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Directly and indirectly

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Preface and Introduction

SB Introduction:

The Supreme Person, or parameśvara, is the supreme conscious personality, and because He does not derive any power from any other source, He is supremely independent. In the Vedic literatures Brahmā is described as the supreme god or the head of all other gods like Indra, Candra and Varuṇa, but the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam confirms that even Brahmā is not independent as far as his power and knowledge are concerned. He received knowledge in the form of the Vedas from the Supreme Person who resides within the heart of every living being. That Supreme Personality knows everything directly and indirectly. Individual infinitesimal persons, who are parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality, may know directly and indirectly everything about their bodies or external features, but the Supreme Personality knows everything about both His external and internal features.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.1.1, Translation:

O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth."

SB 1.1.1, Purport, Purport:

The chief engineer of a complicated construction does not personally take part in the construction, but he knows every nook and corner because everything is done under his direction. He knows everything about the construction, both directly and indirectly. Similarly, the Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme engineer of this cosmic creation, knows every nook and corner, although affairs are being carried out by demigods. Beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, no one is independent in the material creation. The hand of the Lord is seen everywhere. All material elements as well as all spiritual sparks emanate from Him only. And whatever is created in this material world is but the interaction of two energies, the material and the spiritual, which emanate from the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. A chemist can manufacture water in the chemical laboratory by mixing hydrogen and oxygen. But, in reality, the living entity works in the laboratory under the direction of the Supreme Lord. And the materials with which he works are also supplied by the Lord. The Lord knows everything directly and indirectly, and He is cognizant of all minute details, and He is fully independent. He is compared to a mine of gold, and the cosmic creations in so many different forms are compared to objects made from the gold, such as gold rings, necklaces and so on. The gold ring and the gold necklace are qualitatively one with the gold in the mine, but quantitatively the gold in the mine is different. Therefore, the Absolute Truth is simultaneously one and different. Nothing is absolutely equal with the Absolute Truth, but at the same time, nothing is independent of the Absolute Truth.

SB 1.1.1, Purport:

"Since the complete whole or the Absolute Truth is the source of everything, nothing can be independent of the body of the Absolute Truth." Whatever happens to the body quickly becomes known to the embodied. Similarly, the creation is the body of the absolute whole. Therefore, the Absolute knows everything directly and indirectly that happens in the creation.

SB 1.3.26, Purport:

So the Lord is the inexhaustible source for innumerable incarnations which are not always mentioned. But such incarnations are distinguished by specific extraordinary feats which are impossible to be performed by any living being. That is the general test to identify an incarnation of the Lord, directly and indirectly empowered.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.2.18, Purport:

So the Vaikuṇṭha planets are factually the supreme residential places called the paraṁ padam. The impersonal brahmajyoti is also called the paraṁ padam due to its being the rays of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, as the sun rays are the rays of the sun. In the Bhagavad-gītā (14.27) it is clearly said that the impersonal brahmajyoti rests on the person of the Lord, and because everything rests on the brahmajyoti directly and indirectly, everything is generated from the Lord, everything rests on Him, and after annihilation, everything is merged in Him only. Therefore, nothing is independent of Him.

SB 2.9.36, Translation:

A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, must certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.4.32, Purport:

The devotee tries to come directly in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas the yogī tries to find the Supersoul within the heart by meditation. Thus, both directly and indirectly, yoga means bhakti-yoga.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.5.27, Translation:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead directly and indirectly knows how everything, including the living force, mind and intelligence, is working under His control. He is the illuminator of everything and has no ignorance. He does not have a material body subject to the reactions of previous activities, and He is free from the ignorance of partiality and materialistic education. I therefore take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, who is eternal, all-pervading and as great as the sky and who appears with six opulences in three yugas (Satya, Tretā and Dvāpara).

SB 8.5.27, Purport:

In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described in this way: janmādy asya yato'nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Lord is the origin of all emanations, and He directly and indirectly knows everything about all the activities within His creation. Therefore the Lord is addressed here as vipaścitam, one who is full of all knowledge or who knows everything. The Lord is the Supreme Soul, and He knows everything about the living entities and their senses.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Preface and Introduction

CC Foreword:

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, by Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, is the principal work on the life and teachings of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the pioneer of a great social and religious movement that began in India about five hundred years ago and that has directly and indirectly influenced the subsequent course of religious and philosophical thinking not only in India but throughout the world.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 1.56, Translation:

"A person interested in transcendental knowledge must therefore always directly and indirectly inquire about it to know the all-pervading truth."

CC Adi 1.56, Purport:

Those who are serious about the knowledge of the transcendental world, which is far beyond the material cosmic creation, must approach a bona fide spiritual master to learn the science both directly and indirectly. One must learn both the means to approach the desired destination and the hindrances to such progress. The spiritual master knows how to regulate the habits of a neophyte disciple, and therefore a serious student must learn the science in all its aspects from him.

CC Adi 1.56, Purport:

One should understand, through the transparent medium of the spiritual master, that the Supreme Lord exists everywhere in His transcendental spiritual nature and that the living entities' relationships with the Lord are directly and indirectly existing everywhere, even in this material world.

CC Adi 1.56, Purport:

In the next verse (56) it is said that a conditioned soul must ultimately approach a bona fide spiritual master and try to understand perfectly the material and spiritual worlds and his own existential position. Here the words anvaya-vyatirekābhyām, "directly and indirectly," suggest that one must learn the process of devotional service in its two aspects: one must directly execute the process of devotional service and indirectly avoid the impediments to progress.

CC Adi 4.62, Purport:

The material modes of nature control the conditioned souls, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is never influenced by these modes, as all Vedic literatures directly and indirectly corroborate. Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself says in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.25.12), sattvaṁ rajas tama iti guṇā jīvasya naiva me: "The material modes of goodness, passion and ignorance are connected with the conditioned souls, but never with Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

CC Adi 6.12, Purport:

In the teachings of Advaita Prabhu there is no question of fruitive activities or impersonal liberation. Bewildered by the spell of the material energy, however, persons who could not understand that Advaita Prabhu is nondifferent from Viṣṇu wanted to follow Him with their impersonal conceptions. The attempt of Advaita Prabhu to punish them is also auspicious. Lord Viṣṇu and His activities can bestow all good fortune, directly and indirectly. In other words, being favored by Lord Viṣṇu and being punished by Lord Viṣṇu are one and the same because all the activities of Viṣṇu are absolute.

CC Adi 7.110, Purport:

"I offer my obeisances unto Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, who is the Supreme all-pervading Personality of Godhead. I meditate upon Him, the transcendent reality, who is the primeval cause of all causes, from whom all manifested universes arise, in whom they dwell and by whom they are destroyed. I meditate upon that eternally effulgent Lord, who is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations and yet is fully independent."

CC Adi 7.127, Purport:

"I meditate upon Him (Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa), the transcendent reality, who is the primeval cause of all causes, from whom all manifested universes arise, in whom they dwell, and by whom they are destroyed. I meditate upon that eternally effulgent Lord, who is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations and yet is fully independent."

CC Adi 13.77, Translation:

"As the threads in a cloth spread both lengthwise and breadthwise, so the Supreme Personality of Godhead exists directly and indirectly within everything we see in this cosmic manifestation. This is not very wonderful for Him."

CC Adi 13.101, Translation:

When he saw that the whole world was jubilant, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, his mind astonished, directly and indirectly expressed himself to Advaita Ācārya: "Your dancing and distributing charity are very pleasing to me. I can understand that there is some special purpose in these actions."

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 8.266, Translation:

"O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth."

CC Madhya 20.272, Purport:

"The Absolute Truth is He from whom everything emanates." He is the Supreme Truth: satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi. The absolute ultimate truth is Kṛṣṇa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya/ janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ: "The Absolute Truth is a person who is directly and indirectly cognizant of the entire cosmic manifestation."

CC Madhya 20.359, Translation:

"O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth."

CC Madhya 20.361, Translation:

In that same verse it is stated that the Lord is the creator, maintainer and annihilator of the cosmic manifestation and that He enabled Lord Brahmā to create the universe by infusing him with the knowledge of the Vedas. It is also stated that the Lord has full knowledge, directly and indirectly, that He knows past, present and future, and that His personal energy is separate from māyā, the illusory energy.

CC Madhya 25.123, Translation:

A person interested in transcendental knowledge must therefore always directly and indirectly inquire about it to know about the all-pervading truth.

CC Madhya 25.148, Translation:

O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 5:

Since everything in the cosmic creation is dependent on the āśraya-tattva—the creative manifestation or Viṣṇu manifestation—the various demigods an? manifestations of energy, the living entities and all material elements are dependent on Kṛṣṇa, for Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Truth. Thus Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam indicates that everything is sheltered by Kṛṣṇa directly and indirectly. Consequently perfect knowledge can be had only by an analytical study of Kṛṣṇa, as confirmed by Bhagavad-gītā.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 23:

The chief engineer of a complicated construction does not personally take part in the construction itself, but it is he only who knows all the nooks and corners of the construction because everything is carried out under his instructions only. In other words, he knows everything about the construction directly and indirectly.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 23:

A chemist can manufacture water in the laboratory by mixing hydrogen and oxygen, but in reality the living entity can only work under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Indeed, all materials used by a chemist are supplied by the Lord. The Lord knows everything directly and indirectly, and He is cognizant of all the minute details of everything. He is fully independent as well.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 32:

The first verse of the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes the Supreme Absolute Truth as He who instructed Brahmā through the heart. Vyāsadeva, the author of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, states: " Let me offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the cause of the cosmic manifestation and its maintenance and dissolution as well." If we scrutinizingly try to understand the supreme truth, we can understand that He knows everything directly and indirectly. He is the only Supreme Personality, and it is He only who is fully independent.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 3:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is directly and indirectly existing everywhere; He is outside this material creation, and He is also within it. He is within this material creation not only as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; He is also within the atom. The existence of the atom is due to His presence. Nothing can be separated from His existence.

Krsna Book 87:

This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as well as in the Vedas, wherein it is stated, eko nārāyaṇa āsīt: "Only Nārāyaṇa existed before the creation." Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Vedānta-sūtra also say that the original cause is sentient and both indirectly and directly cognizant of everything within this creation. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), "I am the original cause of everything," and mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, "From Me everything comes into existence."

Krsna Book 87:

Nature and the living entities are sometimes designated as prakṛti and puruṣa respectively. The whole cosmic manifestation is an amalgamation of prakṛti and puruṣa. Nature is the ingredient cause, and the living entities are the effective cause. These two causes combine together, and the effect is this cosmic manifestation. When one is fortunate enough to come to the right conclusion about this cosmic manifestation and everything going on within it, he knows it to be caused directly and indirectly by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 4.1:

I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance, and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

So everyone is seeking for happiness, but they are misled. Although they are trying to approach Kṛṣṇa, they are misled. One can directly come to Kṛṣṇa, but they do not want. They indirectly. So indirectly and directly, everyone is seeking Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969:

Now the Absolute Truth, if he is the supreme cause of all emanation, then what are the symptoms? The Bhāgavata said that he must be cognizant. He's not dead. He must be cognizant. And what kind of cognizance? Anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu. Just like I am cognizant, you are also cognizant. But I do not know myself, how many hairs are there in my body. I'm claiming this is my head. But If ask anybody, "Do you know how many hairs you have got in your body?" That kind of knowledge is not knowledge. But the Supreme, Bhāgavata says that He knows everything directly and indirectly.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

If you simply try to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa, then all other sciences will be automatically understood. Just like if you understand what is one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, zero, then you understand the whole mathematical science, because the mathematics means that one, two, three, four, five, six, this way, that way, this way, that way. The only, the figures are all, the digits are the one, two, three, four. So therefore one has to learn one, two, three, four, up to nine, and zero. Similarly, if you understand Kṛṣṇa, the, indirectly and directly, everything is Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest scientific understanding of everything. That is a fact.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

It is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, janmādy asya: (SB 1.1.1) "The original person from whom everything is born," yataḥ, anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ, "He knows everything perfectly, indirectly and directly." Anvayād itarataś ca abhijñaḥ. And wherefrom He got the knowledge? Now, svarāṭ. That is His... God means svarāṭ. He hasn't got to get any knowledge from anyone else. Everyone gets knowledge from Him, but He hasn't got to take knowledge from anyone, svarāṭ, independent.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- London, August 7, 1971:

Pradyumna (reading): Translation: "I offer my obeisances unto Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, who is the supreme all-pervading Personality of Godhead. I meditate upon Him, the transcendent reality, who is the primeval cause of all causes, from whom all manifested universes arise, in whom they dwell, and by whom they are destroyed. I meditate upon that eternally effulgent Lord who is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations and yet is beyond them. It is He only who first imparted Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmā, the first created being. Through Him this world, like a mirage, appears real even to great sages and demigods. Because of Him, the material universes, created by the three modes of nature, appear to be factual, although they are unreal. I meditate therefore upon Him, the Absolute Truth, who is eternally existent in His transcendental abode, and who is forever free of illusion." (SB 1.1.1)

Prabhupāda: Vyāsadeva is offering his obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Bhagavate, "unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Vāsudeva." Vāsudeva means the son of Vasudeva.

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 21, 1975:

Nowadays the theory, scientists' theory, is going on that life is made of chemicals. That means matter. This has been discussed five thousand years ago by Vyāsadeva, whether the origin of life is life or matter. So he says that the origin of everything is life because Vāsudeva is also life. And now you come to your argument and reason, whether origin of life is matter or life. That you have to discuss. So here it is said that origin is life because here it is said, yato 'nvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. Just like if I am taken as the origin of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that means I know everything directly and indirectly of all this movement. If I do not know directly or indirectly everything of this movement, then I cannot be called the founder-ācārya. And as soon as the origin becomes a knower, he is life. So therefore dull matter cannot be the knower of everything.

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 21, 1975:

He is abhijñaḥ. Abhijñaḥ means cognizant. The original and source of everything, He has His brain. He knows. He has the power of knowledge. Everything is there. That is the reason. Anything material we think... Just like this microphone. This microphone is combination of some metal and some wires or anything is metal or something plastic. But they have not combined together automatically. A person who knows the art, he has combined all of them together. Now it is acting. Now, if this microphone is not in order, then I will have to take to the person who knows what is indirectly and directly the composition of the microphone. Therefore the origin of everything or the original source of everything, He is the knower. He is not dull matter.

Lecture on SB 1.2.1 -- New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972:

He knows everything. That is the distinction between God and ourself. I do not know even what is going on within my body. I do not know how my hairs are growing, I do not know how many hairs are on my head, and still, the rascals claim, "I am God." How much rascaldom it is, you can just imagine. God is not like that. God knows everything. That is God. Anvayād itarataś ca. Indirectly and directly.

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

Everything that we experience is coming from the supreme source. Whether that supreme source is a living being or a dead stone? What will be the answer? From common sense? From common sense, suppose if we find out the original source of everything, what will be the nature of that original? The Bhāgavata explains therefore: abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ. He's not dead stone. Abhijñaḥ. He has got consciousness. He has got consciousness. What kind of consciousness? Anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ. He knows everything, directly and indirectly.

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

Now suppose we are also conscious. So what is the nature of our consciousness? Our consciousness is that I know directly everything of my body, or of my self. But I do not know indirectly about yourself. I cannot say what is going on in your mind, in your body, what pains and pleasure you are feeling. But I can speak about myself that "I am feeling like this. I am thinking like this. I am willing like this." That I can say. So my consciousness is not perfect. It is perfect so far I am concerned. But I, my consciousness does not spread upon you. But here it is said, anvayāt itarataḥ abhijñaḥ artheṣu abhijñaḥ. "The Absolute Truth knows everything, directly and indirectly."

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

How God creates this material world? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). This creator is well conversant directly and indirectly every details of the universe.

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

Now, how that janmādy asya yataḥ? It is explained, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ. If the original source... How the characteristics of the original source should be? The original source must be cognizant indirectly and directly of everything. The original Absolute Truth should be cognizant, abhijñaḥ. If He is the source of everything, then He must be cognizant of everything, either directly or indirectly.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

So anvaya-vyatirekeṇa vivekena uśatātmanā. Those who are advanced in knowledge, directly and indirectly, by contemplating, by meditation, they can find out. It is not difficult. The process is anvaya, directly, and vyatirekeṇa, indirectly, and vivekena... Vivekena means with deliberation, with deliberation.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.358-359 -- New York, December 29, 1966:

Now He is conscious in two ways: anvayāt itarataś ca. Directly and indirectly. Just like we are also conscious. But we are directly conscious. Indirectly, we are not conscious. Indirectly we are not conscious. But God is all-powerful supreme consciousness. Therefore He's directly conscious and indirectly conscious.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.358-359 -- New York, December 29, 1966:

Bhagavān is full of all knowledge. Wherefrom He got this knowledge? Now our experience is that we go to school, college, and get knowledge. Wherefrom He gets knowledge? The Bhāgavata replies, svarāṭ. He's self-sufficient, full of knowledge. These are the differences. So these qualifications are always present. This is called svarūpa-lakṣaṇa. Unless God is independent, unless God is conscious, indirectly and directly, He cannot be Supreme Source. This is called svarūpa-lakṣaṇa, constantly present.

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa is the source. Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedānta-sūtra the inquiry is athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is that Absolute Truth, the supreme source of everything? That supreme source is Kṛṣṇa. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the beginning: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). Abhijñaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme creator, and He knows everything. Anvaya-vyatirekābhyām, directly and indirectly, both ways. He knows everything.

General Lectures

Lecture Excerpt -- London, August 13, 1971:

Now, what type of that supreme cause is that? Is it a stone or sentient? No. Vyāsadeva informs, no. The original cause, how it can be a stone? Original cause cannot be. It must be sentient. Creator must be sentient. Without brain, without creative power, how there can be creation? Where is your argument? No, that is not. These are false arguments. Therefore Vyāsadeva gives you information that He is sentient, in full knowledge. In full knowledge. What kind of knowledge? Anvaya-vyatirekābhyām, directly and indirectly. That is full knowledge.

Lecture Excerpt -- London, August 13, 1971:

Just like I say "my head" or "my hair," but if I ask you or you ask that "How many hairs are there?" oh, I am ignorant. I do not know. Similarly, we are so imperfect that we may have little knowledge even of our own body. We are eating, but how the eatables are being transformed into secretion, how they are becoming blood, how they are being passed through the heart, and it becomes red, and again diffuse all over the veins, and in this way the body is maintained, we know something, but how the work is going on, how this factory is going on, how the factory, machine, is working, we have very little knowledge. So indirectly we know that "This is my body." "Indirectly" means we have heard, but we have no direct knowledge. But Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, the original of everything, He knows everything. Anvaya-vyatirekābhyām, indirectly and directly. Kṛṣṇa knows. I do not know how my body is working, but Kṛṣṇa knows.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 19, 1972:

He says that the origin of creation must be conscious, abhijñaḥ. Abhijñaḥ means conscious. Unless the origin of creation is conscious, how things are so happening so rightly and nicely? How all the planets are rotating in their orbit, there is no collision, there is no fall down? So there is a great plan. Therefore the creator must be conscious, a person. That is the verdict of Vyāsadeva. And anyone who is also conscious and intelligent can understand. He says, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād. Anvayād: directly and indirectly. Directly He's conscious of the creation, and indirectly, as we are, we are also conscious because we are parts and parcels of the Supreme.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 19, 1972:

Therefore Vyāsadeva says that the original person, or the Absolute Truth, must be conscious. (Sanskrit). Directly and indirectly He knows everything.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) Bhāgavata verse, janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1), asya janmādi (indistinct) concise word but volumes of meanings. Volumes. Each word is like that. Vidyā bhāgavata-vali(?). Therefore one's learning is complete when he reads Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Otherwise he remains imperfect, in spite of all learning. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), from where? Now the creation of this cosmic world, from where? But you do not know from where. This is explained in Bhāgavatam. Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. That is actually true. In this way simply if you analyze one verse, you'll find each word is full of volumes of meaning. Janmādy asya yataḥ, anvayāt (SB 1.1.1). Like the creation, anvayāt, directly and indirectly, itarataś cārtheṣu, in the matter of understanding, abhijñaḥ. Abhijñaḥ means completely cognizant. That is the Absolute Truth. He knows everything—how this universe is created, how it is maintained, how it annihilated, directly and indirectly.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Answer Brahma-sūtra's question. The answer is Bhāgavata: janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Then what is that janmādy asya yataḥ? And he says, Vyāsadeva says, anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ. That... The... Abhijñaḥ. That the Absolute Truth, from whom everything has emanated, He knows everything directly and indirectly. He knows. Because He's abhijñaḥ.

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So He's not a stone. Just like some philosopher says there was a chunk and creation came from that. So here Bhāgavata says, "No. The origin of creation, He's a person—abhijñaḥ. And He knows everything, directly and indirectly." Directly, I know this is my body, but indirectly, I do not know what is going on in this body. Therefore we go to physician that: "Please tell me what is the ailments in my body." So I do not know what is the cause. But the original Absolute Truth, He knows everything, directly and indirectly. Therefore He is abhijñaḥ.

Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all, "Who is God?" Then we shall ask, "Who told God?" (chuckles) That God... That is the Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now we should enquire about God, what is God, who is God." Unless you know who is God, how can you raise the question, "Who instructed God?" If you do not know God, then the question does not arise, "Who instructed God?" Is it not? Yes. So therefore God is explained in the Brahma-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "God is He from everything comes, emanates." That is God. That God is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "The Supreme Being from whom everything emanates." Now, what is that Supreme Being? What is the nature of the Supreme Being? It is a dead stone or a living being? That is also explained. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ (SB 1.1.1). "That God is fully cognizant of everything, directly and indirectly." Unless He is fully cognizant of everything, directly and indirectly, He is not God. So then the same question comes, as you said, that "Who taught God?"

Room Conversation with devotees about Twelfth Canto Kali-yuga, and Conversation with Guest -- June 15, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Now who will translate? You, one by one, line, the translation you speak.

Nitāi: O.K. "I offer my obeisances unto Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vāsudeva, who is the Supreme, All-pervading Personality of Godhead. I meditate upon Him, the transcendent reality, who is the primeval cause of all causes, from whom all manifested universes arise, in whom they dwell, and by whom they are destroyed. I meditate upon that eternally effulgent Lord who is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations and yet is beyond them. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge into the heart of Brahmā."

Prabhupāda: And this is Vedic knowledge.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Just like a mother gives birth to a child. She knows everything, how the child was born in the womb, how it developed, how it is coming. At least, on the whole, she knows everything. Similarly, the original source of everything is immediately informed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that abhijñaḥ, experienced, knows everything. Anvayād itarataś ca, directly and indirectly, everything it knows. So the origin of everything cannot be a dead man. That is the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: That is there. Every day we are experiencing, huh? Just the same seed and the living entity comes and it becomes a tree and it grows, big tree, huge body. And as soon as it is dead, the body is not increasing. This is experiment. Everything is coming from life. Kṛṣṇa says, He's the supreme life, He says mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8). He's the origin of everything, both matter and life, everything. Matter also coming from life, life is also coming from life. Therefore life is the original source of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So janmādy asya yataḥ is life. That is explained in the Bhāgavata. Janmādy asya yato 'nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). That source of everything is life and is fully conscious of everything what is happening. Anvayāt, indirectly and directly, fully conscious. That is life.

Room Conversation with Professor Francois Chenique -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: But that is from scholarship point of view. But our point is this Bhāgavata must be presented by bhāgavata. And there is no much scholarship required. Just like Bhāgavata begins with the words janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). This Sanskrit word means the Absolute Truth is that from where everything emanates. Now that Absolute Truth further explained: anvayād itarataś ca abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. That Absolute Truth is aware of everything, directly and indirectly, of all this creation. In this way, if you step-by-step study, it is not very difficult so far the word meanings are concerned, but it is a question of realization. Unless one is realized, he cannot explain properly. That is the secret.

Page Title:Directly and indirectly
Compiler:Labangalatika, Sureshwardas
Created:27 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=10, CC=17, OB=8, Lec=20, Con=8, Let=0
No. of Quotes:63