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Krsna is accepted as the supreme teacher by everyone, by all the great sages formerly, like Vyasadeva, Narada, Devala, Asita. All other great sages

Expressions researched:
"Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the supreme teacher by everyone, by all the great sages formerly, like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Devala, Asita. All other great sages"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Knowledge means . . . to acquire knowledge, to learn from the teacher. So here is the supreme teacher, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the supreme teacher by everyone, by all the great sages formerly, like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Devala, Asita. All other great sages.

This material cosmology, material manifestation, is one-fourth demonstration of God's energy. The three-fourth manifestation of His energy is the spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another nature, which is spiritual nature, para, superior. The spiritual nature is described as parā. Parā means beyond this aparā.

There are two energies working: material nature and spiritual nature. Material nature, it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). These eight types of material nature—earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego—these are material nature. Bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. They are separated energies. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Beyond this . . . these are inferior, aparā. And beyond this aparā-prakṛti, there is another, superior prakṛti. What is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). That is the living entity.

So living entity, living being, is energy of the Supreme Lord. Energy. Just like the sun and the sunshine. Sunshine is the energy of the sun globe. Similarly, we living entities, we are also energies of the Supreme Lord. What is this sunshine? It is a combination of a very small shining particles, molecular. That is sunshine. It looks like one homogeneous thing, but they are small particles. That is scientific understanding.

Similarly, we are also a small particle of the Supreme Lord. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are a small particle. How much small? What is the magnitude? That is also described in the śāstra:

keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya
satadhā kalpitasya ca
jīvo bhāgasya vijñeyaḥ
sa anantāya kalpate
(Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9)

There is dimension of the living entity—one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair.

So it is very difficult with our these material eyes. We are very much proud of our eyes. But here is the indication from the śāstra, the length and breadth of the living soul. Now you find out with your eyes, your microscope. That is not possible. Because they cannot find out, they say nirākāra. Nirākāra, in one sense, it can be supported that we cannot ascertain the forms of the soul. And what . . . how we can ascertain the form of the Lord? Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. So spiritual education means, spiritual enlightenment means, first of all, we must try to understand the jīva—because jīva is the small particle of the Lord—so that we can understand the quality of the Lord. Just like if you test a small particle of gold, then you can understand the composition of gold. If you test a little drop of water from the ocean, you can analyze the chemical composition of the sea. Similarly, if you can analyze the characteristics of the living entity, then you can at least understand what is God, what is the characteristics of God.

Therefore the beginning of spiritual education is to understand one's self, the self-realization. How to realize self? We have to take knowledge from others. Knowledge means . . . to acquire knowledge, to learn from the teacher. So here is the supreme teacher, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the supreme teacher by everyone, by all the great sages formerly, like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Devala, Asita. All other great sages. And recently, in the modern age, by our ācāryas, Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Rāmānuja, yes, Śaṅkarācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī. All these great sages, great ācāryas, they came from your South India. So you are fortunate in that sense.

So we have to follow the ācāryas. All these ācāryas accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Lord. All these ācāryas. And later, lately, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, five hundred years ago, He also accepted that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). That is the acceptance in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Page Title:Krsna is accepted as the supreme teacher by everyone, by all the great sages formerly, like Vyasadeva, Narada, Devala, Asita. All other great sages
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-11-01, 10:39:04
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1