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Effulgence (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

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 1.24-25 -- London, July 20, 1973:

So you cannot go even in the moon planet. How you can go to that spiritual planet penetrating the material coverings coming to the spiritual effulgence, Brahman, and after all these universes, then...? Therefore it is said, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ (Bs. 5.34). Koṭi-śata-vatsara, millions of years, if you go with your sputnik with full force... Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara. Not this sputnik, but make your planes of mind speed. This is material speed.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972:

In the law court, when the lawyers try to interpret before the judge, when the terms are not very clear... That is the same way, in, in, amongst the associates and society of learned scholars. Interpretation is not required when the things are very clear. Just like the sun, sunshine, sunlight. There is no need of a lamp to show the sun. The sun is self-effulgent. It is already there. Light is there. Why one should take a lamp to show the sun? This misinterpretation has killed the spirit, the real essence, of Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

Svargāpavarga, heaven or the Brahman effulgence, or hell, all these are equal to a devotee. A devotee does not make any distinction because he has always within his heart Kṛṣṇa. So either he goes to hell or heaven, it doesn't matter. You see? If Kṛṣṇa goes with him then it is no longer hell. (laughs) Just like īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). The Lord as Supersoul is in everyone's heart, so He's in the heart of the hog or He is in the heart of the worm in the stool.

Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973:

Jñānīs are anxious to merge into the existence of the Brahman effulgence, and the karmīs, their highest aim is how to be elevated in the higher planetary system, Svarga-loka, where Lord Indra is there, or Brahmā is there. That is karmī's ambition, to go to the heaven. They all, except Vaiṣṇava philosophy, in all other literature, all other scripture, means Christian and Mohammedan, their aim is how to be elevated to the heaven.

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

Woman: Jñānī, how do you spell it?

Prabhupāda: J, N, A, N, I. "Jan-nanee. Jan-nanee." 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 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972:

That is the statement of the Vedas. Separated. Although separated, quality one, but that separation, that fragments of Kṛṣṇa, that is sanātana. It is not that by māyā we are fragmental separated; when we are liberated, we merge into the body or the effulgence of God. We are separated in..., perpetually. Although we are eternal, but we are perpetually... vibhinnāṁśa. In the Varāha Purāṇa it is said, vibhinnāṁśa, "separated part and parcel." So we should understand very clearly that, although we are eternal, part and parcel, but we are separated. Separated in this sense that we are, everyone of us, are individual, not merge into the existence. Everything is existing. In the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find: mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ (BG 9.4). Everything is existing in Him, Kṛṣṇa. But still, Kṛṣṇa is not the living entity.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

One whose knowledge is not perfect, they think imperson, everything homogeneous. And one whose knowledge is perfect... Vedas also confirm it... Just like in the Īśopaniṣad, there is a verse in which it is stated that "Please withdraw Your effulgence so that I can see Your real face." Just like the sun globe. You cannot see it perfectly due to the dazzling sunshine. But the sun globe is there, and in the glow there are living entities, and there is a principal head man, god. They are not man because their body is made of fire. So similarly, the first, impersonal impression, Brahman, then further advanced, Supersoul, and when further advanced, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). First realization, Brahman, impersonal; the second realization is Paramātmā, Supersoul; and the last realization is the personal form of God, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

Similarly, the spiritual world, the Brahman effulgence, if... Nirbheda-brahmānusandhi. Those who are trying to merge into the Brahman existence, for them, it is not very safe. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: vimukta-māninaḥ. Vimukta-māninaḥ. They're thinking that "Now I have merged into the Brahman effulgence. Now I am safe." No, it is not safe. Because it is said, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty (SB 10.2.32). Even after great austerities and penance, one may rise, paraṁ padam, in the, merging into the Brahman effulgence. Still, from there, he falls down. He falls down. Because Brahman, the spirit soul, is ānandamaya.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

So nirviśeṣa, without varieties, there cannot be any ānanda. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. So we are trying to... We are disgusted with these material varieties. Therefore some is trying to make these varieties zero and some is trying to make these varieties impersonal. But that will not give us the exact transcendental pleasure. If you can go up into the Brahman effulgence and take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa... There are innumerable planets in the Brahman effulgence. They are called Vaikuṇṭhaloka. And the topmost Vaikuṇṭhaloka is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. So if you are fortunate enough to take shelter in one of these planets, then you are eternally happy in blissful condition of knowledge. Otherwise, simply to merge into the Brahman effulgence is not very safe. Because we want ānanda. So in impersonal zero standard there cannot be any ānanda.

Lecture on BG 2.23 -- Hyderabad, November 27, 1972:

Although both the tree and the bird being green, it appears that the bird is now merged into the tree, this merging does not mean that, that the bird and the tree has become one. No. It appears like that. Because both of them are the same color, it appears that the bird has..., there is no more existence of the bird. But that is not a fact. The bird is... Similarly, we are individual spirit soul. The quality being one, say, greenness, when one merges into the Brahman effulgence, the living entity does not lose his identity. And because he does not lose the identity, and because the living entity, by nature, is joyful, he cannot stay in the impersonal Brahman effulgence for many days. Because he has to seek out joyfulness. That joyfulness means varieties.

Lecture on BG 2.23 -- Hyderabad, November 27, 1972:

So in the Brahman effulgence it is, simply being cin-mātra, simply spirit, there is no varieties of spirit. It is simply spirit. Just like the sky. The sky is also matter. But in the sky, there is no variety. If you want varieties, even in this material world, then you have to take shelter of a planet, either you come to the earthly planet or go to the moon planet or sun planet. Similarly, the Brahman effulgence is the glowing rays from the body of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Just like the sunshine is glowing effulgence from the sun globe, and within the sun globe, there is the sun-god, similarly, there is, in the spiritual world, there is Brahman effulgence, impersonal, and within the Brahman effulgence, there are spiritual planets. They are called Vaikuṇṭhalokas. And the topmost of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas is Kṛṣṇaloka. So from Kṛṣṇa's body, the Brahman effulgence is coming out. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Everything is existing in that Brahman effulgence. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ (BG 9.4). Everything existing on His effulgence, Brahman effulgence...

Lecture on BG 2.23 -- Hyderabad, November 27, 1972:

Just like the whole material world, innumerable planets, they are existing on the sunshine. The sunshine is impersonal effulgence of the sun globe, and there are millions of planets resting on the sunshine. Everything is happening on, on account of the sunshine. Similarly the Brahman effulgence coming out, the rays coming out from the body of Kṛṣṇa, and everything is resting on that Brahman effulgence. Actually, different types of energies. Just like from the sunshine there are different types of colors, energies. That is creating this material world. Just like we can experience practically. When there is no sunshine in Western countries, when there is snow, all the leaves of the tree immediately falls down. It is called fall, the season. It remains only wood, piece of wood only. Again, when there is spring season, the sunshine is available, all at a time, they become green. So as the sunshine is working in this material world, similarly the ultimate bodily rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin of all creation. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). On account of the Brahman effulgence, millions and millions of brahmāṇḍas, or universes, are coming out.

Lecture on BG 2.23 -- Hyderabad, November 27, 1972:

So that pleasure of life cannot be had in the spiritual effulgence. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we get this information that āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). Kṛcchreṇa, after undergoing severe austerity and penance, one may merge into the Brahman effulgence... Sāyujya-mukti. It is called sāyujya-mukti. Sāyujya, to merge. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam. Even one goes up to that point, to merge into the Brahman existence after severe austerity and penances, still, they fall down. Patanty adhaḥ. Adhaḥ means again comes into this material world. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32).

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

Tell them that "You are all rascals." (laughter) "You just come and learn here from us. Then you say what is God. You have no knowledge." Just like somebody says that the sunlight, the dazzling sunlight. Clear sun planet is there. And because they cannot enter even into the moon planet, how they can enter in the sun planet? If they enter sun planet, they will find that there is a person whose bodily effulgence is this sunlight. Similarly the original person, Kṛṣṇa, has got His effulgence. We get information from Brahma-saṁhitā, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Just like the sun-god is diffusing the effulgence of his bodily light in this universe, in one universe. Similarly the original person, He is diffusing that light. So those who are less intelligent, they simply can see that light; therefore they say light. But in the Vedic literature there is information that you have to search out the Supreme Person penetrating the light. In the Īśopaniṣad it says, "My dear Lord, please wind up this effulgent light so that I can see Your face actually." That is stated in the Vedic literature. So originally the Absolute Supreme Truth is a person. If you want proof from Vedas, there is proof. Bhagavad-gītā is proof. Why should we accept a third-class man who is speaking something against? Is that man greater than Kṛṣṇa? Then why shall I talk about him? He's not important even ordinary man. We shall treat all these persons less intelligent, foolish. They have no perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth.

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

So this is Paramātmā experience. And Brahman experience is just like the sunshine. Sunshine. Sunshine is all-pervading. Everywhere sunshine is there, but still, sunshine is not important. Important is the sun globe. Similarly, Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when one realizes His effulgent bodily rays, that is Brahman conception. When one realizes His reflection in everybody, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna (BG 18.61). God is every, in everyone's heart. Just like the reflection of the sun in a pot. So we are just like pots, and God's reflection is in our heart. This is material example. But God's reflection and God, there is no difference. God's bodily rays and God, there is no difference, advaya-jñāna, that they are not in the duality or relative world. They are in the absolute world.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

So oṁkāra vibration is all over the universe, that's all right; but wherefrom it is coming? That you have to search out. When you search out you'll find Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate. Not the vibration. Is that clear? Yes. The same example. The sunshine, all over the universe it is spread. Does it make it is greater than the sun? The sun is the source of the sunshine. So similarly, brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham, "I am the source of Brahman, the effulgence." That's a fact. Brahman is not greater than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is greater than Brahman. Mattaḥ parataro nāsti. You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, "There is no more greater truth than Me." These people, they cannot understand; less intelligent. The same example. Because they see that the sunshine is spreading all over the universe, therefore it is more important, greater than the sun planet. But actually it is not. The simple truth.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Purport: "This Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees and liberation for the impersonalists."

Prabhupāda: Then what is that Supreme? The conception of Supreme... For the impersonalist, the impersonal Brahman effulgence is the Supreme. Just like light. When you come to the sunshine, that is light, but the devotees, they are not satisfied with the sunshine. They want to penetrate into the sun planet and see the sun-god. That is devotee's position. And one who cannot do so, he is satisfied with the sunshine. Everything is light. Sunshine is light, sun globe is light, and if you enter in the sun globe, there is also light.

Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:

So as we have got experience, we can take experience from what we see daily, so as we have got three different vision of the sun, although the sunshine is spread all over the universe, you cannot accept the sunshine as important than the sun disc, localized. Which one is important? The sunshine is important or the localized disc, the planet, is important? The localized planet is important.

Similarly, the impersonal feature of Lord which is known as Brahman, that is not very much important. You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā: "I am the source of the effulgence of Brahman." So this is one feature. But that is transcendental. When one thinks of Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth, that is also transcendental. When one thinks of the localized aspect of the Supreme Truth, that is also transcendental. And when one thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is also transcendental.

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.

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

The arrangement is made that mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha... Of course, particularly the name of manuṣyāḥ has been... Because in the human life God consciousness can be developed, not in the animal life. Therefore here particularly it is mentioned, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ. "Everyone is trying to approach Me, but according to different angle of vision, according to capacity." The capacity is somebody's trying to go up to the Brahman effulgence, somebody's trying to understand the Supreme Paramātmā within everyone's heart, and somebody's trying to understand and go directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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

What is this Brahman? Just like the sunshine is situated on the sun globe. Sunshine, although it is very big, it is covering the whole universe, but it is coming from the sun globe. So similarly, the Brahman effulgence may be very, very great, but it is coming as the bodily effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. That we get information from Brahma-saṁhitā:

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)

So actually, either you try to realize impersonal Brahman, or by yogic process, the localized Paramātmā, or directly you want to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are all the same. All the same. But this differentiation is due to my angle of vision. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). If you want to realize only the Brahman effulgence, all right, you can do that. Or if you want to realize Paramātmā by yogic principle, by meditation, all right, Kṛṣṇa says, it is also all right. And if you want to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead in directly contact with Him, directly playing with Him as cowherds boy, directly dancing with Him like the gopīs, directly treating Him as your son like Yaśodā-mātā, you can do also.

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

The full knowledge is brahmeti bhagavān iti, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11). The three things one must know. That is full knowledge. But if you understand partially, either Brahman or Paramātmā... But if you understand Bhagavān... Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. This is Vedic injunction. If you understand Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you understand Brahman and Paramātmā. But if you simply understand Brahman or Paramātmā, you do not understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, intelligence is not yet pure. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). They, after undergoing severe penances and austerities, they approach the Brahman effulgence, param... Patanty adhaḥ. Again falls down.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

If you want to be controlled by the prison house, then Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, you be controlled." And if you want to be controlled by the civic laws, that also you can do. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmi... Mama vartmānuvartante.

But practically, Kṛṣṇa, so far those who are transcendentalists, they want to be controlled by three phases of Kṛṣṇa: Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Those who are impersonalists, they want to be merged into the Brahman effulgence. That is also acceptance of being controlled.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

These Māyāvādīs, they undergo severe penances for becoming merged into the supreme effulgence, Brahman effulgence, sāyujya-mukti. It is also not easily obtained. It also requires... So therefore, āruhya kṛcchreṇa, by undergoing... Āruhya kṛcchreṇa, by severe penances and exercises... Just like the yogis, they also exercise. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means severe practices. So they reach, they realize Brahman, but after realization also, they fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because there is no shelter.

I have given several times the example. Just like if you go high in the sky, but if you don't get any shelter, then you come back again. Just like the people are going in the moon planet, but because they actually do not get any shelter, they are coming back again. So that is the position. Simply by worshiping impersonal Brahman, after severe penance and austerity, you can enter into it, but you cannot remain there because there is no ānanda. It is simply eternity.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

But we are actually eternity, bliss and knowledge, very small portion. Simply eternity will not satisfy us. So eternity also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So you can enter. Kṛṣṇa has given you freedom. Therefore He says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. "If you want to merge into the Brahman effulgence, that you can do. Or if you simply want to realize the Paramātmā, localized, that you can also do. And you can do also, come to Me."

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Everything is Kṛṣṇa. You can surrender to so many manifestations of Kṛṣṇa. Because nothing... Anything you experience, that is Kṛṣṇa's energy. That is not different from Kṛṣṇa. That is the conception of oneness. Kṛṣṇa is expanding Himself by His plenary portion. We are also Kṛṣṇa. We living entities, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are also Kṛṣṇa. There is nothing but Kṛṣṇa. Now it is up to you. If you want to surrender yourself to the Kṛṣṇa's energy, you can do. If you want to surrender to the Kṛṣṇa's expansion, that also you can do. If you want to surrender to the Brahman effulgence, that is also Kṛṣṇa. If you want to surrender (to the) Paramātmā feature, that is also Kṛṣṇa. And if you want to surrender to Kṛṣṇa directly, that is also Kṛṣṇa.

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.

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

The impersonal realization is not ultimate realization. Ultimate realization is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is supported in Brahma-saṁhitā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). By expansion of Lord's personal effulgence, the Brahman realization is there.

So the original verse says that "All of them as they surrender unto Me, I reward accordingly. Everyone follows my path in all respects." This means that everyone is searching after that absolute truth. Some of them are satisfied with impersonal feature. The philosophers, jñānīs, they, because they want to understand the absolute truth by dint of their imperfect knowledge.

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 4.24 -- 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.

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 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

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.

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

So your prayer, nirākāra, or gagana-sadṛśa, that is one feature of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is person. The nirākāra, Brahman feature is His effulgence of the body. That is expressed in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. The Absolute Truth is realized in three angles of vision according to the capacity of the devotee. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). Tattva-vit. Tattva-vit means one who has realized the Supreme Truth. He is called tattva-vit. Tattva means Supreme Truth, and vit means one who knows. So vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). Those who know what is Absolute Truth, they say that is the Absolute Truth which is advaya-jñāna.

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

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.

Similarly, the Supreme Brahman, who is spreading the effulgence of light, He cannot be covered. We are covered. We, the small particles, we are covered. Mohita. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitam. Mām eva nābhijānāti. In the Bhagavad-gītā this is. They are bewildered by this external energy. Their eyes have been covered. Their eyes... Our, because we are very small, so our senses, the capacity of the senses, they are also limited.

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

This impersonal Brahman, nirākāra, that is His personal effulgence, bodily effulgence. Just like the sun. You can understand. The sun planet is localized, and within the sun planet, there is sun-god. His name is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, Vivasvān.

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

So they do not know it. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). Out of millions and millions of persons, one can understand what is siddhi. And even one is siddha... One who becomes merged into the Brahman effulgence, because paraṁ padam, so they are also not siddha. Suppose if you merge into the Brahman effulgence, the jñānīs' ultimate goal, to become one with the Brahman effulgence, sāyujya-mukti... That is also a siddhi. That is also partial siddhi. That is not perfect siddhi. 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.

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

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.

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 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

Brahman is not supreme. Then Kṛṣṇa would have said not... "Brahman is the Supreme." But He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat. Brahman is the bodily effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Brahman is not the supreme cause. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. Brahman is existing on Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, Kṛṣṇa has the right to say, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: "There is no more superior cause." And in the Brahma-saṁhitā, Lord Brahmā also says, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

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.

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

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.

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

One who is in the sunshine, or one who is studying the sunshine, or one who is studying the sun disc and one who is entering within the sun planet... Just like we are trying to enter into the moon planet, similarly, you can enter into the sun planet provided you have got the qualification. 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.

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

So in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, the Lord says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: "I am the origin of everything." So if you believe that Kṛṣṇa is the..., or the Supreme Personality of Godhead is everything, and if you surrender, if you worship, then the whole thing, whole account, is closed in one second. But if you don't believe—"Oh, I want to see what is actually God is"—then you have to go by stages: first realization, this impersonal Brahman effulgence; then second realization, the Paramātmā; and then, in the third stage, you realize, "Oh, here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So that will take time. So... But one has to continue. If one gives up the research work just after making a few steps advance, oh, that will not help. One has to go on, go on with it with steadiness, that "What is God? I shall see." That is called jñānī, jijñāsu, philosopher, inquisitive.

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

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.

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

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. I am eternal, and I am full of knowledge, and I am full of bliss. So those who enter into that impersonal effulgence of the Supreme Lord, they can remain eternally and with full knowledge that "I am now mixed up. I am now homogeneous with the Brahman. Bas." But they cannot have that eternal bliss because that part is wanting. So the difficulty is that when he feels... Just like you, if you are confined in a room alone, you may go on, you may engage yourself in reading some particular book or in some particular thought, but still, you cannot remain alone for all the years and all the time. That is not possible. You'll find some association. You'll find some association, recreation. That is our nature. So similarly, if we merge into the impersonal effulgence of the Supreme Lord, then there is chance of falling down again in this material world. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on BG 8.14-15 -- New York, November 16, 1966:

Just like however you may rise in this material space, five thousand feet or any, if you have no rest in any planet, then naturally you'll come down again, naturally, because you have no rest. So in the spiritual effulgence, if we do not have any rest, then we are sure to come back again down. The reason is—that I have already explained—that our life... We, as living entities, we are part and parcel of the Supreme, sac-cid-ānanda. We want pleasure. So impersonal feature does not give us that pleasure which we want, which is our demand. That pleasure is available in the spiritual planets. If you enter in any of the spiritual planets, then that spiritual happiness and exchange of pleasure you can attain.

Lecture on BG 8.14-15 -- New York, November 16, 1966:

And if you remain twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then—just like the impersonalists, the yogis, the jñānīs, they transfer themselves to the spiritual world in the..., and merge into the impersonal effulgence—you enter into the planet where Kṛṣṇa is. Then what is the benefit? You can ask, "Well, suppose I do this and enter into the Kṛṣṇa planet, then what is the benefit?"

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.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:

There is god, or the president, you may say, president of the planet. And if the president is there, the government is there. There are living entities. In everywhere there are living entities. Don't think that you are simply here in this planet, and there is no living entity. It is wrong conception, foolish conception. So the president of the sun planet, He is the original person from where this sunshine and heat is coming. He is the person. And the population there, they are made so that their bodily effulgence is the heat and light, and that is being manifested in the sun globe.

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

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.

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

Similarly, God's effulgence is the cause of material things also. That is explained in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). The five elements... (break) ...have been summarized into three: external energy, internal energy, and marginal energy. The external energy is this material expansion, manifestation. Similarly, there is internal energy, the spiritual world manifestation, and in between them there is another energy called marginal energy, taṭastha, that we are, we living entities. We are His marginal energy. Marginal energy means we can live either in this external energy or in the internal energy, in between.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

Unless one is engaged in devotional service, there is no question of purification. Then you'll fall down. These are the statements in the śāstras. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). You can elevate yourself to the Brahman effulgence, brahma-jñāna, āruhya kṛcchreṇa, with tapasya, with severe austerities. But if you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, if you do not take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll again fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). So a devotee, if you become a devotee, you'll never fall down.

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

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 13.3 -- Bombay, December 30, 1972:

But quantity there is difference. Paramātmā or Bhagavān, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). All these three features of the Absolute Truth, Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, the ultimate cause is Bhagavān. As it is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa: brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. The Brahman effulgence, that is standing on Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the source of Brahman effulgence.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, December 30, 1972:

And within the sun, there are cities, palaces, inhabitants. Just like within this planet, there are cities, there are roads, there are so many varieties of living condition. Similarly in every planet, there is varieties of living condition. Koṭiṣu aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam. From Vedic literature we understand: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā. Govinda's prabhā, Kṛṣṇa's prabhā. Illumination. Prabhā means illumination. Just like this bulb and the illumination. The illumination is broadcast all over the room. The bulb is located in a place.

Similarly Govinda is located in His planet which is known as Goloka Vṛndāvana. And from there, His bodily rays are being distributed. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. That is Brahman, impersonal Brahman. This impersonal Brahman is the bodily effulgence, rays of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 13.16 -- Bombay, October 10, 1973:

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

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Delhi, September 22, 1974:

So similarly, going to the higher planetary system, you have to undergo so many austerities, penances... Or even if you can go to the Brahmaloka or Brahman effulgence... Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). There is no security in any place. But Kṛṣṇa says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: (BG 15.6) "But you can go at a place wherefrom you haven't got to return. That is My paraṁ dhāma." So why not that? Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). So if you worship Kṛṣṇa... The simple thing... Kṛṣṇa has agreed to take your service. Because you cannot see Kṛṣṇa physically. You can see.

Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa is brahma-sukhānubhūtyā, the origin of brahma-sukha. It is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā: "The Brahman, the impersonal Brahman, is situated on Me." Because Brahman is the bodily effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiḥ (Bs. 5.40). Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that "These boys, they are not ordinary boys. They are playing with the Supreme Brahman." Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. And dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. And those who are devotees, those who have taken their position as eternal servant of God, dāsyaṁ gatānām, for them, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

Daiva means generally viṣṇu-bhakta. Viṣṇu means the Supreme Lord who is all-pervasive. Everywhere He is present. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, He is Viṣṇu also in His Paramātmā feature. Kṛṣṇa has got three features. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, He is known in three features or three angle of visions. One is Brahman, all-pervasive Brahman. Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. So Brahman means His effulgence, bodily rays. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). His prabhā, His bodily rays... You may ask, "What is that bodily rays?" You can see every day. Everyone has got bodily rays according to his quality. You see the sun, the bodily rays, the sunshine. There is sun-god within the sun globe whose name is Vivasvān. That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So exactly like that. Here sun is an insignificant part, creation, of the Lord. And the sun has got so much effulgence, bodily rays, that it is illuminating and heating the whole universe. You cannot deny it. This is the position of the sun. And there are millions and trillions of suns, each one sometimes bigger than this sun. This is the smallest sun. There are bigger, bigger suns. So we can understand what is the bodily rays. There is no difficulty. That bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa is called Brahman. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣu vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam, tad brahma: (Bs. 5.40) "That is Brahman, that prabhā."

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

So similarly, Kṛṣṇa is present in everyone's heart, localized. This is impersonal expansion. Just like sunshine is impersonal expansion of the sun rays, so similarly, Brahman effulgence is the impersonal expansion of Kṛṣṇa's bodily rays. And the portion by which He is present everywhere, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham... (Bs. 5.35). He is within this universe. He is within your heart, within my heart. He is within everything. "Everything" means even within the atom, paramāṇu. That is His Paramātmā feature. And the last and ultimate feature is Kṛṣṇa's personal body. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

So because it is not fully realized, therefore such living entities who take sāyujya-mukti, they again fall down in due course of time. Because he doesn't get in the sāyujya-mukti the other two parts, component parts of his life, blissfulness and knowledge, full knowledge. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). The impersonalist Māyāvādīs, they undergo severe austerities, penances, and rise up to the Brahman effulgence, becomes merged into it, but again falls down. Just like the spark: it enters the flame of the fire, but there is again chance of falling down.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

Just imagine within the coconut there is water, and somebody's lying, and there is some stem out of the navel. Exactly this universe is like that. But outside the universe there is light. Here, within the universe, because it is covered, light is required. Sunlight is required. Moonlight is required. Electricity is required. But in the spiritual world there is no necessity of light. They're self effulgent. Therefore tamo 'ndham. Those who are actually serious about going out of this darkness and come to the light, tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Don't remain in this darkness. Come to the light."

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Edinburgh, July 17, 1972:

Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Atha, "Now, this is the time for inquiring about the Absolute Truth." "This is the time" means this human form of life. Animals cannot inquire. Therefore Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā: inquire about the Absolute Truth. Brahma, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The ultimate Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa, the person. Paramātmā is plenary expansion, and Brahman is impersonal effulgence. So if one understands Kṛṣṇa by question and answer, then he understands the other three features. But simply by understanding the impersonal feature, Brahman effulgence, one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Neither by understanding or seeing the Paramātmā, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. To see the Paramātmā is the business of the yogis. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Yoginaḥ, the yogis they are trying to see Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu within their heart by meditation. Meditation means this. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). And the jñānīs they want to stop these material varieties, make it impersonal, and merge into the existence of Brahman effulgence. But devotees, they do not, neither of them, neither they even want to be transferred to the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. They are satisfied in any condition life, provided they have got the opportunity to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is the ambition. Hmm.

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

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 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

Just like they are going to the moon planet, and they must come back again. The aeronautics, they go very high, the Russians, by the sputnik, and they see, from up, "Where is Moscow?" (laughter) This was published in the paper. Actually, his attachment is Moscow. So similarly, generally, people, they show religiosity so that they may get some money, economic development, and by money they can satisfy their senses. And when they are baffled in satisfying their senses, they want to merge into the existence of God. This is dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. When he is dissatisfied with sense gratification, kāma, dharma, artha, kāma, then he says, "This is all false. Now I shall merge into the body of Kṛṣṇa, or in the effulgence." But they do not know that this type of desiring, that "I shall merge into the existence of God," that is also kāma, because he's desiring something.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

So the bhuktīs, they are bhukti-kāmīs. That is kāma. And when they are unable to satisfy the senses by this material enjoyment, they are mukti-kāmīs. That is also kāma. Void. The Buddha philosophy. Mukti, vacant. Mukti, of course, not void. The same thing, in a different name, "Merge into the effulgence of Brahman, and stop my individuality." That is also voidness, zero. I make myself zero. This is another explanation of nirvāṇa, voidism. "Finish everything. You are suffering from fever. All right, I cut your throat. So your fever is gone? You also gone, finished." This is called śūnyavādi, "Make everything zero. Why you are suffering from fever? The best means is to cut your throat and become happy."

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

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:

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 Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti. We, we do not present Brahma-jñāna. Brahma-jñāna automatically comes if one is conversant with the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. Then he can understand that this Brahman effulgence is the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa.

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)

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.

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 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Arjuna gave immediately evidences that "I..., not only I accept You, but great personalities like Vyāsa, Nārada, Devala, Asita, and many others." Authorities. Just like when you speak something in the legal court, you give evidences from other judgement, authorities. That is a good case. Similarly, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I accept You. You are the Supreme Brahman." Brahmeti bhagavān, paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Brahmeti bhagavān, paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Therefore Bhagavān is paraṁ brahma. Simply impersonal Brahman-realization is not finishing the business. You have to go further, further, further. In the Īśopaniṣad, it is said, "My dear Lord, kindly wind up Your blazing effulgence so that I can see You actually." That is stated in the Īśopaniṣad.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is the highest perfection of life. Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ Brahman. Brahman, impersonal effulgence. Just like the sunshine. Then localized sun, the sun globe. Then further, if you able to enter the sun globe, you'll find there is a predominating deity. There are also cities and palaces—everything, just like this planet. But this planet is made prominently of earth, and that planet is one of the elements, material elements, earth, water, fire, air. So if this planet is made of earth, why not other planet made of fire? What is the scientific reason to deny it? Because I cannot live in the fire, it does not mean other living entities cannot live there. There are different kinds of living entities.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Calcutta, September 26, 1974:

Bhagavad-gītā, you hear. It's so many activities of Kṛṣṇa. So we have to hear about these. And unless there are activities, what you will hear? Simply "Brahman, Brahman, Brahman... nirākāra." How long you will hear? And how long you will enjoy? That is... There is no enjoyment. Therefore they, these Brahmavādīs, these Nirākāravādī, although by austerities and penances they may rise up to the Brahman effulgence, still, they will fall down. Because we are living entities, we want varieties of enjoyment. We are not satisfied in void, in zero. That is not possible. Therefore śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (SB 1.2.17). One has to hear about Kṛṣṇa, varieties of activities. Varieties of activities. Not nirākāra, without any activities. No. That activity is different from material activity. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Therefore it is called divyam. They are not ordinary activities. They are all transcendental, spiritual activities. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand.

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

Every Vedic literature declares, every authority declares. He comes Himself to declare, but still we are so rascal, we are finding out, making research work, "What is the ādi-puruṣa?" This is called rascaldom. Everything is there, but the rascal will simply spoil their own time and spoil others' time making research work. This is called illusion. Everything is there. Sun is there, brilliant, and one is searching sun with a lamp. What is the use of this lamp? The sun is self-effulgent, you can see. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is self-effulgent. By śāstra, by authority, by action, everything. Why you are wasting your time? Wasting your time? Yes. What is the reason? The reason Kṛṣṇa says: duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtinaḥ, narādhamāḥ.

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

So the Absolute cannot be imperson. Imperson is one of the features of the Absolute Truth, but the Absolute Truth, in the original understanding, He is person. As Kṛṣṇa says, brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. The impersonal Brahman is situated in Him. It is His personal rays, effulgence of His bodily rays. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). He has got His bodily effulgence, just like the sunshine is the effulgence of the sun globe, and the sun globe, within the sun globe there is sun-god, Vivasvān. That is also... We get information from the Bhagavad-gītā, the sun, sun planet, is not impersonal, not a lump of matter. 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.

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

So we have to learn Vedānta-sūtra from Kṛṣṇa, not from others. Not from others. We are not going to be befooled. We know what is Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra points out that here is the person, Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Brahmā says, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa Himself says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). He is the origin. Because the Absolute Truth is the origin of everything, the Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. He's the origin of even Nārāyaṇa. He's the origin of Brahmā. He's origin of Lord Śiva. He's origin of the Brahman effulgence. He's origin of Paramātmā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So... But the origin from Paramātmā is another expansion of Kṛṣṇa. That is also explained: ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

Upendra: "It is like the cloud in the clear sky. In the spiritual sky, the effulgence of Brahman is spread all round and the whole system is dazzling in spiritual light. The mahat-tattva is assembled in some corner of the that vast unlimited spiritual sky and the part which is thus covered by the mahat-tattva is called the material sky."

Prabhupāda: This is also very important. The sky is one. Just like we can experience the sky, and suppose the sky on San Francisco is overcast with cloud. We say that then we are covered in cloud. Practically this San Francisco sky is only a fragmental portion of the whole sky. Similarly, the real sky is that spiritual sky, paravyoma. When that paravyoma partially is clouded with mahat-tattva, that is called material world. This is the position of material world. Material world is also existing in the spiritual world, but it is covered and in a fragmental segment.

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

Tri-daśa-pūrākāśa-puṣpāyate. By the grace of Lord Caitanya you'll find to merge into the effulgence, to become one with the Supreme will be considered as hell, actually. If you ask any pure devotee, "Do you want to merge into the existence, impersonal Brahman?" he'll deny. If he has got little Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he'll deny, that "What is this merging? This is hellish. We want to dance with Kṛṣṇa. Why shall I merge and lose my existence, individuality?" And karmīs, they are trying to be elevated in the higher planets. Just like they are trying to go to the higher planets by sputniks, similarly, there are ritualistic ceremonies.

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."

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

So the real business is, as Nārada Muni says, māyānubhāvam, anubhāvam avidam. One should know what is māyā. Yena, after complete knowledge of māyā and Kṛṣṇa, yena gacchanti tat-padam, then one is promoted to the spiritual world. But the promotion... I have already described, there are five kinds of promotion, elevation. Out of that, the one promotion, namely to merge into the existence of the Supreme, that is very dangerous. Dangerous means that is risk of falling down. Because it is not possible to merge into the personal body of Kṛṣṇa. Or you can take the bodily effulgence or the rays of the body. Everything is absolute. (aside:) Who is talking? So merge into the Brahman effulgence, that is also Kṛṣṇa's bodily rays. Yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40). So we are a small particle. So we, we merge into the Brahman effulgence. Brahman effulgence means collection of so many Brahmans together. That is Brahman effulgence. Unlimited number. Anantyāya kalpate. We are a small particle. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). One ten-thousandth part, a small particle. Just like the sunshine, it is a combination of bright molecules of sunshine.

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

So that is eternal. That's a fact. But we are not only eternal... Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), and His bodily effulgence, that is only eternal part. Sat means eternal, cit means knowledge, and ānanda. So these three things are required. Simply eternity is not good. There must be knowledge and ānanda. So this monist theory, Advaitavāda, eternity, that may be achieved. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa, by severe penances and austerities, they can be attained. But patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. That is the statement of Bhāgavata. They again fall down. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. They could not get the information of the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Without taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, they fall down again. Patanty adhaḥ. Again.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

To merge into the existence of the Supreme. You can merge, but you cannot be equal. That is not possible. Asamordhva. But the Māyāvādīs, they are thinking, "We are as good as Kṛṣṇa." Therefore they do not go to the temple of Kṛṣṇa. Because they think self, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa. But that is a mistake. Therefore śāstra says that ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking that they have become liberated, become Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, God, but that is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Because... They are thinking like that because their intelligence is not yet cleansed. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Therefore āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Āruhya kṛcchreṇa, by performing severe austerities, penances, they come to the stage of merging in the Brahman effulgence, but that (does) not solve the problem. In the Brahman effulgence they fall down again.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

So those who have taken the path of devotional service, they'll be able to understand that Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Ahaṁ brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhā. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of this Brahman effulgence. You have heard so many times. Kṛṣṇa is Paramātmā, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way try to understand Kṛṣṇa, and then you are liberated.

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- New York, April 13, 1973:

Vāsudeva conception. Sometimes the impersonalists, they have vāsudeva conception, means all-pervading. So Kuntīdevī is pointing out, "That Vāsudeva is Kṛṣṇa, all-pervading." Kṛṣṇa, by His Vāsudeva feature, He is all-pervading. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). This feature of Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa, the original person, has got three features: as the Supreme Personality of Godhead; as all-pervading Paramātmā, Supersoul; and impersonal Brahman effulgence. So those who are interested in bhakti-yoga, they have no business with the impersonal Brahman effulgence. That is for common men. Common men. Just like you can try to understand: those who are inhabitants of the sun planet, what they have got to do with the sunshine? That is a most insignificant thing for them, sunshine. Similarly, those who are advanced in spiritual life, they are interested in the person, puruṣam, Vāsudeva. Puruṣam. That realization takes place, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, after many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) at the end of many, many births. These impersonalists who are very much attached to the Brahman effulgence, such persons, they are called jñānīs.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

We are also aja because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. And nitya. Nityaḥ śāśva... Ajo nityaḥ. Nitya... The Māyāvāda philosophy is that we are aja, and Supreme Brahman is aja. So when we are uncovered by this material body, we mix with the aja. That is their theory, monist. We merge into the existence of aja. But that is not fact. You merge. That is like merging a green bird into a green tree. When a green bird enters a green tree it appears that the green bird is now merged and he, it has no more existence. No. That is not... One can understand. The bird enters into the green tree does not mean the bird has lost his existence. His individuality is still there. Similarly, when we merge, even in Brahman effulgence, we do not lose our individuality. Although it appears that we have lost our identity, individuality, but actually that is not the fact. And because it is not fact, therefore our another quality is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12) we want ānanda.

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

Suppose you, here, you want some fruit, say mango. You go to the mango tree, you taking mango, at the same time desire, "Why not little grapes?" But this mango tree cannot supply you grapes. But in the spiritual world you are eating mango, at the same time, if you desire grapes, the same tree will supply you. This is called desire tree. And... Some ideas of the spiritual world are there in the... Just like here, for light, you require sunlight, moonlight. But in the spiritual world, there is no need of sunlight, moonlight, because everyone is effulgent. By his own light he can see everything.

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

Just like in kṛṣṇa-līlā, Kṛṣṇa was stealing butter. So the neighboring friends of Yaśodā-mātā, was complaining... It is not complain; it was just to see the fun of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was sitting, and they were complaining. They were seeing the bodily feature, how Kṛṣṇa is feeling. So other ladies complaining, "Mother Yaśodā, your son comes to our house and steals butter. You see. We try to conceal them in a darkness so that this boy cannot see. But still He finds out. So better you take away all His ornaments because the jewel, light of the jewel, helps Him to find out the butter pot." So Yaśodā said, "Yes, I'll do that. I'll take away all these ornaments. Yes." Then they say, "No, no, it is useless. Oh, this boy has got some effulgence of Himself. Without ornaments He can, He can also find out."

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

So this is the position. The transcendental body is effulgent. On account of effulgence of the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa, the whole light is there. Whatever light you are seeing, it is all borrowing light from Kṛṣṇa's effulgence. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). In the light, bodily effulgence light of Kṛṣṇa, generating millions of universes. Yasya prabhā... (Bs. 5.40). Just like this sunshine. Everything is there. You have to study. The sunshine is producing these planets, other planets. That is scientifically true. And due to sunshine, the planets becoming warm. Then the seasons are changing and there are trees, there are green foliage, there are fruits, flowers. It is all due to sunshine. Similarly, whatever creation we see, it is due to Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence. Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence.

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 1.8.45 -- Mayapura, October 25, 1974:

When Kṛṣṇa was playing like that, taking His friend on the shoulder, so Śukadeva Gosvāmī made a statement, "Who is this person, taking His friend on His shoulder?" Now, itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. The great, great sages, impersonalists, they merge into the brahma-sukha. So brahma-sukha... Brahman is the effulgence of the body of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Brahman, impersonal Brahman, is the rays of the body of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī's pointing out that "Here is the source of brahma-sukha. The impersonalists, they take pleasure to merge into brahma-sukha, but here the Personality, Kṛṣṇa, who is taking His friend on His shoulder, He is the source of brahma-sukha." In other words, the impersonalists enjoy brahma-sukha, and the devotee enjoys that Supreme Brahman by rising up on His shoulder. That is the position of the devotee.

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Mayapura, October 25, 1974:

So to understand God, the Supreme Being, who is controlling the whole universe, it is very, very difficult to understand Him. But if we become devotee, then Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself. That is the... Then not only the devotee understands what is Kṛṣṇa, but he attains the position that he can order over Kṛṣṇa, he can control Kṛṣṇa. This is devotee's position. So why a devotee should aspire for merging into the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa's rays? They have got a different position. So we should try to become a devotee simply by service. You can become a perfect devotee simply by service. There is no other method. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Bhakti means service, simply. That is bhakti. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Simply the spirit, bhakti... Bhaktir uttamā. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). Ānukūlyena. Whatever Kṛṣṇa orders, if you discharge that, that is bhakti, simply favorable to Kṛṣṇa.

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

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 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:

Our business is not to take part in politics for acquiring big post like president or secretary or attorney general. What you will do that? We have no meaning for this post. Because for a devotee what are these posts? Even the post of Lord Brahmā or Indra, the heavenly king, it has no meaning. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. That is stated by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. He says that kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalyam, the monism, to merge into the effulgence, the Absolute Truth, to become one, that is called kaivalyam, only spirit, that's all. So for a devotee this kaivalya perfection, monism, is as good as hellish condition of life. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Tri-daśa-pūr means the higher heavenly planets where big, big demigods live.

Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:

People are searching after when we shall land in some place. So living entity by nature, he wants association. Artificially he wants to... Just like some of, some of the devotees, they like that "Now we shall go in a solitary place and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." That is a different position. It is not possible for the ordinary man. So going to the Brahman effulgence, simply realizing that "I am a spirit soul, I have nothing to do," that will not be beneficial. You will again come down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). If you do not get shelter, simply to remain in the impersonal Brahman effulgence will not make you happy. Artificially, you can stay there for some time; otherwise, you will again fall down in this material world for varieties of enjoyment.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Paris, June 11, 1974:

The, the Brahman effulgence being spread, in some corner of this Brahman effulgence, there is mahat-tattva, material energy.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

The jñānīs are trying to merge into the effulgence of īśvara, or the yogis are trying to find out the Supersoul. Therefore sarvātmā. So tasmād bhārata sarvātmā, and īśvara. Īśvara. The jñānīs are trying to merge into the effulgence of īśvara, or the yogis are trying to find out the īśvara, the supreme controller. And the jñānīs are trying to find out the impersonal Brahman. And Hari, and Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, the devotees, persons who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are trying to find out.

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

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 2.3.1-4 -- Los Angeles, May 24, 1972:

One who desires to be absorbed in the impersonal brahma-jyotir effulgence should worship the master of the Vedas (Lord Brahmā or Bṛhaspati, the learned priest), one who desires powerful sex should worship the heavenly King, Indra, and one who desires good progeny should worship the great progenitors called the Prajāpatis. One who desires good fortune should worship Durgādevī, the superintendent of the material world. One desiring to be very powerful should worship fire, and one who aspires only after money should worship the Vasus. One should worship the Rudra incarnations of Lord Śiva if he wants to be a great hero. One who wants a large stock of grains should worship Aditi.

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 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

Recently, Indira Gandhi's party became powerful. So all other men, giving resignation from other party, they took into the party of Indira Gandhi. So it is like that, merging into the existence of the powerful. So the frustrated karmīs, frustrated karmīs, when they do not find any happiness even by becoming the greatest or the topmost person, he wants to become one with God. Therefore it is said, brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu. Brahma-varcasa means effulgence. But it is kāma. That is not akāma. But a devotee is akāma, there is no kāma. He has no personal desires. His desire is only to remain eternal servant of God. That's all. That is his position. That is not desire. That is his actual position.

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 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1972:

They want salvation, to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence of the Lord. And yogis, they also want some mystic power. So karmī, jñānī, yogi—everyone wants something, but a devotee does not want anything. That is devotion. They know, "What shall I do with all these things?" They have no attraction for anything material. These are all material. Some, a better position, and in some lower position. That's all. Karmīs are entangled in this materialistic way of life, and the jñānīs, they are also some or less entangled. Because they have no idea what is God, they think God is impersonal. God is impersonal means there is no God.

Lecture on SB 2.9.3 -- Melbourne, April 5, 1972:

Those who are on the modes of goodness of material nature, they go higher and higher, higher and higher. But Kṛṣṇa says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, that is also not security, that you get rid of the four principles of material life, birth, death, old age, and disease. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Again coming down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa... Even if you go to the impersonal Brahman effulgence, from there also, you have to come back. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). So, madhya-dhāma gatvā punar janma na... But anyone who reaches The jīva, another reason of falling down.

Lecture on SB 2.9.3 -- Melbourne, April 5, 1972:

There is sometimes question, "How one who lived in association with Kṛṣṇa, how he fell down?" Generally those who are living with Kṛṣṇa or Vaikuṇṭha, they never fall down. But those who are in the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa, in the impersonal Brahman, they fall down. Because it is the propensity of the living entity to enjoy. But one cannot enjoy; there is no ānanda. Those who are merging in the Brahman effulgence, they are getting the department of eternity. The Brahman is sac-cid-ānanda. So they are simply accepting sad-aṁśa. Sad-aṁśa means only eternity. Just like if you are asked to sit down in a place eternally, no, it will be impossible. You must desire a change, variety, because we are living entities, living beings. So therefore our Vaiṣṇava philosophy has varieties of enjoyment.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you simply have tried to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. Then Kṛṣṇa says, brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā: "The impersonal Brahman is resting upon Me." So you immediately understand what is impersonal Brahman. Yasya prabhā: (Bs. 5.40) "It is the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa's body." Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). You understand, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa resides in everyone's heart as Paramātmā." So immediately understand what is Paramātmā. Immediately understand what is Brahman.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11 -- Tokyo, April 27, 1972:

If you want to utilize Kṛṣṇa... You can utilize. If you want kingdom, Kṛṣṇa will give you kingdom. That is not very difficult for you (Him). Kṛṣṇa can give you liberation, to merge in His effulgence. That also Kṛṣṇa will give. But it is very difficult to get Kṛṣṇa's service, very difficult. Kṛṣṇa will give you everything, whatever you want. By Kṛṣṇa conscious, being Kṛṣṇa conscious, by rendering devotional service, if you want to have some material profit, Kṛṣṇa will give you. Kṛṣṇa will give you. That is not very difficult thing for Kṛṣṇa. If you want to merge in His existence—the Māyāvādīs—all right, you can get it. But that it not real profit. Real profit is here described, in Vaikuṇṭha, how they are face to face seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, having the same body, and same ornaments, same opulence, everything same.

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

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 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:

Unless we understand the varieties of the Absolute Truth, if we simply stick to the indefinite, impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth, then there is chance of falling down. Generally, they fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because they are not allowed to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets, they simply remaining in the Brahman effulgence, and that does not stay. They fall down. Again they come down in these material varieties. We have seen many, many sannyāsīs. They first of all give up... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The jagat is mithyā." And ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I have no more anything to do. I have become Nārāyaṇa." Then he comes down again to feed the daridra-nārāyaṇa. That's all.

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

So this material world is described in the Vedic literature as darkness. And actually it is darkness. Therefore we require the sunlight, the moonlight, the electric light. If it had not been darkness, then why so many light arrangements? Actually, it is darkness. Artificially, we made it light. Therefore Vedic injunction is that "Don't keep yourself in the darkness." Tamasi mā jyotir gama. "Go to the light." That light is the spiritual world. That is directly the effulgence, or bodily rays, of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

This is Paramātmā. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). That is one portion, partial understanding of the Absolute Truth. So far Brahman is concerned, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā: "I am the origin of Brahman effulgence." Amṛtasya śāśvatasya ca. This is described. And so far He is concerned, Kṛṣṇa, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). This is the understanding of Bhagavad-gītā. So far He is concerned, He says, "There is no more superior truth than Me." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

Sunshine is not ādya; the sun-god is ādya. The sunshine is distributed all over the world, all over the universe. Everyone knows it. But is it ādya, is it the origin? No, no, no. It is not origin. The origin is the sun globe, or the sun-god. As soon as the sun disappears, there is no more sunshine. Therefore sunshine is not ādya. Sunshine is dependent on the sun globe. Similarly, this Brahman effulgence is dependent on the body of Kṛṣṇa. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. Similarly, Paramātmā is also Kṛṣṇa's expansion. Ekaṁ bahu syām. That is the Vedic instruction. He becomes many—as many living entities are there. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam... (Bs. 5.33). Ādyam again. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam. That ananta-rūpam, as Paramātmā or incarnation. Advaitam acyutam. But it does not mean that, because Kṛṣṇa has become many, it does not mean that, because Kṛṣṇa has become many, it does not mean Kṛṣṇa is finished. No. Kṛṣṇa is there. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation).

Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:

So we should not falsely claim that "I am as great as the Supreme God." No. We should understand this, aṇimānam. Svayaṁ-jyo... Etad jyotiḥ, I am as effulgent... Just like spark. Spark is jyoti, but not as brilliant, effulgent, as the original fire. The original fire—phat! phat!—there are some sparks. You have got experience. The spark is also jyoti. If a spark falls on your cloth, it will immediately burn. The burning capacity is there. But it is not as good as the original fire. Svayaṁ-jyotiḥ. Here it is said, nirantaram. So nirantaram means there is, so far jyoti is concerned, there is no difference, but the small, very small. Aṇimānam akhaṇḍitam. This is self-realization.

Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:

Devotees: Rocket.

Prabhupāda: Rocket, yes. But then, going with great force, but āruhya kṛcchreṇa... Similarly, one can rise up to the Brahman effulgence, but if there is no shelter. Just like these people are going, but they don't get any shelter. But they come down again. Similarly, one, by severe austerities and penances, may go up to the Brahmaloka, but he has no position. He has no position. Because in the Brahmaloka, or Vaikuṇṭhaloka, in the Paravyoma, the spiritual sky, there are spiritual planets. They are called Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Hundreds and millions there are. Very, very big, big planets than these material planets. So unless you get a shelter in one of the planets, then you again fall down.

Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:

Simply to rise to the platform of Brahman, that is sat, partial realization of the Absolute Truth, sat. Then cit. Cit means knowledge. That is also partial. Ānanda. Sac-cid-ānanda. When there... Ānanda you cannot get. Just like if you, simply in the sky you fly, you don't get ānanda. Therefore you have come to down, come down again to the airplane, airport. Without that, there is no ānanda. Similarly, simply rising up to the Brahman effulgence, there is no ānanda. Ānanda means you have to enter into the spiritual planet, where Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, is there. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). You have entered to that eternal planet. You must get some residence.

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

Because they did not care to worship the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Māyāvādīs, the impersonalists, they fall down. Because they cannot stay. It is not possible. Simply impersonal effulgence, Brahman effulgence, you cannot stay. You can... That example I have given many times, that you can go very high in the sky by your very powerful sputnik and airship, but if you have no place to stay there, then you'll come back again. You'll come back again. Similarly, you can go to the Brahman effulgence, but within the Brahman effulgence, there are Vaikuṇṭha planets, or the spiritual world, there is Vaikuṇṭha planet. If you have no place to stay in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, then you'll come down again to this material world.

Lecture on SB 3.26.10 -- Bombay, December 22, 1974:

I have given several times this example: Just like the sunshine, the sun globe, and the sun-god, Nārāyaṇa, within the sun globe, that is one thing. One thing means that Nārāyaṇa within the sun globe, his bodily effulgence is so glowing and bright. This is called sun's blazing effulgence. So the sunshine is also expansion of that glowing effulgence. So they are one thing. Just like fire. Fire, direct fire, temperature, and just outside the fire, temperature, and the heat of the fire outside—although they are one, but the temperature different. Similarly, the sun-god and the sun globe and the sunshine, they are one, but different temperature. So one who knows this... That means one who knows that the Brahman effulgence is just like the sunshine outside, and the Paramātmā feature is the expansion of the Supreme Lord everywhere.

Lecture on SB 3.26.20 -- Bombay, December 29, 1974:

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī is describing when the cowherd boys were playing with Kṛṣṇa, that description. He says that "These cowherd boys, they are not ordinary human being." Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ: "They have accumulated many, many births' pious activities, as the result of which, they are now playing with Kṛṣṇa." And who is Kṛṣṇa? Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā: "Big, big ṛṣis and yogis, those who are interested in brahma-sukha or to merge in the Brahman effulgence—the source of Brahman effulgence is here playing: Kṛṣṇa." Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa (Bs. 5.40).

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

And jñānīs, they may go up to Brahman effulgence. Paraṁ padam. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). Āruhya kṛcch... They elevate themself very high, so much so that they enter the spiritual world, paraṁ padam. Paraṁ padam, the spiritual world. Really paraṁ padam means the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. But paraṁ padam, because this Brahman effulgence is also bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa, the Brahman effulgence is also called sometimes paraṁ padam. But those who are aspiring to merge into that paraṁ padam, Brahman, they are actually not vimukta, vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking, "Now we have become liberated." Māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means the position is different, but he is thinking that "I have become now perfect."

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

So why if they have gone to the spiritual world and stays in the Brahman effulgence and still they are māninaḥ, not certain? Yes. Why? Because they cannot stay there. This is very logical argument and statement of the Vedic literature. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They fall down because they do not get ānanda. Spiritual effulgence is simply eternity. So suppose if you live eternally without any ānanda, how long you will like to live like that? Is it possible? That you cannot do.

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

Suppose somebody lives eternally in the sky without any death. Rather, he will try to commit suicide. It is not possible. It is not possible. Just like we have got experience. If you remain for very long time—I have got experience—in the sea or in the air, you feel very uncomfortable. You want to land down, land down, another air station, another port, and feel very uncomfortable. The airplane men, they come down and they take rest on the ground. It is not our nature because it is impersonal. In the air there is no variety, simply air. Similarly, in the sea there is no variety, simply water. So it becomes suffocating. Similarly, those who are aspiring to go to the Brahman effulgence... Brahman effulgence is spiritual world, certainly, but there is no variety. There is no Kṛṣṇa's enjoying with the cowherds boys or Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. You cannot find there. You simply remain in the Brahman effulgence.

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

But because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa wants enjoyment, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), ānandamaya, so we part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we also want ānanda. So to remain in the Brahman effulgence is not ānanda. It is eternity only. It is not ānanda. Therefore on account of absence of ānanda, they come down again to enjoy this material ānanda. We have got many experience of persons. The Māyāvādī sannyāsī, they take sannyāsa, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but after some time they come to take parts in politics. Why? Is (If) jagan mithyā, why you are taking to politics? Because they could not get ānanda. Nirviśeṣa, nirākāra—simply philosophizing, but there was no ānanda. "Therefore let me go to the jail by political activities. There is ānanda." (laughter) Yes, they do practically, yes. So they will take ānanda in the jail, not with Kṛṣṇa.

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

Therefore, śāstra says, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). This class of men, although after severe penance and austerities, āruhya kṛcchreṇa, very severe penance and austerities performing... The Māyāvādī sannyāsī, those who are really following the principles, their life is very strict, stricter than the Vaiṣṇavas'. So in spite of such strict observance of rules and regulation and rising up to the Brahman effulgence, because they do not get ānanda... Ānanda is there with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇaloka. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). Kṛṣṇa is enjoying in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, expanding Himself in so many gopīs, so many cowherds boys, so many trees, plants, water, land—everything Kṛṣṇa's expands. Here also it is Kṛṣṇa's expansion, this material world.

Lecture on SB 3.26.32 -- Bombay, January 9, 1975:

In the Vedānta-sūtra it is there, anāvṛtti, no more repetition of birth and death, oṁkāra. If one can chant oṁkāra at the time of death, immediately transferred to the spiritual world, impersonal spiritual effulgence. But if you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you go to the spiritual planet. These are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Anta-kāle, at the time of death, if you can capture this sound, oṁkāra or Hare Kṛṣṇa... If you capture oṁkāra, then you are transferred to the spiritual sky. As it is said, the sky. Śabdāt... Śabda-mātram abhūt tasmān nabhaḥ. Nabha is sky. So there is a point wherefrom the sky, the material sky, begins and there is spiritual sky. The sky is spiritual wherefrom the śabda is resounded. Because there is sky, therefore there is sound. Because there is sound, therefore the instrument of hearing sound, the ear, is there.

Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975:

As soon as the mind is purified, then all this expansion into thousands and millions of ideas will be controlled, and the only idea will be Kṛṣṇa. This is called yoga system, concentrating. Dhyānāvasthita yogena paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ. Dhyānāvasthita-manasā: "The mind is controlled, and the focus of the mind is on Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu." Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Then we can see the effulgence, and the localized, and then the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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

So aṅkuśa; vajra, thunderbolt; then aṅkuśa; then dhvaja, flag; and saroruha, lotus—these four things are there. You have seen. Sometimes Viṣṇu lotus feet is painted and these signs are there. So sañcintayet. What about, sañcintayet? These things, minutely, that "Here is the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and on the sole, upon the sole, these marks are painted." Lāñchanāḍhyam, deriving. It is very brilliant, beautiful. Kṛṣṇa's everything is beautiful. Uttuṅga-rakta-vilasan-nakha-cakravāla. This is the special significance of Kṛṣṇa's hand, that these nails are raised and reddish, uttuṅga-rakta-vilasan-nakha-cakravāla. It is just like cakravāla bird. Jyotsnābhiḥ. And from the effulgence of the nails, jyotsnābhiḥ, āhata, if you see the brilliance and effulgence of the nails of Kṛṣṇa, nails in the finger of Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be that āhata-mahad-dhṛdayāndhakāram.

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

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 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

What is this foolishness? Why should you pay the electric bill? Go there and live there. There is no need of... Na yatra... Na tad bhāsayate. It is... The spiritual world is not lighted by the sun, moon. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. Because everyone is effulgent, every planet is effulgent, so therefore there is no need of these things. There is no ignorance. There is no scarcity. There is no miserable condition. That is called Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means vigata kuṇṭha yasmād iti vaikuṇṭha. Kuṇṭha, anxiety. Here every man, even the richest man is full of anxiety. Your president, he is the richest person in this country, and he is the third richest man in the world, somebody. But do you think he is without anxiety? No. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

Simply cultivating the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness favorably, favorably, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not like Kaṁsa. Therefore, this word has been used, ānukūlyena, "favorably." Kaṁsa, he was afraid of Kṛṣṇa. He was always Kṛṣṇa conscious. Because he was thinking, "Kṛṣṇa may come, may come and kill me. Where He is now? How He's coming?" His consciousness was always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa, but it was not ānukūlyena; it was prātikūlyena. Prātikūlyena means adverse. He was thinking of Kṛṣṇa as enemy. So that was prātikūlyena. But still, he got salvation. He became merged into the effulgence. So the enemies of Kṛṣṇa get that position, merge into the Brahman effulgence. Is that a very good place for the devotees? No. Why the devotees should accept impersonal Brahman effulgence. They must go to Kṛṣṇa directly and play with Him and dance with Him.

Lecture on SB 5.5.6 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1976:

That jyotiḥ means to love Kṛṣṇa. And loving affairs of Kṛṣṇa is in the spiritual world. That is jyotiḥ, jyotirmāyā dhāma, self-effulgent. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koti (Bs. 5.40). There is no darkness. Just like in the sun there is no question of darkness. The examples are here. We can understand what is jyotiḥ. We can see that there is no darkness in the sun planet. It is all glowing effulgence. Similarly, in the spiritual world there is no ignorance. Everyone is śuddha-sattva. Not only sattva-guṇa, but śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vāsudeva-śabditaḥ. Here, in this material world, there are three qualities, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So none of these guṇas are pure. There is a mixture. And because there is mixture, therefore we see so many varieties. But we have to come to the platform of sattva-guṇa. And that process is hearing.

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

The whole center is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That oneness is required. Not that I become one with Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) when they do not agree to serve Kṛṣṇa, then they come back in this material world, again they begin to serve the society, to serve the country, to serve the daridra-nārāyaṇa, to serve this, that, that, that, that. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ, even they go to the Brahman effulgence, because they do not agree to serve Kṛṣṇa, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ they again come back to serve the society, friendship, and daridra-nārāyaṇa, so on, so on, so on.

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

In Bengal there is one word, ghorabdin (?), means "no value." Just like horse. Horse never give any egg, but it is said, "It is as good as the egg of horse." That means "There is no such thing, insignificant." So ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Ākāśa-puṣpāyate means it has no value. Simply imagination. Actually that is the fact. Suppose if you go to Svargaloka, become Indra. 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.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

So sakṛd api kṛṣṇa manaḥ. Mind has to be fixed up to something. The yogis, karmīs, the jñānīs and the bhaktas. The karmīs, their mind is fixed up, "Where to get money? Where to get money?" That's all. This is karmī. Just to live comfortably, enjoy sense gratification, this is karmī. And jñānī means they want to... Because they are disgusted. They are better than the karmīs. They want to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence, jñānī. And yogi, they... Actual, their business is, yogi, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogis, they are always in meditation and thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is real yogi, not to show some gymnastic feats. These things are required to concentrate the mind. But where to concentrate the mind? Concentrate the mind in the Supreme Soul, or Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu.

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

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.

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.

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

On the effulgence, shining of Kṛṣṇa's body, there are innumerable universes. Jagad-aṇḍa. Jagad-aṇḍa, this aṇḍa. You were talking of that egg. Aṇḍa means egg, egglike. Jagad-aṇḍa. Yasya prabhā jagad-aṇḍa koṭi, and koṭiṣu vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). In each universe there are millions and trillions of planets, each one different from the other. Vibhūti-bhinnam. Bhinnam means separate. As here earth is prominent, somewhere the fire is prominent, somewhere the air is prominent, but the whole thing is made of these five elements—earth, water, air, fire—that's all. So why should you deny that "Fire—no living entities"? You cannot live in the fire; you cannot live in the water. Does it mean others cannot? This is foolishness. This is foolish.

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

Favorably. That is bhakti. And pratikūlyena, just in the opposite way, thinking of Kṛṣṇa in inimical way, that is also accepted by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Anyone who thinks of Kṛṣṇa always, he is the greatest yogi. So even the enemies who think of Kṛṣṇa always, although unfavorably, he becomes a yogi because thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

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:

The whole body becomes supplemented with Brahman effulgence. It is not for everyone, and those who are very, very much spiritually advanced, their body becomes like that. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava ācārya's body is never burned. It is entombed. They worship the body. But that is spiritual body.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- San Francisco, July 18, 1975:

So these Viṣṇudūtas, they are exactly dressed like Viṣṇu or equipped with ornaments and everything. Then again, diśaḥ vitimirālokāḥ. And on account of their presence... They have got also bodily effulgence. As Viṣṇu has got bodily effulgence, similarly, the Viṣṇudūtas, they have also the bodily effulgence so that wherever they will go, it will be illuminated immediately. There is no necessity of light or sunshine. They personally, they make the place illuminated. Diśo vitimira. Timira means darkness, and vi means without. Wherever they will be present... Therefore, in the spiritual world everyone has got the spiritual effulgence, so whole planet is full of effulgence. Just like one example is here in this material world, the sun. There there are living entities. They are also all light because their body is made of fire. And many hundreds and thousands and millions of people with the fiery body, they are living. Therefore you will find always sun fiery, light. Just like you can see from distance a big city. The light is coming out. Is it not? In the night you see a big city, and you are in the village, you will find a big light is coming. So that is artificial, electric light. But in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka normally, regularly, their body is light.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- San Francisco, July 18, 1975:

So these people never saw, these Yamadūta, such persons with four hands, so decorated, so effulgent. So they were surprised, that "You are so nice." So diśo vitimirālokāḥ kurvantaḥ svena tejasā: "By your personal effulgence, you are illuminating wherever you are standing." Diśa. Kim arthaṁ dharma-pālasya kiṅkarān no niṣedhatha: "You look so beautiful and gentle. Why you are doing this wrong thing? We have come to discharge our duties, and you are forbidding us." Means they could understand that "They are so powerful, they have stopped us to touch Ajāmila's body. If we forcibly do, they can punish us."

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

So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they prefer sāyujya, to merge into the existence of impersonal existence. A living entity can live, can remain in the Brahman effulgence as a particle of shining. Just like there are many molecular particles in the sunshine, similarly, the living entities also can cluster together and live as a small particle of spiritual shining, and that is called brahma-sāyujya-mukti. But that kind of existence is subjected to fall down again.

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

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 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

"You are so brilliant that immediately on your appearance the darkness is dissipated. Immediately." They are so much, I mean to say, glowing, their body, in Vaikuṇṭha. Therefore in the Upaniṣad it is said that in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, in the spiritual sky, there is no need of sun, moon. The planets and the bodily effulgence of the inhabitants, they are all glowing. So on account of everything glowing in the spiritual world, there is no necessity of sunshine or moonshine or electricity. They are self-effulgent.

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

So diśo vitimirālokāḥ kurvantaḥ svena tejasā. Svena: "By your own effulgence you are dissipating the darkness, all directions. You are so bright, brilliant." Kim arthaṁ dharma-pālasya: "Oh, we can understand that you are not ordinary living entities. You are coming from some exalted planet. What business you have got to interfere with our business?" Dharma-pālasya.

Lecture on SB 6.2.16 -- Vrndavana, September 19, 1975:

And the absolute world means the world of one. Eka brahma dvitīya nāsti. That is absolute, spiritual world. There is one only, spirit. There is nothing, although there are varieties of spiritual manifestation. So, so long you are in this material world of duality, then you have to commit sinful activities. Therefore the whole Vedic literature is meant for taking you to the spiritual world. Tamasi mā jyotir gamā: "Don't remain in this material world of darkness. Come to the spiritual world." Tamasi mā jyotir gamā. This is instruction. And jyotir means that spiritual world. First appreciation of the jyotirmān, Brahman, Brahmaloka, Brahman effulgence, that is the first entrance. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11). Just like you see the sunshine: it is impersonal, only light. But if you have got power, strength, if you can go to the sun planet, that is another. This is also... Sun planet is also shining. The heat and light is there.

Lecture on SB 6.2.16 -- Vrndavana, September 19, 1975:

The Absolute Truth, advaya jñāna. There is no duality. He is absolute in three features: Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. So Brahman realization means sac-cid-ānanda, simply realization of the sat proportion, eternity. That is Brahman realization. And Paramātmā realization means eternity and knowledge. And Bhagavān realization means eternity, knowledge, and ānanda. Ānandamāyo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). There are three things, if you can reach. But foolish persons, although they are advanced in spiritual knowledge, they do not get the information that behind this Brahman effulgence, behind this Paramātmā realization there is the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. They cannot understand it on account of poor fund of knowledge.

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

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 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

The Māyāvādīs, they say this devotional service, this arcana-śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23)—they take it as a means to merge into the Brahman effulgence. They do not understand that this is the perpetual engagement of a devotee. Nitya-yuktā upāsate. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that devotees, they are eternally engaged in devotional service. Eternally means after liberation, not that after liberation the whole thing is changed. No. The process is so transcendental that the devotees, they are serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even when he is conditioned... A devotee is not conditioned. Even accepting he is conditioned, but his engagement in the liberation stage does not change. The same condition goes on, the same worshiping, his chanting.

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. This material world means... You have... We have got experience about this universe up to the sky, as far as we can see, the horizon. This is one universe. And there are millions of universes like this. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, that yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnaṁ (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā. The Lord's effulgence is Brahman effulgence. Within that Brahman effulgence there are innumerable universes, jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means this brahmāṇḍa. Aṇḍa. It is round; it is not flat. Aṇḍa, just like egg. Koṭi. Koṭi means innumerable. And in each universe... Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi koṭiṣv aṣeṣa-vasudhādi (Bs. 5.40). In each brahmāṇḍa there are unlimited number of planets and stars, aśeṣa-vasudha.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976:

Yasya prabhā, that spiritual world is full of effulgence. Just like we have got example: the sun planet, sun globe, there is no darkness. There is always light. On account of presence of the sun, we are getting so much light and heat; just imagine what is the position in the sun globe, sun planet. It is always light. This is the example. Similarly, in the spiritual world, it is only light. Not only this light, but the light of knowledge. Therefore śāstra says, tamasi mā: "Don't remain in the darkness." Jyotir gama: "Come into the light."

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

So very soon, if you try to meditate what you are and what you are not, by this analytical self-study, you can understand that you are not this body, you are this consciousness. And this consciousness, what is that consciousness? It is the effulgence of the soul. Consciousness is also not you are. It is just like this lamp has got some effulgence and illumination. Similarly, the soul has got illumination. That illumination is this consciousness. So this illumination, this consciousness is also limited. Your consciousness, my consciousness, they are limited. You cannot perceive or understand what I am thinking; I cannot perceive or understand what you are thinking. If you are feeling, I mean to say, uncomfortable, I do not understand it.

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

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.

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

Yoga, by cultivation of knowledge, by cultivation of yoga you can understand Kṛṣṇa partially, not fully. Just like by cultivation of knowledge you realize Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence, brahma-jñāna. That is (?). Brahma-jñāna means Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), the original form of eternity, bliss, and knowledge. So Brahman realization means eternity realization. And Paramātmā realization means cit, or knowledge. But God realization, Kṛṣṇa realization means sac-cid-ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The Supreme Lord is by nature full of bliss. You will see, therefore, Kṛṣṇa always blissful. Kṛṣṇa has no anxiety. Kṛṣṇa is killing a very big, big demon and He is taking pleasure and smiling. You have seen all these pictures in our Kṛṣṇa book, how He is killing the Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Dhenukāsura, Keśī, and so many asuras. Just like a child is playing with toys. And similarly, He is enjoying with His cowherd boyfriends, with girlfriends, gopīs, with His mother, everywhere Kṛṣṇa you will find ānandamayo. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12).

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1977:

But those who are devotees, they are allowed to enter into the planet, Vaikuṇṭha planet or Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. In this way one gets his original position. But if we do not take to bhakti, then we may enter into the Brahman effulgence, but there is chance of falling down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yusmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). So those who are impersonalist, they may enter into the spiritual kingdom. That is called paraṁ padaṁ. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58). But there is also chance of fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. After severe austerities and penances one can enter into the Brahman effulgence.

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

From the sunshine. That is fact, scientific. Because the sunshine is there, so many varieties of planet are coming out, and in each and every planet there are so many varieties of vegetation, human being, animals, seas, mountain. And similarly... This is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā. These innumerable universes, how they have been possible? How they are existing? That is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā, "On account of Kṛṣṇa's effulgence." You see Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa is sitting, you will find effulgence. That effulgence, it is so full of potencies. Same way, as the sunlight, sunshine, is so full of potencies—they are producing so many planets, varieties—similarly, you can understand how much Kṛṣṇa's effulgence, that shining from His body, is potential. So that is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Coming out universes. And within the universes there are planets, and within the planet there are so many varieties, and within the varieties there are so many differentiation.

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

So these things cannot be understood by ordinary brain. It requires a different brain. That brain is created by devotional service, these finer tissues. Just like those who are dull materialists, their brain is congested with so much rubbish thing, they cannot understand that it is through the bodily effulgence of the Lord the potential manifestation is this cosmic manifestation. They will think that like Dr. Frog, "If it is created by God, where He got so much ingredient, so much instrument, that He created?" Yes. But God's creation is not like that. Automatically, the effulgence is coming. Just like the sun, from the sun disc, automatically the heat is profusely distributed and everything is taking place out of His own... The sun-god, or the sun, or the predominating deity in the sun planet, he does not come out to manufacture another planet. He is there.

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

So everything in touch with sunshine, it glitters. So now, the sunshine is expanding all over the universe, but where is the rest of the sunshine? The sun planet. The sun planet, you can see that it is lying in one corner of the sky. But because the sun planet is lying in one corner of the sky, does it mean that sunshine is greater than the sun? No. Similarly, Brahman may be very great. There is no question about it. But Brahman effulgence is resting on Kṛṣṇa. That you'll find in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

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)

Yasya prabhā: "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).

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

Any place in the spiritual sky, they are eternal. If that is your question... Now either Viṣṇu planet or Kṛṣṇa planet, they are all in the spiritual world. Or the impersonal Brahman, that is also in the spiritual world. So somebody wants to be merged into the Brahman effulgence, so that is also a spiritual world. Somebody wants to go into the Viṣṇu planet, that is also in the spiritual world. And somebody wants to go to this Kṛṣṇa planet, that is also in the spiritual sky. But there are differences even in the spiritual sky. The difference between spiritual sky and material sky is that everything in the spiritual sky, they are eternal, and everything in the material sky, they are temporary. That's all. Oh, so many? You, you.

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

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 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:

In the effulgence, bodily effulgence of Govinda, just like the sunshine is effulgence of the sun planet, similarly, Govinda's planet, the original planet, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana, that is the original effulgence, light. And when that light is distributed there are innumerable universes created. Just like within the sunlight there are innumerable planets. So in each and every planet there are different kinds of living entities, so why not a planet belonging to Christ? There is no doubt about it. There must be. (break) The Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the description of different planets are there.

Lecture on SB 7.9.29 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1976:

Adhaḥ means in this material world. Those who are impersonalists, they may enter into the Brahman effulgence, āruhya kṛcchreṇa, with severe execution of penance and austerities. The Māyāvādīs, they perform severe austerity. Those who are actually Brahmavādīs, their mode of life is very, very strict and severe also. So even after severe penances and austerities one enters into the Brahman effulgence, there is no security. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). Why they come down? Now, anādṛta-yusmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Because they did not get the information about Your lotus feet." That means person. When we speak of "feet" or "hand" that means the Supreme Person, a person. But they do not accept the person. That is their difficulty. They'll never accept that the Absolute Truth is person. Therefore they fall down again and again. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

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

In God creation there is no limitation. Everything unlimited. Even this universe, to us it is a great, wonderful thing. We do not know even what are there in the four corners of this universe, millions and millions of stars, millions of planets, millions and millions of oceans, mountains, and what to speak of living entities? Everything unlimited. The universe... 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 -- Bombay, December 27, 1972:

If you have to stay in the higher status of life, brahma anubhūti, then you'll have to come back again. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means by practicing severe austerities, penances, one may go up to the Brahman effulgence, paraṁ padam. That is called paraṁ padam. But because there is no stay... Just like in the sky. You may go with high speed, but if you cannot stay in some planet, you'll have to come back again. Similarly, āruhya kñcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ, patanti adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Because they cannot get shelter under the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they have to come down again to these material activities. And we have seen practically, so many big, big sannyāsīs, they give up this material world, take sannyāsa to understand Brahman, but because they could not understand Brahman, they again come to open hospital and schools. That is their business.

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

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. Of course, those who are strictly following. In our Brahmā, Vaiṣṇava sannyāsa, there is little leniency. Because they live in Kṛṣṇa, so there is no need of very strict, rigid following. Although it is stated that they should live like this. But there is leniency. But Māyāvāda, they are very rigid in their principles of sannyāsa life. That is called āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa, with great difficulty, they merge into the Brahman effulgence. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). They attain in the perfectional stage. Not perfectional. Paraṁ padam. In the spiritual realm. But patanty adhaḥ. Again falls down. Again falls down means because in the effulgence there is no varieties.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Bhakti-rasa is better than liberation, mukti. Because generally the Māyāvādī philosophers, jñāni-sampradāya, they consider mukti means to merge into the spiritual existence, Brahman. Brahma-sayujya-mukti, to, to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence of the Absolute. They consider it, that is the highest. And the Buddha philosophers, they think to make all these activities zero, śūnyavādī. Dismantle. Because on account of this combination of matter, earth, water, fire, air, ether, this body's made, and the body is subjected to pains and pleasure on account of this mixture. So Buddha philosophy is that you dismantle this mixture. Let earth go to the earth portion and water portion to the water portion. Then there is no existence of the body, and there is no pains and pleasure. Make it zero. This is called śūnyavādī. And the Māyāvādī, their philosophy is stop this variegatedness. We are suffering pains and pleasure within this material world on account of these varieties. So these varieties, they are on, built on the foundation of the Supreme Spirit. So merge into the Supreme Spirit and get out of these varieties. This is their philosophy. So the Buddha philosophy or the Māyāvāda philosophy, they're almost one, because their ultimate goal is to make things zero.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). These people are going to the Moon planet. Trying to go. They have not gone. But they do not know that with this body they cannot live there. That is not possible. They are, they might be going to the Moon planet in the deserted portion. And they're coming back. But Moon planet is not desert. We get information. It is one of the heavenly planets. So they, they are not going to the right place. That we have suggested in many places. So anyway, there are varieties. As there are varieties within this material world, similarly there are varieties in the spiritual world. This material world is only a reflection of the spiritual world. So unless we merge into, unless we get shelter in one of the planets of the spiritual world, if we simply merge into the Brahman effulgence, we cannot stay there for long.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Just like in the sky. If you simply fly your aeroplane only in the sky, you don't get any shelter in any planet. You'll have to come back again. You'll have to come back again. You cannot stay in the sky. Similarly those who are merging into the Brahman effulgence, they cannot stay there because we, as living entities, we want a varieties. Just like when I was, when I was travelling in the... Everyone has got experience. Either sky or on the water. So, and for weeks together, simply water, water. And the, on board the ship, it become very much sickness. Is called sea-sickness. As soon as there is some land visible, "Oh, there is land again." Because we want varieties. So those who are trying to merge into the variety-less Brahman effulgence, they cannot stay there. That information we get from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, āruhya kṛccheṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanti adhaḥ: After great perseverance, austerity, penances, they merge into the Brahman effulgence, but they again fall down. They again fall down.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

So that is not our ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to take shelter unto the lotus feet of the Lord. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas (SB 10.2.32). Simply to concoct that I become, I have become liberated. And, that... Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. They, those who are thinking that they have become liberated simply by merging into the Brahman effulgence, they are aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, they are still, their intelligence is not very clear, not purified. Why? Now, although they have gone there, and thinking that they are liberated, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ patanti (SB 10.2.32), they'll fall down. They cannot remain there. Because there is no varieties. And our life, because we are living entities, we want varieties. Without varieties, it is hackneyed. We cannot stay there. Therefore they fall down. Those who merge into the Brahman effulgence, they fall down. Go on. Therefore a bhakta does not accept the Brahman, brahmānanda. Brahmānanda, they know. Brahmānanda is, there is brahmānanda. That is liberation from the material ānanda. But unless one is engaged in sevānanda, service of the Lord, this brahmānanda will not be sufficient to keep him in the spiritual world.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

So in this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa from the śāstra, from the Vedas. Then we shall understand Kṛṣṇa. And once we understand Kṛṣṇa, our life is successful. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa in truth, his life is perfect. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). The perfection of life is that after giving up this body, we shall not accept any more material body. That is perfection. The people do not know that. They think... People, the karmīs, they think that "If we get a nice body in the heavenly planet, that is perfection of life." Svargaloka. And the jñānīs, they think that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul. But somehow or other, if we finish my body, and merge into the Brahman effulgence, that is perfection of life." The yogis, they think that "We may keep this body, but with this body, if we can play some jugglery, magic, that is perfection of life."

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973:

We must enter into the spiritual varieties of life. That is Kṛṣṇaloka, that is Vaikuṇṭhaloka, especially Kṛṣṇaloka. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). He's Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His body is not like us. He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. But He has got form. So Brahman realization means partial understanding of the sat portion of sac-cid-ānanda. Paramātmā realization means realization of para, of the cit potency. But ānanda realization means to become associated with Kṛṣṇa. That is ānanda, varieties, rasa-līlā. Kṛṣṇa is playing with the cowherds boys, Kṛṣṇa is dancing with the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa is enjoying the association of His mother, His father, His friend. Itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. The Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Brahman effulgence. Those who are trying for Brahman-sukha, here is the point. Śukadeva Gosvāmī: itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. The origin. Brahmano 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. "Impersonal Brahman is situated on Me." Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40).

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 5, 1973:

Spontaneous means when we shall rise to the platform that "Here is a service for Kṛṣṇa. Let me do it." Immediately. "Let me do it." Just like Yudhiṣṭhira was advised by Kṛṣṇa that "You just go to Dronācārya and speak him lie that his son is dead." Yudhiṣṭhira hesitated: "Oh, how can I speak lie? I never done it in my life." This is karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra. This is karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra. He is, he is looking after his own benefit. Karma-kāṇḍa vicāra means I do something and I profit and I enjoy it. I do some sacrifices, I become elevated to the heavenly planet, and I enjoy life. This is karma-kāṇḍa. And jñāna-kāṇḍa means that this world is false: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā; therefore let me merge into the Brahman effulgence. Nirbheda brahmānusandhana. This is jñāna-kāṇḍa. Nirbheda brahmānusandhana. But bhakti means jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). One must be free from this karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra and jñāna-kāṇḍa vicāra. Must be pure devotee. What is that? Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. Simply to carry out.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

Vidhi means Lord Brahma, and mahendra means Lord Indra. They are also considered, "What? They are insects, a pāpa living entity, just like ordinary insects." That is the position. The devotee is richest. Just like somebody... We were discussing. Somebody was speaking about me that "You are richest." Yes, I am richest. Why not richest? Because a devotee does not care liberation. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. The jñānīs are after merging into the Brahman effulgence. A devotee thinks, "What is this Brahman effulgence?" Narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. And the heavenly planet, that is phantasmagoria. What is this? Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. And the yogis, they are trying to subjugate the indriyas. But for devotees, although the indriyas are just like serpent, the poison teeth have been taken away. Because the devotees' indriyas-hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam (CC Madhya 19.170)—that is now differently engaged. A devotees' indriyas are not engaged for sense gratification. His indriyas are engaged for satisfying Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the poison teeth of indriya is broken. This is the process. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatām. This verse was written by one of your South Indian devotee of Lord Caitanya, Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. So he, I mean to say, realized, yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ taṁ gauram eva stumaḥ: "By the mercy of Lord Caitanya I have achieved this success." Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5).

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

So actually devotee is the richest because they don't care even for yoga-siddhi or heavenly planet or merging into the Brahman effulgence or become very rich and a brāhmaṇa, or... No. They don't want. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No."

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

(Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)

This is devotee. This is pure devotion. They don't want anything. Therefore they are śāntaḥ. If you want śāntaḥ, then you stop demanding, "I want this, I want this, I want this, I want this." So long you'll want, you are in need, how there can be santaḥ? There is no possibility. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Everyone... Bhukti means karmī, and mukti means jñānī, and siddhi means yogi. They are wanting something. So they cannot be śāntaḥ. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śāntaḥ (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa-bhakta doesn't want anything. Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa-bhakta even does not want Kṛṣṇa even. He wants only Kṛṣṇa's service. That's all. "Why I shall bother Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is busy in His own business. Let Him dance with the gopīs. I shall simply serve Him. That's all. Why shall I want Kṛṣṇa? Why shall I disturb Him?" This is devotion.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Our philosophy is go back to home, back to Godhead. Not in the spiritual sky. Paravyoma. Spiritual sky, there is chance of falling down. Why chance? It is sure. Those who are merging into the Brahman effulgence, the śāstra says that they again fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. They, jñānīs, they undergo severe austerities, penances to merge into the existence of impersonal Brahman. But they fall down again. They fall down again because they have no shelter. Anādhṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. As, as in this sky, there are many planets. You can go with high speed to the Moon planet or Venus planet. But if you have no shelter to stay there, you come back again on this earthly planet, that is practically experienced, similarly you may merge into the Brahman effulgence. Just like our plane goes very high and, at a certain point, we see it is invisible, merged. Actually, it is not merged. Our eyes cannot see any more. They take it as merge.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 8, 1973:

Mukti, she'll stand with folded hands, "My dear sir, what can I do for you?" This is the position of bhakta. One, if one becomes bhakta, then mukti becomes her maidservant. Why shall I ask for mukti? Mukti is nothing. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. What is the mukti? It is as good as hell. Mukti means to merge into the Brahman effulgence, but there is no service of Kṛṣṇa. It is simply merging, to become one. Just like sunshine, and if you are put into the sunshine, what benefit do you get? Simply to have scorching heat on, that's all. What benefit would you get? And mukti is like that. That is light. Sunshine is light. Similarly from darkness, if I go to the light and don't get any shelter, anywhere, simply I remain in that sunshine, what benefit do I get?

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).

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Pure. You cannot approach the Supreme Pure being sinful and make Kṛṣṇa your order-supplier, that you go on committing sinful life and Kṛṣṇa will wash it. Kṛṣṇa washes it—once, twice, thrice. But if you consciously go on, continue the sinful life, then you'll have to be punished. So we should not think pervertedly, like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was always absorbed in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Also he got salvation. But not as associate, but he merged into the Brahman effulgence.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

So unless and until we have got a stay in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, which are situated in the Brahman effulgence, then simply in the impersonal Brahman effulgence we cannot stay, because there is no variety. Therefore to enjoy variety, one has to come down again to this material variety. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because we are living entities, part and parcel of the supreme living entity, Param Brahman, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, so, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa is by nature joyful, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), similarly we are also joyful. We are also seeking after that joyful life.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

Although the sun and the sunshine are light, illumination, still there is difference between the sun and the sunshine. Similarly, impersonal Brahman effulgence and Vaikuṇṭha planets, both of them, absolute, but still Brahman effulgence and entering into the Vaikuṇṭha planets or Goloka Vṛndāvana planets are not the same. Or, in other words, those are not, those who are not devotees, but impersonalists, they can stay outside the Vaikuṇṭha planets in the Brahman effulgence, but they cannot enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Because they have not adored or glorified the lotus feet of the Lord, they are not allowed into the Goloka Vṛndāvana or Vaikuṇṭha planet. And they cannot remain perpetually in the impersonal Brahman effulgence. They come down again to these material varieties. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They cannot go upwards. They come, come down.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

So from that standard of happiness nobody falls down. But other spiritual happiness derived from impersonal Brahman effulgence or localized Paramātmā connection... Because that is not complete connection, complete relationship with the Supreme Brahman. Partial. Sac-cid-ānanda. Because unless we approach the Personality of Godhead there is no question of ānanda. You can achieve partially sat portion, you can achieve partially cit portion, sac-cit, but unless you come to the platform ānanda—the real ānanda is with Kṛṣṇa in the Goloka Vṛndāvana—so there is chance of falling down.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41). There are, people are generally after four principles of happiness: being religious, being economically developed, being very good candidate for satisfying senses, and when one is frustrated to derive any happiness from these three principles, he wants liberation, nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana. That is also not actual happiness, because, as I was explaining this morning, that even one merges into the Brahman effulgence after severe penances and austerity, there is chance of falling down. There is chance. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanti (SB 10.2.32). Paraṁ pada is to merge into the Brahman effulgence existence.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 28, 1973:

The, the sahajiyās, they also think like that, that by sex one can rise to that platform of merging into the effulgence of Brahman. Even Vivekananda was talking that "This Vaiṣṇava religion is a religion of sex." They have been so much misrepresented. By sexual indulgence, one can become one with the Supreme. This is their theory, very dangerous theory. Therefore these sahajiyās are amongst the thirteen rejected apa-sampradāyas. In the name of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there are so many apa-sampradāyas. Apa-sampradāya means they present themselves as belonging to the Caitanya cult. But they are not at all bona fide. They are rejected.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.5 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1974:

The Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy, the only difference is... Although the aim is one, Absolute Truth, but the difference is that they do not accept varieties, varieties of taste. Therefore they fall down. It is not our version, but it is stated in the Vedic literature, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "By severe penance and austerities, these Māyāvādīs, they go up to the Brahman effulgence, but from there they fall down, fall down." Because for want of varieties. You cannot live without varieties. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: "The Absolute Truth is ānandamayo by nature," abhyāsāt. There are the interpretation of the Māyāvādīs of this Vedānta-sūtra, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). But we see that the Supreme Absolute Person is ānandamāyā.

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

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:

Wherever the sun planet is there, oh, there is sunshine, always shining. So where the sun planet... Wherefrom... 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. Similarly, spiritual world, that effulgence of the body of Kṛṣṇa, that is spread, and there are hundreds and millions of Vaikuṇṭha planets are there.

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

We have several times explained. Therefore in the temporary... Now, just see the arrangement. The sun is there to drive out darkness, but the night is also there so that we can understand that by nature it is dark. Simply by timely appearance of the sun, it becomes day. Therefore there is day and night, day and night, day and night. Tamasaḥ parastāt. And other Vedic literatures-tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't keep yourself in this darkness. Just try to get out of it and go to that Brahman effulgence." Jyotir gamaḥ. Tamasaḥ parastāt.

Then another Upaniṣad, patiṁ patīnāṁ paramaṁ parastāt. Patiṁ patīnām. There are many patis. Patis means proprietor, or husband. A husband is also considered a proprietor of the woman according to Vedic literature; therefore the word dāsī. A woman's surname is dāsī. She agrees to serve the man.

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

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 Adi-lila 7.119 -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa is infinite, we are infinitesimal. So when there is question of merging into the existence of the Supreme, that means we remain in the effulgence, Brahman effulgence, as the minute particle of Brahman. There is dimension. That is mentioned in the śāstras: keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). One ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of hair. That minute particle, cetana. So there is... Anantāya kalpite. There are innumerable such particles. That is the formation of nirviśeṣa-brahman.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

So this Vivasvān, the sun-god, he heard from Kṛṣṇa for the first time about the yoga system stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa spoke and the sun-god heard; therefore he is a person. And the sun-god's abode is the sun planet. And from the sun planet, the effulgence, the sunshine, is coming. By this example one can understand what is Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān—tattva-vastu, the Absolute Truth. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

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

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:

That is stated in the Śrīmad-Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40).

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)

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 6.154-155 -- Gorakhpur, February 19, 1971 (Krsna Niketan):

Just like the sun is light, effulgence, and the sunshine is the energy of sun; it is also light. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His energy is also cit-ānanda, sat-cid-ānanda. Therefore says, viṣṇu-śaktir parā. Parā means superior or spiritual. Kṛṣṇa is spiritual, and His śakti, it is called material. Actually, in the higher sense, there is no material energy. It is covered only. Just like sunshine, when it is covered by the cloud, there is light, but the light is not so strong, so in the material world we cannot feel the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154-155 -- Gorakhpur, February 19, 1971 (Krsna Niketan):

Those sannyāsīs following the principles of Śaṅkarācārya, they strictly follow austerities, lie down on the ground, and taking three times bath even in very severe cold, and simply have a kamaṇḍalu, nothing more, and lying down on the earth without any bedding, so many austerities. They are going, undergoing, severe austerities. Why? Now, to rise up to the Brahman realization—āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32)—paraṁ padam, that impersonal Brahman effulgence. But patanty adhaḥ, they fall down. Just see. After so much severe austerities, performing, they rise themselves to the brahma-pada, but they again fall down.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.254 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1968:

Sky is the reflection of Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence; therefore it is blue. Just like if the cover of the light is blue or, I mean to say, red, the radiance also becomes... Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is blue. It is described in the Vedic literature, veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam (Bs. 5.30). God's bodily hue is just like bluish cloud. But it is very beautiful.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.106 -- New York, July 12, 1976:

So śāstra therefore forbids or gives warning, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). The same example. With great endeavor, with much expenditure you may go eighty thousand miles per hour, but unless you get shelter, you have to again come back to this, either in America or Russia. They tried, but they could not get shelter. Similarly, the one may understand that he is spirit soul and he may try his best to merge into the spiritual effulgence, Brahman—ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I shall remain in Brahman"—but because he is person, the impersonalism condition will not be helpful to him, and because he has no personal view of the supreme spirit—he cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa—naturally he again comes back to this material world and surrenders to the material subject matter.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110 -- New York, July 17, 1976:

So this expansion of energy, that is impersonal. But Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal. These foolish people, they do not understand Him. We see daily that the sunshine is so expansive, all over the universe, but it is..., the source of sunshine is the sun globe. That we see. So which is important? The sunshine or the sun globe? That we can see practically. And which is important, the sun globe or the sun-god? We can see every day. So similarly, God the person is important. God person is important. God... Just like the sun-god is important, and because he has his place, residential quarter, in the sun globe—the next important. And because his effulgence is distributed all over the universe, next important.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110 -- New York, July 17, 1976:

You can study Kṛṣṇa's position from the sun. It is stated here that eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā. So His potencies are working. What is the sun and the sunshine different? The sunshine is combination of illuminating molecules, that's all, but each of them particle. Not that it is homogeneous. Each and every that particle, kana-kana means atomic (indistinct)—they are all individual. Similarly, in the impersonal Brahman effulgence, these living entities are small particles. This smallness is also described in the śāstra: one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair, such a small particle. They are congested. That is called Brahman effulgence.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110 -- New York, July 17, 1976:

So if you want to merge into the Brahman effulgence, it is not difficult, because you are a small particle of spiritual identity. If you don't want your individuality, you can stay in the Brahman effulgence. That is not very difficult for Kṛṣṇa, if you want to merge into the Brahman effulgence. But what is the profit? There is no profit. Suppose if you are placed in the sky, in the sunshine, and if somebody asks, "Now, you remain in the sky," would you agree? Huh? Will anyone agree that "Let me remain in the sky as a small particle of the sunshine"? No. You can agree out of some sentiment, but you cannot stay there. That is not possible. Therefore, those who merge into the existence of Brahman, impersonal Brahman, they again fall down. Just like they are going moon excursion, Mars excursion. "Stay there." They cannot stay. Because, actually, whether they are going or not—that's another thing—but there is no staying place. Simply rotating in the sky is not very pleasant thing. We have got experience in the airplane. If we go five or six hours in the planes, we become suffocated. So it is not possible. Therefore those who merge into the Brahman effulgence, they again fall down, because they have no engagement in Kṛṣṇa's business. They never cultivated such knowledge. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because the Māyāvādīs, they think, "What is this nonsense, serving Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is māyā. We are not going to serve māyā. We are going to become one with God, with effulgence." That oneness, you can stay within sunshine and be burnt up, but you cannot stay there.

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:

So one who is dazzled by this glaring effulgence of the rays of Kṛṣṇa, they can realize the Supreme Lord or the Supreme Absolute Truth as impersonal. Sūrya yena carma-cakṣe jyotirmaya bhāse. Carma-cakṣe, with our present eyes, defective... All our senses are defective. We are very much proud of our eyes. I want to see personally. But we do not know that with these eyes or any sense, they are all defective. They are not perfect. Just like in the glare of the sunshine, oh, we see nothing. We see sometimes darkness. So we cannot believe these eyes or senses. We have to take information of perfect knowledge from the authorities.

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 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:

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.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

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

"O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee."

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

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."

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

The idea is that Kṛṣṇa planet or the Vaikuṇṭha planets, they are beyond this Brahman effulgence, and those who are devotees, they are permitted to enter into these spiritual planets. Those who are not devotees, simply jñānīs or demons... The jñānīs and demons, they are offered the same place. The jñānīs... Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). They practice severe austerities, penances, to enter into the Brahman effulgence. But the demons, simply by becoming enemy of Kṛṣṇa, they immediately get that place. The demons who are killed by Kṛṣṇa, they are immediately transferred to this Brahman effulgence. So just imagine, the place which is given to the enemies of Kṛṣṇa, is that very covetable thing? Suppose if somebody comes who is my enemy, I give him some place, and somebody, my intimate friend, I give him some other place. Similarly, this Brahman effulgence is not at all covetable. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda, he has composed a verse, that Brahman... Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalya means the Brahman effulgence, simply spiritual light. So kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. He says that this Brahman effulgence is just like hell. For a devotee, this Brahman... The jñānīs who are trying to merge into the Brahman effulgence, for devotee it is stated as hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

A devotee is more than brāhmaṇa. The brahminical culture is included already. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ: "Brāhmaṇa means one who knows the Absolute Truth, Brahman." He is brāhmaṇa. But that is not very fixed up. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Brahman is impersonal effulgence, and then further progress, realization of the localized aspect, Paramātmā, Antaryāmī, and finally, understanding the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, Supreme Person, that is the final understanding.

So people cannot understand that how the Supreme, the origin of everything, can be a person. That is their difficulty. Because they are thinking, "A person, God? How it is possible. God is great, and He is the creator of everything. How a person can do that?" Yes. That is the Vedic version.

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

Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni. 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...

Initiation Lectures

Initiations and Sannyasa -- New York, July 26, 1971:

Jyoti means effulgent light, only light. So we have to cross over this ocean of darkness and reach that jyotir dhāma. Jyotirmāyā dhāma, brahma-jyotir. Tamo mukundāṅghri. How it will be possible? Mukunda. Mukunda means... Muk means mukti, or liberation. So one who gives liberation and gives ānanda... Unless one is liberated, one cannot understand what is ānanda, or pleasure. Here in the material world we are trying to be happy by false pleasure. Actual pleasure... Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasure.

Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

This mantra was first chanted by a learned brāhmaṇa of Avantipur after being very much disgusted in this materialistic way of life. This happened long, long years ago because it is mentioned in the Bhāgavatam, which was composed by Vyāsadeva at least five thousand years ago. So it is to be concluded, therefore, that this tridaṇḍī sannyāsīn order is coming down since a time long, long years ago. And within five hundred years of time Lord Caitanya adopted this order of life. And in the latest years His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thakur Prabhupāda adopted it personally and made many of his disciples tridaṇḍī sannyāsīs. We are also following his footsteps, and the purport of this mantra is that the ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī is devoid of paramaṁ niṣṭha, which is explained above. In other words, impersonalists cannot have any faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they prefer to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we do not find any mention of ekadaṇḍa sannyāsa. This tridaṇḍa sannyāsa is accepted, therefore, as standard. Lord Caitanya accepts Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the supreme authority.

Excerpt from Sannyasa Initiation of Viraha Prakasa Swami -- Mayapur, February 5, 1976:

These four daṇḍas bound together as one are symbolic of unalloyed devotional service to the Lord. Because the ekadaṇḍī-sannyāsīs of the Māyāvāda school are not devoted to the service of Kṛṣṇa, they try to merge into the Brahman effulgence, which is a marginal position between material and spiritual existence. They accept this impersonal position as liberation. Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, not knowing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a tridaṇḍī, think of Caitanya Mahāprabhu as an ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī. This is due to their vivarta, bewilderment. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no such thing as ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

In the Bhagavad-gītā also, the Lord says that "Myself, yourself, My dear Arjuna, and all these kings and soldiers who have come here, assembled here, they are all persons. They were all persons in the past, they are persons at present, and they will continue as persons in the future." These things are there. So individual soul or God, every one of us is person. Each and every one of us—person. Imperson is another feature of the person. Just like the same example. In sun planet there is person, the predominating deity, and his personal effulgence is the sunshine. The sunshine is imperson, but the planet is localized, and the predominating deity is person. The Bhagavata confirms it, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The Absolute Truth is one. Just like the sun, the sunshine, and the deity within the sun, that is one unit. But some portion is called sunshine, some portion is called sun planet, some portion is called the deity.

Lecture -- New Vrindaban, June 7, 1969:

Kṛṣṇa is not imperson. He is imperson also. He is present in three features: by His personal feature, by His impersonal features, and His localized feature. By His personal feature, He is always present in His abode known as Kṛṣṇaloka or Vaikuṇṭhaloka in the spiritual sky. And by His impersonal feature He is present as impersonal Brahman effulgence. You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā also, brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā: "I am the source of Brahman effulgence."

Lecture -- New Vrindaban, June 7, 1969:

That is Kṛṣṇa realization. You can realize Him personally, you can realize Him impersonally, and you can realize Him localized. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati: (BG 18.61) "Arjuna, that Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated, localized, in everyone's heart." Just like the sun globe is there, and the sun globe's effulgence is the impersonal representation of the sun-god. And suppose there are five millions of people standing in the sunshine, and everyone will see the sun is above his head. That is localized. You go five thousand miles away and ask your friend here, "Where is the sun?" Your friend will say that "It is on my head." And you will also see it is on your head. As it is materially possible, why not spiritually? So spiritually, Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Simply you have to realize it.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

This material world is called tamaḥ, darkness. Just like there is no sun now. It is dark. We have to illuminate by electric light, by moonlight, by so many things. Actually the nature is dark. Therefore the Vedic injunction is tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Don't try to remain in this dark region. Go to that effulgent region." Tamasi mā jyotir gama. The Bhagavad-gītā also says the same thing. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture -- London, September 16, 1969:

The hint is given there that in the sky of freedom, in the spiritual sky, there is no need of sunshine. That is the distinction. Try to understand. This is also confirmed in the Upaniṣads. In the spiritual sky there is no need of sunshine, there is no need of moonshine, there is no need of electricity, because everything is shining there, all Brahman effulgence. And as we have got one huge planet here, the sun planet, which is efful..., effulgent, dazzling, bright, in the spiritual sky all the planets are like that. So therefore, there is no question of darkness. Darkness is here. So you try to understand that there is a spiritual sky.

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Bombay, March 17, 1971:

Generally people accept a sādhu when he is dressed with the saffron garment, but there are different types of sādhus, mahātmā. Some of them may be jñānīs who wants to merge into the Brahman effulgence. And another sādhu may be yogis, those who are trying to—the same ambition—to merge into the supreme by finding out in the heart.

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 -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:

So how Kṛṣṇa is ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), you can understand it. If you study, if you take information from Vedic literature, if you attentively think over it, you'll very easily understand that everything is produced out of Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence or energy. Kṛṣṇa also personally says here,

etad-yonīni bhūtāni
sarvāṇi iti upadhāraya
ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ
prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā

Aham: "I am." The Māyāvādī philosophers cannot accommodate this idea, how a person can be the cause of creation, maintenance, and annihilation. But Kṛṣṇa here says that ahaṁ kṛtsnasya. Ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), because He is the origin of all energies. We have already understood that the whole manifestation is nothing but, I mean to say, demonstration of the different types of energies of the Supreme Lord.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:

Just like the other day when I was coming from Calcutta to Delhi, the Himalayan Mountains were seen from the plane, and it appeared just like a great city. But that is my shortage of vision. I cannot see what is Himalaya. Similarly, as we see imperfectly the Himalayan Mountain from a distant place, similarly, when the Absolute Truth is realized by the speculative process, he can simply understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His effulgence as impersonal. And if you make further progress, then we can see... The same example. We are seeing the Himalayan Mountain from a distant place but if we make further advance, further, nearer, we see different thing. And when actually in the Himalayan Mountain, the thing is altogether different. Similarly, when you understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead from distance... Just like you cannot understand the sun globe from here. Although sunshine is light, sun globe is light, still we cannot understand what is sun globe from distant place.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

God gives power to somebody to look after the interest of the inhabitants of that particular planet. Similarly, there is a king in the sun planet. We may call him sun-god or something like, but there is a predominating personality. He has got his personal effulgence, body. Just like fire has got effulgence, heat and light, similarly, he is the fiery god or fiery person, and his effulgence is spread all over the universe.

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

Now, we are trying to understand the planetary system by our scientific method, but we could not finish even studying one nearest planet, the moon planet, and what to speak of other millions and millions of planets? You see? But we get this knowledge directly from Brahma-saṁhitā. What is that? Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. By the effulgence, glaring effulgence of the rays of the body of Kṛṣṇa, yasya prabhā prabhavato, there are innumerable universes. We cannot study even one universal position, but we get information from this Brahma-saṁhitā that there are innumerable universes. And in each and every universes there are innumerable planets. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means universe, and koṭi means hundreds and thousands. One hundred times of one hundred thousand. That means innumerable. 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.

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

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:

The dog can freely have sexual intercourse on the street. The hog can have sexual intercourse on the street and without any discrimination whether mother, sister, or anything. That is hog life, dog life. But a human being has the same sexual desires but little decently. That is the difference. So the śāstra says that if you become simply engaged in these four kinds of business—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—then you are no better than animal. Your business is brahma-jijñāsā. Try to understand what is Brahman. That is your business. The Kṛṣṇa replies in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Even if you want to understand the impersonal Brahman, you have to search out wherefrom this effulgence is coming. That is Kṛṣṇa.

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.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

So those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by philosophical speculation, they can reach up to the impersonal Brahman effulgence of the Absolute Truth. Similarly, those who are trying to find out the Absolute Truth within the heart... Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). They are generally called yogis. And the philosophical speculators, they are called jñānīs. So jñānī, yogi. So the jñānīs, they reach up to the impersonal Brahman effulgence, and the yogis, they reach up to the localized aspect of the Supreme Person. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, the Supreme Person, is within your heart, everyone's heart. Sarva-bhūtānām.

Departure Talks

Departure Lecture -- London, March 12, 1975:

You can make an experiment that you take a little red water and put it in the ocean. The ocean does not become red. So chemically also, the water, they are composition of molecules of water. But it is mixed with water. That is a fact, but there is another process which evaporates the water. Suppose you are mixed with the water. The Māyāvādī philosophy, that "We... Let us mix with the big water. Then I become big..." Because here in the material world he tried to become big in so many ways but he could not become big, therefore he wants to merge into the biggest, Brahman, so that he thinks that he will become... He is already Brahman. So the Brahman effulgence is combination of so many sparks of living entities.

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.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Hayagrīva: James, after analyzing all of these religions, different religious experiences, he gives his own conclusions, and he concludes his book in this way. He gives five basic conclusions. The first-one—"That the visible world is part of a more spiritual universe from which it draws its chief significance." (break)

Prabhupāda: Yes. Material world means it is existing in the spiritual effulgence of the Lord. Just like all the planets they are resting, living within the sunshine, but by geographical position, when it is back side, the sun is not in the front but in the back, then it becomes dark. Similarly, everything is existing in the spiritual effulgence, rays of the Lord, and when you forget, this is called material world. So the material world is in that piece of spiritual world, but forgetfulness of God is material. So when we..., our revival of consciousness, God consciousness, then there is no more material world. For such person who is advanced in spiritual consciousness or God consciousness, there is nothing material; everything is spiritual.

Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Prabhupāda: Yes, the denial, both the... There are two kinds of sects: this Māyāvādī and the Vaiṣṇava. So both of them know that this material world is flickering, and sometimes they say it is false, unreal. So there is another life; that is spiritual world. So the Māyāvādī philosopher, their spiritual life means to merge into the Brahman effulgence, and the Vaiṣṇava philosopher to go back to Goloka Vṛndāvana, Vaikuṇṭha, where God is situated, and become His associate person. So both the ideas, spiritual ideas, that is attained after death. What does he say that is good about Hindus? He says that denial...

Hayagrīva: He sees it basically as a denial of the will.

Prabhupāda: Yes, but denial of the will for material happiness. So we will not deny willing, that willing for spiritual happiness. That is required. As you deny something, you must accept something; otherwise... You cannot remain in the neutral position. That is not possible. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nirvatanta. When you get a better position, then you give up this willing for lower position.

Philosophy Discussion on Socrates:
Prabhupāda: So everything is Kṛṣṇa's kingdom, but there is specially, that there is no need of sunshine, there is no need of moonshine, there is no need of electric light; it is all effulgent. So He is giving the information, but these rascals will not take. They want to make adjustment in the darkness of night. How it is possible? This is teaching also the nature's way of work. The sun is in the sky, but the arrangement is such that twelve hours it is darkness and twelve hours it is light. But sun is there always. There is no doubt about it. But the arrangement, this is just to convince us that actually it is dark. With the sunshine it is sometimes day and sunny.
Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:
Prabhupāda: A perfect conception of the Supreme One: He is unlimited, we are limited. That is sense. How the Supreme One, who is the cause of everything, He can be limited? I do not know what do they mean by "limit." He cannot be limited by anything. Even the impersonal Brahman, that Brahman, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: everything is Brahman, unlimited. Why He should be limited? Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni: (BG 9.4) everything is emanation from Him and resting in Him. That is His impersonal conception. Everywhere He is there. And personal is localized, and..., but from the person, the impersonal effulgence come out. That we understand from the Bhagavad-gītā: brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. As the big sunshine comes from the localized sun globe—the sun globe is situated in one place, but this, the rays of the sun is distributed all over the universe—similarly, impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth is that by His transcendental rays, prabhā, yasya prabhā prabhavata (Bs. 5.40), illumination.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Parama Koruna -- Los Angeles, January 16, 1969:

Of course, anyone who is killed by incarnation he also gets salvation. But not to the spiritual planets, but they merge into the Brahman effulgence as the impersonalists desire. In other words, the impersonalist's goal of salvation is as good as the goal of salvation of the enemies of God. That is not a very difficult job. So Lord Caitanya is very merciful because He is embracing everyone by bestowing love of Kṛṣṇa. Rūpa Gosvāmī has described Lord Caitanya as the most munificent of all the incarnations because He is giving Kṛṣṇa to everyone, without any qualification. So Locana dāsa Ṭhākura says that parama koruṇa, pahū dui jana, nitāi gauracandra, that They are essence of all incarnation. Kevala ānanda-kanda. And Their preaching process is very pleasing. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, dance nicely, and when you feel tired, just take rest and eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam." So His formula is very pleasing. Kevala ānanda-kanda.

Page Title:Effulgence (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti
Created:19 of May, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=232, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:232