BG 07.02 jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam... cited

Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971:

This devotional service, or the understanding of Kṛṣṇa, is jñānam. First of all, we have to understand. Kṛṣṇa will explain how Kṛṣṇa is present before you in different features. Just like originally He is present before us as impersonal Brahman, localized Paramātmā, and personally also, Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are all the same. There is no difference, Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. There is no difference. The same thing, but it is realized under different angle of vision.

Theoretical knowledge is jñānam. But sa-vijñānam, when we actually perceive, when we actually understand what is the position of the Personality of Godhead, that is called vijñānam. Jñānaṁ sa-vijñānam. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ (BG 7.2). Aśeṣataḥ, descriptive, not summarized.

So yaj jñātvā, "If you can understand this knowledge, then," yad jñātvā na iha bhūyaḥ anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate, "then you will finish your all knowledge." Kasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. The Vedic injunction is that if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then all knowledge becomes revealed to you. Kasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. That is stated here. Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyaḥ anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate. Then it is very nice to understand Kṛṣṇa. If by understanding Kṛṣṇa... One may say, "Oh, I have understood Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was born at Mathurā as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī, and then He went to Vṛndāvana. And He became a friend of the cowherd girls or the boys, and He was playing there. So I have understood Kṛṣṇa." Anyone can say like that. But Kṛṣṇa says that "I am not so easily understood." Kṛṣṇa says that it is not so easy.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

So Kṛṣṇa says, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam... The yoga system... Yoga system is a type of knowledge. Jñānam. Jñānam means knowledge. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ (BG 7.2). "I'm just trying to explain the knowledge, or the devotional knowledge, or the yoga system, by which you can understand Me perfectly. That I am speaking to you in full knowledge." Jñānam, and sa-vijñānam, "with scientific knowledge." Not that bogus knowledge. Sa-vijñānam. Vijñānam means science. With scientific knowledge. Now, modern days, people are advanced. They like to talk on scientific basis. And here is the Kṛṣṇa's statement: sa-vijñānam, "with scientific knowledge." Vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ: "And I shall explain," aśeṣataḥ, "in full explanation, without any reservation." Not that summarily I say something, you do not follow, you do not understand, I finish. No. "I shall fully explain," aśeṣataḥ. Yaj jñātvā, "And if you fortunately can understand," yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate, "if you understand this science, then you finish your process of acquiring knowledge."

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

It is not blindly accepted, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. With considerable deliberation, we take the decision. All the ācāryas, they have taken decision. Therefore in the next verse Kṛṣṇa says, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam. This knowledge, with practical understanding, sa-vijñānam. Vijñānam means practical application. We understand Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme. He's the creator of this cosmic manifestation. He's the Supreme. We are all subordinate. This is jñānam. And sa-vijñānam, when it is practically applied, that means when you take to devotional service, then it is practically application, practicing.

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

So when we understand perfectly, complete knowledge, then there is no more anything remains to be understood. Everything is... Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. So the Bhagavad-gītā is not theory. It is knowledge, and practically applicable in life. Sa-vijñānam. And if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa in perfect order, then there is nothing remains to be understood. Everything becomes revealed. This knowledge becomes revealed. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Revealed. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi (SB 10.14.29).

Without surrendering, it is not possible to understand. Therefore Kṛṣṇa demands, "Surrender. Then you'll understand." Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). By challenging, you cannot understand actually what is Kṛṣṇa. One has to become submissive. So,

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Then Kṛṣṇa says,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. Generally, whole human society, especially at the present moment, nobody cares for perfection of life. They do not know what is perfection of life. Just like animals, they do not know what is perfection of life. They think perfection of life: to gratify the senses. "We have got these senses. Let us..." Because they have no idea that there is life after death.

You can understand. If you practice this yoga, keeping Kṛṣṇa in the center, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, the form of the Kṛṣṇa, then it will be revealed. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). This is the yoga system of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So next verse He says,

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

"I am speaking to you a process of knowledge, jñānam." Jñānam means knowledge. Te: "unto you." Ahaṁ sa-vijñānam. Sa-vijñānam means... Jñānam is theoretical, and vijñānam means practical. Just like in scientific knowledge, the student has to pass both theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge. Theoretical... "Combination of this chemical and that chemical makes this chemical," this is theoretical knowledge. But when you mix these two chemicals or three chemicals and produce that object, that is practical. Recently, I may say, in California University, one learned professor came there to speak about the evolutionary theory of chemicals, and he said that life is produced, perhaps you know, from four chemicals.

Scientific knowledge means observation, then experiment. If you fail in your experiment, that is not scientific knowledge. It must be experimented. So here also, it is said, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam: "I am speaking to you this knowledge which you can practically experience." Not theoretical simply. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ (BG 7.2). Aśeṣataḥ means "without any reservation, as far as possible." "As far as you can understand, I am explaining." Yaj jñātvā, "If you understand this," na iha bhūyaḥ anyaj jñātavayam avaśiṣyate... "If you can understand this knowledge with practical experience, then there will be nothing to know anymore." That means your knowledge is complete, perfect. In the Vedas also, it is stated that yaj jñātvā, kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you simply try to understand what is God... Not try to understand. If you understand scientifically what is God then you understand everything.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

God is the central point of everything. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. These are the Vedic versions. "From whom all this material cosmic manifestation has come into being." In the Vedānta-sūtra it says janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Absolute Truth is that from which everything has come down. So if you understand the Absolute Truth, kasmin vijñāte, sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, then you can understand all other departments of knowledge. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ: "Explicitly, elaborately I am saying." Yaj jñātvā, "If you understand," na iha, "in this world," anyat bhūyaḥ, "again," anyat, "anything else," jñātavyam avaśiṣyate, "there is anything remains to understand. Everything is understood."

Devotee: Translation. "I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to be known."

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā na iha bhūyaḥ anyat

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

Yesterday I was speaking in that meeting... What is school?

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: So, I began from the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, how to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can be introduced to every living entity. There is a verse in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it is said there, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means, just like we eat. All living entities, they eat. There is no, nothing new introduction when we eat or sleep or have sex life, or when there is danger we will defend. These are nitya-siddha, natural.

So jñānam is theoretical, and vijñānam means practical. Simply to know there is God, this is theoretical knowledge. But when actually you become connected with God, you practice the activ..., godly activities, that is called vijñānam. So, Kṛṣṇa will explain in this chapter the knowledge of God, both theoretically and practically. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam vakṣyāmi, "I shall speak to you," aśeṣataḥ. Aśeṣataḥ means vividly. Aśeṣataḥ. "And briefly," samanvitāḥ. And when it is said aśeṣataḥ, that means elaborate. But yaj jñātvā, "if somehow or other you understand this knowledge" yaj jñātvā, na iha, "in this material world," iha, iha means this material world; bhūyaḥ, "again"; anyat, "anything more"; jñātavyam avaśiṣyate, "no more," "you require no more further knowledge to understand." That is the statement in the Vedas, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3). If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa is everything, so if you understand Kṛṣṇa, automatically you understand what is this world, what is this earth, what is this water, what is this fire. This is material things.

We cannot see directly Kṛṣṇa. But as soon as you see the energy or you perceive the energy, you can understand there is Kṛṣṇa, there is God. That is called intelligence. This is called jñānam. And when you are directly in connection with Kṛṣṇa, or directly in the service, that is called vijñānam.

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā na iha bhūyaḥ anyat

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

Now, why this jñānam required? Because our mission of life is to... You can not understand with your foolish brain what is God. That is not possible. They are trying to understand God by the limited senses. How you can understand? We are defective in so many ways. First of all we commit mistakes, and we are illusioned, we try to cheat others, and our senses are imperfect.

You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa if you remain under your personal intelligence. Everyone says that "I shall understand this by my own dint of knowledge, by speculation." That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa says that you have to understand. Here also it is the same thing said, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam vakṣyāmy aham, "I shall speak to you." So this is the secret of success, if you want to understand God, what is God. Everyone, there are many philosophers, scientists, they are trying to understand God by research, but that research will not help you. You have to understand directly from God, or from God's representative. That is the way.

Kṛṣṇa cannot be exposed to the nondevotees. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya. Not anyone, ordinary common man, can understand. Therefore, we have to understand Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, from Kṛṣṇa, not from anyone who is simply speculating or wrongly interpreting Bhagavad-gītā. They cannot understand. That is the way.

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā na iha bhūyaḥ anyat

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just to try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That's all. What is Kṛṣṇa. Because if you perfectly understand Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you become liberated, and you become eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world.

Even though Kṛṣṇa, from Kṛṣṇa all His power is taken away, still He is pūrṇam, He is still all-powerful. So, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. So we haveto understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, not superficially. In scientifically, vijñānam, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam. Not foolishly, that "I can interpret Kṛṣṇa." Some rascal says that Kṛṣṇa means black. Some rascal says Kṛṣṇa means this, Kṛṣṇa means a debauch, as according to one's character and angle of vision. But real meaning of Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma. Kṛṣi go va... Kṛṣi bhu-vacaka-sabda nasta nirvṛtti-vacaka (?) iti kṛṣṇa paraṁ brahma iti abhidhīyate. Kṛṣṇa means paraṁ brahma. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. So we have to take the understanding of great personality. Rāma. Rāma. Rāma means paraṁ brahma.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

Liberation means to be freed from the control of the material nature. It is a great science. Try to understand. Therefore it is said, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam. It is not sentiment. It is not religious sentiment. It is a science. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to understand the sciece of Kṛṣṇa. We are understanding so many subject matters scientifically, but we are neglecting one thing: how to understand Kṛṣṇa scientifically. That science is described here, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam ahaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ yaj jñātvā (BG 7.2). If you simply try to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa, then all other sciences will be automatically understood. Just like if you understand what is one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, zero, then you understand the whole mathematical science, because the mathematics means that one, two, three, four, five, six, this way, that way, this way, that way. The only, the figures are all, the digits are the one, two, three, four. So therefore one has to learn one, two, three, four, up to nine, and zero. Similarly, if you understand Kṛṣṇa, the, indirectly and directly, everything is Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest scientific understanding of everything. That is a fact. Kṛṣṇa is earth, Kṛṣṇa is water, Kṛṣṇa is air, Kṛṣṇa is fire, Kṛṣṇa is sky, ṛṣṇa is mind, Kṛṣṇa is intelligence, Kṛṣṇa is ego, and Kṛṣṇa is soul. So, this is required, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam.

Prabhupāda:

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

We have been discussing this verse, what is knowledge. Knowledge means how this universe is working, what is the working force, what is the energy. Just like scientists, they are searching out different energies. Just like this earth is floating on weightlessness. Such a huge mass of material body with so many mountains, so many seas, oceans, skyscraper houses, cities, towns, countries, it is floating just like a swab, cotton swab, in the air. So if one understands how it is floating, that is knowledge.

So this is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and Kṛṣṇa is explaining personally. So yaj jñātvā, if we understand the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there will be nothing unknown. Everything will be known. It is such a nice thing. Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate. Bhūyo means no more to understand anything. Everything is completely known. Then the question may be why people do not understand Kṛṣṇa. That is, of course, a relevant question, and that is being answered by Kṛṣṇa in the next verse.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:

Nitāi: "I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge, both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to be known."

Prabhupāda:

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

So Kṛṣṇa is personally speaking about Himself as we understood in the previous verse, that asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). Asaṁśayam, without any doubt. If we speculate about God, that will never be sufficient. Not even we can touch the precincts of the knowledge. If we want knowledge without any doubt, asaṁśayam, samagram, and complete, then we must hear from God Himself. This is very easy to understand. By hypothesis, by speculation, you cannot understand anything. It must be known scientifically, and this science can be understood if a person knows the science. So who can know God better than God Himself?

Prabhupāda:

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

Jñānam, knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that "I am giving you perfect knowledge." This is our process. We receive knowledge from the perfect person. There is no use getting knowledge from imperfect person. That is useless waste of time. And who is perfect person? Who does not commit any mistake, who is never illusioned, whose senses are not imperfect, and who is not a cheater. These are the qualification. (aside:) The children... These are the symptoms of perfect person. First thing is he does not commit mistake. Throughout the whole world you study big, big men. They committed mistake. Hitler committed mistake. Gandhi committed mistake. Churchill committed mistake. Because "To err is human," however big you may be, you cannot avoid mistakes because you are not liberated.

Material nature will not allow you to remain as very good-looking young man. You must become old man. Your teeth must fall down. Your hairs must grow gray and you'll look ugly. Why? But he does not think. This is called ignorance, ajñāna.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam: (BG 7.2) "I'll speak to you about jñāna." Everyone is in ajñāna and falsely thinking that he is some very important person. This is ajñāna. Real jñāna, as will be explained here, is to receive from Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is giving knowledge in the Bhagavad-gītā. He'll speak in later chapters that "The real jñāna is to surrender unto Me." This is real jñāna.

So if we take Bhagavad-gītā as it is—and everything is there clear—don't interpret like fools and rascals, then you'll get real knowledge. Jñānam. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). Practical. Vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ. So we must have understood that... This is another meaning, that tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).

So Kṛṣṇa is showing practically by accepting His friend, very dear friend, as His disciple. That means he is showing who is guru. Guru is Kṛṣṇa and one who understands Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. Don't accept these rascals and fools as guru, who denies Kṛṣṇa. He is not guru. He is cheater. Kṛṣṇa is showing, and Arjuna is accepting, śiṣyas te 'ham (BG 2.7), "I become your śiṣya." That means Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. And one who speaks on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. That is guru.

So jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ, and yaj jñātvā (BG 7.2). If you try to understand Kṛṣṇa or knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, yaj jñātvā... Yaj jñātvā neha. Na iha: "in this material." Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj: "You will have nothing to learn." Because he understands, vāsudevaḥ sarvam idam: "Everything is Vāsudeva." So Vāsudeva will give him all knowledge about science, about politics, about philosophy, about astrology, astronomy. Everything will come out. You haven't got to go to some other expert in some particular type of knowledge. But if a devotee, Kṛṣṇa devotee... He knows everything, all department of knowledge.

So therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "If you study knowledge which I am giving to you," yaj jñātvā, "perfectly, then," na iha bhūyaḥ anyaj jñānam, anya, "other department of knowledge will be manifest automatically. You'll know everything." This is the secret. Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate. You haven't got to learn departmentally anything else. Just see. This is the benefit. This is the benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that you haven't got to work hard to understand other department of knowledge. You simply try to take this knowledge and you'll be perfect. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So bhukti-mukti-siddhi. When one is fed up with this hard working for material enjoyment and get little sense above material enjoyment, gets little sense for spiritual understanding... That we have discussed yesterday. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). That is knowledge. To work hard like an ass for sense gratification, that is not siddhi. Siddhi is different thing. Siddhi means to understand the spiritual identification and work for it. That is called siddhi. So the attempt for such thing is called mukti, to get rid of the material entanglement. So bhukti-mukti-siddhi. There are three stages. So siddhi means when one understands his spiritual identity and tries to make his life perfect on that platform, that is called siddhi. Otherwise, bhukti mukti.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa said in the beginning of this chapter that jñānaṁ me. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). It is a great science. It is not a speculative; it is not imagination. Just like sometimes they create imagined God. The impersonalists, they think there is no God. "God is not personal, but is impersonal. So you can imagine any form." That is rascaldom. That is not Kṛṣṇa; that is not God. How, with your limited senses, imperfect senses, you can imagine God? Whatever you imagine, that is rascaldom, that is not Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you must become Kṛṣṇa's devotee.

In another place Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Not only billions of..., but after many billions and millions of births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. When one is actually on the platform of knowledge, māṁ prapadyate, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Why? Because he understands at that time vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That is mahātmā. "Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything." That will be explained, how Kṛṣṇa is everything, in this chapter. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). How Kṛṣṇa is everything, that will be explained in this chapter.

So if we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, it is not to be done by our scholarship, "It may be this, it may be that." That is all rascaldom. You should understand as Kṛṣṇa says. Then you'll understand Kṛṣṇa. How you can understand? You are so imperfect, you cannot understand even yourself. You do not know what you are. You are thinking that you are body; I am thinking I am this body.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

So the process is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), in the Vedic injunction. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, Vedas, the ultimate knowledge of Veda... Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Vedic knowledge means to understand Kṛṣṇa. So if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, tad-vijñānārtham, vijñāna... Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). It is vijñāna, it is science. Sa-vijñāna. So if you want to know that vijñāna, then you should approach: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. You must accept guru. Who is guru? Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Guru's qualification is that he's śrotriyam: he has heard from his guru perfectly. That is guru.

So that knowledge is perfect because experimentally... Science means observation and experiment. If you are observing something, then you must experiment. Jñānaṁ vijñānam. In the previous verses we have already studied that jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam. Theoretical knowledge, that is observation. And sa-vijñānam means experiment. If you say, if you have observed that life is produced of chemical, then make experiment. Then it is science; otherwise it is hodge-podge. It has no meaning. Life is never produced of matter; matter is produced out of life. This is the... Therefore we are fragmental matter, life. We living entities, small portion, very small portion. That is also given in the śāstras: keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). One ten-thousandth part of the top of the hair, that is the magnitude of soul.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:

Actually we are trying to get because we are eternal. We are trying to get eternal happiness. That is... Kṛṣṇa is speaking here. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave (BG 7.2). Anasūyave. Asūya means envious. Envious. Everyone is envious of Kṛṣṇa. That is demon. Just like Kaṁsa. In this tract of land, Mathurā, there was Kaṁsa. He was so envious that he ordered to his servant that "As soon as Kṛṣṇa is born, please bring the child. I shall kill Him." This is asūya.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:

Actually we are trying to get because we are eternal. We are trying to get eternal happiness. That is... Kṛṣṇa is speaking here. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave (BG 7.2). Anasūyave. Asūya means envious. Envious. Everyone is envious of Kṛṣṇa. That is demon. Just like Kaṁsa. In this tract of land, Mathurā, there was Kaṁsa. He was so envious that he ordered to his servant that "As soon as Kṛṣṇa is born, please bring the child. I shall kill Him." This is asūya. So at the present moment, practically the whole world, they want to be godless. The scientists and the..., everyone is trying to prove that "There is no God. There is no Kṛṣṇa. This is all sentiment." Especially in the Communist countries.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

The modern scientists, they say that "Life is generated from matter." We are protesting. We are protesting because... We are not scientists, of course, but we are scientists so far our knowledge is concerned. Because here it is said... Kṛṣṇa says, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2), so Kṛṣṇa is the authority. He is the opulent, most opulent, the wisest. So if we receive from Him knowledge, then that is perfect. I may not be perfect, but the knowledge I receive from Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect. That is perfect. Therefore we should receive from Kṛṣṇa knowledge. That is perfect knowledge.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:

Therefore here Sūta Gosvāmī says that yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ. So our business should be always to inquire about Kṛṣṇa, or God, and try to understand, because as soon as you understand God, then your this material conditioned life will be finished. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). You should know Kṛṣṇa, or God, in truth not by manufacturing your own ways, concoction. Scientifically. It is a great science. Yad vijñānaṁ samanvitam. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānaṁ vakṣyāmi yat aśeṣataḥ (BG 7.2), in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sa-vijñānam: "It is science." Yaj jñātvā bhūyo 'nyaj jñātavyaṁ na avaśiṣyate. If you try to understand God, then you have nothing to understand again any more. Every, all knowledge is there. Because God is everything, so you understand everything.

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

So ādau śraddhā. Kṛṣṇa says these are on the intellectual platform. Sometimes intellectual platform is taken as sentimental. But if it is rightly taken, somebody believes, even Kṛṣṇa..., Kṛṣṇa's statement, they are not sentimental. They are vijñāna-sahitam. Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. Yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt, jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave, yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt. This is the statement in Bhagavad-gītā. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ (BG 7.2). Pravakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ, yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt. That aśubha, inauspicious, we do not understand. We have taken inauspicious thing as auspicious. This is called māyā. We accept something māyā, or illusion, or vivarta. We accept something for something. The example is given: there is a rope, and due to my ignorance or insufficient knowledge, I take it as a snake. This is my insufficient knowledge. The snake is fact, and the rope is fact. But when we take the rope as snake, that is ignorance, or the snake as rope, that is ignorance.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Hong Kong, January 31, 1974:

Prabhupāda: Next verse, go on.

Pradyumna: (reading Sanskrit to Bhagavad-gītā Chapter Seven, texts 2-5, devotees responding)

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate

Lecture -- Bombay, March 26, 1977:

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Pradyumna: (reading)

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahareṣu

kaścit yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

Prabhupāda: Hm. Bhūmir āpo...

Pradyumna: (chanting)

bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ

khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me

bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

(BG 7.4)

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ

prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām

jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho

yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

(BG 7.5)

Prabhupāda:

mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

(BG 7.1)

The duty of human life is to understand God, Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedānta-sūtra, the first aphorism is athāto brahma jijñāsā. Athaḥ, "therefore." Because we have got this human form of body, so this is the time for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. In the other life, animal life, beast life, tree life, plant life...

Ladies and Gentlemen, the very learned erudite scholarly speaking by our Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara Singh must have created some impression in your mind, I am sure. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is full of scientific knowledge. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasuyave (BG 7.2). Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna that "I am speaking to you knowledge, jñānam, sa-vijñānam, with scientific understanding." So "Why you are speaking to Me?" Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānaṁ pravakṣyamy anasuyave: "Because you are not envious. That is your qualification. You are very submissive student. Therefore I'll give you." So the dictation is coming from Kṛṣṇa, as Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara says. That's a fact. Kṛṣṇa says, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15) "I am situated in everyone's heart."

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: When Kṛṣṇa is there, then Kṛṣṇa is there with everything. Kṛṣṇa cannot be alone.

Bahulāśva: This is the real science, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Vijñāna. Yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Jñānaṁ parama-guhyaṁ me yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Is it not? Jñānaṁ me... "My knowledge is very confidential and it is full of science." Jñānaṁ parama-guhyaṁ me yad vijñāna-samanvitam. And in the Bhagavad-gītā there is said, "Knowing this knowledge..." Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate. In the Vedas it is said, kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. So this is the way. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa and everything will be known. (break) ...guhyaṁ pavitraṁ paramam idam. Eh? Bhagavad-gītā. Rāja-vidyā, the knowledge, the king of knowledge. (break)

Hanumān: Without your mercy, there's no way out of the dream of material life.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Yes. (pause) (break)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...water is tasteless, but Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the taste in water." Science says water is tasteless, no taste in water.

Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: From all aspects. Yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu. So Kṛṣṇa is speaking about Himself. We can speculate about God. That way we'll never be successful. Because we have got limited senses. Therefore you hear from Kṛṣṇa about Kṛṣṇa. This is called bhakti-yoga.

Mr. Sar: And He wants to tell the jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). "What I have realized, I tell you."

Prabhupāda: No, not realized!

Guest (1): Experienced.

Prabhupāda: Sa-vijñānam, how it can be practically applied.

Mr. Sar: Yes, how it can be practically applied.

Prabhupāda: Not that he has realized. He's God. He's already realized.

Guest (1): Sa-vijñānam means...

Dr. Patel: Matter of knowing, application.

Mr. Sar: Application.

Prabhupāda: Practical.

Mr. Sar: Practical application.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- (World War III) -- April 4, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If you know Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. That is the Vedic injunction. Yasmin vijñāte. If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa... In Bhagavad-gītā, it is also said that "There will be no more anything to understand." In the Ninth Chapter? What is that verse? Can anyone say?

Jayādvaita: The Fifteenth Chapter.

Prabhupāda: Avaśiṣyate. Jñātavyam avaśiṣyate. You cannot...?

Santoṣa: Yaj jñātvā...

Prabhupāda: ...cannot recite, the whole verse?

Santoṣa: Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj.

Prabhupāda: That is the second line. First line?

Santoṣa: Sa evaṁ guhyatamaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ.

Prabhupāda: Vakṣyāmy... Yes, that is the verse. Yaj jñātvā anyaj jñātavyam na avaśiṣyate. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is such a great science that if one becomes expert, then he knows everything.

Conversation with Indian Guests -- April 12, 1975, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: You do not understand Kṛṣṇa, and you want to understand Kṛṣṇa's dealings with Rādhārāṇī. That is very confidential. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmāt. You have to understand Kṛṣṇa, then His pleasure potency, hlādinī-śakti. The difficulty is that we do not want to become a regular student. Haphazardly, here and there, here and there, but I remain the same thing. It is a science. Jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Tad vijñāna samanvitam. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānaṁ pravakṣyāmi anasūyave, yaj jñātvā na anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate... (BG 7.2). But the Vedas do not say like that. Vedas say, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If you are serious to learn about that, tad vijñāna. Tad vijñānaṁ, gurum evābhigacchet. You must go to a bona fide guru who can teach you. Nobody is serious. That is the difficulty. Everyone is thinking, "I am free," although he is pulled by the ear by nature.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can title, entitle, Sa-vijñāna.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Sa-vijñāna?

Devotees: Oh.

Prabhupāda: Jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. What is that Bhagavad-gītā verse? Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ pravakṣyāmi tad vijñānam...

Pradyumna:

jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam

idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ

yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo 'nyaj

jñātavyam avaśiṣyate