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If a man is the greatest man in richness, greatest man in power, greatest man in fame, greatest man in knowledge, greatest man in beauty, then where is the impersonality? These are all personal qualification

Expressions researched:
"if a man is the greatest man in richness, greatest man in power, greatest man in fame, greatest man in knowledge, greatest man in beauty, then where is the impersonality? These are all personal qualification"

Lectures

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

If a man is the greatest man in richness, greatest man in power, greatest man in fame, greatest man in knowledge, greatest man in beauty, then where is the impersonality? These are all personal qualification. So Brahmin, or the Supreme, or the Absolute Truth, cannot be imperson. Imperson may be a feature, but ultimately He is person.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that . . . not Caitanya Mahāprabhu; I'm sorry. That disciple, the chief disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he's repeating what Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained about Vedānta-sūtra. He also accepts, "Yes." Brahmin, the great, means He is great in all respect. He is great in richness, He is great in strength, He is great in power, He is great in knowledge, He is great in renouncement. Then He is great.

So if a man is the greatest man in richness, greatest man in power, greatest man in fame, greatest man in knowledge, greatest man in beauty, then where is the impersonality? These are all personal qualification. So Brahmin, or the Supreme, or the Absolute Truth, cannot be imperson. Imperson may be a feature, but ultimately He is person.

śruti-purāṇa kahe-kṛṣṇera cic-chakti-vilāsa
tāhā nāhi māni, paṇḍita kare upahāsa
(CC Madhya 25.34)

So śruti, śruti means the Vedas. The Vedas clearly say that all these manifestation, they are out of the energy. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). From this fountainhead, from the supreme source, the energies. Just like the electric lights, it is very brilliant, illuminating. But this is energy emanating from the powerhouse. The powerhouse is person. It is managed by a person, executive engineer or resident engineer. So when you go, the government, United States, externally, ephemerally, it appears imperson, but if you go deep into the matter, you see that there is president, a person.

So ultimately, a person, Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, ultimately. That is the evidence from all Vedic scriptures. Tāhā nāhi māni, paṇḍita kare upahāsa (CC Madhya 25.34). And these impersonalist, they do not accept this personal aspect of the Absolute Truth, and they laugh at the devotees, "Oh, what they are doing? They are less . . ." They are thinking that the devotees are less intelligent. And the devotees, they are also thinking that less intelligent.

But you have to decide who is less intelligent. If you, from the Vedic literature, if you do not accept the decision . . . and the essence of Vedic literature is Bhagavad . . . Bhagavad-gītā, and it is clearly stated there. When understood . . . Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he clearly accepted Him that paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12), "You are the Supreme Lord, and nobody knows Your personality." So personality is accepted. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says that the verdict of all Vedic literature is to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

cid-ānanda kṛṣṇa-vigraha 'māyika' kari' māni
ei baḍa 'pāpa'—satya caitanyera vāṇī
(CC Madhya 25.35)

Now the disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī is admitting that "God is person, His body is spiritual, but we do not accept it." It is the greatest offense. It is the greatest offense. How it is offense? Suppose you are my friend, and if I say: "Oh, you have no eyes. You have no hand. You have no leg. You have no tongue . . ." "You have no leg" means you are lame man. "You have no eyes" means you are blind man. "You have no hand" means . . .

That means I am calling you by all ill names: "You are blind. You are lame. You are nonsense. You are rascal." Are they not offenses against the friend? If I say: "You have no eyes," it is gentlemanly speaking that, "You are blind." If I directly say: "You are blind," oh, will you be very nice . . . will you be very happy upon me? No. If I say, if "You have no leg . . ." Suppose if I say if, "You have no brain," that means, "You are rascal. You are fool."

So these impersonalist, they are always, I mean to . . . trying to understand how God is eyeless, handless, legless—all less. Simply he has got eyes to see beautiful things. He has got his hands to touch nice things. No. These are offenses. According to Caitanya Mahāprabhu these are great offense against God. So therefore they are, life after life, they are studying this impersonalism, but there is no perfection.

This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Simply by knowledge . . this is not liberation. Otherwise, why it is stated bahūnāṁ janma? Janma means that is not liberation. If you have again to take birth in material body, that means you are not liberated. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is specifically stated, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. That means after many, many births. So their acceptance of material body will continue.

But when he understands that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), when he comes to that point, that "God is everything. Kṛṣṇa is everything," then his perfection is there. Cid-ānanda kṛṣṇa-vigraha māyika kari māni ei baḍa pāpa. This is a great offense, sinful conclusion, that God is imperson.

Page Title:If a man is the greatest man in richness, greatest man in power, greatest man in fame, greatest man in knowledge, greatest man in beauty, then where is the impersonality? These are all personal qualification
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-10-20, 07:57:53
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1