will be successful. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 13.16 -- Bombay, October 10, 1973

"God Has No Material Body" 73/10/09 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 13.15

Pradyumna: Translation: "The Supersoul is the original source of all senses, yet He is without senses. He is unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living beings. He transcends the modes of nature, and at the same time He is the master of all modes of material nature."

Prabhupada: Now we can see, these are contradictory. Sarvendriya-gunabhasam sarvendriya-vivarjitam. He's the origin of all senses, but He has no senses. Sarvendriya-gunabhasam sarvendriya-vivarjitam. Asaktam: He has no attachment, but at the same time, sarva-bhrc ca, He's maintainer of everyone. Nirgunam, without any qualities. Guna-bhoktr ca, but He is the enjoyer of all qualities. So this requires elucidation, how these contradictions are adjusted. This requires knowledge.

Somebody is taking that God is without any form because here it is said, sarvendriya-varjitam, vivarjitam. Vivarjitam, specifically He has no indriyas. So if God has no indriya, then He's nirakara. But in the previous verse Krsna has said that, "Yes, I have got my indriyas. I can see everything, I can hear everything." So unless He has got ears and eyes to see, we cannot conceive anything that a man without any eyes can see. Is there any such idea? Or a man without having ears can hear also? We cannot conceive any such thing.

But these things have to be adjusted. The adjustment is that He has eyes, He has ears, He has legs, He has hands -- everything He has got. Because sarvendriya-gunabhasam. He's the origin. In the Vedanta-sutra it is said that the Absolute Truth is the origin of everything. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. So without a thing being existing in the Absolute Truth, how that can be manifested in this relative truth? This world is relative truth. So there is everything, but only one has to understand what is that everything. That everything is spiritual and this is material. When it is said that He's Sarvendriya-vivarjitam, that means He has no material senses. He has got senses. He has got eyes, He has got hands, legs, everything, but they are not material.

But a man with poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand that without material body, how there can be possible of possessing a body. Because we are accustomed to see the material things, we have no eyes to see spiritual, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234], therefore Krsna, to benefit us, to become merciful upon us, He appears in this form, arca-vigraha, so that we can see Him. Because we have learned to see wood, stone, earth, some solid materials. We cannot see subtle things.

Just like everyone knows you have got mind, I have got mind. But you cannot see my mind, I cannot see your mind. Because it is subtle. I have got my egotism, you have got your egotism, but we cannot find out what is that egotism. Even the material subtle things we cannot see, what to speak of spiritual things. Spiritual... Spirit is still more subtle.

indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
yo buddheh paratas tu sah
[Bg. 3.42]

That spirit soul is above the intelligence. Grossly, we can understand our material senses, indriyani. Then, above these material senses, we can understand also that without the action of the mind, these material senses also do not work. If mind is not in order, in spite of my possessing these hands and legs, I cannot work. Madman just like. He cannot work properly because mind is distorted. So superior than the senses is the mind. Mind is superior than the senses, and the intelligence is still more superior than the mind, and the spirit soul is still more superior than the intelligence. That is the position.

So we cannot see even mind, intelligence, what to speak of seeing the soul. So we cannot see even the individual soul which is living within your body, within my body. You cannot see my soul, I cannot see your soul. Just like when a person dies, his sons and daughters or relatives cry, "Oh, our father has gone." Now, father has gone, but the father which you have seen so long, the hands and legs and head, that is lying there. Why do you say father has gone? That means the thing which has gone from within the body of the father, he has never seen, neither it is possible to see. But at the time of death he understands that my real father, the soul, which was within this body, he has now gone. Therefore our vision is always imperfect.

I am seeing you, your hands and legs and head, but I am actually not seeing you. You are seeing me, you are seeing my hands and legs, but you are not seeing me. So even the particles of spirit soul, the part and parcel of God, we cannot see. How we can see God? Even a small particle, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. All living entities are part and parcel of Krsna. Just like if even a drop of ocean water we cannot recognize, how we can recognize the ocean? Similarly, we living entities, we are simply small particle of the spirit soul, Krsna. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. So we cannot see. No medical man has ever seen what is that soul, although they are perceiving there is soul. Now medical men, cardiologists, they are accepting, "Yes, there is soul." But we cannot see.

Therefore we have to make our eyes cleansed so that we can see. Just like sometimes we cannot see the smallest particle, but when we see with, what is called? Telescope? or Microscope. Microscope, we can see; it is magnified. So we have to make our eyes fit to see. Otherwise everything is there. Therefore the sastra says, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. These blunt senses, those who are depending on the blunt senses, they can say nirakara, because he cannot see. He has no eyes to see what is that akara, what is that form. Because he cannot see, therefore he says nirakara. Nothing is nirakara. Neither God is nirakara, nor you are nirakara. We have got akara. The akara is also mentioned in the sastra. What is that? One ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. You know the point of the hair. If you divide into ten-thousand parts, that one part is the magnitude of the soul.

kesagra-sata-bhagasya
satadha kalpitasya ca
jiva-bhagah sa vijneyah
sa canantyaya kalpate
[Cc. Madya 19.140]

So the soul is there, but you cannot see even the topmost point of the hair. And if we divide that hair into ten-thousandth part, then these eyes cannot see. Therefore we say nirakara. No nirakara. There is akara, but these eyes cannot see. Therefore we have to understand through sastra.

Just like Krsna says, "I have got My body. But My body is not like your body. My body is different." That body is described, sarvatah pani-padam tat. He has got such a body -- it is expanded -- that everywhere He has got His eyes and legs and hands and all other senses. In the next verse it is confirmed, sarvendriya-gunabhasam. He can see. Therefore He has got the eyes, gunabhasa, the origin of seeing power. But sarvendriya-vivarjitam. But He has no these material senses. When it is said sarvendriya-vivarjitam, "devoid of all senses," that means He's devoid of..., He has nothing to do with these material senses. He has got senses. He has got eyes, He has got ears, legs, everything. But they are not material. They are spiritual, but we cannot see spiritual.

Therefore we say "God is nirakara, the spirit soul is nirakara." This is our nonsense. It is not that God has no akara. He has got akara. You have to qualify yourself to see the form of the Lord. That is required. That how we can learn? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah: [Bg. 18.55] "What I am actually," tattvatah, "in truth, if you want to know, then you have to take the path of devotional service." He never says that "By karma or by jnana, by yoga, you can see Me." No. That is not possible.

bhaktya mam abhijanati
yavan yas casmi tattvatah
tato mam tattvato jnatva
visate tad-anantaram
[Bg. 18.55]

So we do not know actually in truth what is God; therefore with our material conception we think that God is nirakara. God is not nirakara. He has akara, but we have no power to see Him. And because we have no power to see Him, therefore God takes the form like this. He's God, He's not different from God, but He's visible to our blunt eyes. Therefore we say sometimes, "It is idol." He's not idol. We are not worshiping idol, stone. Just like some rascal says that "If by worshiping stone, God is available, then I can worship the mountain." Pathar puja ke hari mile meita puje pahar(?). So this rascal does not know that this is not worship of pathar. It is worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally, but to show us mercy, because we cannot see the Supreme Personality of Godhead with these blunt eyes, He has assumed the form of a stone. This is called arca-murti. It is His mercy.

Therefore sastra says arcye sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih. One should not... One should avoid these things. When arca-murti, the Deity worship in the temple, if one thinks it is made of stone, it is made of wood, that is very offensive. One should not think like that. God is omnipotent, all-powerful. He can accept your service even in this form, but because He has assumed this form, don't neglect it that "It is stone." Then it will be offensive. It is to show you mercy, arca-murti.

Otherwise all the great saintly persons, just like Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, all big, big acaryas who were actually controlling the Vedic civilization still, they established thousands of temple and murtis, especially in South India. Still Ranganatha temple, Tirupati temples, visited by hundreds and thousands of people. So does it mean they have all become fools? They go to see some stone? No.

Therefore one has to become a devotee. Because only devotee can understand that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally standing before me." That devotee. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when he visited Jagannatha temple, He was very anxious to see the Deity, Jagannatha temple. And as soon as He entered the Jagannatha temple, immediately He fainted, "Oh, here is My Lord." And others are seeing, "What is this foolish man? Here is a wooden form of Jagannatha and this man has fainted." But that is the difference between this man and you. Unless you develop your devotional attitude, you cannot see God. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55].

Therefore those who are not devotees, they cannot see God. It is not possible. Even God comes before him, just like when Krsna was present before everyone. Five thousand years ago He was present. In the battlefield of Kuruksetra, He was present. All the soldiers, all the kings, everyone was seeing Him, but only Arjuna and few of the Pandavas, they knew that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna." Not all of them. But all of them got salvation. Everyone who died in the presence of Krsna -- that is stated -- they all got salvation. Because after all, they saw Krsna. So that is the position. When Krsna was personally present, even the few Pandavas and the few inhabitants in Vrndavana, nobody could understand Him that the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Others...

There is a verse in the Srimad-Bhagavatam:

ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya
dasyam gatanam para-daivatena
mayasritanam nara-darakena
sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah
[SB 10.12.11]

Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, when he was describing Krsna was playing with the cowherd boys, he is remarking, "Now, who are these cowherd boys?" Krta-punya-punjah: "They have accumulated the highest stock of pious activities; therefore they are now playing with the Supreme Lord." What is this Krsna? Ittham brahma-sukhanubhutya: "Those who are after Brahman, impersonal Brahman, those who after the happiness of brahma-sukha, here is the source of that Brahman." Brahmano 'ham pratistha. Here is the source of that Brahman. Ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya dasyam gatanam para-daivatena: "Those who are devotees," dasyam gatanam, "those who have accepted the servitude of the Lord, for them, here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Dasyam gatanam para... And mayasritanam nara-darakena: "And those who are under the influence of the external energy, maya, they are thinking an ordinary human being, boy, nara-darakena. "But those who are playing with Him," sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah [SB 10.12.11], they have accumulated pious activities for many, many lives. Now they are allowed to play with the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

So that is possible. That is possible.

bhaktya mam abhijanati
yavan yas casmi tattvatah
tato mam tattvato jnatva
visate tad-anantaram
[Bg. 18.55]

If you actually can understand Krsna through devotional service... Not by challenging, not by mental speculation, not by meditation, not by fruitive activities, no. If you actually become a devotee and develop the consciousness of love for Krsna, then God will be appreciated, God will be seen. Naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya [Bg. 7.25]. Otherwise He'll not be visible. He's not exposed to the nondevotees.

He's simply exposed, He can reveal Himself, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah, when one engages himself in the devotional service beginning with the tongue. The devotional service begins with the tongue. Now, it is also another astonishment. Service with the tongue. Yes. Service with the tongue means if you chant this Hare Krsna mantra, that requires tongue. And if you simply take krsna-prasada, that requires tongue. With these two business of the tongue you can realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Chant Hare Krsna and take krsna-prasada, and gradually you'll understand what is God. Therefore this word is used, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. Because by using the tongue you develop Krsna consciousness, love for Krsna consciousness.

And Krsna being satisfied with you love... Because real thing is bhakti. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Patram puspam phalam toyam. Here we are offering a little food, little leaf, little flower. But what is the essence? What is the value of flower? Value, there is practically no value. But yo me bhaktya prayacchati. The real value is that the flower is offered with devotion, the food is offered with devotion.

Therefore the devotee gradually realizing that, "Yes, I am offering this flower directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I am offering the food directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead." He is eating. He is perceiving. He is taking the prasadam. He's advancing. He's chanting Hare Krsna mantra. It is self-evident. Pratyaksavagamam dharmyam. This devotional service is directly appreciated. You haven't got to take certificate from others. If you be engaged in devotional service, you actually realize. Therefore it is called pratyaksavagamam dharmyam. Other things will remain in theoretical, but this is such a nice thing, devotional service, that you directly understand how much you are making progress, how much you have appreciated God, how much you have understood Krsna. Pratyaksavagamam dharmyam su-sukham. Su-sukham.

And also there is no trouble. Very easily and very happily it is performed. Just like the devotional service. One may be illiterate, one may be having no qualification, but the process is so nice, to prepare flower garland for Krsna, to prepare food for Krsna, for chanting Krsna, for reading books for Krsna, for hearing about Krsna. You simply hear, you don't do anything. Simply if you hear, sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23], you become devotee. Simply by hearing. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. You remain in your place. It doesn't matter what you are, but if you simply hear about Krsna, then you become devotee. It is so nice. You don't require any education. You don't require any money, don't require anything. You simply hear. That is also confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Suhrt satam. He is special friend of the devotee. Suhrt satam. Satam means those who are devotees Asatam means nondevotee. So He is suhrt satam. So He is sitting within your heart. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah. So hearing about Krsna is so beneficial because as soon as you begin hearing about Krsna with little devotion and faith, Krsna immediately understands that "This living entity is now serious." Because He is within your heart. So srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah. "Now this man, this living entity..." Especially man. Cats and dogs cannot hear; that is not possible. They can also hear, but special facility for the human being. So a man can hear. So when Krsna sees that you are hearing, srnvatam sva-kathah... That hearing itself is punya-sravana-kirtanah. If you simply hear, you'll acquire some pious result. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. And if you chant, you get more pious result. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. The result will be hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani. All abhadrani, all mischievous things will be washed away. Hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani vidhunoti. Vidhunoti. Krsna helps you to wash it away because He's your friend. He's everyone's friend, but a special friend to the devotees. Suhrt-satam.

That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah: "I'm equal to everyone." Otherwise how He can be God? Nobody is His enemy, nobody is His friend. But ye tu bhajanti mam bhaktya. Persons who are engaged in devotional service with love and faith, for them special consideration. Special consideration.

tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
buddhi-yogam dadami tam
yena mam upayanti te
[Bg. 10.10]

These are the statements in the Bhagavad-gita. If you engage yourself always, satata-yuktanam bhajatam, in bhajana, in offering devotional service... Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam. With love. Not that official. Love. Then He'll talk with you. Buddhi-yogam dadami tam. He'll give you intelligence. He'll talk with you. Because He is within your heart. Simply you have to qualify yourself how to talk with Krsna. Otherwise Krsna is not far away. He's within your heart. Otherwise He is very, very far away. If you want to understand by your intelligence, what intelligence you have got? You have to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead by your service and then He'll reveal Himself. "Here I am. What do you want?" That is the process.

So sarvendriya-gunabhasam sarvendriya-vivarjitam. He has no... This is understood very easily. It is very easy. Just like a fish can live within the water. He has got also his senses. He has got his organs and everything is there, but it is specially made for living in the water. You cannot live in the water with these hands and legs. That is not possible. It is practical. But the fish can live. Because he has got special hands and legs, he is very happy there. He is not happy... As soon as you take it from the water and put on the land, he dies. Similarly, if you are taken from land and put into the water, you'll die. So everything requires special hands, legs. Why don't you understand it? Similarly, to live in the spiritual world, you require spiritual hands and legs.

So Krsna is supreme spiritual being. He has got his spiritual hands and legs and eyes. Why you accuse that He has no form? It is nonsense. It is less intelligent. He has got form. But the different things which you cannot, your poor intelligence cannot accommodate... Therefore Krsna says... This is jnana. One has to learn this. Sarvendriya-gunabhasam sarvendriya-vivarjitam. Sarvendriya-vivarjitam means He has no spiritual senses or spiritual hands and legs, er, material hands and legs. So we have also spiritual hands and legs, but now it is covered by these material things. Therefore we cannot understand our own position also. That we cannot... Aham brahmasmi: "I am also spirit soul." Therefore because it is materially covered... But Krsna's body is not materially covered.

Therefore anyone who thinks Krsna's body is also materially covered... The Mayavadi philosophers, they say that "God, when He comes in this material world, He accepts a material body." That is rascaldom. He never accepts material body. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. If God also accepts a material body, then what is the difference between God and ourself? He has nothing material. Everything spiritual. Everything spiritual. Even if He accepts material body, He can act spiritually. That is His power. Because material body, material energy is also His energy.

Just like electric energy. The expert electrician can transform the electric energy into heat or into cold. That is his manipulation. Even if he accepts material energy, He can use it spiritually. That is His power. All-powerful. So we have to understand these things. And these things can be understood only by submissive hearing and cleansing our dirty things within the heart by devotional service. Then we can understand what is the actual nature of Krsna or God. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 13.15 -- Bombay, October 9, 1973