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Brahma-jyotir (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

When we speak of sky, because we have material conception of the sky, therefore we think of sky with sun, moon, stars, like that. But the Lord says that the eternal sky, there is no need of sun. Na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ (BG 15.6). Neither in that eternal sky there is need of moon. Na pāvakaḥ means neither there is necessity of electricity or fire for illuminating because the spiritual sky is already illuminated by the brahma-jyotir. Brahmajyoti, yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40), the rays of the supreme abode. Now in these days when people are trying to reach other planets, it is not very difficult to understand the abode of the Supreme Lord. The abode of the Supreme Lord is in the spiritual sky, and it is named as Goloka.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

The Lord's presence, by His causeless mercy He presents Himself in His Śyāmasundara-rūpa. Unfortunately, people with less intelligence deride at Him. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11). Because the Lord comes as one of us and just like plays with us as a human being, therefore we need not consider that Lord is one of us. It is His omnipotency that He presents Himself with His real form before us and displays His pastimes, just the prototype of His abode. So that abode of Lord, there are innumerable planets also in that brahma-jyotir. Just like we have got innumerable planets floating on the sun rays, similarly, in the brahma-jyotir, which is emanating from the abode of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka, ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis (Bs. 5.37), all those planets are spiritual planets. They are ānanda-cinmaya; they are not material planets.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

The brahmavādī, paramātmavādī and the devotees. In spiritual sky or in the brahma-jyotir there are spiritual planets, innumerable spiritual planets, we have already discussed. And the number of those planets are far, far greater than all the universes of this material world. This material world is ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). This is one-fourth part manifestation of the whole creation. Three-fourths part of the creation is the spiritual world and in the one-fourth part of this creation there are millions of universes like this which we are experiencing at the present moment. And in one universe there are millions and billions of planets. So there are millions and billions of suns and stars and moons in all this material world, but all this material world constitute only one-fourth manifestation of the whole creation. The three-fourths manifestation is in the spiritual sky. Now, this mad-bhāvam, one who desires to merge into the existence of the Supreme Brahman, they merge in the brahma-jyotir of the Supreme Lord. Mad-bhāvam means that brahma-jyotir as well as the spiritual planets in the brahma-jyotir. And the devotees, who want to enjoy in the association of the Lord, they enter into the planets, Vaikuṇṭha planets. There are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, and the Lord, Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, by His plenary expansion as Nārāyaṇa with four hands with different names, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, and Mādhava, Govinda... There are many innumerable names of this four-handed Nārāyaṇa. So one of the planets, that is also mad-bhāvam, that is also within the spiritual nature. So any transcendentalist who at the end of life, either he thinks of the brahma-jyotir or meditates upon the Paramātmā or thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in either case, they enter into the spiritual sky.

Lecture on BG 1.10 -- London, July 12, 1973:

Although they were kṣatriyas, still... Kṣatriyas are meant for representing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Actually, Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati (BG 5.29). So He is the proprietor. Sarva-loka. Sarva-loka means all the planets, all the universes. Because they are created by Kṛṣṇa, by Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence, brahma-jyotir. So they are created by Kṛṣṇa's. Just like from the sunshine these planets are created, similarly from brahma-jyotir, innumerable universes are created.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:

The spelling is "Jananee." So the Supreme Truth, the Supreme Truth is Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, the Supreme Truth. Now, according to... Because we have already explained that each and every individual being has got his individual minute quantity of independence. God has given us. Now, by our independence, I may accept as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I may accept Him that the all-pervading Supersoul, and I may accept Him that the all-pervading Brahman, impersonal brahma-jyotir effulgence. So all these are applicable to the Absolute Truth. Now, it depends on my discretion whether I want to merge into the existence of the Lord, whether I want to keep my individuality and associate with Him as friend, as father, mother, as wife. Just like we have got relation. So that depends on my discretion. But now, comparatively, if we study that if we merge into the existence of God, the, at least, in the opinion of the bhaktas, that is not acceptable. That is not acceptable. They know that, that "God has created me as an individual being, so He has got some purpose. And because He has created me for some purpose, I must fulfill that purpose. I must fulfill that purpose."

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- Hyderabad, November 23, 1972:

This material world is dark. It is called tamaḥ. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya. The Vedic instruction is "Don't remain in this material world. Come to the spiritual world." Spiritual world. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-kotiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam, tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtam (Bs. 5.40). So come to the Brahman platform, brahma-jyotir. Don't remain within this darkness.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

We are resting, everything is resting. Just like... This is scientific and practical, you know, that the innumerable planets that the, that you can see at night as, I mean to say, luminaries, stars in the sky, each and every one of them, more or less, they are all different kinds of planets. But do you know how they are floating in the space? They are floating on the sunshine, on the sun rays. They are floating. That you can see. Similarly, the sunshine is the imitation of the brahma-jyotir that is coming out of the body of the Supreme Lord. So everything is resting on the shine of the Supreme Lord. Therefore He is called paraṁ dhāma. Paraṁ dhāma means "everything resting on You." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12). Pavitram. Pavitram means uncontaminated. Because we, although we are Brahman, now we are contaminated by this material body. But the Lord has no contaminated body of this material existence.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

Just like the sunshine. Sunshine is also the same quality, heat and light, as the sun globe or the sun god. But the sunshine is impersonal, and the sun globe is localized. And within the sun globe there is sun god. So that is the main source of everything. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. The brahma-jyotir is also staying in Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the source of brahma-jyotir. So impersonal or personal, whatever you take, that is Brahman. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11).

But the beginning, origin, is Kṛṣṇa. That Kṛṣṇa explains, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Either you take impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā, whatever you take, that is emanation from Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

So, of course, if you worship impersonal form, brahma-jyotir, that is also Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa has said, kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). If you want to approach the Absolute Truth through the impersonal form, then it will be little difficult. Perhaps you may not reach the ultimate goal. You may fall down. There are so many instances. We have seen in India so many big, big sannyāsīs. They give up this world—brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā—but after some days they come down to the jagat and engage themselves in political.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Bombay, March 31, 1974:

For the jñānīs, those who are seeking out the Absolute Truth by speculative knowledge, they want to make these varieties of material world as void. The Buddha philosophy, śūnyavādi. Because they are disgusted with these material varieties, therefore they want something opposite. That opposite is voidism, śūnyavāda. The śūnyavāda or, little more further, that is brahmavāda, without any varieties, simply the light, brahma-jyotir. This is also another realization. Śūnyavāda, to make this material world null and void, they come to the impersonal Brahman effulgence. This is Brahman realization.

And then, for the yogis, the localized aspect, Paramātmā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). By meditation. This is Paramātmā realization. And then, ultimately, Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Just like we general, people in general, we can see the sunshine, but everyone knows.... At least, scientists know that the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. If you have got power to go to the sun globe, you can see what actually the sun globe is. And if you go still further, penetrate into the sun globe, then you will see there is a sun god, sun god. His name is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā: Vivasvān. In the beginning of this chapter, Fourth Chapter, Kṛṣṇa said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). So within the sun globe there is the person, the predominating deity whose name is Vivasvān. So it requires a little qualification, how to go to the sun planet. Sun planet is a fact. It is not fictitious. We are every day seeing. But we have no such power to go to the sun planet. Neither we have got the power to enter into the sun planet. That is inability.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

Now, Kṛṣṇa says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante: "According to the degree of surrender, one comes nearer and nearer." Kṛṣṇa is manifested in three features, namely, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11), means He is revealed as impersonal Brahman, as localized Paramātmā, or the Supersoul, or as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa. There are three different types of transcendentalists. They are called the jñānīs, the yogis and the bhaktas. Jñānīs means those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth in impersonal feature, brahma-jyotir. The jñānīs means those who are mental speculators, philosophers, neti neti. They are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by dint of their limited knowledge. They are called jñānīs. And the yogis, the mystics, they are trying to find out the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the heart. Because the Lord is situated in everyone's heart as Supersoul.

In the Vedic literature it is said that dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). "Yogis, mystics, they are meditating and trying to find out the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the Supersoul, Paramātmā, within the heart." And the bhaktas, or the devotees, they are directly contacting the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared, and the bhaktas met Him face to face. Not everyone could understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the bhaktas could understand. That is vṛndāvana-līlā, pastimes. Vṛndāvana-līlā, Kṛṣṇa manifests just to attract us that how you can meet the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

So risk of impersonal realization is that because in the impersonal feature you cannot enjoy that blissfulness eternally, therefore sometimes—not sometimes, mostly—they come back again into the material world. Because by nature we are jubilant, in the impersonal feature of brahma-jyotir, we cannot enjoy life. Therefore again we come back to this material enjoyment. Just like by an airplane, you want to go higher and higher, but if you don't get the shelter, a shelter in another planet, you will have to come back again to this planet. It is stated in the Vedic literature... (baby starts crying very loudly and Prabhupāda stops speaking for a few moments)

Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "Unless you become elevated to the position of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, simply by impersonal Brahman realization you cannot become happy. Therefore for enjoyment..." Enjoyment means variety, the varieties of enjoyment. "You come down again to the material world." We have seen it practically. Many big, big sannyāsīs and transcendentalists, they give up this world as mithyā or false and take to sannyāsa, but after some time, again they come back to this material world for executing philanthropic activities like opening hospitals or opening schools and other philanthropic activities. It so happens because they cannot fully realize the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Person, they again come to these material persons.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Now, suppose there are impersonalists who believe in the ultimate, I mean to say, merging into the supreme effulgence, brahma-jyotir. And what is that brahma-jyotir? Brahmajyoti is just the atomic spiritual combination of atomic spiritual portions. That is brahma-jyotir. Just like the sun rays. Those who are scientists, those who know what is the sun ray... The sun ray is a small molecular, glazing atom, the sun ray. You have got experience of sun ray, but what is the sun ray? It is not homogeneous. It is heterogeneous. When you can analyze the sun ray, you'll find small particles of molecules. Similarly, brahma-jyotir is also spiritual atoms combined together. Just like the sun rays, different material molecules combined together, similarly, brahma-jyotir is also like that. Now as in the sun rays there are different planets—they are also generated from the sun rays—similarly, from the brahma-jyotir there are different planets, but those planets we cannot see here. That is beyond this sky. So in that planets, spiritual planets, there are different forms of God, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

Prabhupāda: This is page one-hundred-eighteen, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "All of them as they surrender unto Me, I reward accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā." Purport: "Everyone is searching after Kṛṣṇa in the different aspects of His manifestation. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is partially realized in His impersonal brahma-jyotir or shining effulgence. Kṛṣṇa is also partially realized as the all-pervading Supersoul dwelling within everything, even in the particles of atoms."

Prabhupāda: It (the microphone) is not fixed up right.

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

Devotee: This process is generally known as yajña or activities simply meant for the satisfaction of Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the more the activities of the material world are performed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or for Viṣṇu only, the more the atmosphere becomes spiritualized by complete absorption. Brahman means spiritual. The Lord is spiritual and the rays of His transcendental body are called brahma-jyotir, His spiritual effulgence. Everything that exists is situated in that brahma-jyotir. And when the jyoti is covered by the illusion of māyā or sense gratification it is called material."

Prabhupāda: Now, this is the difference between material and spiritual. Try to understand. Just like in the sunshine there is cloud. That cloudy atmosphere is not very good. But when there is bright sunshine you say, congratulate your friend, "Oh, today is very nice day." The sunshine is always there. The cloud also is an interaction of the sunshine. The cloud is nothing but due to excessive heat it absorbs water from the sea or anywhere else and it becomes gas and it stands in the sunshine. But it does not cover all the sunshine.

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

Devotee: (indistinct) eternally individual, so how do the impersonalists (?) attaining their goal merge into the impersonal brahma-jyotir?

Prabhupāda: That is their sign of less intelligence. Therefore we call the impersonalist as less intelligent. Just like the same example, the child is thinking that the constable is very important man. Similarly, the impersonalists are less intelligent in this sense, that what is this brahma-jyotir? The brahma-jyotir is combination of atomic spiritual sparks. Just like sunshine is combination of molecular shining particles. This is scientific. Anything you take, either take sunshine or fire or water, you'll find atomic, even earth, they are all atomic, small, very small parts. Similarly, the brahma-jyotir is combination of the atomic spiritual sparks who are individual living entities.

So they may merge into that existence of brahma-jyotir but because every individual living entity has got individual desires, therefore they cannot exist very long in that individual condition, I mean to say, impersonal condition. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Any person who is thinking that by merging, or one who has already merged into the brahma-jyotir, he has become liberated. Bhāgavata says that is not intelligence, what to speak of liberation. He says ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Vimukta-māninaḥ means he is simply falsely thinking that he is liberated. Māninaḥ. Just like you think yourself, just like so many rascals, he is thinking, "I am God," you see. "I am God."

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

Just like these foolish men, they are going very high on sputniks and other machine but they cannot find out the shelter and come back. You see. But they are thinking, "Oh, we are so much advanced in science. We go so high." You go high, what is your result? You come back again. They will be puffed up. "Yes, it will be perfect in so many years, in this way and that way." They will never accept defeat. But actually you see they go and come back, that's all.

Similarly these foolish persons who are thinking that "I shall merge into the brahma-jyotir," they are less intelligent because they cannot exist there. He has got inclination, desires. There is no facility for fulfilling your desires unless you go to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in order to fulfill the desires he'll come again to this material world. Because he wants activities, pleasure. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. The spirit soul and the Supreme Lord is by nature joyful. Whenever there is question of joyfulness there must be varieties. So there is no variety. So without variety he cannot remain therefore very long. He has to come. But because he has no information of the spiritual varieties he is bound to come back to this material variety. That's all. So therefore their intelligence is less. They are not very high class men.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

Similarly, the brahma-jyotir, wherefrom it is coming? Where is the source? So brahma-jyotir, the impersonal brahma-jyotir is not ultimate. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam
brahmeti paramātmeti
bhagavān iti śabdyate
(SB 1.2.11)

The Absolute Truth is one, either you say Brahman, or Para-brahman or Bhagavān, but still, there is grades of realization. Brahman realization is impersonal realization. Paramātmā realization is localized. And Bhagavān realization is the perfect, ultimate realization. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

This (is) all right, but wherefrom this Brahman is emanating? That Para-brahman. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Brahman is also emanating. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. Everything Brahman is situated on Para-brahman. Therefore He is described as paraṁ dhāma. Dhāma means the platform. Just like we stand on the surface of the globe. So similarly, there must be some standing. Just like the light is coming. Wherefrom the light is coming? The standing is the lamp. If the lamp is broken, there is no more light.

Similarly, the brahma-jyotir, wherefrom it is coming? Where is the source? So brahma-jyotir, the impersonal brahma-jyotir is not ultimate. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam
brahmeti paramātmeti
bhagavān iti śabdyate
(SB 1.2.11)

The Absolute Truth is one, either you say Brahman, or Para-brahman or Bhagavān, but still, there is grades of realization. Brahman realization is impersonal realization. Paramātmā realization is localized. And Bhagavān realization is the perfect, ultimate realization. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

The same example: Just like you are in the sunshine. That is also light. It is not darkness. Similarly, those who have realized impersonal Brahman, that is also light. Those who have realized localized Paramātmā, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61), the yogis... The yogis realize Paramātmā. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Yogis' business is in meditation to see Kṛṣṇa within the heart. And the jñānīs, they realize impersonal feature, brahma-jyotir. But the bhaktas, they directly come to the original source of Brahman and Paramātmā—Bhagavān. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara has expanded in everyone's heart.

And who is that īśvara? Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(Bs. 5.1)

So if we understand Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energies, then we can realize the Vedic slogan, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. But without understanding Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible. Without understanding Kṛṣṇa, there will be falldown. Therefore we see so many impersonalists. They cannot give up their attachment for this material world. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "Anyone who has neglected Your personality," aravindākṣa, "O the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa," aravindākṣe, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa tvayy asta-bhāvāt, "they cannot understand what You are." Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: "Their intelligence is still contaminated, not purified." Aviśuddha. Then what is the result? The result is āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "After severe austerities, penances, they may come to the impersonal understanding of Your brahma-jyotir, but patanty adhaḥ, again comes to the material world."

Therefore the impersonalists, without understanding of Kṛṣṇa, even very much advanced, they do not get any occupation. They again come down to the material platform to open hospital, school, college. Why? Because the impersonalist says that this material world is false. If the material world is false, why you come down again to the false platform to open schools and hospitals? That means āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32).

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- August 4, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

This is called acintya-bhedābheda, simultaneously one and different. In the sunshine you feel the presence of the sun, but if you are able to enter in the sun globe, you can meet the sungod also. Actually, the sunshine means the rays of the body of the person living in the sun globe.

That is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). On account of Kṛṣṇa's... You have seen Kṛṣṇa's effulgence is coming. That is the source of everything. That expansion of that effulgence is the brahma-jyotir, and in that brahma-jyotir, innumerable spiritual planets, material planets, are generated. And in each and every planet there are varieties of presentation.

Actually, the origin is the Kṛṣṇa's rays of the body, and the rays of the body's origin is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

We have several times discussed this point. Just like to understand the sun, somebody is studying the sun rays. He is also studying the sun and somebody is studying what is the sun disc. So he is also studying sun and somebody is trying to enter into the sun planet to see who is there. Everything is the sun. But the persons who are studying the sunshine, their grade is lower than the person who is trying to understand the sun disc. And their position is lower grade than the person who wants to enter into the sun. So the bhaktas, they are trying to see the sun-god within the sun. Just like they want to see Kṛṣṇa. In the Upaniṣad we'll find... There is a prayer that the Brahman is said, "Will You kindly push off Your glaring, dazzling glare so that I can really see You." So within the Brahmajyoti there is Kṛṣṇa. So we have to see that.

Lecture on BG 5.22-29 -- New York, August 31, 1966:

One who is aspiring after that transcendental happiness which is called brahma-sukha, brahma-sukha... One who is, yaḥ antaḥ-sukha, that brahma-sukha is within. That brahma-sukha is not without. Yaḥ antaḥ-sukhaḥ antar-ārāmaḥ. And is happy and satisfied by enjoying within. Antaḥ-sukhaḥ antar-ārāmas tathāntar-jyotir eva yaḥ. And who is trying to find out the brahma-jyotir, the effulgence of Brahman within. Sa yogī brahma-nirvāṇam. That yogi is already situated in Brahman. Nirvāṇam means ending all this material contamination. Brahma-bhūto 'dhigacchati. And he becomes a realized soul or the brahma-antaḥ.

Lecture on BG 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:

This is the way of perfection. And assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future. One has simply... If I am realized then this material composition of this body is disbursed and I am the spirit soul, small particle, I am immediately promoted to the spiritual sky. That is the highest perfection. In the spiritual sky either you remain as a small spark of spirit soul, molecules. Just like there are millions of molecules of shining matter in the sunshine. So if I remain as molecule in the brahma-jyotir, that is also possible. The impersonalist wants that. Or if I enter into some spiritual planet and associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead that is also another spiritual existence. Although both of them are spiritual existence, this spiritual existence is impersonal. To remain as molecular part of the Brahman rays or spiritual rays, that is impersonal. And to have a spiritual form just like Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, that is another spiritual perfection. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

The other day we have explained who is Bhagavān. Bhagavān is the last word of the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases: impersonal Brahman, localized Paramātmā, Supersoul, and ultimately, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ultimately, Bhagavān, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is person, and secondarily, He is all-pervading Supersoul, and the brahma-jyotir effulgence.

So here it is said, śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān means the proprietor of everything and all-powerful, all... He has got all the... All-famous. Nobody can be more famous than God. And all-beautiful, and full of knowledge, and full of renunciation. Full of opulence, at the same time, full of renunciation. Here in the material world you'll find if a rich man has got great opulence, he is not liking to give it up. He's not liking. He does not like to renounce. But in the Supreme Personality of Godhead you'll find full of all opulence, but at the same time, full of renunciation. The six qualifications: proprietor of all opulence, all-famous, all strength, all beauty, all knowledge, and all renunciation. Anywhere you find all these six qualifications in full, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Devotee: "Therefore, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is the highest stage of yoga, just as when we speak of the Himalayas, we refer to the world's highest mountains, of which the highest peak, Mount Everest, is considered to be the culmination. It is by great fortune that one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, on the path of bhakti-yoga and is well situated according to the Vedic directions. The ideal yogi concentrates his attention on Kṛṣṇa, who is called Śyāmasundara, beautifully colored as a cloud, His lotus-like face effulgent as the sun and His dress brilliant with earrings and His body flower-garlanded. Illuminating all sides is His gorgeous luster, which is called the brahma-jyotir. He incarnates in different forms, such as Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He descends like a human being as the son of Mother Yaśodā and is known as Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, and Vāsudeva. He is the perfect child, husband, friend, master, and He is full of all opulences and transcendental qualities. If one remains fully conscious of these features of the Lord, he is called the highest yogi. This stage of highest perfection in yoga can be attained only by bhakti-yoga, as is confirmed in all Vedic literature."

Prabhupāda: Bhakti, in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). In the beginning Kṛṣṇa says that out of millions of people, one may understand Me actually, factually. And that same factually word is used in the Eighteenth Chapter, that "If one wants to know Me," Kṛṣṇa or God, "then he has to go through the process of bhakti-yoga." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). That is clearly said. In the Vedas also it is said, simply through bhakti, devotional service, you can attain to the highest perfectional stage. Other yoga system there must be mixture of bhakti. But bhakti-yoga is unadulterated devotion. Therefore this direct process of bhakti-yoga is recommended for this age because they haven't got sufficient time to execute all the paraphernalia any other system of yoga. Thank you very much.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

Devotee: Purport: "In the first six chapters of the Bhagavad-gītā, the living entity has been described as nonmaterial spirit soul who is capable of elevating himself to self-realization by different types of yogas. At the end of the Sixth Chapter it has been clearly stated that the steady concentration of the mind upon Kṛṣṇa, or in other words, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the highest form of all yoga. By concentrating one's mind upon Kṛṣṇa one is able to know the Absolute Truth completely, but not otherwise. The impersonal brahma-jyotir or localized Paramātmā is not perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth, because it is partial."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Impersonal... Just like sunshine and the sun disc and the inhabitants of the sun globe. In one sense, they are one unit. You cannot separate sunshine from the sun disc or the sun disc from the inhabitants or the predominating deity of sun planet. They are all in light, but still there is difference. Sunshine is coming within your room. Although the sun disc and the sunshine is not different, still, when you realize what is sunshine, that does not mean you realize what is the sun disc. This is very practical. To understand what is sunshine does not mean to understand what is sun disc. You can have some idea: "The sun disc is also light, and it has got heat. It is illuminating." These ideas you can get, but not exactly what is the temperature of that sun disc, how you can live there. There are so many things to learn. Therefore, impersonal Brahman, understanding of impersonal Brahman, is not perfect knowledge.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

Devotee: "Different types of yogas are only stepping stones on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who takes directly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically knows about brahma-jyotir and Paramātmā in full."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Suppose... The same example. If you can understand the sun disc, then automatically you understand what is sunshine. But understanding sunshine, you cannot understand the sun disc. That is not possible. Therefore the origin should be understood. Root should be understood. Then everything will be under... That is knowledge. That will be explained in this chapter.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

So we are small particles, part and parcel of the Supreme, and they are distributed all over His creation, brahma-jyotir. That is nirākāra. But the brahma-jyotir is not the ultimate truth. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The first realization... Just like light in the morning. When you see light, you see the light of the sun. But that is not very important thing, sunlight. Of course, we have no other means to understand beyond the sunlight, but we take it sunlight is very important. Actually very important because through sunlight the whole universe is maintained. It is sunlight. As soon as there is shortage of sunlight, the place becomes immediately condemned. As soon as there is sunlight, we feel pleasure, "Oh, today is very sunny day, nice." So sunlight is always there, but it is being covered. The sunlight is not covered, sun is not covered, but our eyes are covered. Suppose there is cloud. A cloud may expand, say, a hundred miles. But do you think the sunlight is a hundred miles? You cannot estimate, millions and millions of miles. So what hundred-miles cloud can cover the sun? The hundred-miles cloud can cover my eyes. And we say, "Today sun is covered by the cloud." That is our ignorance.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

So here Kṛṣṇa again personally speaking. The authority, personally... Out of compassion and friendship, love to Arjuna, He's speaking directly to Arjuna. And Arjuna understood Him: the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam (BG 10.12). Puruṣam. Puruṣam means person. He's not imperson. Imperson is the, another feature of the person. Brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Kṛṣṇa says that "The brahma-jyotir, impersonal Brahman, that is situated upon Me." Ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Just like we are sitting on this platform. This is pratiṣṭhā. Similarly, the brahma-jyotir is situated on the person of Kṛṣṇa. The person is the ultimate understanding of the Absolute Truth, not the impersonal feature. That is preliminary understanding or imperfect understanding. There is brahma-jyotir. Just like we are experiencing the sunshine. The sunshine is also experience of the sun-god, but it is imperfect understanding. It is not perfect understanding. If you want to understand the sun-god, then you have to penetrate through the sunshine and reach the sun planet. And then, if, if, you are able to see the predominating deity of the sun planet, whose name is Vivasvān... Similarly, the whole material creation is a part of the brahma-jyotir. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma.

So you have to penetrate... In the Īśopaniṣad, it is said that, requested, it is requesting the, that "You kindly wind up Your brahma-jyotir so can, I can see Your face rightly." So ultimately, there is person.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

When Śukadeva Gosvāmī described the cowherd boys playing with Kṛṣṇa... So he is remarking that "These boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa... Who is this Kṛṣṇa?" Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. Those, those who are impersonalists, those who are attached to the impersonal brahma-jyotir, for them, He is the target. He is the target. From Him, the brahma-jyotir comes. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. And dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena: "And those who are devotees, for them, here is the Supreme Lord." Dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa: "And those who are under the influence of māyā, for them, He's ordinary human child." The same person. Different views. One is seeing that the ultimate target of brahma-jyotir, and somebody is seeing that He is the Supreme Lord, and somebody's seeing, "He's ordinary boy." So Kṛṣṇa is visioned under different positions. Under different positions. But He's the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

So there are different planetary systems within this material world. Just like we are situated, it is called Bhūrloka. Above this, there is Bhuvarloka. Above that, there is Svarloka, there is Janaloka, there is Maharloka, Satyaloka. In this way, there are seven steps of planetary systems up, and similarly, seven planetary systems down. So by jñāna-yoga, by bhakti-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, means mystic yoga system, we can be promoted to the higher system, but if you practice the bhakti-yoga, then you go to the transcendental world directly and associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The dhyāna-yogī and jñāna-yogī can also go to the Brahmaloka or brahma-jyotir, but there is chance of falling down again to this material world. But generally, jñāna-yogī remains a speculator within this material world, and dhyāna-yogī, they, as soon as they get some material miracle power, they become implicated with this power, no more going to the spiritual world. But bhakti-yogī, being perfectly the yogi, the topmost yogi, he can enter the kingdom of God, or the planet where God is there. God is everywhere, but He has got a special planet, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. You can enter there and mix with the Supreme Lord just like we are here, mixing one another. I can see you, you can see me, similarly, you can go directly, see God and live with Him, dance with Him, play with Him, eat with Him. That is the perfection of life.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

Because we are spiritual sparks, small, very small. That magnitude has been described in the śāstras. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). As spiritual spark, our magnitude is one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. We are such a small. And this... Just like the sunshine is combination of bright molecules, shining molecules. They are not one. They are also small, atomic, molecular parts. Similarly, brahma-jyotir means combination of all the living entities, the spiritual sparks. To become one with the brahma-jyotir means... Just like one bird enters into the green tree. It appears that it has become one. The tree is also green and the bird is also green. So when the bird enters the tree, it appears that the bird is now mixed up. But that is not the fact. The bird keeps his individuality, and at any time, when he wants, he can come out of the tree and fly anywhere. That independence is there, although apparently it seems that he has become one with the tree. Similarly, the sāyujya-mukti means apparently he is in Brahman, but factually it is not. Because each individual soul is different.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

So this is the actual siddhi to understand, that "I am eternally part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. I can enjoy eternally blissful life in knowledge with cooperation or in the association of Kṛṣṇa and His devotees." That is real life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). Some of them are thinking that by merging into the existence of the Supreme, that is siddhi. That is not siddhi. That is partial siddhi, and it will not exist. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). If you do not engage yourself in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, then you cannot eternally remain in the brahma-jyotir. You cannot remain in the brahma-jyotir. You'll fall down. Therefore we see so many big, big sannyāsīs. They think that "I have become Nārāyaṇa." They address between themselves, "Nārāyaṇa, namo nārāyaṇāya." They have become Nārāyaṇa. But not, they cannot become Nārāyaṇa. Some of them have manufactured the word "daridra-nārāyaṇa." Nārāyaṇa is never daridra. These are manufactured things. Neither one can become Nārāyaṇa. But one can remain eternally the servant of Nārāyaṇa. That is possible. That is siddhi.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

Even if he thinks that "I am the supreme," that is partially in the... That is also light. Just like if you come to the sunlight, sunshine, that is also light, but that is not perfection. If you can go within the sun globe and see the origin of shining, brightening principle, the sun-god, that is siddhi. Similarly, to merge into the Brahman is not siddhi. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Actually, it is a fact. Bhāgavata, whatever it says, that is real fact. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. If one thinks that "Now I am merged in the brahma-jyotir, so I am now vimukta. I am now mukta. I am now liberated," so that Bhāgavata says, "He is thinking like that, he's liberated. He is not liberated." Vimukta-mānina. Just like if I think am millionaire, does it mean I have become millionaire. I am not millionaire. Vimukta-mānina. Why? Tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because these persons who are thinking that he has become liberated, their buddhi is not yet cleansed. Aviśuddha. Śuddhāśuddha. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ, vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvāt. Asta-bhāvāt. No information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is thinking that the Absolute is imperson. Therefore, asta-bhāvāt, he has no information of the Supreme Person.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

You can change your life in so many times, but you'll never be happy, because you are aśānta, you want something. You want some benefit, material benefit. Or spiritual benefit. Spiritual benefit. To merge into the Supreme, that is spiritual benefit. And material benefit, to get some material profits within this world, this life or next life. So that is bhukti. Bhukti and mukti. And merging into the spiritual effulgence, brahma-jyotir, that is also aśānta, because after all, he is wanting something. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī. He wants something. To merge. And the yogis, they are plainly wanting some siddhis. So they, every one of them are wanting, in need. Therefore they are aśānta. They cannot be śānta. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa-bhakta does not want anything. He does not want anything. He want to serve to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Janmani janmani: "Ah, it doesn't matter. I take my birth, one after another. It doesn't matter. But I want simply to be engaged in Your service. That's all." This is niṣkāma. Janmani janmani means not even mukti. To stop repetition of birth, a devotee does not want even that. The jñānīs, they want stopping this repetition of birth, but bhakta, they do not want even stopping this.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:

So yasyaika, yasya prabhā. This brahma-jyotir, brahma-jñāna, is just like the rays. As the sunshine is the rays of the sun globe, similarly, the rays of the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is brahma-jyotir. And within that brahma-jyotir, there are innumerable universes. So in each universe... We have given the picture in our title cover of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So in each universe there are innumerable planets. In this way, this is a partial expansion, partial exhibition of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

athavā bahunaitena
kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
ekāṁśena sthito jagat
(BG 10.42)

Ekāṁśena. This whole, all the universes, they are simply partial exhibition of the partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalam... (Bs. 5.48).

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

It is not at all difficult to see Kṛṣṇa. Why do you say, "Can you show me God?" Why you are not seeing God? Here is God. So Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). So who has not seen the sunshine? Who has not seen the moonshine? Simply to understand, one has to understand that what is this sunshine? The sunshine is the reflection of Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence. Just like what is this moonshine? This is reflection of the sunshine. Similarly, the sun is also reflection of the brahma-jyotir. And what is the brahma-jyotir? Brahmajyoti is Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence. Then why do you say that you have not seen Kṛṣṇa? There are many other instances. Kṛṣṇa is giving some of them. If you study, if you meditate upon them, then you will see Kṛṣṇa gradually. He will be revealed. He'll be present immediately. It is all revelation. Not that by your eyes you can see. But if you follow the prescription, the direction, you will see Kṛṣṇa daily, always, twenty-four hours.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

Original, the Goloka Vṛndāvana, the abode of Kṛṣṇa. So take it... Just like sun globe. And within the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet there is the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, just like exactly within the sun the person, sun-god, his name is Vivasvān. And from that globe, Goloka Vṛndāvana, there is rays. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). On account of that effulgence from the Goloka Vṛndāvana, there are innumerable spiritual and material planets. The spiritual planets are called Vaikuṇṭhalokas, and in the material sphere there are so many planets—Sun, Moon, Venus, Earth, so many, millions and millions... They are all resting on that effulgence, Brahman effulgence. Yasya prabhā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ govindam. The brahma-jyotir is the rays of, the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa. So everything is resting... We have got experience that these material planetary systems, they are resting on the sunshine. The scientist knows it. On account of the heat of the sunshine, all the planetary systems or the globes, they are moving, going around. It is not stopped. There is a small apparatus—I have seen in America—that as soon as you give heat, within that, I mean to say, glass, the one is glow, it is rotating... (end)

Lecture on BG 7.8-14 -- New York, October 2, 1966:

So raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. We can remember Kṛṣṇa, or God, when we drink water because nobody can avoid drinking water. So the God consciousness is there. How can you forget? Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). When there is some illumination, when there is some illumination... (aside:) You want to come here? I ask this... All right. When there is some illumination, that illumination is also Kṛṣṇa. The original effulgence is brahma-jyotir. That is in the spiritual sky. This material sky is covered; therefore the nature of this material sky is darkness. Now, at night we are experiencing the real nature of this material world—it is darkness. Artificially, it is being illuminated by the sun, by the moon, by the electricity. Otherwise, it is darkness. So this illumination is God. We have to understand—this illumination.

Now, how this illumination is coming? Originally, in the spiritual sky, just like the sun has the shining force which we call sunshine, similarly in the, from the kingdom of God, there is a shining which is called brahma-jyotir. The brahma-jyotir is reflected by the sun; the moon is reflected by the sun. I mean to say, sun is reflection of brahma-jyotir, and moon is reflection of the sun.

Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966:

So in the sunshine, or in the sun disc or in the sun planet, they are in the sun, but there are degrees. One who is in the sunshine, he cannot claim that "I am in the sun planet." He cannot claim that. So one who is in the sun planet, he is better situated than one who is in the sunshine. So sunshine is compared with the Brahman effulgence, brahma-jyotir. And sun disc is compared to the Supersoul. And the sun planet, within, that is compared with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Just like in this planet you have got so many personalities, similarly, according to Vedic literature, we understand in the sun planet also there are varieties of living entities, but their bodies are made of fire. As our body is made of earth, similarly, their bodies are made of fire. There are five elements in the material nature: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. So in different planets, there are different atmospheres and different bodies also. Don't think that each and every planet of the same quality. No. Same quality in the sense because these five elements are present there.

Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966:

In the sunshine your eyes are dazzled. You do not see. If you go little over this planet, earth planet, by aeroplane, and if there is full sunshine, you don't see anything except sunshine. But that does not mean there is nothing beyond sunshine. But my eyes are dazzled by the sunshine. Just like in during daytime you do not find the stars due to the dazzling sunshine, but you don't think that because you do not see the planets or stars during daytime, they are vanquished, there is nothing. No. Similarly, those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth, they first of all realize that brahma-jyotir. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, about that brahma-jyotir, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Just like the sunshine.

So the impersonalists, brahmavādīs, they realize about that brahma-jyotir. And the yogis, they realize the Supersoul, Supersoul. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati: (BG 18.61) "Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, by His plenary portions, He is situated in everyone's heart." We are sitting together. Several times we have described this, that two birds are sitting in the same tree. The two birds means one, the Supersoul, and other, the individual living entity.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

But those who are not personalists, they cannot enter into the spiritual planet. They remain outside. Just like the sunshine and the sun disc. The sunshine is not different from the sunshine, sun disc, but still, the sunshine is not the sun disc. Similarly, those who are transferred in the spiritual world, they remain in the effulgence of the Supreme Lord, which is called brahma-jyotir. Brahmajyoti. So those who are not personalists, they are placed in that, into that brahma-jyotir as one of the minute particles. We are minute particles, spiritual spark, and brahma-jyotir is full of spiritual spark. So you become one of the spiritual spark. That is, means you merge into the spiritual existence. Although you keep your individuality constitutionally, but because you don't want any personal form, therefore you are held there, held there in the impersonal brahma-jyotir. Just like the sunshine are small molecules, shining molecules—those who are scientists, they know that—similarly, we are also small, molecular, atomic, less than atom, one ten-thousandth portion of the tip of the hair. Our position is. So that small part remains with the brahma-jyotir as if mixed up, homogeneous, although...

So difficulty is as living entity, we want enjoyment. Because I am not only simply existence. I have got bliss. Sac-cid-ānanda. I am, I am composed of three spiritual existence.

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

There are five kinds of liberation: sāyujya, sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya, five kinds of liberation. So sāyujya-mukti is to merge into the impersonal effulgence of God. That is called sāyujya-mukti. If you like, you can merge your identity with the impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord, which is called Brahman, brahma-jyotir. That you can do. But that is not very palatable. That we have discussed many times. But others... There are two schools of philosophers. One likes to merge into the existence of the Supreme and close his identity, individual identity—no more individuality. That you can do. You close your identity. But that sort of merging is risky also. That we have several times discussed. But if you enter into some planets, spiritual planets, then you can have five kinds of liberation. One kind of liberation is sārūpya. You can have body exactly like God. Sārūpya. Sālokya. You can live in the same planet, sālokya. Sālokya, sālokya and sārṣṭi. Sārṣṭi means you can have similar opulence as God has, similar opulence. So much powerful you can become that you are as powerful as God is. That is called sārṣṭi. And sāmīpya. Sāmīpya means you can always remain with God as one of the associates. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is always with Kṛṣṇa as friend. This is called sāmīpya.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

Arjuna is a person, and Kṛṣṇa is also person, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Similarly, Kṛṣṇa spoke to sun-god; he is also a person, but that person should go... I may say, sun-god, his bodily rays is the sunshine, and in the sunshine the whole material world exists. Similarly, there is real sunshine, which is called brahma-jyotir, that is coming out of the body of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). So this impersonal brahma, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, that is Kṛṣṇa's personal rays. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says here, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Sarvam. Idaṁ sarvam. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Because it is Kṛṣṇa's bodily rays, therefore in that sense you can take anything as brahma, sarva khalv idam, because nothing is different from Kṛṣṇa. Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaro. The whole creation is also bhagavān, but it is as appears as different. It appears as different. So this is explained here, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā-mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). "Everything is resting on Me." Just like in the sunshine. On the sunshine all these material planets are resting. Similarly, everything, these universes are resting on Kṛṣṇa's bodily shine, brahma-jyotir. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ. These māyāvādī philosophers say, "Because everything is Kṛṣṇa, then why shall I go to temple? Why shall I say 'Worship Kṛṣṇa'?" But everything is Kṛṣṇa, why not this Kṛṣṇa? This is also Kṛṣṇa. But their poor brain cannot understand.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

So God, Kṛṣṇa, is not imperson at the ultimate end. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Absolute Truth is realized in three phases: Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. So Paramātmā is subordinate to the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, and Brahman is also subordinate to the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa. Brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Brahman, the impersonal Brahman feature, brahma-jyotir, that is resting on Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy to understand. We can see that the sunshine is resting on the sun globe. Sun globe is localized, but sunshine is very big. It is distributed all over the universe. But that does not mean that sunshine is more important than the sun globe. The sun globe is important, and the still more important is the sun-god. Within the sun globe there is sun-god, Vivasvān. He is a person. And there is also other living entities, their, all their bodies are made of fire.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

So if in the material world such subtle things can be performed, so spiritually, still fine, finely it can be done. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "Whatever you see," mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4), "it is My expansion of energy." "It is My expansion of energy." The same example as it is given in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, just as a fire is there in one place. The another example is just like sunshine. Sun is fixed up. You can see, everyone can see that it is lying, stationed, in one insignificant corner of the sky, but his sunshine is distributed all over the universe, and everything, all planets, all vegetation, all seasonal changes, they are depending on the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa has got His rays of the body, brahma-jyotir, yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40), prabhā. Brahmajyoti is described as prabhā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato (Bs. 5.40). As soon as there is brahma-jyotir... Brahmajyoti is always there. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. In the brahma-jyotir, innumerable universes are coming out, anywhere. In another place it is said, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vila-jā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ means Brahman. So everything is coming from Him. But the same thing, that is the Vedic injunction. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. These are the Vedic injunction. Yato vā imāni, sa aikṣata, sa (Sanskrit). So, sa vai..., raso vai saḥ: everything, all, reservoir of all rasas. Same, same thing is explained here, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4).

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

The same thing, expansion of God's energy. Just like we practically see scientifically, the sunshine is the cause of this universe. Within the sunshine all the planets have grown, and in each and every planet, due to the sunshine the vegetables are growing. There are leaves. When there is no sunshine the leaf falls down. As soon as the sunshine is there the colorful fruits and flowers and leaves come out. Everything is due to the sunshine.

Similarly, the supreme sun is Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). He has got... Just like the sun has shining, similarly—try to understand—God has got His effulgence, bodily shining. That is called brahma-jyotir. When the brahma-jyotir is there innumerable universes are generated. Therefore he is cause of all creation. It doesn't require to manufacture each and every universe. He is so powerful that in His effulgence, in His shining, innumerable universes are created. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). In each universe there are many millions and millions of stars and planets.

These are the description in the Vedic literature. So we have to learn. You cannot by your tiny effort with limited power, limited sense, I mean to say, perception, you cannot speculate. You have to understand from authoritative statements. That is called Veda.

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

So He's also... According to this version, He's also origin of Paramātmā, the Supersoul. And He is also the origin of nirviśeṣa or impersonal brahma-jyotir. Because it is said, aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇāṁ ca sarvaśaḥ (BG 10.2). Sarvaśaḥ means, "Anything that you have any conception of, of all them, I am the supreme source."

Therefore, as it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Absolute Truth is realized in three phases, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). Advayam means nonduality, one. The one supreme truth, Absolute Truth, is realized in three phases, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate: realization of the impersonal Brahman, or the glowing effulgence, just like sunshine, then the localized Supersoul, then Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

In the material world we have got experience that sunshine, jyoti, prakāśa... But wherefrom the sunshine comes? Sunshine is also a reflection of another jyoti, or illumination. That illumination is called brahma-jyotir. And wherefrom that brahma-jyotir emanates? That emanates from Kṛṣṇa. 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 pūrṇimā. So one is borrowing the illumination from the other. But there is the supreme source of illumination. That is Kṛṣṇa.

That is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā, the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa, being illuminated... In that illumination, which is called brahma-jyotir, there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets. The Vaikuṇṭha are self-illuminated. Therefore in the spiritual world there is no darkness. Tamasaḥ param. Therefore is said here that taj jyotis tamasaḥ param ucyate: "That spiritual world is beyond this material world." This material world is called tamaḥ. Tamaḥ 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.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

Therefore here it is said, jyotiṣām api taj jyotiḥ, param. There are different kinds of illumination, sunshine, moonshine, electricity, fire. But that jyoti which is directly emanating from Kṛṣṇa's body, that is the real jyoti. So on account of Kṛṣṇa's bodily rays, the whole creation is coming out. That is Kṛṣṇa's inconceivable power, brahma-jyotir. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Athāto brahma jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra, you have to inquire about that paraṁ jyoti, brahma-jyotir. And from that paraṁ 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 brahma-jyotir. The sunshine, yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. The sun is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā as the eyes of all the planets. Yac cakṣur eṣa, eṣa sakala-grahāṇāṁ cakṣuḥ. The sun is the actual eyes for all the planets because unless there is sunshine you cannot see.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

So this sunshine is reflection of the brahma-jyotir. Yasya prabhā prabhavataḥ (Bs. 5.40). When the bodily rays, shining rays, of Kṛṣṇa is there, then all these universes are generated. The universes are also generated. In another place, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ means... Jagad-aṇḍa means universe. Each universe has a principle living being. That is Lord Brahmā. So there are many innumerable Brahmās also, innumerable Śivas, innumerable suns, innumerable moons, because there are innumerable universes. And each and every universe, there are innumerable planets. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi (Bs. 5.40). Vasudhā means this planet.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

So jyotiṣām api jyotis tamasaḥ 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 brahma-jyotir is bluish because it is coming out from the blue body of Kṛṣṇa. 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 brahma-jyotir is penetrating through the covers, and little reflection we can see in the sky. So therefore, here it is said,

jyotiṣām api taj jyotis
tamasaḥ param ucyate
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyaṁ
hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam

Viṣṭhitam. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. Actually He is knowledge, and He is the object of knowledge, jñeyam, and one should try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ jñāna-gamyam. And He is in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Simply we have to know the process how to know Him.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa was present five thousand years ago on this planet, and just to benefit us He left His instruction, Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna did not require the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. He was already enlightened, but he presented himself as a fool just to induce the Lord to speak on Bhagavad-gītā, and it is noted by Vyāsadeva, Vedavyāsa, in the Mahābhārata, so that people may take advantage of the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything is there, what is this brahma-jyotir, 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... Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. 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 Kṛṣṇa, to avoid God.

Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:

And what is the symptom of such knowledge? Brahma-niṣṭham, firmly fixed up in Brahman. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). To know Brahman means to know not only the impersonal brahma-jyotir, but also Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. This is knowledge. So such person who has got sufficient knowledge what is this prakṛti, material world, what is the puruṣa, the living entity who is trying to enjoy this material world, and the paramātma-puruṣa, another puruṣa...

upadraṣṭānumantā ca
bhartā bhoktā maheśvaraḥ
paramātmeti cāpy ukto
dehe 'smin puruṣaḥ paraḥ
(BG 13.23)

Those who have no knowledge, they cannot understand, there are two puruṣas. One is apara, and one is para. Apara-puruṣa is the living entity, who is trying to enjoy this material world. But para-puruṣa is the anumantā, guiding principle or order-giving. There are two puruṣas, not one. One is inferior and other is superior. Superior puruṣa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa Himself. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). That is puruṣa-para. And apara. As there are aparā-prakṛti and parā-prakṛti. This material world is aparā-prakṛti, but there is spiritual world also. That is called parā-prakṛti.

Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Bombay, October 28, 1973:

Whatever we see, whatever we experience, that is, everything, Kṛṣṇa's energy. This material world is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Similarly, the spiritual world is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. The brahma-jyotir is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Paramātmā is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's plenary portion. In this way, when one understands perfectly well that whatever we are experiencing, that is Kṛṣṇa's energies... It is described in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa,

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner
jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

This jagat, akhilaṁ jagat, is nothing but manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Para-brahman is Kṛṣṇa. We may be Brahman... Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are Brahman. Now we are identifying with this matter. So mukti means when we stop identifying with this matter and we learn how to realize ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Simply realization not. To act as Brahman, Brahman, that is perfection of knowledge.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

You try to please the Supreme Lord by your fighting. That is perfection. You are brāhmaṇa, so you try to please the Supreme Lord by your brahminical knowledge. What is that brahminical? Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. So one who knows brahma, he is brāhmaṇa. Then, then next stage is for brāhmaṇa to become Vaiṣṇava. To become Vaiṣṇava. Because brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham. Simply one, if one stop simply by brahma knowledge and does not make further progress, that is not perfection. Perfection is, Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the origin of brahma-jyotir." Therefore from the brahma-jyotir one should make progress up to Kṛṣṇa. Just like sunshine. You are in, everyone, is sunshine. That's all right. But if you have got power, then you'll reach the sun planet, you'll see the sun-god, because the original source of the sunshine is the sun-god. Similarly, brahma-jyotir, the origin of brahma-jyotir is Kṛṣṇa, brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham. Brahmajyoti is emanating from the body of Kṛṣṇa. It is, it is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagand-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). So in this way we make progress. So here Arjuna, although he was fighter, Arjuna did not change his position. He did not become a brāhmaṇa. After hearing Bhagavad-gītā it is not that he gave up his profession as a kṣatriya and went to Himalaya to become a brāhmaṇa, meditation. No. He became perfect by his own profession. How? Because he satisfied Kṛṣṇa. So you can be situated in any position. That does not matter.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976:

Unless you acquire the qualities of sattva-guṇa, you cannot go even in the higher planetary system, what to speak of going beyond the universe. Beyond the universe, beyond this, there are Vaikuṇṭhaloka, or the Brahmaloka, brahma-jyotir. Then topmost is the Goloka Vṛndāvana. But you can go there. Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). If you prepare in this life, then you can go there. There is no impediment. Simply you have to be purified. This bhakti-mārga is the process of purification.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
(CC Madhya 19.170)

If we want to go to Vaikuṇṭha planet or Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, beyond this material sky... That is... There is another sky. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ avyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). These informations are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. There is another sky which is called paravyoma. That is spiritual sky.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

So the whole aim is liberation. We are conditioned by material nature. We have got this material body. Therefore our aim should be how to become liberated from this contamination, accepting birth after birth, material body. This is the need of human being. The animals cannot know that there is a thing like liberation. They cannot understand. The human being also says that after finishing this body everything is finished. That is liberation. No. This is animalism. So dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). So mokṣa, there are different types of mokṣa, or liberation. The Māyāvāda philosophers, the impersonalists, they think mokṣa means to merge into the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa, brahma-jyotir. That is also accepted, merging. But that kind of mokṣa is not accepted by the Vaiṣṇava, because to merge into the effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead may be liberation from this material world, but that does not mean that is actual liberation. Just like if you, from darkness of night, if you come to the sunlight, it is light of course, but sunshine or sunlight, if you go up with your airplane, "Now I shall live in the sunshine or sunlight and travel for millions of years...," you cannot travel millions of years. One day or three days or four days, then you come back again to this... If you can approach the sun planet, then there is stay. Otherwise you have to come back. Similarly, those who are taking shelter of the effulgence, which is the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa, they will have to come back. Many, many big, big sannyāsīs, they have come back again to these material activities.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

So this is the position. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Who is that? The Supreme Brahman, Para-brahman. The jñānīs, they want to appreciate the Supreme Brahman. Satām. Brahma-sukha, brahma-sukha. They are after brahma-sukha. Here is the source of brahma-sukha. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. So here is the... Just like the light, illumination—there is a source of light, the sunshine, illumination. The source is the sun globe. Similarly, the brahma-jyotir, what is the source? Kṛṣṇa says, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā: "I am the source. From Me it is coming." Therefore the same thing is... Itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā: "the source of brahma-sukha." Itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. And dāsyaṁ gatānām: "Those who have accepted the principle of to become servant of God," means the devotees. The devotees, they never want to become one with Brahman effulgence, sāyujya-mukti. They will never accept this. They want to keep their individuality and enjoy with Kṛṣṇa. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. Para-daivata: "the Supreme Lord." And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa: "And those who are under the influence of māyā, they are thinking Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human child," nara-dārakeṇa. But after all, these boys who are playing, sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ: (SB 10.12.11) "After accumulating many lives' pious activities, now they are promoted here at Vṛndāvana to play with Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Therefore it is said here, "The Absolute Truth is one." Either you call Him nirākāra Brahman or call you Him localized Paramātmā, He's in my heart, everyone's heart, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). But if you want to take advantage, full association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Vadanti tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam. This is very important verse. So tattva-darśīs are that, nondual; there is no difference. The same example, that there is the sun planet; there is sun-god, whose bodily effulgence is the sunshine; and the sun globe, localized; and the sunshine. All these three taken together is one light, but the sun-god is different from the sunshine; the sun globe is different from the sun-god. Similarly, this brahma-jyotir is nothing but Kṛṣṇa's personal effulgence. Yasya prabhā. Yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40), you can, you can say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that He is providing brahma-jyotir." Well, why not? If some creation of Kṛṣṇa, the sunlight and moonlight, is so powerful that it expands all over the universe, so how much powerful is Kṛṣṇa? Brahmano 'ham pratiṣṭha. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the source of this brahma-jyotir." Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11).

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Vrndavana, October 22, 1972:

So we immediately understand that this brahma-jyotir, impersonal effulgence of brahma-jyotir is the rays of Kṛṣṇa's body. Yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40). Kṛṣṇa also confirms this in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Kṛṣṇa says everything is emanating from Him. The Brahman is also emanation from Him. Paramātmā is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa.

So therefore if you understand Kṛṣṇa, tattvataḥ, yo māṁ vetti tattvataḥ... Tattva is that Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, is originally a person. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's the supreme eternal nitya. He's the supreme living being. As we are living beings, living entities, Kṛṣṇa is also living entity. He's not a dead stone. He's living entity. And as we have got all the propensities of living entity, He has got all the propensities of living entity. Here we are pervertedly... A young boy likes to love a young girl. A young girl likes to love a young boy.

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974:

The Brahman effulgence is the bodily glowing of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā. When Kṛṣṇa expands His bodily effulgence, then everything generates. This material world has also come out of the brahma-jyotir, or from the rays of the body of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. In another place Kṛṣṇa says that mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. His impersonal feature, the Brahman, feature, is expanded everywhere. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni: (BG 9.4) "Everything is resting on my bodily effulgence, Brahman." Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ: "But I am not there." This is tattva-jñāna. It is not that because everything is resting on Brahman, therefore everything should be worshiped. No. That is not.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

So anyway, this is the position of the nirviśeṣa-vāda. Because they do not enter in one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets... Because they are not bhaktas, they are not admitted. Without being bhakta, nobody is allowed to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Just like here in the sky there are millions and millions of planets, similarly, in the brahma-jyotir there are also millions and millions of planets. They are called Vaikuṇṭhaloka. But in those Vaikuṇṭhalokas only bhaktas are admitted, not the nondevotees. They can go to the Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka is combination of the spirit souls. But spirit soul means part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, who is ānandamaya. So they do not get that ānanda. They simply are elevated to the position of eternity. But eternity without ānanda. Just like you just imagine: suppose you are given a very nice place. You are ordered that "You live here eternally, but don't allow nobody else. You can live alone." How long you will live? Because as a living entity, as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, you want ānanda. So ānanda, you require society, friendship and love. That is ānanda. That is not impersonalism. That is personalism. So unless you enter to the personal activities of Kṛṣṇa, there cannot be ānanda. There cannot be.

Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Los Angeles, August 28, 1972:

Brahmā is the original living creature within this universe; so he worshiped the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead. He worshiped not the impersonal brahma-jyotir; he worshiped the person. Yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra—they were the first creation, and the sages Marīci, Vasiṣṭha, Ātreya... There are seven great sages, first-born. All of them worship the Personality of Godhead. Bhejire munayo 'thāgre. Agra means in the beginning of creation. Later on they have deviated, or as the ages are going on, people are becoming degraded in their standard of spiritual understanding. In the Satya-yuga, cent percent people were aware of their spiritual necessity of life. Next yuga, seventy-five percent. Next yuga, fifty percent, fifty percent; and this yuga, Kali-yuga, seventy-five percent are rascals, and twenty-five percent, they are little wise. And out of that twenty-five percent, mostly they are fruitive actors. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3).

Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972:

There is the predominating Deity in the sun globe, and his name is also given in the Bhagavad-gītā-Vivasvān. Vivasvān manave prāha. Prāha, he explained Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore he's a person. As we get, get this experience that from the sun globe, within the sun globe there is a person, and, due to the effulgence of that personal rays of the sun-god, or the population there, every people being glowing, the whole sun planet is so powerful, glowing, and the glow is distributed all over the universe, similarly, there is a glowing effulgence of the Supreme Person. That is called brahma-jyotir. That brahma-jyotir is impersonal, but the brahma-jyotir is resting on the Personality of Kṛṣṇa.

So ultimate Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature, Vedānta, and Kṛṣṇa says that vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Anyone who has not understood Kṛṣṇa, he has not studied the Vedic literature very perfectly. Vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛd ca aham. Kṛṣṇa says He's the compiler of Vedānta. So who will know Vedānta better than Kṛṣṇa? The so-called Vedantists, they are very much proud of their knowledge of Vedānta, but the, the real compiler of the Vedānta philosophy is Vyāsadeva. He's incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, vedānta-kṛd vedānta-vit. He is the compiler of the Vedānta-sūtra and He knows what is Vedānta-sūtra, not the so-called Māyāvādī philosophers.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

So not that they are amazed with the greatness of a living entity. He thinks that his greatness is due to Kṛṣṇa's favor. Because Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad-gītā, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ tat tad eva mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. Nobody can become great unless... Just like the sunshine. The sunshine, what is the sunshine? It is simply a partial reflection of Kṛṣṇa's brahma-jyotir. Similarly anyone who is great in the estimation of this material world, there is some Kṛṣṇa's favor. That's all. Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ tat tad eva mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam.

Just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā, we are giving respect to all the demigods. We are giving respect to Lord Śiva, we are giving respect to Durgā, we are giving respect to Gaṇeśa, we are giving respect to the sun-god. They are very big demigods. Lord Śiva, or Durgā, Gaṇeśa, and Brahmā, and... We don't disrespect. We give respect even to the ant. Why not to Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā? They should have their due respect, but that does not mean we consider them as the Supreme Lord. That is the mistake of the karmīs and the impersonalists. No. We know that nobody can be greater than or equal to Kṛṣṇa or viṣṇu-tattva, Nārāyaṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:
There is no question of personality. But because we cannot concentrate our devotional energy or attention in the impersonal feature, therefore let us imagine some form of God." This is the, I mean to say, principle of the impersonalists. They imagine some form of God, and they get perfection. And ultimately they become impersonal, merge into the effulgence, brahma-jyotir. That is their philosophy. The Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy differs here. Our Bhāgavata says that ultimate truth, Absolute Truth, is a person. Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11). Vyāsadeva says that "You direct people, attention, to the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Now, the question may be that one may take to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without understanding the truth, by sentiment. Just like sometimes... It is mostly in this country. Some of the disciples, some of the students, they are coming, not that one has understood this philosophy very nicely and he is convinced. Some of them are coming by sentiment: "All right, let me join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement."

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

From material calculation they say it takes about some forty thousands of years to go to the limit of this universe. Then beyond that universe there is the spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ (BG 8.20), another nature, avyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Then you pass through the spiritual world, brahma-jyotir. There are innumerable, unlimited number of Vaikuṇṭha planets. Then, above all of them, there is the planet Goloka Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa resides.

It is said in the Brahma-saṁhitā, goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43). Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni. That is Kṛṣṇa's personal planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu (Bs. 5.43). There are other planetary system, Hari-dhāma, Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma. Then, this is, this material world is called Devī-dhāma, and between the Goloka, between the spiritual world and material world there is...Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu (Bs. 5.43). So there are so many status (?) of planetary system. Each planet is full with living entities. The spiritual planet, they are full of living entities: they are all liberated, nitya-mukta. And those who are within this material world, planets, they are nitya-baddha. Nitya-baddha, nitya-mukta. There are two kinds of living entities. The nitya-baddhas are only few, but the nitya-muktas are many, many. This material world is only one fourth energy of the creation. The three-fourths energy is in the spiritual world.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Los Angeles, April 20, 1973:

Dveṣya means enemy. We, we are envious of our enemy and we are friendly to our friends. So Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Even He appears to be inimical to some demon, actually He's friend. When a demon is killed, that means his demonic activities are killed. He becomes a saint immediately. Otherwise how he's promoted immediately to the brahma-jyotir? All these demons who were killed by Kṛṣṇa, they immediately merge into the brahma-jyotir-nirviśeṣa. The only difference is, of course, the brahma-jyotir, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. They are one. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). That is one truth, Absolute Truth, in different features only. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Originally Bhagavān, His plenary representation is Paramātmā who is situated in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). The plenary portion Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, He is in everyone's heart. That is Paramātmā. And Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. The ultimate issue is Bhagavān. So ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Now He's equal to everyone. It is up to the devotees or persons who are trying to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth. According to their capacity of understanding, the Absolute Truth, God, is revealed, either as impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā or Bhagavān. It is up to me.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

So He is, according to the conception, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If Kṛṣṇa is taken as ordinary boy, human being, Kṛṣṇa will deal with him as ordinary human being. If Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotee will enjoy the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And if the impersonalists are very much fond of Brahmajyoti, He's the source. So therefore He's everything. Brahmeti, paramātmeti, bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11).

So with such exalted Personality of Godhead, these boys are playing. How, why, how they have been so much fortunate, to play with the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā
dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena
māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa
sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ
(SB 10.12.11)

These boys, cowherd boys, now who are playing with Kṛṣṇa, they're also not ordinary. They have got now the highest perfection, that they have been able to play with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:

So the Māyāvādīs, they simply see the effulgence, something impersonal, effulgence. They cannot see anything more. Just like the sunshine. In the sunshine, there are so many things. Suppose in bright sunshine, you saw one airplane is gone up, but after some time you cannot see. You cannot see. You cannot see because due to the dazzling sunshine, although the airplane is there you cannot see. Similarly, simply if we try to see the effulgence, brahma-jyotir, we are unable to see inside. The Īśopaniṣad, there is this statement that a devotee is praying to the Lord that "You wind up Your, this effulgence so that I can see You properly." So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot see the personal activities or the planets where Kṛṣṇa is personally active. That they cannot see. Therefore Bhāgavata says anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Because they neglected to see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, therefore, despite their severe penances and austerities, on account of not seeing the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they come back again to this material world. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32).

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

Sannyāsa means simply possess Kṛṣṇa and no other possessions. That is niṣkiñcana. You have to possess something. Suppose you have got something, one copper coin or silver coin. So if you dispossess, if you throw it away, then what is the gain. Whatever you had, gone. But if you throw the copper coin, or the silver coin, and if you accept a gold coin, then you are profited. Then it is profit. So niṣkiñcana, to simply become niṣkiñcana, renounced of everything... Just like Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. They do... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Yes. But brahma satyam, they do not understand what is the actual satya-vastu. That satya-vastu is Bhagavān. They do not search after Bhagavān; simply the light, effulgence of Bhagavān, brahma-jyotir. They are satisfied. (yelling in background) (aside:) What is that, trouble? Stop them.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-3 -- Los Angeles, May 22, 1972:

Somebody is wanting wealth, somebody is wanting beauty, somebody is wanting strength, somebody something else. All these are...the beginning from brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu. And ultimately, they want to merge into the brahma-jyotir. So up to that point, everything that we want—that is material—and that is lust. Therefore it is said kāma. The...just the opposite word of kāma is prema, love.

So in the material world there cannot be prema. Prema means love. The prema is only possible in the spiritual world. Here, what is going on as love, that is not love, that is lust. A boy loves a girl, a girl loves a boy. That is not love, that is lust. As soon as there is some disturbance in lusty affair, they divorce. So therefore that is not love. So we should note it, that so-called love is bogus in this material world. Love cannot be possible. This very word love, prema, is specially reserved for Kṛṣṇa. Premā pum-artho mahān. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching, that the highest perfection of life is to evoke one's dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-3 -- Los Angeles, May 22, 1972:

Demigod worshipers will go to the demigods. There are different planets, 33 crores of demigods, and there are thirty-three crores of planets also. The moon planet, according to Vedic literature, that is also one of the planets belonging to the demigod Candra. It is one of the higher planets. So this is the list. If you want something particular... if you want to merge into the effulgence, brahma-jyotir, then you worship... Yajeta brahmaṇaḥ patim. Brahmaṇaḥ. Brahmaṇaḥ means also Vedas, śabda-brahma. Tene brahma hṛdā, in the Bhāgavata, beginning. Brahma means this sound, transcendental sound of knowledge. That is Veda. So there is Upaniṣad. So Upaniṣad, they generally, those who are scholars in Upaniṣad, they want to become one with the... So that is not a very difficult thing. Anyone can do that. There is a process, but we Vaiṣṇavas, we do not accept that suicidal policy. We want to keep our individuality, not merge. We don't want to finish our identity.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

At least we should know. They have no intelligence. Because they are entangled. Just see this list. Here is, brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu. Brahma-varcasa means those who are desiring to become one with the effulgence, to merge into the effulgence of the Lord. Varcasa. Varcasa means the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Just like the sun and the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahma, and His effulgence is called brahma-jyotir. So these jñānīs, they are desiring to merge into the Brahman effulgence. Therefore, it is called brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu. And kāma means desire. Therefore, they are still desiring. They are fed up with these ordinary desires. Ordinarily, they are desiring, "I shall become rich man. I shall become minister. I shall become this, I shall become that." And they are also desiring to merge into the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. That is also desire, kāma. The word is explicitly said, kāma. Kāma means desire.

Lecture on SB 2.4.1 -- Los Angeles, June 24, 1972:

The body is a combination of five elements. So there is stock in the... This universe is covered by seven layers: earth, water, fire, air, like that. When we shall be going to the spiritual sky, we have to pass through the seven layers. And each layer is ten times bigger than the first. Suppose we pass the air layer; the next layer, the fire, is ten times bigger. Then water, ten times. In this way, we have to pass through. We are so much tightly packed up. It is not so easy that I take a sputnik and go anywhere. No. That requires sādhana-bhajana, practice, how to give up this encagement of seven layers and then completely pure spirit soul, you enter into the spiritual sky. That is merging in the spiritual effulgence. Brahmajyoti. Then you can go further and enter into the spiritual planets, if you are fit for that. Otherwise you'll remain in the brahma-jyotir. Nirviśeṣa, without any variety. Simply light. As the jñānīs, they want. But you cannot stay there.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11-15 -- Tokyo, April 28, 1972:

Yes, śyāmāvadātāḥ, śyāma, śyāma. Śyāmasundara. Kṛṣṇa is known, therefore, Śyāmasundara. This is the sky color. You can understand. Because the sky has no own color, because the color of Kṛṣṇa is spread as brahma-jyotir, that is being reflected in the sky. This is the color of God. Śyāmasundara, therefore called. Yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham... So we can see at least the color of the Lord. Here it is said "sky-bluish." How can you deny? Who can say that "I have not..." If you have seen... Just like the sunshine. Sunshine is whitish. So in the sunshine, you can see the whitish color. So you can at least imagine what is the color of the sun planet, what is the color of the predominating deity there. A little intelligence required. So if the sky... When clear sky, you see bluish sky. That is reflection of Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā, by expansion of the bodily effulgence, the brahma-jyotir... In that brahma-jyotir there are many universes, in that brahma-jyotir, jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. The sky's bluish effulgence is there. Above this material sky there is another sky whose reflection you simply can see little. Just like outside there is a brilliant light, so you can get little reflection within your room, similarly, this universe is dark and covered. It is covered, round, surrounded. But outside that universe... Or this universe is floating in that effulgence. It is reflected. The sky is reflected bluish. This is the... Let the so-called scientist challenge it. Here is a description from the Bhāgavata: yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40).

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

So we should note it by this verse that some sort of tapasya must be done if we are serious about God realization. That is wanted. And then the first realization is jyoti, brahma-jyotir. Generally, the Māyāvādī transcendentalists, they think that this realization of brahma-jyotir is all in all. The yogis, they think that realization of sarva-guhāvāsam, sarva-bhūta-guhāvāsam... Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). God is there in everyone's heart. This is accepted in all śāstra. In the Bhagavad-gītā says, here also it is said, sarva-bhūta-guhāvāsam. Guhā means the heart, core of heart. So He is there. So one feature is brahma-jyotir; another feature is sarva-bhūta-guhāvāsam. The Lord is everywhere, not only your heart, my heart or any animal's heart, beast's heart, bird's heart, but He is also within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Paramāṇu means atom. Within the atom there is also. Sarva-bhūta-guhā, within, āvāsa, He is living there. So this is one feature.

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

So you have to follow the authoritative principles by the paramparā system. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). If you have got faith in God, Kṛṣṇa, and similar faith in the spiritual master and follow his instruction, then you will understand Kṛṣṇa in His different features: jyoti, bhagavān, and sarva-bhūta-guhāvāsam. He is the brahma-jyotir just like the sunshine, and He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, and He is the Supersoul, Paramātmā, in everyone's heart. The process is tapasaiva, a little tapasya. So whatever little tapasya we have prescribed, you follow. You will understand Kṛṣṇa. And if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful.

Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:

And one means you cannot enter into the spiritual planets. There are so many, not devotees but spiritualists; they want to become one. That oneness means that you remain outside the spiritual planet in the brahma-jyotir, in the rays. We are part and parcel of the rays. Just like I have given the example: the sun rays means combination of so many bright, minute, atomic particles. Similarly, we can remain as atomic soul outside. Just like this sunshine is outside the sphere of the sun globe. It is outside. It is not... Inside also, that is brightness, but the sunshine is outside the sun globe, and inside there is sun-god. That information we get from Bhagavad-gītā. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). The sun planet is also a planet like this, but it is fiery planet. And it is earthly planet. The sun planet is fire. But fire and earth is the same material element. Bhūmir āpaḥ analaḥ. Analaḥ. Analaḥ means fire.

Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:

As you cannot enter in this body either in the moon planet or in the sun planet, similarly, unless you are fully qualified devotee, you cannot enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets. You have to live outside. You have to live outside in the brahma-jyotir. That is called aikānta.

So if you desire that, Kṛṣṇa will give you the oppor... Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Mām... Kṛṣṇa is everything. Kṛṣṇa is brahma-jyotir; Kṛṣṇa is Paramātmā. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). So if you want oneness, so you will be allowed outside the Vaikuṇṭha planet in the brahma-jyotir. But there you cannot stay. That is the difficulty. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because we want varieties of enjoyment... In the brahma-jyotir you are simply live eternally, but there is no varieties. But because these persons, they have no information of the Vaikuṇṭha varieties, they have to come down again to these material varieties. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). This is the process.

Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974:

So, so long the sun is there, the sunshine is there. Sunshine means the combination of the bright molecules, molecular part. Similarly, we are parts of the brahma-jyotir. Brahmajyoti means combination of unlimited living entities. Svayaṁ-jyotiḥ, it is said. Svayaṁ-jyotir viśvam. Svayaṁ-jyotir viśvaṁ yena samanvitam. That jyoti is spread all over the universe, all over the universe. So the living entities are there just like sunshine is spread all over the universe. And what is the sunshine? A combination of small bright particles. Similarly, we are also bright, jyoti. And that is realization, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that "I am also small particle jyoti, and the Supreme Brahman is also jyoti..." Yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40). And what is this prabhā, this prabhā, this jyoti? It is Kṛṣṇa's bodily rays.

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad..., brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. The jyoti is coming, brahma-jyotir is coming, from Kṛṣṇa's body. Therefore you will find in the picture of Kṛṣṇa there is some jyoti on His face. That is expanded. That is brahma-jyotir. That is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). On account of that jyoti, brahma-jyotir... Just like on account of the sunshine all the planets are resting and rotating. That is scientific. Due to the heat of the sunshine, all the planets in the sky, they are rotating. It is due to sunshine. Similarly, this brahmāṇḍa, this universe, not only one universe, but millions of universes, they are also rotating in the brahma-jyotir. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). And what is that jagad-aṇḍa? Koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam. In each brahmāṇḍa, in each universe, there are unlimited number of planets. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhā (Bs. 5.40). Vasudhā means planets or globes. This earthy planet is called vasudhā. Aśeṣa, not one, but aśeṣa, unlimited. Aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti. Vibhūti means each planet is saturated with different types of atmosphere. Just like the moon planet. The scientist says that it is below zero, two hundred degrees. It is very cold. That's a fact. Because it is very cold, therefore the shining from so much distance in the evening—we feel very comfortable. Not in the sunshine. God's arrangement is so nice. You require both. The sunshine also you require, and the moonshine also you require. If simply there is sunshine, then you die. And if there will be simply moonshine, then you will also die. Both.

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

So anyone's heart is always clouded with ignorance and rubbish knowledge. If you want to drive away this knowledge... Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. This ignorance... This material world is tama. A Vedic injunction is tamasi mā: "Don't remain in this darkness." If there is light, why we shall remain in the darkness? That is intelligence. If there is light, why should we rot in the darkness? So there is light. Jyotir gamaḥ, brahma-jyotir. Jyotir gamaḥ, Brahman. That Brahman world go, not this material world. Yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40). What is that Brahman world? The Brahman world means where there is complete effulgence, bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa. That is Brahman world. Just like here the bodily rays of the sun makes it clear, so brilliant, what we can see. Then what is the sunshine? It is the bodily rays of the sun. Why don't you believe that? The example is there, you learn. If a material thing like the sun globe or the sun-god, he has got so much bodily effulgence that it is keeping lighted all over the universe, just imagine what is the bodily brilliance of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

The jñānīs, they think that they will merge into the existence of the Supreme, that you can merge. That does not mean that you are delivered, you are liberated. Just like you will find one aeroplane is going up and up, up, up, and at a time you will find the aeroplane is no more seen (indistinct). That does not mean he has merged in the sky. He has got a separate existence, but you cannot see. Even one has got so high, it does not mean that he has merged into the sky. If he does not get another shelter, he will come back again. He will come back again. He has not merged. There is no question of merging. Brahmajyoti means the..., it is the combination of millions and trillions of sparks of living entities. That is brahma-jyotir. They are not mixed up. They are just like the sunshine. The sunshine, it is not one homogeneous substance. There are millions and trillions of shining particles. Combination is called sunshine. It is not that they are merged. Similarly, every individual soul is individual. Kṛṣṇa says, "Arjuna, you, Me, and all these soldiers and kings, they were existing before, they are now existing now, and they will continue to exist in the future." So where is mixture? You, me, and all of you, we are different individuals, and Kṛṣṇa says—not ordinary person—that "They were individuals in the past, they are individual now, and they will continue to become individual." So where is this question of merging? There is no question of merging. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loka sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7), eternally they are individuals, and eternally they will keep individual.

Lecture on SB 5.5.21-22 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1976:

One is developed, the other is not developed. In this way, as Brahmā has defined, mat-paro ahaṁ dvija-deva-devaḥ. So in this way, within this material world there are varieties of developed consciousness, and in the spiritual world, when we surpass, transcend the material world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo anya (BG 8.20), when we are promoted to the other energy, other world, then our consciousness... Even when one is, I mean to say, transmitted to the spiritual world... The first is brahma-jyotir. Their consciousness is also not developed, even one has gone to the spiritual world where everything is spiritual. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). That means consciousness is fully developed when he is a devotee, when one adores the lotus feet of the Lord. Yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. So those who are promoted even to the Brahmajyoti, they are also not fully conscious. Fully conscious means a devotee. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That is full consciousness. Without this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no question of full-fledged. Just like a small bud of a flower. First of all the seed. The seed grows, then the buds come out, then gradually the buds develop, it becomes flower, then full-fledged flower, then fragrance, beauty. Everything is developed. That is real development. Similarly, this is the process of development. When one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is full-fledged flower with fragrance, beauty, and everything. That is the perfection.

Lecture on SB 5.5.21-22 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1976:

It is not vacant, but they have got different types of body. It is not vacant. Different types of body. In Brahma-samita we understand, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣu aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). Aśeṣa-vasudhā vibhūti-bhinnam. There are in each universe. Within the Brahmajyoti there are innumerable brahmāṇḍas, universes. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was requested by one of His devotee, "My Lord, You have come here to deliver the fallen souls, so kindly take them with You. And if You think that 'They are sinful. They cannot go with Me back to home, back to Godhead,' so You kindly transfer all their sinful life to me. I shall suffer here. Let them go with You." This is Vaiṣṇava, para duḥkha duḥkhi. Vaiṣṇava can accept all kinds of sufferings, provided others are benefited. This is Vaiṣṇava. Para duḥkha duḥkhi. This is the sample of Vaiṣṇava. He is requesting Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "My Lord, You have come to deliver the fallen souls. In the material world everyone is fallen. So You take them. And if You think they are so sinful they cannot go, then transfer their sins to me. I shall continue to suffer many lives, but You take." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very pleased by his statement. So He replied also. He said, "Suppose the whole universe I take with Me. Then what is the loss in this material world? There are millions of universes." He compared that "In a bag of mustard, if I take out one mustard, then where is the loss there?"

Lecture on SB 5.5.21-22 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1976:

This is a verse by Prabodānanda Sarasvatī. He gives his opinion that if one is favored by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, yat katākṣa vaibhavavātaṁ gauram eva stumaḥ: "I am offering my respectful obeisances to Lord Caitanya because little glance of His mercy creates this situation." What is that? Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. The people are very anxious to merge into kaivalya, brahma-jyotir, only spirit. So for them that kaivalya is naraka, hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And tridaśa-pūr ākāśa puṣpāyate. Tridaśa-pūr means the heavenly planets, where the demigods, as it is described, the Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Siddhas, they live. They are like flowers in the sky, will-o'-the-wisp, no factual happiness. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa puṣpāyate. And durdāntendriya kāla-sarpa-paālī proṭkhāta-daṁstrāyate. And indriya saṁyamaḥ, the yogis, they are trying to control the senses. Yoga indriya sam... That is the real purpose. Our indriyas are so disturbing, just like kāla-sarpa. You are sitting here. If one snake comes, immediately you'll be all disturbed, immediately. So to... Disturbing why? Because every one of us, we know, "Here is a kāla-sarpa." Kāla-sarpa means anyone it bites, immediately death. Immediately death. But this kāla-sarpa is dreadful, vicious, so long the fangs are there. Proṭkhāta daṁstrāyate. If the fangs, the poison fangs, are taken away, or if you know, "Here is a snake, but the snake's fangs have been taken away," you'll not be afraid. Visa hina sarpaḥ. Visa hina sarpaḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.5.25 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1976:

So that is not permanent by pious activities you can become Brahmā, Indra, and so many demigods. You can hold that post. But ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino arjuna. Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, what is the benefit? Again you have to come back. Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. Similarly, even you go to the Brahman effulgence, brahma-jyotir, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). That is called paraṁ padam. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ. Again you fall down.

Therefore for a devotee, akiñcanānām, they all neglect all these things. They don't care for all these things. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa pūr ākāśa puṣpāya. Durdānta indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī proṭkhāta-daṁstrāyate viṣvaṁ pūrna-sukhāyate. They are Karmī, jñānī, yogi, they are feeling that "This material world is full of distresses. Let us take relief from this and become one." Karmī is trying to go to the Svargaloka; jñānīs want to go to the brahma-jyotir. The yogis also, they desire like that because they do not feel very comfortable within this material world. But a devotee, there is no such thing that in the material world they are uncomfortable. No. Why? Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, wherever there is Nārāyaṇa, that is all right. That is the view of the devotional service.

Lecture on SB 5.5.25 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1976:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Fully. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Then Śūnya means zero. Unless you make material, ara nare bapa(?): "No more. Enough of this mateial enjoyment," then bhakti-yoga begins. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Even brahma-bhūtaḥ, Brahman realization, that is also not akiñcana. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am in brahma-jyotir. I have become something important." No. Even brahma-jyotir also neglected. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. This is the position of the devotee, akiñcanānām. Akiñcanānāṁ mayi bhakti-bhājām.

So bhakti, devotional service, is not easy, but at the same time very easy, one moment's business, one moment's. But I must be willing. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). If I do it, immediately... But that, I am not willing. We have seen so many persons. Kṛṣṇa says directly that "You surrender unto Me," sarva-dharmān parityajya. Still, he says, "When Kṛṣṇa will be merciful, then I shall do." What is this nonsense? Kṛṣṇa is directly asking you. Again He has to become merciful? What kind of mercy? These are all pleas, different pleas. Actually He doesn't want that "I shall not surrender unto You, sir. I shall place some pleas. That's all."

Lecture on SB 5.5.35 -- Vrndavana, November 22, 1976:

In our childhood we used to present a problem before our friends, that eka tala sukuri gunte pare na vyapare (?). Now, one plateful of betel nuts, but nobody can count. The betel nut You can see the sky is within your experience, but how many stars and planets are there, till now nobody has been able to count. It is unlimited. This is only one universe. There are millions and millions, universes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagadaṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Within the brahma-jyotir there are innumerable koṭi, jagadaṇḍa-koṭi. And some of the portion is called material; some portion is called spiritual sky, paravyoma. But the whole spiritual and material sky is full of different planets, and each planet is full of living entities. Janakirna. This very word is used, janakirna, not vacant as these rascals are calculating that it is full of dust. (screeching noise—aside:) What is that? It is full of dust and rocks. (sounds of children playing) (aside:) Ask them to be... Nothing is full of dust. Dust is there, as well as living entities are also there. Janakirna. This is God's creation.

And this material world, ananta-koṭi-brahmāṇḍa, that is material. And Kṛṣṇa says ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). This is only one part manifestation of the creation. Three-fourths part is this paravyoma.

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

Guru means tattva-darśī. Tattva-darśī. Otherwise he's useless, waste of time. One has seen the tattva. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam, brahmeti paramātmeti (SB 1.2.11). Guru means one who knows what is Brahman, what is Paramātmā, what is Bhagavān—not partial knowledge. The jñānīs, the so-called jñānīs, they reach up to the brahma-jyotir, that's all. But that is not complete knowledge. The yogis, they reach, utmost, Paramātmā. That is also not complete. Better than the jñānīs, but it is not complete. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti. When he comes to the platform to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then that is bhakti. That is bhakti. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntaratmānā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
(BG 6.47)

So if you want to be first-class yogi, always think of Kṛṣṇa within your mind. Do not make friendship that you have become very much advanced: "Now my mind is controlled." It is not so easy, sir. Therefore it is warned, na kuryāt karhicit. Never trust your mind. Always distrust. In any moment it, the mind, can drag you.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975:

Try to understand the opulence of God. Just like yasya prabhā prabhavato. Now, you can see. This is... Material science also accept that everything in this material world, they are generated by the heat and light of the sun. So as you have got experience, on account of the sunlight the whole universe is going on—you have seen that machine, when that is heated, it is running—so similarly, the real shine is brahma-jyotir, brahma-jyotir, that impersonal Brahman. And in the impersonal Brahman there are... Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). There are millions of universes. As you have seen... You are daily seeing, on the sunshine there are millions and trillions of planets floating, on account of the sunshine. They are rotating, everything. Similarly, the original sunshine is brahma-jyotir. What is that brahma-jyotir? Yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40). It is the rays from the body of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, just like the sunshine is the rays of the body of the sun-god. That we can see. If you do not see sun-god, at least you see the sun planet. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa is there, and there is a Kṛṣṇaloka planet. And the Kṛṣṇaloka planet is distributing the shining. You see the sky is bluish because the rays of the body of Kṛṣṇa is also bluish. And that is reflected in each universe. Therefore we see the sky bluish, Kṛṣṇa's color.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

That is another thing. All-pervading we also accept. He is brahma-jyotir. He is spread all over the creation. That is His nirākāra. Another meaning of nirākāra, that He hasn't got His form like us—sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1)—you may say that. Or nirākāra means where the varieties are not manifested. Just like you go to the sunshine. You don't find any rest. Your plane must fly on, fly on, fly on, unless you get a support in some planet. Either you go to the moon planet or remain in this planet, you must have a support. Otherwise the effulgence, the sun effulgence, the sunlight is not (indistinct). Similarly, brahma-jyotir is like that, just like sunshine, but you cannot rest there. If you want rest, then you have to take shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Bhāgavatam. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas: (SB 10.2.32) Those who are in the impersonal situation, they think themselves that they have become liberated. Exactly the same example. Suppose you are very high in the sunshine. Do you think, "Now I am liberated from worldly connection. I am far, far away, or high"? But unless you have shelter, you have to fly. This is crude example. Similarly, these impersonalists, they are in the liberated atmosphere, that's a fact. Brahman. He has realized that "I am not this matter. I am Brahman." And because he has no information in the brahma-jyotir there are innumerable planets, he thinks that "This is all in all, this jyoti, brahma-jyotir." That is his imperfect knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

Ultimate end means you can remain. Go on flying, flying, flying. But that will exhaust your energy and you'll like to take shelter in any planet. And because they have no information of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, they again come to these material planets. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because they have no rest, they become perturbed. Therefore this śloka says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "Because these impersonalists, although they are almost liberated, still, on account of their negligence to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, without having shelter, their intelligence is not purified still." They are simply accepting something opposite to these imperfect varieties of this material world. They want to make the spiritual world without varieties because they have got a very bad experience of this material varieties. So their conception is just the opposite. Just the opposite. There must not be any varieties. Just like there are... They say Kṛṣṇa... Because they are convinced the Supreme Brahman is impersonal, brahma-jyotir, so when brahma-jyotir appears, He must take a form of this material world. Just like we are spiritual sparks, but we have taken this material form in this material world, so they take it also that God, when He comes, appears, He also accepts a material body.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

So that history is recorded in the Vedic literature. There are different varieties of planets, there are different standard of comfort, different standard... It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā that yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). The brahma-jyotir, the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa's body... Just like effulgence of the sun-god's body is the sunshine. We can very easily understand. This is a material thing. There is sun-god. The sun-god, his name is Vivasvān. Everything is there. Imaṁ vivasvān, imaṁ vivasvān yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam. Kṛṣṇa says that "I spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to Vivasvān." Vivasvān is the name of the person who is predominating in the sun globe. So we have to know from Kṛṣṇa that sun globe is not vacant. When the king is there, the other things are also; the kingdom is also there. That is a planet with fire, just like this planet is earth predominant, and that planet is fire predominant. And there are five elements: earth, water, fire... Somewhere the water predominates, somewhere the fire predominates, somewhere... We can experience. Just like on the sea, beach we go. We are standing where the earth is predominant, but just a few yards after, the water is predominant. But on the earth there are so many living entities—birds, beasts, human being—why not in the water? Where is the wrong there? It is also one of the five elements. You cannot live in the water; that does not mean others cannot live. This is common sense. They have got different body. They can live. The fish, you take out of the water—it will die. And if you are put into the water, so long you can swim... Otherwise you'll die.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

Therefore the result of yogic performances are achieved by the inimical personalities. In the impersonal Brahman effulgence, not only the highly learned scholars who are trying to attain brahma-jñāna, they enter, but also the enemies who are unfavorably thinking of Kṛṣṇa, they also enter into that spiritual kingdom, impersonal effulgence, nirviśeṣa-brahma-jyotir. Therefore a devotee's position is different from the jñānīs', impersonalists'. Because the destination which is achieved by the jñānīs is also achieved by the enemies of Kṛṣṇa. So that is not a very high position. Therefore devotees' position is very exalted. They do not... They go through the impersonal effulgence of Brahman, but they are not attracted. They are attracted in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, Goloka Vṛndāvana planets, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead lives eternally with His associates.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

"You are so beautiful-looking that all of your eyes are just like lotus petals." Sarve padma-palāśākṣāḥ pīta-kauśeya-vāsasaḥ: "And you are very nicely dressed with yellow colored garments and ornaments," and kirīṭinaḥ, "with helmet," kirīṭinaḥ kuṇḍalinaḥ, "earrings, nice earrings, nice jewels, helmets," kirīṭinaḥ kuṇḍalino lasat-puṣkara..., "and with nice flower garlands." This is the description of the inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭhaloka. There is no hat-coat-pant. They are dressed in a different way.

All right. Now have... (break) There are five kinds of devotees, liberation. Any one. There are varieties in the spiritual kingdom also, the five kinds of liberation, any one of them. Māyāvādī philosophers, they know only one kind of liberation, sāyujya-mukti, to merge into the existence of brahma-jyotir. That much they know. Or they know... They prefer this kind of liberation, to become with the Supreme. That is taste. But devotees, they do not like. They want to keep their individuality.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Surat, December 16, 1970:
Yes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Jagad-aṇḍa. Jagad-aṇḍa means this universe, aṇḍa, round sphere(?). Koṭi. Koṭi means innumerable. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). And in each of them there are innumerable planets, and each planet, the atmosphere is different from one another. Vibhūti-bhinnam. Just like sun planet. It is a different thing from this planet, but... And the moon planet is a different thing from this planet. And the scientists, they are thinking that the sun planet being fiery, there cannot be any living entity. No. There are. There are living entities. Their bodies are also fiery. Fire is also one of the elements. Here we have body with material elements. Major portion is earth, and there major portion is fire. So somewhere major portion is water. So therefore there are vibhūti-bhinnam, different atmosphere. That is God's creation.
yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-
koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam
tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.40)

Govinda's bodily rays is brahma-jyotir. The impersonalists, by their ascending process they realize brahma-jyotir and they think, "This is end." No. You have to go further, further. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā, Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the," what is called, "reservoir, or the background of this brahma-jyotir." Background. Because Kṛṣṇa is there, therefore brahma-jyotir is there. You'll find always in Kṛṣṇa's picture there is a auri. It is called auri?

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Surat, December 16, 1970:

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Sit down.

Revatīnandana: That "I am the source of impersonal Brahman, which is eternal, and the constitutional position of ultimate happiness." Does that mean that because everything in the spiritual sky is situated in the brahma-jyotir, that therefore it is the position of ultimate happiness?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: Or is it because Kṛṣṇa is situated in the spiritual sky, therefore the spiritual sky is the position where there is ultimate happiness to be found?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: That is the understanding?

Prabhupāda: Yes. In the spiritual sky you will find happiness, real happiness. In the material sky there is no happiness. How it can be happiness, because the four things are there, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)? If you think it is happiness in spite of your death, then you are a fool. You do not want to be a dead man, but you are forced to accept death. You do not want to become old man, but you are forced to accept. And these things, if you accept—happiness—that is your foolishness. Vyādhi. Jarā-vyādhi, disease. If you are constantly suffering from various types of diseases and if you think you are happy, that is another foolishness. Therefore Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam, that "All the foolish persons who are born foolish, all their activities are defeat for them unless they are enlightened to inquire about ātma-tattvam."

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1976:

So they were very much surprised by seeing these beautiful Viṣṇudūta. Viṣṇudūta. So don't think it is mythology. No. This is fact. Vyāsadeva or big big saintly persons, they have no business to present before you something mythology. Why they should waste time in that way? It is simply rascaldom to think all the statement as mythology. Not mythology. We have no knowledge. In the śāstra we understand, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā. The rays of Kṛṣṇa's body, when it is expanded, brahma-jyotir, within that brahma-jyotir there are innumerable universes. Just like within the sunlight, sunshine, there are innumerable planets. We are seeing daily. Similarly, there are innumerable universes in the brahma-jyotir. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). And koṭiṣu, and each and every universe, millions, koṭiṣu. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣu aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). Vasudhā, vasudhā means planet. Just like this is also vasudhā, this planet here. We can see there are so many millions of planets, at night you can see, and each of them is peculiar, different from the others. Why they have failed to utilize the moon planet? It is a different atmosphere. It is different atmosphere. These rascals cannot go there. It is not possible. They have simply made false propaganda. They cannot go there. So because the atmosphere is different... There is also blazing fire surrounded by ice. That is the description. I am speaking from the description. And therefore at night it is so pleasing. You have got experience. Fire coming through ice, the rays, that is very pleasing. Therefore sunshine is making the whole thing very hot, and the moonshine making it pleasing.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

Because the living entities, they want varieties of enjoyment, but in that impersonal existence there is no varieties of enjoyment, therefore, when they desire varieties of enjoyment, they have come to this material world. So even they merge into the effulgence of brahma-jyotir, there is cause; there is chance of falling. Not all. Some of them may go to the planets, but there is chance.

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

So there is no question of losing the individuality. That's a theory only. No living entity loses his individuality even after liberation. They try to keep mixed up with others. Just like the sunshine is a combination of molecular parts, something shining. Is it not? Similarly, brahma-jyotir is combination of the individual parts and parcels of God. But without individual activity they cannot stay in the brahma-jyotir for long. Because everyone wants some individual activity. Just like we are sitting together now. After some hour, every one of us will feel what is our individual... Everyone will be engaged in his individual activity. Therefore, according to Bhagavat-siddhānta, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanti (SB 10.2.32). The individual soul who simply tries to merge into the effulgence, Brahman effulgence... That position is attained after many, many years' austerity and penances. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means with great trouble and difficulty one is elevated to that position, merging into the impersonal brahma-jyotir. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). That is called paraṁ padam. But again says, patanty adhaḥ: "But they still, again they are prone to fall down." Why they fall down? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Because they do not care for Your lotus feet."

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

Those who are desiring to enter into the higher planetary system where demigods live, Candraloka, Sūryaloka, Indraloka, Varuṇaloka, Vāyuloka, Brahmaloka, Dhruvaloka, Bhūr, Bhuvar, Svar, there are different millions of..., vibhūti-bhinnam. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). In the brahma-jyotir of Kṛṣṇa, there are innumerable planets. The spiritual portion, there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭhas. Vaikuṇṭha means... Kuṇṭha means anxiety. Where there is no anxiety, simply pleasure, that is our life. Here also we want a very happy life without any anxiety. That is our tendency. We try to make a very nice comfortable house, a very good bank balance, all secure so that I can live there very comfortably. That competition is going on. But that is not possible here. Here saṁsāra-dāvānala. This saṁsāra, it is meant for suffering. Dāvānala, just like forest fire. Nobody sets in the forest fire, but it takes automatically. So however you may try to live here comfortably, happily, peacefully, eternally, it is not possible. That is the difference between this temporary material manifestation and eternal, eternal Vaikuṇṭhaloka, spiritual world.

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

Some five thousand years ago, He took birth as the son of Devakī," like that. Everyone knows—at least every Indian knows—and they observe Kṛṣṇa's birthday. That is beginning. But Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth, He is the origin of everything, He is the cause of all causes, that is not known. That one has to know. The brahma-jyotir, impersonal jyoti is bodily effulgence. The brahma-jyotir is resting on Kṛṣṇa. Brahmaṇo aham pratiṣṭha, Kṛṣṇa says. Just like the illumination in this room, prakāśa, is resting on this bulb. Although the illuminating light is spread all over this room, that is not original. The original is the bulb. Similarly, and from the śāstra we find, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam, tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ (Bs. 5.40). That brahma ananta aśeṣa-bhūtam, unlimited. Yasya prabhā. This brahma-jyotir is only effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, we have to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11), Bhāgavata says. The Absolute Truth is one, that is Kṛṣṇa, advayam(?), but He is known in different features, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti. One who is trying to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth by dint of his sensual knowledge, by , I mean to say, exercising different knowledge, neti neti, they can approach up to the impersonal Brahman.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

You can understand from this material example how things are being created through the sunlight, how the planets are growing due to sunlight. If there is no sunlight, we'll see all plants will die. That is our experience. And because the sunlight is there, the plant is growing, they are becoming green, they are becoming red, they are becoming flavored. So all interaction of these five elements, water, earth, fire, heat and ether... So wherefrom the sunlight comes? From the sun. Wherefrom the sun comes? From the brahma-jyotir. Wherefrom the brahma-jyotir comes? It is from Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand how Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth or the original source of everything. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin. I am the source of all creation." Bhagavad-gītā says. "And from Me everything is coming."

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa is bluish. Kṛṣṇa's color is the sky. When you see the clear sky, bluish sky, are you not very happy? "Oh, today is very nice day, blue sky." Especially in this country, when the sky is always overcast with cloud. So why you appreciate the color of the sky so much? That is Kṛṣṇa's color. Kṛṣṇa's body, there is a ray, brahma-jyotir. That brahma-jyotir is reflected in the sky. That brahma-jyotir is outside this material sky, but that is being reflected. Therefore the sky's color, it appears bluish. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudādhi vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, "On account of distribution of the rays of His body, the brahma-jyotir, there are generation of innumerable universes." So all these universes—this is one of the universes—they are in that brahma-jyotir, and that brahma-jyotir is being reflected in the sky, and sky is so beautiful. So how much beautiful is Kṛṣṇa, just we can imagine. Just like the sunshine. The sunshine is the rays of the sun planet, and in the sun planet there is sun-god. So if sunshine is so pleasing, just imagine how the sun-god is pleasing. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's jyoti, brahma-jyotir, is so important. Then just imagine how Kṛṣṇa's beauty is appreciated in transcendental world. Yaṁ śyāma-sundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbudha-sundarāṅgam. Barhāvatāmsam asitāmbudha. His color is compared with the blackish cloud, asitāmbudha, sundarāṅgam, but very, very beautiful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

I worship the Supreme Lord, the prime, the primeval Lord Govinda." Why? Yasya prabhā prabhavato: "By expansion of whose bodily luster or effulgence, jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi, many, many millions and trillions of universes are generated in that brahma-jyotir." Exactly like the, within the sunshine, the effulgence, there are millions and trillions of planets, similarly in the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa, bodily effulgence, there are millions and trillions of universes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato (Bs. 5.40). On account of His bodily luster being expanded, there are creation of so many millions and trillions of universes. But if you take it for granted that each star is a universe—no. That, according to Vedic literature, that is not accepted. But in each and every universe, there are millions and trillions of planets. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa (Bs. 5.40). Aśeṣa means there is no end. Millions and trillions, there is counting, but here it is mentioned, aśeṣa. Aśeṣa means there is no question of count. Aśeṣa-vasudhādi. Vasudhā means planet where the living entities can reside. This is the meaning of vasudhā. No planet is without any living entities. Every planet is full of living entities. Vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam. But each planet is particularly opulent in a particular way. Just like you can see the moon planet is particularly opulent by some particular feature. It is very cold. Similarly, sun planet, it has got a particular feature. It is very hot. So each planet has got a different particular type of feature. Vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

material sky, they are temporary. That's all. Oh, so many? You, you.

Gurudāsa: Isn't brahma-jyotir temporary in the fact that you can come back down to the earth? Back to the material world?

Prabhupāda: Brahmacārī?

Gurudāsa: Brahmajyoti.

Prabhupāda: No. Brahmajyoti means spiritual sky. This material sky means brahma-jyotir is covered by material cloud. Actually, everything is brahma-jyotir. Just like clear sky, but some portion of the sky is sometimes covered by cloud. Some portion only. The whole sky is never covered by sky. Similarly, some portion which is covered by this material atmosphere, that is called material world. That's all. Actually, the original sky is spiritual. Original sky is full of sunshine, but the covered portion means we cannot see the sunshine. Covered portion by cloud means we cannot see the sunshine. And similarly, this material sky means where we cannot see the spiritual effulgence. That is the difference. Otherwise, even this material sky is also a spiritual sky. The spiritual sky is the original status.

Lecture on SB 7.9.30 -- Mayapur, March 8, 1976:

It is also stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). In the effulgence of Brahman... The example is also there. It is not very difficult. Just like in the sunshine is the effulgence, shine. Sun is there, and the shining is there, but within the shining there are innumerable planets. In the daytime we cannot see, but at night we can see wherefrom these stars and planets coming. They are already there. In the sunshine, due to the bright sunshine, we cannot see them, but they are existing. As our planet is existing within the sunshine, so similarly, there are millions of planets. They are also existing. Yasya... Similarly... Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). This is only universe, but these each universe, millions of universes, they are existing within the Brahman effulgence, brahma-jyotir, both spiritual and material. Everything is there.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

Similarly, the so-called mukti, jñānīs, they merge into the existence, Brahman existence, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nirbheda-brahmānusandhana. Nirbheda, without any distinction, enter, merge into the Brahman. That is also bandhana, bondage. Why? Because we find in the śāstras: āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam. Paraṁ padam means brahma-pada, to merge into the effulgence, brahma-jyotir. That is called paraṁ pada. According to Vaiṣṇava, paraṁ pada means to go to Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana and be engaged as servant, eternal servant of the Lord. But according to the jñānīs, the paraṁ pada means merge into the effulgence of brahma-jyotir. Śāstra says that āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). To go to that paraṁ padam, that is also not very easy. Kṛcchreṇa. Severe austerities and penances, one has to undergo to merge into the Brahman effulgence. Therefore you'll find, the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, their stricture is very rigid. They must take bath thrice in, in a day and lie down underneath a tree and... Their renunciation is very rigid.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

So without shelter, how long you can fly in the sky? The sky is unlimited. You can fly on your sputnik or capsules, but if you don't get the shelter in some planet, then again you come back to your place. So this is... The same example is given in the Bhāgavata: āruhya kṛcchreṇa, with great scientific method you can go up. But if you don't get a shelter, then you come back again on this planet. Similarly, the nondevotees, the impersonalists, they undergo severe penances and austerities undoubtedly, and they rise up to the brahma-jyotir... Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). From there, he again falls down. Same example. Why? Anādhṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Because they did not care for the shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, therefore they have to come back again to this material world.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

Now we are in the material world. This is darkness, tama. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. This is the Vedic interest. "Don't remain in the darkness." That means in the material world. "Come to the world of light," jyoti, brahma-jyotir. So take this example. Suppose you are in a dark room and I take you to the sunlight, come out. So this is also light. And the sun globe, that is also light. And the sun-god, that is also light. But this light, sunshine light, or sunshine temperature, is not as good as the temperature in the sun globe. Similarly, if you make progress...

So sāyujya-mukti is also liberation. Sāyujya-mukti, to become one, Brahman, brahma-jyotir. Brahmajyoti means assembly of small spiritual sparks. Just like the sun, sunshine, a combination of shining molecular parts; similarly, brahma-jyotir, sāyujya-mukti means you become... Because you are spiritual spark. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). So you are also spark, part and parcel of God; therefore you assemble with the other sparks, brahma-jyotir.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 9, 1973:

Everything is resting on me, but it is not that I am there. So this philosophy, so devotional service is not only mixing, but to remain steady, engaged. The same example. The rivers, that is superficial, you..., we are seeing the ocean superficially. There is no varieties, simply water, simply water, simply water. But if you go deep into the water, there are so many varieties, so many varieties. Similarly, simply entering, merging to the Brahman effulgence, brahma-jyotir, that is not secure position. The secure position is within the brahma-jyotir. That is explained in the Īśopaniṣad. Within the brahma-jyotir there are planets, Vaikuṇṭha planets. So you have to take shelter in one of the planets. Just like the fish, the comparison of the fish, the shark fish. He has taken shelter of the ocean. Therefore the, for him there is no evaporation. The water, although it is also sea water, that, that is subjected to be evaporated. So simply by entering into the Brahman effulgence is not safe. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho (SB 10.2.32).

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 3.87-88 -- New York, December 27, 1966:

Similarly, God may hide Himself by His yogamāyā, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ. Just like the sun is covered by the glaring disk. You will find if you look into the sun disk you will find a one circle is moving like that. Similarly, in the Upaniṣad also, we find that the Supreme Lord is hidden within the brahma-jyotir. The exact verse I forget just now. It is stated that "Please remove this cover so that I can see You actually." So within the brahma-jyotir there is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So ordinarily people are amazed with simply brahma-jyotir. They do not go deep into the matter. So ullaṅhita-trividha-sīma-samātīśāyi. God is beyond the limitation of our thinking and philosophical speculation. Sambhāvanaṁ tava parivraḍhima-svabhāvam: "Your very grave and confidential activities, it is very difficult to understand by ordinary men." Māyā-balena bhavatāpi niguhyamānam. Māyā-balena: "That yogamāyā, although it is covered in that way all Your activities," paśyanti, "somebody can see You." Paśyanty kecid aniśam: "Not sometimes or accidentally, but aniśam, continually, he can see You." Paśyanti kecid aniśam tvad-ananya-bhāvāḥ. Ananya-bhāvāḥ means "Those who have unflinching devotion unto You."

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

Whatever Kavirāja Gosvāmī is speaking, not out of his own whimsical way, whatever he's speaking, he's following the paramparā system. That is Vaiṣṇavism, or ācārya. Ācāryavan puruṣo veda. (noise, talking) (aside:) Stop this. Unless we accept the ācārya in the paramparā system, we cannot understand things as they are. It is not possible. So Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he's describing this Caitanya-caritāmṛta strictly according to the verdict of the śāstras. His statement is that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. Svayam bhagavān kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān is person; Bhagavān is not imperson. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). First realization of the Absolute Truth by speculative knowledge is impersonal effulgence of the Lord, which is called brahma-jyotir. Then next realization is Paramātmā, the localized aspect of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But realization of Kṛṣṇa, that is the ultimate realization. Svayam bhagavān kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

The sun planet is also a material thing like this earth. Wherefrom the... (break) ...inhabitants, they're all fiery. Therefore their glaring effulgence is being manifested. So if you can see in the material world such effulgence of a certain point, particular planet, how can you disbelieve that Kṛṣṇa planet is more dazzling? Kṛṣṇa planet is more dazzling, and from Kṛṣṇa planet the brahma-jyotir is emanating. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). We get this information from Brahma-saṁhitā that, by spreading His effulgence, yasya prabhā... Prabhā means illumination, prakāśa. Just like this light is illuminating. So yasya prabhā. "Because illuminating light is emanating from His body..." Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi: (Bs. 5.40) "In that effulgence, millions and millions of planets are generating." The same example you can take, that all these planets... This is scientifically true, I mean to say, that all these planets, they have generated from the sunshine.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

Ravindra-svarūpa: If the brahma-jyotir is in the spiritual sky, how could we reach it in our mind? Is it in our mind also?

Prabhupāda: It is here also. Just like the sunshine, when it is covered by cloud, the sunshine is also there. Do you follow? You see that the sky is covered, but still you say, "It is day." Why? The sunshine is there. Similarly, brahma-jyotir is here also. Sarvaṁ khalu iti brahma: "Everything is Brahman." But it is covered by māyā. Therefore the full-fledged brahma-jyotir, you cannot see.

Ravindra-svarūpa: I thought it was a place that was far away.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is... Just like above the cloud there is sunshine, fully. We have seen it in an aeroplane. This airlines, U.S. airlines, they say, "Friendly skies." So go to the friendly sky. Why do you remain here, nonsense sky, always covered with cloud? Go to the friendly sky. Just go above the cloud. The cloud is māyā. Go above the māyā. Then you see. You are seeing already, but it is not full-fledged experience. Everything we are seeing. We have experienced God's power, God's energy. But because we are in ignorance, therefore we cannot conceive perfectly. And as soon as you are above the māyā... Māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). That māyā you can, I mean to say, surpass simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As you become full-fledged Kṛṣṇa conscious, oh, then you see always brahma-jyotir and Brahman and Kṛṣṇa and everything. And so far your present condition is, you are seeing also just now.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

Devotee: Swamijī, I'm trying to... You said that, one time, that brahma-jyotir is like the pure light, and it's filtered in the material world through the modes?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Material world means three modes.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

Just like if you go above the cloud, there is no cloud. That's all. But there is. In a certain portion of the sky, there is cloud. And that cloud is also not permanent. Sometimes sky is clear of all clouds, but sometimes cloud is there. The cloud is generating in the sky and it is vanquished in the sky. Similarly, this material world is sometimes being manifested and sometimes there is no manifestation, simply spiritual. Spiritual is always eternal. The sky, sunshine, is always eternal. Take this crude example. But the cloud is not eternal. It comes and goes, although cloud is a product of the same sunshine. Cloud is not independent. By interaction of sunshine, there is cloud, and that cloud is... There is no cloud. Similarly, this material world is just like cloud. It appears. It acts. When there is cloud, there is torrents of rain. Oh, there are so many productions on account of rain. Everything becomes green. So we give so much importance to the cloud, and it is important also, but it is temporary. As soon as the cloud is over, the greenness is gone. There is no rain. Nothing, nothing. And when the sky is clear, you'll see, "Oh, where is cloud? Where is cloud?" Similarly, this māyā means it appears like the cloud, and it disappears like the cloud, but the eternal brahma-jyotir remains.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.119 -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

So those who are merging into the Supreme Absolute, the jñānīs... Their ultimate goal is to merge into the Absolute Truth in His impersonal feature. That's all right; you can do so. That is also not this material; that is also spiritual. That is not material. If you want to merge... Generally, people think that is the ultimate goal. But that is not the ultimate goal. In the Īśopaniṣad you'll find that it is said that "Please wind up Your effulgence so that I can see the actual face." The same example that the sunshine is light. There is no doubt about it. This is different from darkness. This material world is darkness. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. The jyoti, the brahma-jyotir... It is recommended in the Vedas that you try to approach the jyoti; don't remain in this darkness of material world. That is the injunction of Vedas. And the whole process of emancipation is to, how to approach that Brahman effulgence.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

The Brahman is not niḥśakti, as some philosophers, Māyāvādī philosophers, they say, "The Brahman is inactive." He's not inactive. He is parāsya brāhmaṇa śaktir sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. His energies are acting. The example is: just like fire... Just like the sun. Sun is situated in one place, and the sun's energies are working, heat and light. Heat and light is working. The whole material creation is resting on the heat and light of the sun. That's a fact. Similarly, this sun is only reflection. Just like moon is reflection of the sunlight, similarly, this sun is also reflection of the brahma-jyotir. And what is that brahma-jyotir? Brahmajyoti is the bodily rays, effulgence, effulgent rays of Kṛṣṇa. You have seen, Kṛṣṇa's head is always auraed. That rays is, I mean to say, distributing different energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). That energies, or multi-energies, are coming out. Just like from sunlight so many things are emanating. Yes. So many energies are coming out. All colors, everything, all material existence, is due to the sunlight. Similarly, the whole creation, whole material and spiritual creation, that is resting on the rays emanating from the bodily effulgence of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

This is a prayer from Brahmā, that Brahman is the prabhā, or the effulgence, of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. First of all, the brahma-jyotir is coming. And Kṛṣṇa also says, brāhmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Brahman is not ultimate. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). First realization is Brahman, impersonal Brahman, then Paramātmā, and then Bhagavān. So Bhagavān is the ultimate. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So brahma-tattva, impersonal brahma-tattva, is not ultimate. The ultimate is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the Vedic verdict.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

So yogis, they find out Kṛṣṇa. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Yogis try to find out the Paramātmā, and the jñānīs, they are trying to find out the brahma-jyotir, and similarly, the bhakta is trying to find out Kṛṣṇa. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. So in this way Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the ultimate goal. But those who are addicted to Brahman or Paramātmā, they are also addicted to Bhagavān, but in different features. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). Knowledge of Brahman, knowledge of Paramātmā and knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is the same, but in different features. Just like knowledge of the sun planet, knowledge of the sun god and knowledge of the sunshine, they... Knowledge is the same—heat and light—but the heat and light which you receive from sunshine is different from the heat and light from the sun globe, and the heat and light in the sun globe is different from the sun-god. But heat and light is there, either you realize Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān. So a devotee means he is concerned with Bhagavān. That's all. So devotee is also mahātmā; those who are jñānīs, after Brahman, they are also mahātmā; and the yogis, they are also mahātmā; but one who has understood Kṛṣṇa perfectly and surrendered to Him-vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19)—that mahātmā is very rare to be found.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.146-151 -- New York, December 3, 1966:

That brahma-jyotir, in that brahma-jyotir there are all these universes and Vaikuṇṭhas. All, they are resting in that brahma-jyotir. Just like in the sunshine so many planets are resting, similarly, in the brahma-jyotir, the personal shining of Lord Kṛṣṇa, in that shining which is called brahma-jyotir, all the universes and Vaikuṇṭha planets or universes, they are all resting. And the universes, the material universes are only one-fourths in quantity of the Vaikuṇṭha universes. All the universes taken together of this material world, it is only one-fourths in comparison to the other Vaikuṇṭha, or spiritual, universes. Vaikuṇṭha, brahmāṇḍa-gaṇa-śakti-kārya haya.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.154-157 -- New York, December 7, 1966:

This material world, we can practically experience. But the sunlight is also emanating from that light which is emanating from that Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is the real light, which is called brahma-jyotir. So in that brahma-jyotir there are innumerable spiritual planets also. So in the spiritual sky, in that spiritual light, in that spiritual planets, there are innumerable liberated living entities, and each, each and every planet, there is expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa. They are named by different names. (break) Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa yāṅra goloka-nitya-dhāma. So origin. He is the origin. His planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is the original planet, and from that planet, that brahma-jyotir, light, is coming. And in that light, everything is resting. And in an insignificant portion of that light, this material world is situated. In that place there are innumerable universes as we are seeing one. And one of these universes, there are millions and billions of planets, of which this earth is only a insignificant fragment. And in that earth, the land of America, United States, is still insignificant. And in that state, New York is still insignificant. And in that New York City, this 26 Second Avenue insignificant. And we are sitting here. So just see how much insignificant we are. And we are claiming "God." Do not know... Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. This is called ignorance. We do not know how much insignificant we are in the creation of God, and we are claiming, "God." This is called poor fund of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.154-157 -- New York, December 7, 1966:

That same Kṛṣṇa, He manifests Himself before you in three different features. What is that? Paraṁ brahma. Brahman, impersonal Brahman; impersonal ātmā, Supersoul; and Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The same Kṛṣṇa. Actually Kṛṣṇa is everything. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Godhead, and He is Ātmā. He is situated as Paramātmā, the Supersoul, in everyone's heart. And He is Brahman. He is impersonal brahma-jyotir spreading everywhere. So how the same thing is understood in different features? That is said, jñāna, yoga and bhakti. Those who are trying to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth through knowledge, they can go up to that impersonal Brahman. Those who are searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth through meditation, yoga, they can approach Kṛṣṇa up to His plenary portion, Paramātmā, or the Supersoul. And those who are pursuing the principles of devotional service, they can directly approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is everything. He is impersonal Brahman, He is localized Paramātmā, and He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead at the same time, but due to our different processes, different process of approach, somebody is realizing Him as the impersonal Brahman, somebody is realizing Him as the localized Paramātmā, Supersoul, and somebody is realizing Him, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), the most, supermost reservoir of all pleasure, Personality of Godhead, and associates with Him in different relationship and enjoys life, eternal life, blissful life and knowledge of full...

Thank you very much.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.156-163 -- New York, December 11, 1966:

Lord Caitanya says that "The conception of Brahman is that it is the rays of the body of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the sunshine is the rays of the body of the sun disc, similarly," brahma-aṅga-kānti tāṅra nirviśeṣa prakāśe. And in that brahma-jyotir, or rays, there is no variegatedness. Just like if you all of a sudden see to the sun, you don't find any variegatedness in the sky. It appears just like only dazzling effulgence. But when the sunlight is not there, we can see millions and millions of stars in the firmament. So in the Upaniṣad also, it is prayed that "My Lord, You kindly move this curtain of glaring effulgence so that I can actually see You."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.156-163 -- New York, December 11, 1966:

"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, whose bodily effulgence is brahma-jyotir." The brahma-jyotir, that is nothing but His bodily effulgence. And in that brahma-jyotir... Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Or that brahma-jyotir being manifested, there are innumerable planets and universes. There are. The same example: just like in the sun, sunshine, there are innumerable planets, so similarly, in the original shine, Kṛṣṇa shine—this is sunshine; the original shine is Kṛṣṇa shining—in that effulgence there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, spiritual planets. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). In the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find, all these planetary manifestations is situated in one fourth of His effulgence. Three fourths of the manifestation are in the spiritual sky. Tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtam. Aśeṣa-bhūtam. It is so much extended that nobody can calculate how far. We cannot calculate even the sunshine, how far it is extended, and what to speak of that original effulgence. So our knowledge is always imperfect. We cannot study even millions and millionth part of the opulence of the Supreme Lord. So it is futile to deny God because we cannot calculate His potencies and expansion of potencies.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.354-358 -- New York, December 28, 1966:

So the basic principle is yad icchantaṁ brahmacaryaṁ caranti. One should be very regular. Vīta-rāgāḥ. Viśanti yad, viśanti yad yatayo vīta-rāgāḥ. Vīta-rāgāḥ. Vīta-rāgāḥ means completely separated from materialistic life. Vīta-rāgāḥ. Rāgāḥ means attachment, and vīta means completely freed. Yad akṣaram, yad akṣaraṁ brahma vido vadanti. Brahma-vida. Brahma..., those who are conversant in Vedic literature. Akṣaram. Akṣaram. Yad akṣaram. The God has His representation in three letters, a, u, m, which is sounded vibrated om. There is no difference between oṁkāra and Kṛṣṇa. It is admitted in the Bhagavad-gītā that oṁkāra 'smi. Akṣaram oṁkāro 'smi: "Of all the letters I am the oṁkāra." So Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare and oṁkāra, there is no difference, so far the transcendental sound vibration is concerned. But the objective is different. By oṁkāra one attains impersonal existence in the brahma-jyotir, and by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, one attains the spiritual body and he's situated in the spiritual planets. We have many times discussed that there are spiritual planets. That is the difference. So far quality is concerned, both of them are spiritual, oṁkāra or Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.6 -- New York, January 8, 1967:

Therefore, although external potency is also Kṛṣṇa's potency—it is not different from Kṛṣṇa—but Kṛṣṇa is not here in the external potency. Kṛṣṇa is in the internal potency, although this potency is not different. Therefore it is inferior. It is inferior energy, it is called. And this, this is explained very nicely in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā: (BG 9.4) "By Me the whole spiritual and material world is manifested." Tatam idam. How it is manifested? Just like the sun and sunshine. Sunshine is manifested all over the universe, and sun is the central point. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the central point, and His shining brahma-jyotir is diffused all over. And the part of that brahma-jyotir, when it is, I mean to say, covered by the cloud of mahat-tattva, that is called material existence. So we are in this darkness. So Kṛṣṇa says, Lord Cai... So his place is in the internal potency. 'Svarūpa-śakti' rūpe tāṅra haya avasthāna. He is situated there in His internal potency.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:
So we may not... Just like the sun is so many millions miles away but he is..., sun can be present before us by his sunshine, his potency, sun's potency, energy. Similarly, these are all Kṛṣṇa's spiritual energies, and He is compared with the sun because He is the original sun. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). From the spiritual planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana, the glowing effulgence, brahma-jyotir, is coming out. How it is coming out? That we can very easily understand. As the sunshine is coming out, emanating incessantly from the sun disc, similarly the real sunshine, brahma-jyotir, is coming out of the spiritual planet Goloka Vṛndāvana incessantly. That is called brahma-jyotir. Yasya prabhā prabhavato (Bs. 5.40). And due to that incessant shining, all the shining which you are experiencing, even this lamp, even this electricity, fire, moonshine, sunshine, any shining, that is due to that brahma-jyotir. So yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). In that shining, this material world, the spiritual world, they are resting. So impersonalists, they are concerned with the shining, that's all. The difference between the personalists and impersonalists is that impersonalists, they take that shining as final. But the personalists, they take, "No. Kṛṣṇa is final." That is their difference of opinion. Otherwise, both of them in the spiritual realm. And so far Kṛṣṇa is the cause of brahma-jyotir, there are many evidences from Vedic literature. In Īśopaniṣad and other Upaniṣads, in Bhagavad-gītā also, the Lord says, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā: "I am the source of brahma-jyotir."
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:

That's all? So He's the source of brahma-jyotir. So if we have such realization that Kṛṣṇa is absolute, and if we realize... It is a question of realization.

Now, when you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, if we chant mechanically, then the effect is different. I have already given you ten kinds of offenses there are in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So mechanical way of chanting is also another offense. So offenseless chanting... Of course in the beginning, neophytes, we are apt to commit so many offenses. But we should be careful that the chanting should be offenseless. Then we shall realize that Kṛṣṇa is present by His name. He is present. You'll realize and you'll have the same effect as you expect by meeting Kṛṣṇa personally. You can see Kṛṣṇa and you can hear Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute, there is no difference between seeing and hearing. That is the absolute sense. People give more stress on the eye: "Oh, can you show me Kṛṣṇa?" Oh, can't you hear Kṛṣṇa? Why do you give...? This is also one sense, that is also another sense. Do you think by seeing you'll understand everything? You are seeing so many things daily. Do you understand? So this is all foolishness, that "Can you show me?" Now we have got so many senses. So perception through any sense, because He is absolute, the same effect.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 13-15 -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1970:

So koṭi. Koṭi means hundreds and thousands. So in the brahma-jyotir there are hundreds and thousands of these universes, and within this universe there are hundreds and thousands and thousands, unlimited number of Vaikuṇṭhas, planets. Each Vaikuṇṭha planet is predominated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Except in the Kṛṣṇa planet, all other Vaikuṇṭha planets, they are predominated by Nārāyaṇa, and each Nārāyaṇa has got different names, some of which we know. Like just we utter Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Saṅkarṣaṇa... We have got twenty-four names only, but there are many others. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33).

So these planets are covered by the brahma-jyotir effulgence. So here it is prayed that hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasya apihitam. Apihitam means covered. Just like you cannot see the sun globe on account of this dazzling sunshine, similarly, the Kṛṣṇa planet, here you have the picture. From the Kṛṣṇa planet the effulgence is coming out. So one has to penetrate this effulgence. That is being prayed here. Hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasya. The real Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, His planet is covered by the Brahman effulgence. So the devotee is praying, "Kindly move it. Wind it so that I can see You really." So brahma-jyotir, the Māyāvāda philosophers, they do not know that beyond brahma-jyotir there is anything. Here is the Vedic evidence, that the brahma-jyotir is just like golden effulgence. Hiraṇmayena pātreṇa. This is covering the real face of the Supreme Lord. Tat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṇu. So, "You are sustainer, You are maintainer. Kindly uncover this so that we can see You actually, Your face."

Festival Lectures

Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda Deity Installation -- London, August 21, 1973:

There is a planet in the spiritual world. The material world, you can see the material sky, limit of the sky, the horizon, but you are not able to reach even the moon planet, the nearest planet. But within this universe, within this horizon, there are innumerable planets. Aśeṣa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). By the shining effulgence from the body of Kṛṣṇa... That is called brahma-jyotir. Within that brahma-jyotir or effulgence there are innumerable universes. Ananta-koṭi. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Koṭi means innumerable. One million, ten millions equal to one lakh. Such hundred lakhs makes a koṭi. So actually we see there are innumerable planets but beyond this creation, this is material creation, one-fourth manifestation, one-fourth manifestation of God's creation, this, this material world... This is also only one universe. There are innumerable universes clustered together and beyond this clustering of universes there is another sky which is called paravyoma or spiritual sky. If you want to go there, then you have to penetrate through the material coverings—earth, water, fire, water, fire, air, like that. Each layer so big. And the next layer is ten times more than the first layer. In this way there are seven layers. So penetrating through that seven layers you reach the spiritual sky. And after reaching the spiritual sky, there are so many Vaikuṇṭha planets, spiritual planets.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Los Angeles, February 9, 1975:

So if you want satisfaction, then you have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Compulsory: "You must." There is no other alternative. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I have simply wasted my time." Actually, anyone who has not taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness—simply wasting time. This is fact, scientifically true. But they do not know it. Māya-mohita. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). Being covered by the illusory energy, they do not know the background of this gigantic cosmic manifestation. That is Kṛṣṇa. So intelligence means to find out Kṛṣṇa. In the Īśopani..., Īśo, it is stated that "My dear Lord, please wind up Your, these dazzling rays so that I can actually see Your face." Within brahma-jyotir the Kṛṣṇa is there. So Kṛṣṇa can be seen only by service. You cannot challenge Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, come here. I shall see You." No. That is not possible. You have to submit. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is the way. You have to surrender. So long you don't surrender, that is up to you. Kṛṣṇa will not force you. He is almighty, He can force you, but He does not do that. He says, "You do this. If you do not do it, that is your business. But I say you do it."

Initiation Lectures

Brahmana Initiation Lecture -- New Vrindaban, May 25, 1969:

A practical example, this boy: from the very beginning becoming a Vaiṣṇava, more than a brāhmaṇa, more than. Vaiṣṇava position is above the brāhmaṇas. Brahmā jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. But Vaiṣṇava, he penetrates the brahma-jyotir. Just like you penetrate. If you are able to penetrate the sunshine and go to the sun and seek out the sun-god, if somebody is able, by going to the sun planet by sputnik, he is better than who is in the sunshine. Sunshine we can have by just little go up to the cloud. Say, about seven miles up, you get sunshine. But to go to the sun planet and enter into the..., that is very difficult job. That requires so many things. (aside:) Sit down properly. Chant. So Brahman, Nirviśeṣa-brahman, impersonal Brahman, when one understands, jñānaṁ vijñānam... Jñānaṁ vijñānam. And when one becomes Vaiṣṇava, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). When one understands what is impersonal Brahman, what is localized Paramātmā, and what is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam... When you understand the Supreme, the original Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa... Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There are many incarnations. Rāmādi-murtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha... There are so many thousands and millions of incarnation. But Bhāgavata points out that "This name, Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. So when one understands kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), that Vāsudeva is everything, then he becomes a Vaiṣṇava.

Brahmana Initiation Lecture -- New Vrindaban, May 25, 1969:

A practical example, this boy: from the very beginning becoming a Vaiṣṇava, more than a brāhmaṇa, more than. Vaiṣṇava position is above the brāhmaṇas. Brahmā jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. But Vaiṣṇava, he penetrates the brahma-jyotir. Just like you penetrate. If you are able to penetrate the sunshine and go to the sun and seek out the sun-god, if somebody is able, by going to the sun planet by sputnik, he is better than who is in the sunshine. Sunshine we can have by just little go up to the cloud. Say, about seven miles up, you get sunshine. But to go to the sun planet and enter into the..., that is very difficult job. That requires so many things. (aside:) Sit down properly. Chant. So Brahman, Nirviśeṣa-brahman, impersonal Brahman, when one understands, jñānaṁ vijñānam... Jñānaṁ vijñānam. And when one becomes Vaiṣṇava, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). When one understands what is impersonal Brahman, what is localized Paramātmā, and what is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam... When you understand the Supreme, the original Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa... Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There are many incarnations. Rāmādi-murtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha... There are so many thousands and millions of incarnation. But Bhāgavata points out that "This name, Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. So when one understands kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), that Vāsudeva is everything, then he becomes a Vaiṣṇava.

General Lectures

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Seattle, September 25, 1968:

The expansion of Kṛṣṇa may be understood just like a person. He is, at home, a father, a husband, like that, and when he's office, he's boss, or when he's clerk, he's secretary. In this way, a man may be in different position, in different circumstances, but the man is the same. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead, might have assumed the form of Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Govinda, so many. But this original form is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. And in the Bhagavad-gītā also Kṛṣṇa explains Himself, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of everyone." Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "Everything emanates from Me, all the energies." Just like from the sun globe the energies are coming out incessantly just like flows of water, and everything is being created in this material world through the sunshine, similarly, the shining principle which is emanating from Kṛṣṇa, which is known as brahma-jyotir, is the origin of everything. So kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).

So this Kṛṣṇa science is a very great science, and Bhagavad-gītā explains this Kṛṣṇa science very nicely, the origin of everything. And we should take advantage of this great book of knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā. It is already known in your country, Bhagavad-gītā. There are many editions, but unfortunately, sometimes Bhagavad-gītā is misinterpreted and people are misled to understand the origin. Therefore we have the opportunity to publish the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We have entrusted the matter to Messrs. Macmillan Company. They are going to publish the book next month. So try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is without any interpretation. Then you will understand the origin.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

The sunshine is impersonal. Similarly, there is a transcendental rays from the planet where Kṛṣṇa, or God, is there. Just a few minutes before I recited one verse from Bhagavad-gītā that na tad bhāsayate sūryo (BG 15.6). That means it is illuminating. There is no need of sunshine. Just like this planet is not illuminating; therefore we want light from the sun, from the moon, from electricity. But Bhagavad-gītā says that the planet of the Lord, there is no... Why planet? The sky. There is no need of sunshine. Every planet in the spiritual world is illuminating. So because every planet is illuminating, the whole spiritual sky is dazzling illumination. So one who approaches that dazzling illumination called brahma-jyotir, they are called impersonalists. Is it clear?

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

So some planet is made of something, some planet is made of something. But this earth is made of earth only, and water. So in the sunshine you see, you go by airplane, go in the "friendly sky" above the... You see everything impersonal. Simply glaring sunshine, that's all. But that does not mean it is impersonal. There are many planets within the sunshine, millions of planets, but you cannot see. Similarly, persons who cannot see beyond the brahma-jyotir, the transcendental rays of the spiritual sky, they are impersonalists. They are impersonalists. But one who goes to the transcendental planets, Vaikuṇṭhas, Goloka Vṛndāvana, they see God is there person. As you are person, I am person, you'll find person.

Lecture -- London, September 26, 1969:

So this sun example we have to understand, that to understand the sun there are three divisions. The first division is the sunlight or sunshine. The sunshine is all-pervading over the universe. It is not imagination. We get from Vedic information. It is said, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). This is brahma-jyotir. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. Savitā, the sun-god, is called yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ. So the sun is described as the eye of the Supreme Lord. Just like we have got our eyes; we can see to some extent, three feet, four feet, or ten feet, or hundred feet. But the eyes of God is so powerful, He can see the whole universe. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Savitā means the sun. The sun is... So we have to study in this way. People say, "Can you show me God?" Yes, why not? You just try to see God. Here you see the eyes of the God: the sun, the moon.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:

As we have got millions of planets here in this material world, millions of universes, similarly, the spiritual world there are millions of planets, globes, which are called Vaikuṇṭhalokas. And the topmost of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas is called Goloka Vṛndāvana or Kṛṣṇaloka. That is the original abode of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And from that globe, there is effulgence, which is bodily effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. We get this information from Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagadāṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā. The brahma-jyotir is the bodily effulgence of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Exactly the sunshine is the bodily effulgence of Vivasvān, it is being emanating, it is emanating from the sun globe, similarly, the brahma-jyotir is emanating from Kṛṣṇaloka. And in that Kṛṣṇa, Brahman effulgence, so many universes and so many Vaikuṇṭha planets are growing exactly the same way as so many planets have grown from the sunshine. This is scientific.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:

So the bhāgavat-dharma means to become completely pure. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). And you cannot keep your purity without being in touch with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, so many moralistic movement has failed. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā (SB 5.18.12). Even one has got brahma-jñāna, even one is elevated to become mixed or amalgamated with the brahma-jyotir, still he is not pure. That is the statement of śāstra.

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas
tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ
āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ
patanty adhaḥ...
(SB 10.2.32)

They will fall down. We have seen many sannyāsīs, they have given up this world, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but they are still coming to politics, also to social organization, welfare activity. When you have left this world as nontruth, mithyā, then why do you come again? That means they did not get the real relish of Brahman. That is stated in the śāstra, that vimukta-māninaḥ: falsely they are thinking that they have become liberated.

Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

There are innumerable universes—innumerable suns, innumerable moons, innumerable planets. So this is being possible in the effulgence, brahma-jyotir, of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence is called brahma-jyotir. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, brāhmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. The brahma-jyotir... Those who are jñānīs, those who are trying to approach the Absolute Truth by mental speculation, by dint of our teeny knowledge, they can, utmost, approach to this brahma-jyotir. But that brahma-jyotir is only emanation of the bodily effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato (Bs. 5.40). Just like the light and the illumination is coming from the light, from that localized bulb, similarly, the brahma-jyotir is coming out. Just like the sunshine, the best example, the sunshine, illumination of the sunlight, sunshine, is coming from the sun planet. The sun planet is localized. We can see it. And the effulgence, and the bodily effulgence of the sun planet is distributed all over the universe. Similarly, sun planet is one of the material creation of Kṛṣṇa. But as the moon planet reflects the sun planet, similarly the sun planet also reflects brahma-jyotir, and the brahma-jyotir comes out of the bodily effulgence of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

"I don't want to finish My repetition of birth and death also." That is called mukti. Mukti means stopping the repetition of birth and death. So those who are hankering after... The jñānīs, the jñānī-sampradāya, they want to merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord. But that merging is possible in the brahma-jyotir. Brahmajyoti. The Absolute Truth is divided into three. Actually He is not divided. Because He is absolute, He cannot be divided. But according to the, I mean to say, realizer, somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman, somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as localized Paramātmā, and somebody is realizing Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, most beautiful, lovable object. So the Bhāgavata Purāṇa says, vadanti tat tattva vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). There is no difference between Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. It is only the different features of realization. If you want to realize the Absolute Truth by your imperfect senses... We should always know that our senses are always imperfect.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

The brahma-jyotir, yasya prabhā, is the bodily effulgence of God, Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. So on that effulgence, jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi, there are innumerable universes. It is not very difficult to understand. Just like you see, in the sunshine innumerable planets are floating. So what is the difficulty to understand that there is a shining effulgence from the body of God, Kṛṣṇa, and in that shining effulgence, innumerable universes are floating? What is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. It is most scientific proposal.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 28, 1973:

Just like I explained last night that we are samples of God, but He's complete, He's the whole; we are part and parcel. As part and parcel, there is tendency of being covered by māyā. The example we can cite that the sun and the sunshine... Sunshine means accumulation of shining particles. They are also individual shining material, molecular parts. The cloud can cover the sunshine partial, not all. The sunshine is expanding millions and millions of miles. Out of that, hundred, two hundred miles may be covered by the cloud. So that portion of sunshine is called material world. Just try to understand. The God is just like sun, kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama, and the sunshine, light, is the brahma-jyotir. Impersonal brahma-jyotir is just like the sunshine, and Paramātmā is just like the sun globe. To understand the Absolute Truth we have to make progress from impersonal Brahman to localized Paramātmā and then, from Paramātmā, to this Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 28, 1973:

"This material world is being maintained by one of My plenary portions. He is known as Paramātmā." Viṣṭabhya aham. "I enter by one of My plenary portions, and this whole material world is maintained in that." This material world is one-fourth manifestation of God's creation, and the spiritual world is three-fourth manifestation of... (break) ...which is known as brahma-jyotir. There are millions and trillions of Vaikuṇṭha planets. Vaikuṇṭha planets... Vaikuṇṭha, Vaikuṇṭha means vigata-kuṇṭha yasmād. Kuṇṭha means anxiety. Just like within this material world we are full of anxieties. Similarly, when you..., when we go to the spiritual world there is also planet like this, but there is no kuṇṭha, there is no anxieties. Here anyone, up to Brahmā, ā-brahma bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna, even if you go to the highest planetary system within this universe, still your anxiety will go with you. Your anxiety for what? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). The anxiety for death, anxiety for birth, anxiety for disease—these are the sum and substance of all our anxieties. Anxiety must be there.

Departure Talks

Departure Lecture -- London, March 12, 1975:

So this philosophy, to merge into the big Brahman, Supreme Brahman, or effulgence, brahma-jyotir, that is not very secure position. It is said in the śāstra that āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) they fall down. We have seen that many Māyāvādī philosophers or sannyāsīs, they give up this world as mithyā, false, but after some time, they again come to this false material world for some philanthropic work, humanitarian work, because they could not get Kṛṣṇa. If you have left this world as false, then why you are coming again to give service to the world? No. They could not get. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). Paraṁ padam means Brahman. Patanty adhaḥ: "They fall down." Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Because they neglected the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa." They did not get any shelter. Just like if you go very high in the sky but if you don't get a shelter, then again you come back. Just like these moon-planet-goers, they attempted many times jumping, but they could not get any shelter.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: Yes, but spirit is, according to our philosophy, the spirit is realized in three phases, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The supreme spirit is realized in three phases. An example is given, just like you see from a distant place the mountain, you see just like a hazy cloud. You go forward, you will see something, substance, green, and if you enter it you'll see so many trees, so many animals. So you are seeing the same object but according to your understanding, somebody is saying, "Oh, it is a cloud." Somebody is saying, "It is some green (indistinct)," and somebody is saying, "No, it is very nice place." It is a question of where he is standing, to understand God. So those who are standing in distant place, for them imperson. Just like we are seeing the sunshine imperson, and the sun globe localized, and if you have got capacity to enter into the sun globe, you'll see sun god. Similarly, God is realized in three capacities, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Either impersonal Brahman, or localized Paramātmā, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But if you somehow or other approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is Kṛṣṇa. Then you understand the other two things. And Kṛṣṇa is explaining, brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. "I am the resting place of brahma-jyotir." Brahmā-saṁhitā says, yasya prabha (Bs. 5.40), this brahma-jyotir, impersonal brahma-jyotir is the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, Paramātmā, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna (BG 18.61), that is another feature of Kṛṣṇa. He is sitting in everyone's heart. Just like the sun is reflected in thousands and millions of (indistinct). There are no so many suns, there is only one sun. How you will (indistinct)? So God is one but according to realization, one who has seen the (indistinct), he says, "Oh, there are millions of suns." And one who has not seen the (indistinct), he has seen only sunshine, "Sun is impersonal." It is a question of (indistinct) person who is realizing. But actually God is a person, sat-cit-ānanda-vigraha. That is (indistinct). We have got clear conception of God, sat-cit-ānanda-vigraha, Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Prabhupāda: No it cannot be. That is the function of the soul. The soul is eternal, therefore willing is eternal. It can be suppressed for sometime. Just like death. What is death? Death means stop willingness for seven months, that's all. That is death. And as soon as, according to your will, you develop a type of body and come out from the mother's womb, and the willing begins again. Again. Death means suppression of will for seven months, that's all. So suppression of willing... Just like if you are chloroformed, if you are anesthetic given, you can suppress your willing. Therefore you are unconscious. Even somebody is cutting you, you don't protest. But that does not mean the will is not there. It is there. It is suppressed, by artificial means. In other words, will cannot be killed or it can be stopped. If you train your willing process badly, then you have to suffer life after life. And if you train your willing nicely, then you go to Vaikuṇṭha, back to Godhead

Devotee: The impersonalist in the brahma-jyotir, is his will in a dormant state also?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is willingness in a negative way: "I shall not will. I shall not will. Because I have got experience that by willing I have suffered so much, so I shall not will." But that stage you cannot stay for a long time. Then you have to again will in the same way.

Page Title:Brahma-jyotir (Lectures)
Compiler:Rishab, Mayapur
Created:18 of May, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=152, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:152