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Greater than... (Lectures, BG)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Now, there are different kinds of transcendentalists as we have already explained above. The brahmavādī, paramātmavādī and the devotees. In spiritual sky or in the brahma-jyotir there are spiritual planets, innumerable spiritual planets, we have already discussed. And the number of those planets are far, far greater than all the universes of this material world. This material world is ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). This is one-fourth part manifestation of the whole creation. Three-fourths part of the creation is the spiritual world and in the one-fourth part of this creation there are millions of universes like this which we are experiencing at the present moment. And in one universe there are millions and billions of planets. So there are millions and billions of suns and stars and moons in all this material world, but all this material world constitute only one-fourth manifestation of the whole creation. The three-fourths manifestation is in the spiritual sky.

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

So these six principles are there. Just like we are minute part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Fragment, very small fragment. So every one of us have got some money according to our capacity. Every one of us has got some strength or some reputation or some beauty or some knowledge. Comparatively it may be that your position may be greater than me or other's position may be greater than you, that not all of us on the same level. There are comparative positions. So bhagavān means you go on searching. When you find a person that nobody is richer than Him, nobody is stronger than Him, nobody is richer than Him, nobody is reputed than Him, nobody is wiser than him, nobody is beautiful, more beautiful than Him, and nobody is renouncer than Him, He is Bhagavān, He is God.

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

The passive relationship is simply realizing, "Oh, how God is great". God is great. One is thunderstruck with the greatness of God. That is passive relationship: "God, God is great." When that relationship is enhanced a little, more the next stage is that "If God is great why not give Him some service?" just like we are accustomed to give some service to some person who is greater than me. That is the laws of nature. Just like the animals. The animals are giving service to the man, because the man is supposed to be greater than the animal. Similarly, one man is greater than the other, so the smaller man is giving service to the greater man. That is the law of nature. So when this sense comes, "If God is so great," not that "God is great; therefore exact from God the things of my sense gratification." No. The real love is that "God is great, God is supplying us so many things, all of our necessities, why not render some service to God?" This consciousness is part of development. The next developmen is to give service to God as friend, just like Arjuna is giving.

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

To become one with Kṛṣṇa, it may be a very great position. But to become the, I mean to say, command, commander of Kṛṣṇa, that is another thing. That position is greater than to become one with Kṛṣṇa.

So there are five kinds of liberation. Sāyujya, the first liberation is supposed to be sāyujya, means, to become one with the Supreme. The Māyāvāda philosophers, monists, they aspire after sāyujya-mukti. But the devotees, Vaiṣṇavas, they do not aspire after sāyujya-mukti. Their, for them, there are other, four kinds of mukti: sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya. And those who are still further advanced, they do not want any kind of mukti, neither of these five kinds of muktis. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He prays, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is pure devotional prayer. The devotees does not approach the Supreme for any material gain. Pure devotion means without any aspiration of any kind of material gain. Or even spiritual gain.

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

" Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, the all-powerful, He was unable to repay the debts for the gopīs. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhu-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. There is no more better worship than what was conceived by the gopīs. So gopīs are the topmost devotees. And amongst the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the topmost. Therefore Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is greater than Kṛṣṇa.

So this is Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava philosophy. It requires time. So the activities of Kṛṣṇa, the rascals, if they simply see that "Kṛṣṇa is enticing Arjuna to fight; therefore Kṛṣṇa is immoral," that is, means wrong vision. You have to see Kṛṣṇa with separate eyes. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ ca. Divyam (BG 4.9). These transcendental activities of Kṛṣṇa, if anyone can understand, simply if anyone can understand, then he becomes liberated immediately. Liberated. Not liberated ordinary liberation, but for going back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). The greatest liberation.

Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975:

So these six kinds of opulences, when present in the superlative degree, that is Bhagavān. This means, as it is stated in the Vedic literature, na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is found equal to Him or greater than Him." In this material world any person you take, next moment you'll find somebody equal to him and somebody greater than him. But the Vedic information is: God means who has no equal and who has no greater person than Him. Actually Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa, and here it is said, bhagavān uvāca. So Bhagavān, the Supreme God, means Kṛṣṇa. That is the statement in all Vedic literature.

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

No degrees. Now suppose, suppose, take for example the sun. The chief, chief living entity or the chief man, or chief living being in the sun planet. Now his position and my position, there is vast difference. He has, he is maintaining such a planet and he is situated there as the chief man or the chief living being. So his degree of power is far, far greater than the degree of power here like President Johnson or something else. You see? So that degree of power does not make him that he's God. He's not God. He's also servant of God. Anyone, even Brahmā, anyone. There is a verse in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). That the individual living entities, there are so many, multi, but all of them, they are servant of the Lord. There may be, their position may be upper or lower in different degrees, but that does not make them equal with the Lord. The Lord is different. That is also mentioned in the Patañjali yoga system. Lord is Supreme. He's the great. He's the greatest. Asamaurdhva.

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

Prabhupāda: Nobody is equal with Him and nobody is greater than Him. That means nobody's equal with Him, nobody's greater than Him, everybody is lower than Him. So is that question solved?

Woman: Yes. Now you were using very often the name of demigods and therefore I...

Prabhupāda: Now demigods, demigods are just like you and me. Demigods, just like you and me. But they have got a degree of power than me and you.

Woman: Now you just said the sun.

Prabhupāda: Sun, yes. He's also a living...

Woman: The sun is a planet.

Prabhupāda: Sun is a planet, but there is a controlling deity also.

Woman: Yes.

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

There is a control... Just like here, in this planet, when you go up, you see it is ball, but in this ball there are so many controlling deities here also. President Johnson, prime minister of India, this and that and so many things. But when you go up you see just like a ball. So when you come here you find... Similarly, from the distance of ninety millions of miles you can see the sun just like a ball, but it is not ball. It is a, it is a far, far greater than this planet, and there are cities and there men and there are persons and there are everything. But they are made up of fire. Their body's made of fire. Your body's made of earth. That is the difference. Just like in the water you cannot live because your body is made differently that you cannot live in the water. Similarly, the aquatics in the water, they cannot live in the land. Similarly, because I cannot live in the sun planet due to this, my body, that does not mean there are no living beings. There are living beings. After all, the whole material world is made of five elements, earth, water, fire, air and ether.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972:

Because Kṛṣṇa comes down as human being, we, due to our lack of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge, we think Kṛṣṇa is as good as we are. But actually it is not. Kṛṣṇa is God. We are ordinary living entities. His knowledge, His power of remembrance, His power of knowing everything perfectly is different from our knowing. But unfortunately we think, "God may be little greater than me." That is that Dr. Frog philosophy. We have explained several times. Kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya. The frog within the well, he is calculating the dimension of Pacific Ocean. So by this dog, frog philosophical way, we can, we cannot understand what is God. We must receive the knowledge from God Himself, or from a person who knows God. Otherwise, there is no possibility. Now, according to māyā..., Māyāvāda philosophy, they say that there is no duality. It is a kind of illusion that we see difference between God and ourself. That is māyā. Then Kṛṣṇa is not advocating herewith about the impersonal feature of the Lord. He says, ah, He represents...

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966:

There are two kinds of human being all the time: asura and deva. Deva. Deva means human beings who are connected with the Supreme Lord. Their life is for realization of the Supreme Truth. They are called deva. Just like in higher planets, there are also living beings. They are called devatās, demigods, because their magnitude of pleasure is far, far greater than ours. But because they do everything in relation with the Supreme Lord, therefore they are called devatās, devatā. Devatā means demigods. And asura. Asura means just the opposite. They simply enjoy life for the matter of sense pleasure. That's all. So those who are interested in sense pleasure, they are called asuras, and those who are interested, unending spiritual pleasure, they are called devatās. Devatā and asura does not mean that asuras are very ugly and devatās are very beautiful. Even the ugly man can become a devatā, or even a beautiful man may become asura. That is due to his mentality. Because, after all, the soul is pure.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:

He is one of us because He is father, we are sons. One of us. But He is the chief. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is more powerful, the most powerful, supreme powerful. We have got little power. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa... We cannot be equal. Nobody can be equal with Kṛṣṇa, or God, or greater than Him. Everyone, under Kṛṣṇa. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Therefore everyone is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the only master. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the enjoyer only. I am the proprietor." Kṛṣṇa says. That is the fact. So we are changing our body, but Kṛṣṇa does not change. One should understand this. The proof is that Kṛṣṇa says, vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). He remembers past, present and future.

Just like Kṛṣṇa says Arjuna, in the Fourth Chapter you will find, Kṛṣṇa says that "This philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā, I spoke to the sun-god, some forty millions of years ago." How He remembers? Because He does not change His body. This is simple fact.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:

Yes, by your present position. You can simply take the information that the dimension of the spirit soul is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of your hair. Very small particle, that is spirit soul. The dimension is given. You have got your hair. You can just imagine only; you cannot measure. And you divide the top of your hair into ten thousand parts, and that one part is the measurement of the spirit soul. That small particle is so powerful. Just imagine what is spiritual power. It is less than the atom. Therefore it is described in the Vedic lit..., aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān: "The spirit is greater than the greatest, and the smaller than the smallest."

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Mexico, February 15, 1975:

Those who are not attracted, they are called nitya-siddha, eternally liberated. And those who are being attracted, they are called nitya-baddha, eternally conditioned. So you'll find always two classes of men. So one is attracted; one is not attracted. In the spiritual world the number of liberated person—many, many times greater than these conditioned soul. Just like the prison house and outside the prison house. The population outside the prison house, their number is very great, but within the prison house there are small number, criminals. So there are innumerable living entities. Out of them, some of them become attracted to this material enjoyment; others not. So one who does not want to serve Kṛṣṇa and wants to serve his senses, he's put into this material world. And he's given all facilities to enjoy, but he becomes entangled. This is the position. Yes?

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- London, August 23, 1973:

Because God is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Accepted by all ācāryas, by all Vedic śāstra. And when He was present Himself, He proved Himself that He's God. Nobody was equal to Kṛṣṇa when He was personally present. Throughout the whole history of Mahābhārata you can see. Nobody was equal to Kṛṣṇa and nobody was greater than Kṛṣṇa. Many, many demons came to fight with Him, to kill Him. Even when He was a child, the Pūtanā demon came to kill Him by poisoning. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that Pūtanā smeared over her breast poison and Kṛṣṇa sucked the breast and sucked her life also. But she was given liberation, the position of mother. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. That is supreme consciousness. That, "However this demon, Pūtanā, innocent or ignorant, she came to kill Me without knowing that I cannot be killed, that is her ignorance. But so far I am concerned, I have touched her breast as mother; therefore, she should be given the position of mother, like Yaśodā Mā."

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

So when he's clean, then hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). When our senses are purified... Not this American hand or Indian hand. "It is Kṛṣṇa's hand. This hand should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, in sweeping the temple." If he thinks like this, he is far, far greater than any Vedāntist. If he simply knows that "This hand belongs to Kṛṣṇa," then he is far, far greater than any Vedāntist. These Vedāntists... Of course, all devotees, they are Vedāntists. But somebody thinks that he has monopolized as Vedānta. Veda means knowledge. Anta means ultimate. So Vedānta means ultimate knowledge. So ultimate knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). So the so-called Vedāntist, if he cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is the meaning of that Vedāntist? It has no meaning. They, the, he's perfect vedāntī, who knows that "Kṛṣṇa is Supreme. He's my Lord. I am His eternal servant." This is Vedānta knowledge.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Yes. This is a common sense argument. How it can be? If it is equal to the infinite, how he has become finite? They cannot answer. The impersonalists cannot answer. How he has become finite? They'll simply answer, "It is māyā." Then māyā is greater than the infinite? Then māyā becomes greater than the infinite. Then that God is no more infinite because māyā covers the Supreme, so how He is infinite? He becomes finite? The common sense is that finite Brahman is covered by māyā. Not the infinite. Therefore duality. Finite and infinite living entities. Kṛṣṇa is infinite, and the ordinary living entities are finite. (sound of bells from ice cream truck) What is that? (music of ice cream truck)

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

Frog is considering, "Atlantic Ocean may be a little bigger than the well." Because he is living always. Kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya It is, Sanskrit it is called kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya. Kūpa means well, and maṇḍūka means the frog. The frog is perpetually within the well, and if somebody informs him that there is another big span of water, Atlantic Ocean, he simply calculates that "It may be a little more than this well, little more than this well." But he cannot understand how great He is. So God is great. We cannot understand how great He is! That is our folly. We are simply calculating: "He may be one inch greater than me. Or one foot greater than me." That is mental speculation. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: (BG 7.3) "Out of many millions of men, one may try to make his life successful, understanding the Absolute Truth." And yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (BG 7.3).

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

And wherever the spirit soul is there within this material world, he has got a body and there is heart, and within that heart, Kṛṣṇa is also there. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Both of them, living there. Therefore aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Kṛṣṇa can become greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. This is God.

When Kṛṣṇa was playing as a child, He ate earth and the playmates complained to Mother Yaśodā: "Mother, your son Kṛṣṇa is eating earth." Mother Yaśodā called for explanation: "Kṛṣṇa, why You are eating earth? I have given You sandeśa." Kṛṣṇa said, "No, mother, I have not eaten." "No, Your friends are complaining." "No, they have become My enemies this morning. We had some quarrel. Therefore they have combined together to make Me chastised by you." So in this way... Then Mother Yaśodā wanted to solve this problem: "All right, show Your mouth, open Your mouth. I want to see."

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

"All right, show Your mouth, open Your mouth. I want to see." And when Kṛṣṇa opened the mouth, the mother saw innumerable universes are within the mouth. This is Kṛṣṇa. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Kṛṣṇa enters within the universe, but at the same time, millions of universes are within His mouth. This is the explanation of "the greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest." Of course, Mother Yaśodā, although she saw, she could not believe it because Mother Yaśodā never thought of that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She always thought that "He is my teeny child." That's all. "I have to take care of Him." This is called paternal feelings. Vātsalya-rasa.

Kṛṣṇa is served by the devotees in so many rasas, transcendental mellow, or humor. Somebody is serving as servant. Somebody is serving as friend. Somebody is serving as father and mother.

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

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. What do you think?

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

This Kṛṣṇa, this is a Sanskrit word. You have to understand, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means... Kṛṣ means the greatest, and ṇa means pleasure. He is the symbol of greatest pleasure, greatest pleasure. So we are also part and parcel of that greatest pleasure. Just like the ocean and a drop of water of the ocean, if you chemically analyze, you will find the same ingredients. The volume of the ocean is certainly greater than the volume of the drop of the ocean water, but so far the constitution is concerned, either this drop of ocean water or the full ocean water, the same chemical composition you will find. Similarly, because we are part and parcel of the Supreme, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternity, blissful and knowledge, therefore, although we are minute particles, minute particle... But the minute particle has got so much energy. You can just see that that minute particle of the soul within this body, how wonderful things we are doing. Everything, whatever material manifestation, at least in this world...

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

That is the ultimate source. 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. And if you go into the sun planet you will find Vivasvān the sun-god is there. The sun planet is so dazzling due to his presence.

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

He cannot be imperson. And God says personally, "There is no greater truth than Me. Arjuna, there is no greater truth than Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), "I am the source of all energy." So God says, Arjuna says, Vyāsa says, Nārada says; why should we hear a street man? (laughter) (Prabhupāda laughs) A man in the street, is he greater than Nārada? Is he greater than Vyāsa? He is greater than Kṛṣṇa? Then why should I hear him? You should ask him, "Please, keep your theory with you. We are greater authority than you." Yes. Yes?

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

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Hare Kṛṣṇa is the same. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is combination of Hare and Kṛṣṇa. So there is no difference. They are all the same. But because we receive through the mercy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya has appeared to deliver us this mahā-mantra; therefore, we first of all pray Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya that "Give us strength to receive Hare Kṛṣṇa." Therefore we chant śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda... Just like you offer your respect to the spiritual master first. That does not mean that spiritual master is greater than Kṛṣṇa. But the spiritual master is mercy manifestation of Kṛṣṇa; therefore śāstra says that you should offer him the same respect as to Kṛṣṇa. But by that way, a spiritual master does not think that "I have become greater than Kṛṣṇa." Then he is a Māyāvādī, or equal to... (end)

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

Spices... And old history you will find that India, they had got their own ships for exporting spices to Greece and other countries of Europe. The history is there. And they were supplying muslin cloth, even just before the British period, Muslim period. So India's export, export, I mean to say, status was far greater than other countries. And these spices and other export attracted persons from Europe, that Vasco de Gama, and the Columbus also wanted to go, but he fortunately came to America. You see? All these Europeans and the Britishers went and established their supremacy. So India was so rich. But now how that India has become so poor? The same land is there. Why? Because they have lost that old culture, God consciousness. You see? And at least my calculation is that, that a state, a secular state... Secular state means he has no... Here in America you have got state religion. You have got state religion. But in India there is no state religion. Every country has state religion.

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

Bhagavad-gītā is only a synopsis of the science of God, and it is more explicitly given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. But after all, it is a great science. If we study it very seriously, then we can understand... We should not take so cheaply that "Here is a God, here is a God, here is a God." No, no. God is not so cheap. God is one, and He is great. "God is great," as in your English language it is said, and nobody can be greater than Him or equal to Him. That is the position of God. Now here, Arjuna, he accepts Kṛṣṇa and he says that "You are Paraṁ Brahman." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Dhāma means in which everything rests. We are resting, everything is resting. Just like... This is scientific and practical, you know, that the innumerable planets that the, that you can see at night as, I mean to say, luminaries, stars in the sky, each and every one of them, more or less, they are all different kinds of planets. But do you know how they are floating in the space? They are floating on the sunshine, on the sun rays. They are floating. That you can see.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

"The nature of Brahman is that He has nothing to do." He has nothing to do. That is the difference between God and ourself. We have to do everything to achieve a certain aim, but God has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "And nobody is found who is equal to Him and or greater than Him." Nobody is found. These are the definition in the Vedic literature, that "God has nothing to do. Nobody is equal to Him, and nobody is greater than Him."

That means everyone is below Him. Everyone is below Him. Nobody can be equal with God. Even such great demigods like Śiva and Brahmā... They are considered to be the highest demigods. Still, in the scriptures it is said that nobody should place all these demigods, even Śiva and Brahmā, on equal footing with Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do. God, who is actually God, He has nothing to do. He has nothing to do. He is God from the very beginning. And He is all-powerful with all opulences. That is the God. So Kṛṣṇa says, "I have nothing to do," triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana, "not only in this earth, but in the three worlds, anywhere, anywhere I can go, anywhere I can work, anywhere I can see. But still, I have nothing to do."

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

The material world, especially in this age, everyone is thinking, "I am the greatest. Who can become more than me?" Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. This material world is like that. Everyone is thinking like that. Asuric pravṛtti. Kaḥ āḍhyo 'sti mama samaḥ: "Who is greater than me?" There is a struggle for this vimūḍhātmā competition.

But at the end he is under the control of nature—everyone knows it—because ultimately the death will come and all ahaṅkāras will be taken away. "I don't care for God. I am independent. I am God"—all these ahaṅkāra, false egotism, on account of bewildered, being bewildered, these things will be finished when Kṛṣṇa will come as death. Everything will be finished. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa has described Himself that "I am death. I am death, and I take away all your possession, that's all, as death." It will be taken away. However intelligent we may be, however proud we may be for our possession, but the death is sure. "As sure as death."

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

Temporary problem will go on. If you don't solve this problem, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, then any form of life, there will be problems. Even if you are elevated to the heavenly planets, there are also problems. Indra is not very happy there, the king of heavenly planet. Although the higher planets, the duration of life, the standard of civilization, standard of comforts many, many thousand times greater than here, but the same problem—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi—is there. You cannot avoid it.

But actually our problem is that I... Nobody wants to die, that's a fact, but death is enforced. No young man wants to become old man, but it is enforced. You cannot avoid it. So we should understand—this is sense—that we are not independent. That's a fact. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27).

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

We are living entities, we are individuals, and God is Supersoul.

What is the difference between Supersoul and individual soul? One is very small, minute, and the other is very big. God is great. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān, God is greater than the greatest. You can conceive in your idea, the greatness of something, but God is still greater. And you can conceive the smallest—just like the atom—yet God is smaller than the atom. That is God. Not that He's only the great, but He is the smallest also. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Mahato mahīyān means greater than the greatest, and aṇor aṇīyān, and smaller than the smallest. We cannot imagine the dimension of the atom, or you can imagine, but still God is smaller than that. This is the position of God. So He has got His form, as the atom has got form. Similarly, within the atom, God has got form, and as this whole universe has got form, that God has also got form.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

When there is a statement in the Vedic language that God has no form, it does not mean God has no form, but He has form which you cannot imagine. That is called formless. Actually God is not formless, but what is that form, you cannot imagine. Because He is greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest.

So, you can imagine great, the great, this universe, the sky, millions and millions of miles spreading. The scientists say that to go the topmost planet of this universe, it will take forty thousands of years in the light year speed. But you can see there are so many planets. Just like you are trying to go to the moon planet, similarly there are other planets, but you cannot go. It is so big, beyond your reach. This is one universe, but there are innumerable universes. As you see that within this planet there are innu..., within this universe there numberless planets, you cannot count even.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Yes. They cannot be. Nobody can be equal with God. God's another name is asamaurdhva. Sanskrit name is. Asama means nobody is equal with God, and ūrdhva, nobody is greater than Him. That means everybody is lower than Him. One may be very great in the estimation of our knowledge, but nobody can be equal with God. God is great. That is the real version, "God is great." And nobody can be greater. Then he is not God. If somebody becomes greater than God, then what kind of God He is? God is great. Yes. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

The deductive process, from the authority, the knowledge received, is always perfect. So Vedic process is deductive process. Vedic process is deductive process.

You'll find so many verses in the Bhagavad-gītā which may appear to be dogmatic. The Lord says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, there is nobody else greater than Me. There is no greater authority than Me." Kṛṣṇa says. Now, apparently, it appears very dogmatic. Suppose if I say before you that, "There is nobody greater than me," oh, you'll think, "Oh, Swamiji is very proud." Yes. If a man like me, who is conditioned by so many, I mean to say, restrictions, if I say that I am the greatest of all, that is a blasphemy. I cannot say that. But Kṛṣṇa can say. Because the history of life from Kṛṣṇa, we can understand that actually He was the greatest personality. At least, during His time, He was the greatest personality in every field of activities. Now knowledge received from the greatest personality, greatest authority, is, according to Vedic system, that is accepted as perfect.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Neither, I mean to say, imagination or hypothesis nor direct. Direct perception is always imperfect, especially in the conditioned stage of life. Just like direct perception—with our eyes we see the sun just like a disc, not more than your plate on which you take your meals. But from authority, aitihya, we understand the sun is so many millions times greater than this earth. So which of them is right? By seeing your direct perception, sun just like a disc—is it right? Or you take it from authority that sun is such and such times bigger than the earth? Which one of them you'll accept? But you are not going to prove it that the sun is so great. You do not know. You accept from some scientist, from some astronomer, from some authority, that sun is so great. But you have no capacity to see yourself whether the sun is so great or not. Therefore the knowledge received from authority actually we are accustomed and we are accepting this type of knowledge in every field of our activities.

Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:

Vivasvān is the present sun-god, or the president. Just like you have got the president in your country. The Americans, they have got their president. Similarly, each and every planet has got its president. The present president is called Vivasvān. Of course, their duration of life is very, very great, greater than ours. But still they are also human being. They are also living being, having a different type of body. They can live in that sun planet although it is fiery. That I have already explained. (children talking) The children must not talk.

So Arjuna knew it perfectly well. "But as there are foolish men like me..." They cannot understand that Kṛṣṇa spoke this Bhagavad-gītā millions of years ago to the sun-god. We immediately say, "Oh, these are all story." But it is not story. It is fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, to clarify the matter, Arjuna, to clarify matter to the fools like us, he's asking this question that "My dear Kṛṣṇa, we are contemporary.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:

So when we understand the greatness of Kṛṣṇa, then we become more attached. More attached. The greatness attracts. Suppose a man is very exalted position. He attracts the attention. Similarly, if we know the greatness of... One who does not know the greatness of Kṛṣṇa, he thinks Kṛṣṇa, "Yes,... That kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya, Doctor Frog: "Maybe little greater than me. That's all." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). Such person thinks Kṛṣṇa as one of them, and therefore it has become a very fashionable thing to become Kṛṣṇa's avatāra, very cheaply. No. They do not know actually what is Kṛṣṇa's position.

Kṛṣṇa's position, if one understands, then he is liberated person. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). He's liberated person. Even in this body. Simply by knowing how great Kṛṣṇa is. Simply by knowing this fact, how Kṛṣṇa... Then one understands that mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Iti matvā bhajante mām... Then our bhajana for Kṛṣṇa's service will become very much fixed-up and determined.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

He has no want. He's ātma-tṛpta, fully complete. Thus He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. This is description of God. He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate.

There is nobody equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. This is the Vedic description of God. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate, na tat-sama... Sama means equal. And adhika. Adhika means greater. Here you will find somebody is equal to you, somebody is greater than you, somebody is lower than you. Three positions. Everyone. Nobody can say that "I am the final." Anybody, beginning from Brahmā down to the ant, everybody you'll find that somebody is equal to him, somebody is greater than him, and somebody is lesser than him. But Kṛṣṇa, nobody one is equal to him, nobody is greater than Him, but every is lesser than Him. That's all.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is lesser. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate.

Now, you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, studying, of course, so many books. Have you found anyone who is greater than Kṛṣṇa or equal to Kṛṣṇa? No. We can find one greater than... Rādhārāṇī is greater than Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) Yes. That is out of love. Actually, Rādhārāṇī's also lesser than Kṛṣṇa. She's dāsī, maidservant. She's always thinking how She shall be perfect dāsī. She's not thinking that... Kṛṣṇa sometimes makes Rādhārāṇī greater than Him. That does not mean Rādhārāṇī thinks like that. Rādhārāṇī always thinks, "How I shall become perfect maidservant of Kṛṣṇa?" That is the real position, everyone. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find how everyone is thinking of servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our real position. But Kṛṣṇa sometimes elevates some of His devotees.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

"How I shall become perfect maidservant of Kṛṣṇa?" That is the real position, everyone. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find how everyone is thinking of servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our real position. But Kṛṣṇa sometimes elevates some of His devotees.

Just like Mother Yaśodā. He's thinking, "Mother Yaśodā is greater than Me." Or He is making Rādhārāṇī, I mean, Mother Yaśodā feeling like that, that "I am protector of Kṛṣṇa. If I do not feed Kṛṣṇa nicely, He will die." This is called vātsalya-rasa, paternal feeling. So nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa actually. And she is feeling greater than Kṛṣṇa as also maidservant, that "I must serve Kṛṣṇa. I must timely give Kṛṣṇa food. I must timely raise Kṛṣṇa." Always taking care, always anxious that "Kṛṣṇa may not be in danger. Kṛṣṇa is crawling. He may not go to the water. He may not be attacked by the monkey. He may not be..." So many.

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

They are not free from that. Nobody is free. Within this universe, anyone, either human being or demigod or animal or anyone, they are subjected to these four principles of miseries: birth, death, and old age and disease. So when you get out of this material world, then you get free from this. Their duration of life may be greater than your duration of life, but death is sure.

You cannot get rid of death in higher planets. Death is there, sure. The duration of life... Just like a man's duration of life than the duration of the life of a dog is greater, but both are subjected to the principle of death. That one cannot avoid. But if you want to avoid the subjugation under death, then you have to develop your spiritual body, and that is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Any other questions? Yes?

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

It is easy for the rich, for the poor, for the learned, for the fool, for the black, for the white, for the rich, for the poor, everyone. There is no distinction because(?) Kṛṣṇa is for everyone.

Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). In the lower nature, everyone thinks, "Oh, I am greater than you." The Hindus think, "Oh, we are greater than Muslim." The Muslim thinks, "We are greater than the Hindus." The Christian thinks that "We are greater than the Jews." The Jews thinks, "We are greater than..." This is material conception. But for Kṛṣṇa there is no lower or higher. Every living being—His part and parcel. He comes here to claim every one of you, "Come on. Come on, My dear sir. Why you are suffering here? It is not for you. Take this chance." Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7).

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. It is said in the śāstra, aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre (vartate) nāma tubhyam. Even a śva-paca, caṇḍāla, dog-eater, if he learns from the spiritual master how to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he is garīyān, he is glorified. In another place also, that śva-paca, caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭho hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ. Even caṇḍāla, he becomes greater than a brāhmaṇa, provided he becomes a devotee of the Lord. Hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ.

So ordinarily, when people are not on the standard of bhagavad-bhakti, devotees of the Lord, there is division of the society. There must be. Otherwise things cannot go on. In the śāstras we find that there is division even in my body: the brain division, the hand division or the arms division, the belly division and the leg division.

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:

In the material world he can go in any one of the planets. Sometimes by yogic practice we can go also, but not so easily. So there is a life of freedom. That is spiritual life.

Nitya-mukta, the living entities who are living, who are residing in the spiritual world, their number is greater than the conditioned soul. Just like some of our friends or citizens, they are in the jail. Their number is not as many as there, we are free. Similarly, the number of free living entities in the spiritual world is greater than the number of the conditioned souls. A few only, we are conditioned.

And this conditioned means karmāṇi. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). As we are doing work, fruitive activities, under the influence of a particular type of modes of nature, we are getting different types of bodies, and there are 8,400,000 forms of bodies, and we are rotating. Because we do not know, we have forgotten how to become free from this cycle of birth and death and transmigration of the soul. This is called karma. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9).

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:

So why should He work? Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca. This is the Vedic information. The Supreme Absolute Truth, God, has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His energies are multi. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. It is multi-energies working so nicely that we are seeing that it is automatically being (done). Not automatically. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10), under His direction. But the machine, but the energy is so subtle, it appears like "Oh, it is has become automatically." But it is not being automatically. There is superintendence. But parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca.

Just like if you paint one nice rose flower, you have to apply your energy and the brush and the color very particularly, very carefully.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

The māyā is there. "Why you are going to worship Kṛṣṇa? You are God." "Oh, yes, I am God." This is the last snare of māyā. Therefore they are Māyāvādīs. Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can be equal to Kṛṣṇa; nobody can be greater than Kṛṣṇa. Then what is the meaning of God? If there are so many rascal Gods, then what is the specific personality of God? So this is the last snare of māyā, if one is trying to become God. That is not possible. That is asuric. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. They never will...

Kṛṣṇa's desire is that you surrender. Sarva-dharmān... You have manufactured so many things within this material world to become happy. This is all foolishness. You will never be happy. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, because Kṛṣṇa loves, that you sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). But māyā says, "No. Why? You become Kṛṣṇa. You become God." This is going on.

Lecture on BG 4.34 -- New York, August 14, 1966:

And Vāsudeva is controlled by Baladeva. And Baladeva is controlled by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, there is no, nobody greater than Me." And Arjuna also accepted that "You are asamordhva: "Nobody is equal to You, and nobody is greater than You."

And our Gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana... There were six Gosvāmīs. They were very good scholars, especially Jīva Gosvāmī. They have analyzed the characteristics of the Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, and they have established that Kṛṣṇa has got the all the transcendental qualities of Godhead in Kṛṣṇa. And in Nārāyaṇa there are ninety-four percent of the transcendental qualities of the Absolute Truth. Similarly, in Lord Śiva there is eighty-four percent of all the transcendental qualities of the Absolute Truth. And in living being, as we are, we have got seventy-eight percent of the transcendental qualities. That is also in fraction, not in full.

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

Similarly, God has got the tendency for enjoyment. So there is nothing different from you, God. Only the difference is that He is unlimited; I am limited. I am very small; He is very great. He is infinite; I am infinitesimal.

Vibhu, aṇu. The Sanskrit word is vibhu. Vibhu means the great. God is great. Asamaurdhva. Nobody can be equal to God; nobody can be greater than God. That means everyone is subordinate to God.

Simply these understandings will make you liberated. Janma karma (ca) me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā deham (BG 4.9). This liberation means after quitting this body, you are no more going to accept any material body. You are immediately transferred to the spiritual world, and you get your spiritual body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). These things are already explained. So try to understand what is God and what you are, what is this material nature, what is your relationship with material nature, with God, with others, what is this time factor, what is work. Then you are in full knowledge and you become liberated. All right.

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

The peace formula is this: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the beneficiary in all human activities. Men should offer everything to the transcendental service of the Lord because He is proprietor of all planets and the demigods thereon. Nobody is greater than He. He is greater than the greatest of demigods, Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. Under the spell of illusion living entities are trying to be lords of all they survey but actually they are dominated by the material energy of the Lord. The Lord is the master of material nature and the conditioned souls are under the stringent rules of that nature. Unless one understands these bare facts it is not possible to achieve peace in the world either individually or collectively. This is the sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme predominator and that all living entities, including the great demigods, are His subordinates. One can attain perfect peace only in complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 6.1 -- Los Angeles, February 13, 1969:

Devotee: "Such a desire is greater than any material desire. But it is not without self-interest. Similarly the mystic yogi who practices the yoga system with half-open eyes, ceasing all material activities, desires some satisfaction for his personal self."

Prabhupāda: Actually the yogis want some material power. That is the perfection of yoga. Not perfection, that is one of the procedures. Just like if you are actually practicing the regulative principles of yoga, then you can get eight kinds of perfection. You can become lighter than the cotton swab. You can become heavier than the stone. You can get anything, whatever you like, immediately. Sometimes you can even create a planet. Such powerful yogis are there. Viśvāmitra yogi, he did it actually. He wanted to get man from palm tree. "Why man should be begotten living ten months within the womb of mother. They'll be produced just like fruit." He did it like that. So sometimes yogis are so powerful, they can do. So these are all material powers. Such yogis, they are also vanquished. How long you can remain on this material power? So bhakti-yogīs, they do not want anything such. Go on. Yes.

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

Devotee: "A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogi."

Prabhupāda: Yogi, that is the highest perfectional material condition of life. There are different grades of life within this material world, but if one establishes himself in the yoga principle, especially in this bhakti-yoga principle, that means he's living in the most perfectional stage of life. So Kṛṣṇa is recommending Arjuna, "My dear friend Arjuna, in all circumstances, you be a yogi, remain a yogi." Yes, go on.

Devotee: "And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all."

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

What is sun? That is a minute creation of Kṛṣṇa. If sun can remain on everyone's head simultaneously, although one may be five thousand, then thousand miles away, Kṛṣṇa cannot remain? Why don't you use your reasoning power? Is the sun greater than Kṛṣṇa? No. Kṛṣṇa can create millions of suns. If sun has got such power, why not Kṛṣṇa? Then you do not understand Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa, akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). He can expand, that you'll find in the Thirteenth Chapter. That kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). Kṣetra, kṣetra-jñam. Just like you are a spirit soul. You are the proprietor of this body. I am proprietor of this body, you are proprietor of your body. But because I am sitting within this body, but Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all bodies because He is sitting everywhere. Just like this house may be owned by me or somebody else. That house may be owned by him. But the whole America is owned by the state. Similarly when there is question of greatness, that is possible, that expansion. And because I cannot expand, frog philosophy, therefore Kṛṣṇa cannot expand, that is nonsense. We are thinking always in terms of my position. How it is possible for Kṛṣṇa to expand because I cannot expand . What you are? What is your position?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, September 10, 1968:

This sense of service is further development. Just like from the sky the air develops, similarly, from the idea of greatness of God the sense of service develops. Because I am serving somebody great, I go to some office because he provides me. The proprietor gives me some salary; therefore he is greater than me. I render service in exchange of something given by him.

So God is so great. In the Vedic literatures it is found that eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one great supreme living being, He is supplying all the necessities of all other small living beings. We are all small living beings, and Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, is the greatest living being. He is also a living being, just like us. The other day I explained that man is made after God, not that God is made after man. Don't think that because I have got two hands, two legs, one head, therefore I have created a Kṛṣṇa who has got two hands, two legs, two... No. That is not the fact.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, September 10, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa as Lord Caitanya was playing the part of Rādhārāṇī. He wanted to understand. Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand what is there in Rādhārāṇī. So that understanding, that feature of Kṛṣṇa is Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is not different from Kṛṣṇa, but the feature in which Kṛṣṇa is trying to understand Rādhārāṇī, that is Lord Caitanya. So Rādhārāṇī's position is greater than Kṛṣṇa's. These are very confidential talks, but the relationship of love and the beloved, as it was between Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, that is the highest type of relationship. There is no doubt about it. (pause) Yes?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, September 10, 1968:

He's praying, "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, either You trample me down by Your feet, either You embrace me as lover, or You make me brokenhearted without Your presence. Whatever You like You can do. But still I am Your eternal servitor." So this attitude was Rādhārāṇī's. So Lord Caitanya is the feature of Kṛṣṇa understanding Rādhārāṇī. That Kṛṣṇa is great undoubtedly, but He thinks that Rādhārāṇī is greater than Him, because He cannot repay the loving transaction of Rādhā, of Kṛṣṇa. So he wanted to study what is there in Rādhārāṇī. "So I cannot study Rādhārāṇī in the feature of Kṛṣṇa. If I take the feature of Rādhārāṇī, then I can understand what are..." This is highest, I mean to say, transcendental sentiments. But Lord Caitanya is Rādhārāṇī's feature. Tad-dvayaṁ caikyam aptam. Caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caityam āptam. Kṛṣṇa, when He wants to enjoy, He expands His pleasure potency, which is Rādhārāṇī. Now one Kṛṣṇa becomes two, Kṛṣṇa and His pleasure potency. And that pleasure potency, when unites with Kṛṣṇa, that is Caitanya. Kṛṣṇa becomes two, Rādhārāṇī and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa cannot enjoy anything material because He is full in Himself. Therefore if He has to enjoy something, then that enjoyable personality must be expanded from Him only. So that is Rādhārāṇī. And when that enjoyable personality again takes into one, that is Caitanya. These things you'll understand as you develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in higher development stage. But it is, we can discuss. This is the fact. Yes?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

There is possibility. This is not story or fiction. We see so many planets within this universe. We have got so many flying vehicles, but we cannot approach even to the nearest. We are so much limited. But if we worship Govinda, then it is possible. You can go anywhere. We have written these statements in our small booklet, Easy Journey to Other Planets. This is possible. Don't think that this planet is all and all. There are many, many millions of other very nice planets. There the standard of happiness, standard of enjoyment is many more times greater than what we are enjoying here. So how this is possible?

I shall read the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, which is spoken by Govinda Himself. Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

The real process is to concentrate the mind on something. But that something, if we make it void, it is very difficult to concentrate our mind in that way. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Twelfth Chapter: kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). Those who are trying to meditate on something impersonal and void, their trouble is greater than those who are meditating on the Supreme Person. This is explained. Why? Avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhir avāpyate. We cannot concentrate our mind (on) something impersonal. If you think of your friend, if you think of your father, mother, or somebody whom you love, you can continue such thinking for hours together. But if you have no objective to fix up your mind, then it is very difficult. But people are being taught to concentrate on something void and impersonal.

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

This gagana will be annihilated at the time of destruction, but that does not annihilate.

So the idea of gagana is not perfect idea of the Supreme. Gagana-sadṛśa, that is limited within the purview of our knowledge because we cannot think that anything can be greater than this big sky. No, He is mahato mahīyān, bigger than the biggest, aṇor aṇīyān, smaller than the smallest. Just like we can imagine atom, the smallest. But atom we can see by some way or other atom. Six atoms, trasareṇu. Six atoms, when it is combined, we can see through the windows with the sunshine so many trasareṇu. Those small particles which we see through the window with sunshine, they are combination of six atoms. They are not original atom. But the atomic constitution of the living entity is a thousand times smaller than the atom. Therefore aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān: "He is greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest." The smaller than the smallest, we are.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Upsala University Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

And in the judgment given in the Supreme is final. No more any appeal. That is final. Supreme means that, final.

So bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān means the Supreme Being. We are all beings. We are also living entities. Similarly, Bhagavān, or God, He's also a living entity. As living entity, we are the same. But He's the supreme living entity. No more greater than Him. Here, we can distinguish. I am here. You may be greater than me. Another person may be greater than you. Another person may be greater than him. In this way, you go on searching, greater, greater, greater, greater, and when you come to a person, nobody is greater than him, that is God. Nowadays, it has become a fashions, so many gods. Especially, they come to your country, Western country. But God cannot be plural number. God is always singular number, one. If God is plural number, then that is not God. That plural-number God may be the living entities. We are living entities, and God is also living entity, but the supreme living entity. That is the difference. It is Vedic statement.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

"I am the proprietor of all the planets." So who can become richer than Him? Therefore He is Bhagavān. The highest rich man, the richest person is called Bhagavān. Nobody can claim that he is the richest. That is not possible. So one who claims that "I am the richest. Nobody is equal to Me, and nobody is greater than Me," He is Bhagavān. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is greater than Me." That is Bhagavān. Bhagavān cannot be so cheap that anyone can claim that "I am God. I am Bhagavān." That is cheating. He must prove first of all that he is the richest of everyone. Not only richest, aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya, in strength also. Vīryasya. Vīryasya yaśasaḥ, also reputation.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

He is also rotating in the orbit by the order of Govinda. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

So there are so many things to learn and to understand what is God and what is Kṛṣṇa. God means Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. God means nobody is equal to Him and nobody is greater than Him. That is God. There is no completion that in this quarter there is one God and in another neighborhood there is another God. Just like it has become a fashion, so many Gods, competition is going on. No. There is no competition. God is one. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. That is God. So because God is complete in knowledge, therefore we have to take knowledge from Him, not from the persons who have got incomplete knowledge. That knowledge is not perfect. We must take knowledge from the person, we have to take knowledge from the person:

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

Śrī Bhagavān is the possessor of all kinds of opulences. Then what is difficulty for Him to remain within the atom? Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. He can remain within the atom, He can remain within the universe in His gigantic virāṭ form, as He showed to Arjuna, virāḍ-rūpa. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He's smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest. In this way, Kṛṣṇa will explain Himself.

So... The process is... What is that process? Kṛṣṇa says mayy āsakta-manāḥ, "Unto Me become attached." Āsakta, attached. So how this attachment will increase? Mayy āsakta-manāḥ yogaṁ yuñjan, this is a yoga, to become attached to Kṛṣṇa. This is the beginning. If you come to the temple daily and you see the transcendental form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1) of Bhagavān... This Bhagavān which you see, it is nondifferent from the original Bhagavān. Don't differentiate, that "This is a stone statue of Bhagavān." No. He is Bhagavān. He is Bhagavān, arcā-mūrti, arcā-vigraha.

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

That is the difference between me and God. Otherwise He is a living being just like us. He is more powerful. The most powerful, the most beautiful, the most famous, the most strong, and we are all subordinate. Therefore His name is asamordhva. Asamordhva means nobody is equal or greater than Him. Everyone is subordinate to Him. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the origin of everything." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). These things are there in Vedic literature. Yes?

Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971:

And there is another energy which is avidyā. How it is avidyā? Just like we are thinking that Brahman is covered by māyā. This is avidyā. How Brahman can be covered by māyā? Then māyā becomes the great, not Brahman. Brahman means the great. Bṛhatva. That is Brahman. So if māyā covers Brahman, then māyā becomes greater than Brahman. And that is not possible. Māyā is illusion. Just like cloud. Cloud is another production of the sun. By the heat of the sun, the sea water is evaporated and it is transformed into clouds. So cloud is nothing but a transformation of the energy of the sun. Similarly, māyā-śakti is also another energy of Kṛṣṇa. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Mama māyā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).

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

Without working, nobody can even maintain his body and soul together. That you cannot avoid. But at the same time, we can remember Kṛṣṇa. That is... That depends only on practice and understanding, pure understanding.

So here Kṛṣṇa says that "There is nobody greater than Me." That is the verdict of all ancient Vedic literatures. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, the same thing is confirmed, that kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There is a list of different incarnations of God. In that list Lord Buddha's name is also there. Lord Buddha's name is described: kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati. Buddho nāmnāñjana-sutaḥ kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the Lord Buddha's name is mentioned as future incarnation. Bhaviṣyati, "will appear." Kīkaṭeṣu, "in the province of Gayā."So this is called śāstra. Because Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was composed five thousand years ago and Lord Buddha appeared 2,600 years ago...

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

So we have to understand Kṛṣṇa from the śāstra. Kṛṣṇa Himself speaking that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is nobody else greater than Me." And when Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he also accepted Kṛṣṇa like that. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are Para-brahman." So Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman. Brahman, we are all Brahman because we are part and parcels of Para-brahman, but we are not Para-brahman. We are subordinate Brahman. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We are supported by Kṛṣṇa. We are supported by God. He is one, God is one. And the supported Brahmans, or living entities, they are innumerable, beyond the numerical strength. Asaṅkhya. Nobody can count how many living entities are there, but God is one.

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

There are so many. And he is very famous. So you should know that this fame and name of this person is due to Kṛṣṇa's mercy. You see Kṛṣṇa there. Nobody can be greater than any other friend unless he is specially bestowed the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. A little portion of Kṛṣṇa's mercy is there. Kṛṣṇa is most opulent. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. You can claim that you are proprietor of ten crores of rupees or other can claim that "I am proprietor of fifty crores of rupees," and other can claim hundred crores of rupees, but nobody can claim that "I am the proprietor of all the money that is available within this material world." Nobody can say that. Even Brahmā cannot say. But Kṛṣṇa, oh, His description is that samagrasya aiśvaryasya: "All the wealth that is conceivable, He is the proprietor."

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

This is the version of Upaniṣad. He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryam. Why? And because... Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. And nobody is equal to Him. Neither greater than Him. And He hasn't got to do anything because He has got so many energies. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Everything is being done by His energy very perfectly.

So His energy is working even in the water. You can perceive His energy within the water. We are daily using water. We are tasting water. So you can perceive Kṛṣṇa's presence, Kṛṣṇa's all-pervasiveness, even while you drink water. Every one of us, we drink water. And... So the taste of the water, Kṛṣṇa says, "Here I am." This is impersonal feature, but the person is behind. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). Water is one of the products of this material nature, but behind this existence of water is Kṛṣṇa. Then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. You try to understand by studying His energy. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is describing that "Although you cannot see Me just now..." Because in the preliminary stage nobody can see Kṛṣṇa, although Kṛṣṇa is present everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). He is present within the atom. But it requires the qualified eyes to see Him or purified senses to perceive Him.

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

Therefore they give it up, that "It has no length and no breadth." But actually, it is not a fact. It has got length and breadth, but we have no instrument, we have no power to see.

So spirit soul is aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Spirit soul is the greater than the greatest and it is the smaller than the smallest. So we cannot see the smallest; we cannot see the greatest. Greater than the greatest. We can think of the greatest, the sky, the expansion of the sky—unlimited. But such skies, God is so great that innumerable, millions and billions of skies are within Him. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya... (Bs. 5.48). Therefore we have to refer to the authoritative scripture to get knowledge. As I told you the other day, that transcendental knowledge has to be acquired by aural reception. There is no other way. Just like, practical. The geometrical calculation is that the sun, the dimension of the sun is many, many hundred, thousands of..., greater than the earth. But we are seeing just like a disk. So our sense is unable to see how great it is. It is a material thing.

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

So our sense is unable to see how great it is. It is a material thing. So how we can see the greatness of God with these material eyes? It is not possible. As you are understanding about the sun by authoritative statement of the geometry, that this sun globe is so great, so many hundred thousands greater than the... But you are seeing just like a disk. So how to get the knowledge of the sun? By receiving through the ear. That's all. Simply you have to receive the knowledge from the authority. It is not that practically you are experimenting by going to the sun, that it is so great and so long, so broad. That is not possible. You have to receive such knowledge through authority. That's all.

So even for material understanding which is beyond our sense perception we have to receive knowledge from authority. Similarly, we cannot understand what is God. But from the authoritative sources we can understand that God is so great. Just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48)—that you see this universe, and in each universe there is a predominating demigod which is called Brahmā, or jagad-aṇḍa-nātha, the master of the universe.

Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966:

We have to serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, not unfavorably. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam. We want to serve God with some material purpose, some material gain. Of course, that is also nice. If somebody goes to God for some material gain, he is far greater than the person who never goes to God. That is admitted in the Bhagavad-gītā. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna, ārto arthārthī. That is a better man. But we should not be... We should not go to God with some purpose of material benefit. We should be free from this. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). And jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. Jñāna-karma. Karma means work with some fruitive result. "I am working in Kṛṣṇa consciousness just to get some profit out of it"—no, this should not be done. And jñāna. Jñāna means I am trying to understand Kṛṣṇa. Of course, we shall try to understand Kṛṣṇa, but God, or Kṛṣṇa, is so unlimited, we cannot actually understand. We cannot understand. It is not possible for us. Therefore we have to accept whatever we can understand. Just like this Bhagavad-gītā is presented for our understanding. We should so far understand.

Lecture on BG 8.28-9.2 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

Idaṁ tu te guhyatamaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave. Anasūyave. This very word is used. Anasūyave means "who does not envy." Does not envy. Just like the Lord says, "I am the proprietor of all planets." Somebody may say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is claiming the proprietorship of everything. How is that?" Because in the material world we are always envious. If somebody is greater than me, I am envious: "Oh, he's..., in that way, he has so much progressed." We are envious. This is the disease of material world, envious. So we are envious of God also. When God says that "I am the proprietor," we disbelieve it.

So here this very word is used, anasūyave. Arjuna is hearing from Lord Kṛṣṇa without any enviousness. He's accepting what does He say. This is the way of understanding. We cannot understand by our mental speculation what is God. We have to hear, and we have to accept.

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

Therefore He is called Supreme Being in the dictionary. Nobody can be rival to Him. Asamaurdhva. Asama means equal. Nobody is equal to Him. If I become equal to Him, how He can become Supreme? If there is rivalry between the Supreme, then there is not meaning of Supreme. Supreme means there is no rivalry. He is the Supreme, means nobody is greater than Him; nobody is equal to Him; everyone is under Him. That is called Supreme. Asamaurdhva. Nobody can be sama. Sama means equal. If I am God, and another competitor God, you are also God, then neither I am God nor I am God. There cannot be any competition. That is called Supreme. So Arjuna is to that position. He does not challenge Kṛṣṇa that "There is another Supreme Being than Yourself." There cannot be. But sometimes we foolishly challenge. That is our foolishness. But God is always Supreme. So therefore this is the qualification of understanding confidential knowledge about God. Anasūyave. Pravakṣyāmy anasūyave.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:

So as you see differences of standard of living here, similarly, each and every planet there is different standard of living. And it is said in the śāstra that if you go to the moon planet, then you live there for ten thousands of years, ten thousand of years, and their calculation of time is also greater than ours. It is calculated that our six months is equal to their one day. That is called deva calculation. In this way you can get very long duration of life, very comforts, and nice beautiful body and residential quarters. Everything is very, very nice. Each higher planetary system is better than the other, better than the other. This way you can go to the Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka mean where the topmost planet. They have calculated, the modern astronomers and the planet-goers, that it takes about forty thousands of years to go to the topmost planet of this universe. So these things are there.

Lecture on BG 9.18-19 -- New York, December 4, 1966:

I am your Lord. I am witnessing what you are doing." Nivāsa: "And you are living in Me. You are not independent." You are living. Where you are living? I am living on the earth, underneath the sky. And what is the sky, and what is this earth? This is energy, energy of the Supreme Lord. So nivāsaḥ śaraṇam. "You are trying to live. Every moment you are flattering somebody who is greater than you, but why don't you come to Me? You cannot live without flattering your boss. That is your position."

Śaraṇam. Śaraṇam means to take shelter of somebody. Especially in these days, however educated I may be, with an application I take shelter of a big man: "Please give me some employment." However great I may be... I may be very intelligent man to become the ruler of this country. Oh, I will have to, I mean to say, place flatters on the street: "Please vote for me. Please vote for me. Please reelect me." So I am taking śaraṇam. I am flattering. I am taking shelter in every moment. Why not God?

Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:

They are doing nonsense. They are keeping, placing, so many competitors of the Supreme Lord. That is avidhi-pūrvakam. Avidhi-pūrvakam. That is illegal. Nobody can be competitor of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is known as asamordhva. Asama-ūrdhva. Nobody is greater than the Supreme Lord, and nobody is equal, on the same level.

Everyone, whatever he may be, however powerful he may be, they are all living entities. There are innumerable living entities, and some of them are, by degree, one is powerful more than the other. So in the material world we can see that Brahmā, Lord Brahmā, is the most powerful demigod. Similarly, Lord Śiva is also next to Brahmā or equal to Brahmā. Somebody says he's more than Brahmā. Whatever it may be. So Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā are considered to be the most powerful demigods, but still, it is prohibited that one should not think of them as equal to the Supreme Lord. It is strictly prohibited in Vaiṣṇava Purāṇas. It is said like this: yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devam...

Lecture on BG 9.27-29 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti. Dveṣya means anyone whom I, upon whom I am envious. Of course, our nature is to become envious, even to enemy or friend. Even a friend, I mean to say, develops his material condition, economic development, then we become envious. That is one of the nature of the conditioned souls. Even my son becomes something greater than me, I become envious. So this is nature. So, but God has no such, I mean to say, crude qualities. He is not envious of anyone. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Nobody is very dear to Him, and nobody is an enemy. "But," He says especially, ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā, "anyone who is engaged in devotional service and Kṛṣṇa consciousness," mayi te, "he always remains with Me," mayi te teṣu ca api aham, "and I am also with him." Just see. Just a devotee cannot be separated. An unalloyed devotee, he cannot be separated from God.

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

After six months that is useless, thrown. So don't take to that speculative process, this way and that way, this way and that way, because our senses are limited. How you can have the Supreme Truth known by these imperfect blunt senses?

So my senses, my speculative power may be greater than you, and another person's speculative power may be greater than me, but nobody can... Here it is clearly stated, na me sura-gaṇāḥ viduḥ. What you are? You are human being. Even the sura-gaṇāḥ and the great sages, they cannot. Therefore the Brahmā says that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Give up this process of so-called knowledge, researching, speculation. Give up this. Udapāsya, udapāsya means throw it away. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Namanta means just become submissive. Just acknowledge yourself that your senses are limited. You are subordinate even to the material nature and what to think of God?

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

Namanta means just become submissive. Just acknowledge yourself that your senses are limited. You are subordinate even to the material nature and what to think of God? Everyone is subordinate to the control of the Supreme Lord. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Nobody can be equal or greater than God. Therefore your qualification should be: be submissive. Don't waste your time in speculating. Be submissive.

Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva and san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. San-mukharitām means just try to hear about the glories of the Supreme Lord from the mouth of realized souls. Don't go to the unauthorized persons. Now, how you can know what is the difference between unauthorized and authorized? That you can know also. There is description. That, in Bhagavad-gītā you'll see, who is authorized, who is not authorized. The Lord says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). This authority is handed over by disciplic succession.

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

The sun is always there in the sky. So it requires intelligence how to understand the existence of God. The Vedic information says, parāsya śaktiḥ, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. "He has nothing to do." Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is better expert or craftsman than God." Adhika, sama: "neither equal to Him, nor greater than Him." Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport) "His energies are working in so many ways," svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca, "that it appears that he has got perfect knowledge and perfect workmanship." Everything is perfect.

You see. Either a flower or anything, nature's product, it is perfectly done. In this way you have to develop your God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are books. There are explanations. There are teachers. So the human life is meant for this purpose, to understand how God is working, what is God, even what is His name, where does He live, what is our relationship with Him, how things are being managed. These are...

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Bombay, September 27, 1973:

There are three colors only: blue, red and yellow. But an artist can multiply the colors into many types of colors simply by mixing, simply by mixing. Similarly, these three qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa—these are the main qualities. Now they are mixed together. Sometimes this portion is greater than the other portion. In this way material nature is the greatest artist. You can see how she has manufactured so many bodies, nice bodies, eight million four hundred thousand.

So this is due to our association with the particular quality. Now, so long you are in the material world you have to associate with some kind of material qualities but if you engage youself in the devotional service of the Lord then immediately you become transcendental to all these qualities. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

So try to understand that we are puruṣa. Puruṣa means we are part and parcel of the Kṛṣṇa is described as the paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma puruṣaṁ param (BG 10.12). He's parama-puruṣa and we are subordinate puruṣa. We have got the same constitutional position but very minute. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Kṛṣṇa is mahataḥ, greater than the greatest, and we are the smaller than the smallest. But the particle is the same. As particle of gold is also gold. But the particle of gold is never equal to the gold mine. We should understand this. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are part and parcel of the Supreme Person therefore we have got all the propensities and qualities of God but very minute quantity. That minute quantity is also now covered by this material energy. That is our position. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ.

Being under the clutches of this prakṛti, whatever little light was there as part and parcel of God, that is now covered. So this position has to be discovered or this covering has to be taken away, then we come to our position, original position.

Lecture on BG 13.22-24 -- Melbourne, June 25, 1974:

That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa showed His gigantic form to Arjuna and he was terrified: "Please again become in your original Kṛṣṇa form." Even Arjuna who is always constant companion of Kṛṣṇa, friend, he was also terrified by His gigantic universal form.

So Kṛṣṇa is greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. That is Kṛṣṇa's greatness. Here in the material world, a thing which is very big, it cannot become small. But Kṛṣṇa, because He is the almighty God, He can become the greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).

So Kṛṣṇa is bhoktā and we are bhogya. It is not our position that we become Kṛṣṇa and become bhoktā, no. That is wrong conception. You cannot become the enjoyer. You are enjoyed. But when you want to imitate Kṛṣṇa and want to become enjoyer, then you are sent in this material world. This is material world.

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

Bhagavad-gītā says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "There is no more greater factor than Me." Everyone knows God is great. Great means everyone is small. He is great. Nobody is equal to Him. Nobody is greater than Him. That is the meaning of greatness. So how He is greater than everyone and nobody is equal to Him, everyone is subordinate, everyone is creation of Him—this knowledge, if you get... Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If you understand these factors of the greatness of God perfectly well, then you become fit for being transferred to the spiritual world. That is called daivī sampad. Daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5). If you become divine... This is cultivation. This is education. This is not sentiment.

Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:

I haven't got to manufacture things by high meditation and tapasya. This is tapasya, simply to become a faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So where is the difficulty? This is tapasya, that "I shall not speak anything beyond what Kṛṣṇa has spoken." This is tapasya. But if I want to adulterate, "Oh, I am bigger than Kṛṣṇa. I am greater than Kṛṣṇa. I am Kṛṣṇa," then you spoil the whole thing. That's all. Therefore it is warned: idaṁ te na atapaskāya nābhaktāya kadācana. "Never speak to rascals." Na ca aśuśrūṣave. One who's not... Here is another opportunity, one is eager to hear.

So we are speaking to persons who are at least eager to hear. Śuśrūṣave. Vācyaṁ na ca māṁ yaḥ abhyasūyati. Abhyasūyati means one who is envious. So this is right warning. But still, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to create the situation so that people may kindly hear about Kṛṣṇa. That is our business. Although it is warned that if we discriminate in that way, that here is a person, he has not undergone any austerities. He's not a devotee, he's not, I mean, prepared to hear, then where we shall find our customer? The whole world is like that. (Hindi) Phag gause sei gan oja.(?) If, if, if A gentleman tried to find out who is the thief in this village, and after scrutinizing, he saw everyone is thief. So what to discriminate?

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

Whether one has got... (break) That is not million, trillion, billion; it is unlimited. Asamordhva. That is the version. God must be asama ūrdhva. Asamor... Nobody's greater than God, nobody's equal to God. That is God. If you find somebody equal to you, then you are not God. You may be demigod, but the God means supreme. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). That Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Parama, supreme. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa, nobody's greater than Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is God. There are so many gods nowadays. The... Actually, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they say everyone is Nārāyaṇa. But what is the proof? We find out from the śāstra that Nārāyaṇa has got four hands. So where is your four hands? You are claiming to become Nārāyaṇa. So where are your four hands? Just manifest your four hands at least so that we can understand you are Nārāyaṇa. (chuckles) No. Without four hands. And Nārāyaṇa is Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. He's the husband of Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune. So where is your goddess of fortune? You are begging from door to door. Where is your goddess of fortune? You have become Nārāyaṇa. This kind of God and Nārāyaṇa is going on, bluffing.

But we are not bluffed in that way. We follow the shastric injunction, what is Nārāyaṇa. We cannot accept Nārāyaṇa as daridra. Daridra-nārāyaṇa. What is this? Nārāyaṇa is the husband of the goddess of fortune.

Page Title:Greater than... (Lectures, BG)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:24 of Aug, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=86, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:86