Prabhupāda: "Self-born." He is not born of ordinary mother and father. There was a lotus from the Viṣṇu, and in that lotus he was born. Therefore he is called Svayaṁbhuḥ, "self-born."
Allen Ginsberg: I knew a Naga sādhu in Menakanika Ghāṭa named Śaṁbhu-bhakti Baba.
Prabhupāda: Śaṁbhu is another name of Lord Śiva, Śaṁbhu. Svayaṁbhur nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). He is called Svayaṁbhuḥ, and Śiva is called Śaṁbhu. Vaiṣṇavānām yathā śaṁbhuḥ. Svayaṁbhur nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ kumārāḥ kapilo manuḥ. Kumārāḥ. There is a sampradāya from Kumāra, four Kumāras, brahmacārīs. They were sons of Brahmā. When they were born, Lord Brahmā said that, "You now make . . . marry and produce. We want population."
In the creation, in the beginning. So they refused. "Oh, we are not going to marry. We shall remain brahmacārī, devotee." Then Lord Brahmā was angry, "Oh, you are refusing your father's order?" So from when he was angry, his eyes became red. From that, Śiva was born. Therefore his name is Rudra. Rudra. Rudra means anger. So when Lord Śiva becomes angry, the whole thing is finished.
Allen Ginsberg: Yes.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Svayaṁbhur nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ kumārāḥ kapilaḥ. Kapila, Lord Kapila, the propounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy, He is also accepted as incarnation of God, Kapila. And Manu. Manu, father of mankind, who has given the Manu-saṁhitā, law book. In that law it is stated, na strīyāṁ svatantratam arhati: "Woman does not deserve independence." Manu has given this. Yes. This is Manu-smṛti. So Vedic culture means to follow the regulative principle.
Allen Ginsberg: So from Manu to Keśava Kāśmīrī is . . .
Prabhupāda: No, no. I am speaking the original authorities. So this Kumāra-sampradāya, it belonged, to this Keśava Kāśmīrī, Kumāra-sampradāya. Now they are known as Rāmānuja, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī and Nimbārka. You have been in Vṛndāvana. You have seen the temple of Bankibihārī?
Allen Ginsberg: No. I don't remember. I didn't know the names of the places I saw.
Prabhupāda: But you have seen the temples?
Allen Ginsberg: Yeah, I went through all the temples I could find. But I didn't know enough to know what stories were associated with the temples or what were the names of the temples.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. No, worship is the same, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Only Rāmānuja-sampradāya, they worship Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, because it is sampradāya from Lakṣmī, so they worship . . .
Allen Ginsberg: Nārāyaṇa is another name for Śiva?
Prabhupāda: No. Nārāyaṇa is Viṣṇu. That is Kṛṣṇa's expansion.
Allen Ginsberg: According to Caitanya, Viṣṇu is an expansion of . . .
Prabhupāda: Of Kṛṣṇa.
Allen Ginsberg: Of Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Rāmādi-mūrtiśu . . . in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu, kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ (Bs. 5.39) Kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ. Svayaṁ means the person, Supreme Person. Samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo. Parama means the Supreme; pumān means the puruṣa, the male. God is male. God is not female. The conception of female God, that is not authorized. Paramaḥ pumān yo. So female is prakṛti, nature. Parasya śaktīr vividhaiva . . . Śaktī. So He has got many energies. The whole thing is manifested by energy, multi-energies.
Viṣṇu-śaktīḥ parā prokta (CC Madhya 6.154). Viṣṇu, the energy of Viṣṇu, is transcendental, spiritual. Kṣetrajñākhya tathā para. As also this kṣetrajñā-śaktī, marginal potency, that is also transcendental, that is the living entities. They are also transcendental. They are not material. Avidyā-karma-saṅga anya tṛtīya-śaktīr iśyate. Another śaktī, another energy, is there. That is avidyā, darkness. This is material energy. So living entity is originally spiritual, transcendental, as good as Kṛṣṇa's personal energy. But now they are covered by this material energy.