Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. That is dharma. So people do not know who is the Supreme and what is His order. So what kind of religion? They accept dharma as religion, faith, a superfluous faith only. But that is not dharma, religion. Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). That is the meaning of dharma: obedience to God. There is no conception of God, and what to speak of obedience. But this is the simple meaning of religion: obedience to God. That's all, three words. God is the supreme proprietor, God is the maintainer... Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Therefore we are maintained, we are predominated, we are servant, we should remain obedient to God. This is religion. Where is the difficulty? Unfortunately, they do not know what is God, what is His command, what is religion. They do not know. They manufacture. And because they do not know the simple process, they are called durbuddhi, not very nicely intelligent. A rascal, in other words.
Maintainer (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
- kiṁ no rājyena govinda
- kiṁ bhogair jīvitena vā
- yeṣām arthe kāṅkṣitaṁ no
- rājyaṁ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca
- ta ime 'vasthitā yuddhe
- prāṇāṁs tyaktvā dhanāni ca
- ācāryāḥ pitaraḥ putrās
- tathaiva ca pitāmahāḥ
- mātulāḥ śvaśurāḥ pautrāḥ
- śyālāḥ sambandhinas tathā
- etān na hantum icchāmi
- ghnato 'pi madhusūdana
- api trailokya-rājyasya
- hetoḥ kiṁ nu mahī-kṛte
- nihatya dhārtarāṣṭrān naḥ
- kā prītiḥ syāj janārdana
- (Bg. 1.32-35)
Translation: "O Govinda, of what avail to us are kingdoms, happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed in this battlefield? O Madhusūdana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and all relatives are ready to give up their lives and properties and are standing before me, then why should I wish to kill them, though I may survive? O maintainer of all creatures, I am not prepared to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds, let alone this earth."
Prabhupāda: So Arjuna is thinking in terms of his own sense gratification. He is posing himself as if he does not know what is the plan of Kṛṣṇa. Yes. The plan of Kṛṣṇa is explained by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā.
- yadā yadā hi dharmasya
- glānir bhavati bhārata
- abhyutthānam adharmasya
- tad ātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
- (BG 4.7)
- paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
- vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
- dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
- sambhavāmi yuge yuge
- (BG 4.8)
The plan is already known to everyone how the management of the cosmic manifestation is going on. The cosmic manifestation is there. This material world. It is, although temporary, it has got a purpose. The purpose is to give chance to the living entities who are rotting in this material world to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or original consciousness, and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the plan. This material cosmic manifestation is there, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The nature is, it is sometimes manifested and sometimes it is dissolved, annihilated. Everything material, that is the way. Just like our body. It is created at a certain date, and it will be annihilated at a certain date. Similarly, this gigantic body... That is also body of the Supreme Lord, virāt body. Virāt means gigantic. Kṛṣṇa will show His virāt-rūpa to Arjuna.
So this is the duty. They should be very cautious. A sannyāsī, they should be very cautious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, sannyāsīra alpa-chidre bahu kari' mane. An ordinary gṛhastha, or... Gṛhastha only, If he talks with woman nobody will blame. He is gṛhastha. But if a sannyāsī talks with woman very intimately, oh, immediately people will take note of it. Sannyāsīra alpa-chidre bahu kari' mane. That is the practice. He should be very cautious. So a devotee, a sannyāsī, they have got very, very great responsibility. People will very easily criticize them. So Arjuna is considering all these points. Kathaṁ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ pāpād asmān nivartitum (BG 1.38). They may indulge in these sinful activities, how we can indulge? What people will say? Kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ prapaśyadbhir janārdana. "He Janārdana, You are maintainer of the people. So if the people become sinful, so it is very difficult to maintain them." These things are being considered. Kula-kṣaya. So we cannot destroy family. But on one condition we can become free from all this obligation. What is that? Gataḥ śarabyaṁ parihṛtya kartum (SB 11.5.41). Śaraṇyam. Mukunda-caraṇam. One who has dedicated his life simply to serve Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa, Mukunda. Muk means mukti, liberation.
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
- utsanna-kula-dharmāṇāṁ
- manuṣyāṇāṁ janārdana
- narake niyataṁ vāso
- bhavatīty anuśuśruma
- (BG 1.43)
Translation: "O Kṛṣṇa, maintainer of the people, I have heard by disciplic succession that those who destroy family traditions dwell always in hell."
Prabhupāda: So family tradition, whose family tradition? Manuṣyāṇāṁ. Family... Manuṣyāṇāṁ, those who are human being, they have got family and family rituals, kula-dharma, jāti-dharma. Just like cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). This is meant for the human being, manuṣyāṇāṁ, not for the animals. So unless the human society accepts this principle of varṇāśrama-dharma ordained by Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, he is not considered amongst the human being. They are as good as animals because there is no regular, systematic principles of how to live, a human being. Therefore in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa... When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was talking with Rāmānanda Raya, so Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "What is the actual aim of life?" Sādhya-sādhana (CC Madhya 8.118).
Devotee: "In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the maintainer of innumerable living entities, in terms of their different situations according to individual work and reaction to work. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is also, by His plenary portions, alive in the heart of every living entity. Only saintly persons, who can see within and without the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, can actually attain to perfect peace eternal. The same Vedic truth enumerated herein is given to Arjuna and in that connection to all persons in the world who pose themselves as very learned but factually have very poor fund of knowledge. The Lord says clearly that He Himself, Arjuna, and all the kings who are assembled in the battlefield are eternally individual beings and that the Lord is eternally the maintainer of the individual living entities."
Prabhupāda: What is the original verse? You read.
Devotee: "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings... (BG 2.12)"
Prabhupāda: Now, "Never there was a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor these people." Now He analytically says, "I, you, and..." first person, second person, and third person. That is complete. "I, you, and others." So Kṛṣṇa says, "Never there was a time when I, you, and all these persons who have assembled in this battlefield did not exist." That means "In the past, I, you, and all of them, they individually existed." Individually. The Māyāvādī theory is that the ultimate spirit is impersonal. Then how Kṛṣṇa can say that "Never there was a time when I, you, and all these persons never existed"? That means, "I existed as individual, you existed as individual, and all these persons who are before us, they existed as individuals. Never there was a time." Now, what is your answer, Dīnadayāla? Kṛṣṇa says never we were mixed up. We are all individuals. And He says, "Never we shall remain... Never there will be time when we shall not exist."
Yes, Upaniṣad says nityo nityānām. Now, nitya means eternal, and the Supreme Lord is the supreme eternal, and we individual souls, we are also many eternals. So He is the leader eternal. Eko bahūnām... How He is leader? Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one, singular number eternal, person, He is supplying all the needs of other eternals. These things are clearly said in the Vedas. And actually we are experiencing. Just like in Christian theology, the individual goes to the church and prays God, "Give us our daily bread." Why he's asking God? Of course, this atheist class of men are now teaching them, "Where is bread? You are going to church. You come to us; we shall supply you bread." So this Vedic thought is there also. The Vedas say, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That supreme one eternal, He's supplying, He's maintaining all other individual eternals. And Bible also enjoins that "You go, ask for your bread to God." So unless God is maintainer and supplier, why this injunction is there? Therefore He is the leader; He is the maintainer. And the Vedas clearly says this is the position. He is the Supreme. And by knowing this one can become in peace. That is the Vedic injunction.
"In the Vedas, in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad as well as in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the maintainer of innumerable living entities..." The Supreme Personality of Godhead... Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). There is eka and bahu. The bahu, they are also nitya and cetana. That means we living entities, we are also cetana and eternal. And Kṛṣṇa is also eternal and cetana. So so far the living symptoms and the eternity is concerned, both the living entities and God, Kṛṣṇa, they are one. But the difference is that eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān, that one, that chief one, although He's eternal and living force as we are, but He is the chief. He maintains all others. That is the version. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān, tam ātma-sthaṁ ye 'nupaśyanti dhīrās teṣāṁ śāntiḥ śāśvatī netareṣām. This is the version from Kaṭhopaniṣad. Nityo nityānām. He's the supreme eternal amongst all the other eternals. Cetanaś cetanānām. He's the supreme living force amongst all other living forces. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one, singular number, eka, He is providing, maintaining, all other living entities. Tam ātma-stham. He is also in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Tam ātma-sthaṁ ye 'nupaśyanti dhīrāḥ. Anyone who can perceive His presence, dhīra, very highly learned or very gentle, dhīra... Dhīra means who is not disturbed. He's called dhīra. And there are others who are called adhīra. Adhīra means those who are disturbed. So those who are in the material world, they are always disturbed.
Therefore the sva-dharma changes. Sva-dharma changes as soon as one is elevated to the spiritual platform. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Who? Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. One who is engaged in devotional service. A devotee's position is transcendental. He has no, no more sva-dharma in the bodily concept of life. Because he's neither brāhmaṇa, neither kṣatriya, nor vaiśya nor śūdra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a śūdra, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a sannyāsī." In this way He negativated all the eight items because sva-dharma means varṇāśrama dharma. Varṇa and āśrama. Four castes: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. And four spiritual order: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu denied, that "I am not this, I am not this, I am not that, I am not that." Then what you are? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Gopī-bhartuḥ means this maintainer of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartuḥ. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ. "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant who is engaged in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa (CC Madhya 13.80)."
Just like you'll find in another verse Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "Anyone who offers Me in love and faith a little flower, a little water, a little fruit," patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam... Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. This is the real point. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person who is giving all the necessities of all the living entities... He is actually the provider, maintainer of everyone. So why He is asking a little fruit, flower and water from you? Is He hungry? No. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Just to induce you again to love Kṛṣṇa. That is the point. Because your, this material condition is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), subjected to birth, death, old age, disease, and so many other material conditions. You have fallen in this condition because you have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Just like last night so many people came to discuss with us, but they are not interested in talking of Kṛṣṇa. They are interested how their sense gratification will be disturbed by starting this temple. That is their concern. Here we have come to preach about Kṛṣṇa. They did not ask anything about Kṛṣṇa, "What is this philosophy? What is this Kṛṣṇa's philosophy?" No. They are simply interested in their own sense gratification. That's all.
Yes, God is person, like you and me. You can go and talk with Him, he qualified for that pur... Nitya nitya... This is Vedic injunction. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God is eternal among all other eternals. We are all eternal, and God is the chief eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. We are also cognizant and God is also cognizant. The difference is that I am cognizant with a limited space and God is cognizant throughout the whole universe. But He is also cognizant. He is also person. I am also person. What is the difference? Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one maintains all these innumerable living entities. Therefore in the Bible you go and ask God give us our daily bread, He is maintaining. That is the difference between God and ourself. We are maintained and God is the maintainer. We are predominated and God is the predominator. That is the difference. Otherwise He is a person, we are also persons. He is eternal, we are eternal. He is cognizant, we are cognizant.
In the Vedānta-sūtra it is inquired, athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is Brahman? This human life is meant for understanding Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is real education. So that Para-brahman... We are Brahman, but Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme nitya, eternal. Kṛṣṇa is also eternal; we are also eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So Kṛṣṇa is... (break) ...not a dead stone and we are also living being. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. And where is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and me? The difference is eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Kṛṣṇa maintains all these plural number. He is singular number. Nityo nityānām. He is singular number. Then this singular number or plural number, what is the difference? Difference is that Kṛṣṇa is the maintainer and we are the maintained. Kṛṣṇa is the predominator; we are predominated. This is difference.
"I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a śūdra. I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a gṛhastha, I am not a vānaprastha..." Because our Vedic civilization is based on varṇa and āśrama. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu denied all these things: "I do not belong to any one of these." Then what is Your position? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: (CC Madhya 13.80) "I am eternally servant of the maintainer of the gopīs." That means Kṛṣṇa. And He preached: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is our identification. We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the servants who have rebelled against Kṛṣṇa, they have come to this material world. Therefore, to reclaim these servants, Kṛṣṇa comes. And Kṛṣṇa says,
- paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
- vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
- dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
- sambhavāmi yuge yuge
- (BG 4.8)
Kṛṣṇa comes. He's so kind.
So let us take advantage of Kṛṣṇa's coming here, leaving behind Him this Bhagavad-gītā, and read it perfectly, and make your life perfect. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a bogus movement. It is a most scientific movement. So outside India, these European, Americans, they are taking advantage of it. Why not these Indian youths? What is the wrong there? This is not good. Let us join together, start this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, and deliver this suffering humanity. That is our purpose. They are suffering for want of knowledge. Everything is there, complete. Simply by mismanagement... Simply by the... It is being managed by the rogues and thieves. Take. You become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and take the management and make your life successful.
Yes. Paramātmā is also personal. Everything is personal. Paramātmā is described as four-handed Nārāyaṇa with śaṇkha, cakra, gadā, padma, with, I mean to say, ornaments. That is the feature of Paramātmā. You have seen the Viṣṇu-mūrti. That is Paramātmā. This voidness is an imagination, voidness. Actually God or Paramātmā or Kṛṣṇa, They are all sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, transcendental forms. They are not material forms. Transcendental forms. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Vigraha means form. If we, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got individuality, forms, how we can say that the Supreme has no form, no individuality? He has got complete individuality. And that is confirmed in the Vedas: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme living entity of all living entities. Just like we are living entities, but He is the Supreme. That's all. He is also living entity. Nityo nityā cetanaś cetanānām. The difference is eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one single There are plural number and singular number. That singular number one is providing the necessities of other singular number, plural number living entities. That is the difference. He is the maintainer, He is the predominator, He is the controller, and we are controlled, we are predominated, and we are maintained. 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.
So unless we become ācāryavān... That is the Vedic instruction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We cannot understand God, what is God. We cannot make research (because) we do not know what are the symptoms of God, although everything is described in the śāstras. Here also, in the Bhagavad-gītā, the indications are there. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). "There is nobody superior than Me." So this is the shortcut definition of God. Just try to find out a person... God is also a person, but He is the most superior person. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the chief amongst the living beings. Nityo nityānām. He is the wisest of all wise men. Cetanaś cetanānām. What is the difference between God and us? The difference is that He is the maintainer and we are not maintainer. This is the difference.
We are not maintainer. Nobody can say... One can say that "I am God," but nobody can say that "I am maintaining everyone." No, that is not possible. These are the simple definition of God given in the Vedic literature. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We have necessities of life, but who is supplying the necessities of life? That eka, that one person, eka. So it is a great science, to understand God. It is not an ordinary thing simply by speculation or by so-called meditation you become God. God is God always. You cannot become God if you are not God. Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa was God when He was three months old on the lap of His mother. Kṛṣṇa was God when He was four months old. Kṛṣṇa was God when He was seven years old. Now we are chanting, jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī gopī-jana-ballabha giri-bara-dhārī. Kṛṣṇa was gopī-jana-ballabha. He was always meant for pleasing the gopīs, but that does not mean that he was not God. Giri-bara-dhārī. When gopīs were in danger, incessant rain in Vṛndāvana, He immediately lifted the whole Govardhana Parvata. Immediately showed: "Here is, I am. I am God. I can give you protection." Giri-bara-dhārī. One side, gopī-jana-ballabha, just like ordinary boy He is pleasing the gopīs by His joking behavior, but that does not mean He is not God. So one imitates the joking behavior of Kṛṣṇa, but one cannot imitate lifting the Govardhana Hill. That is not possible.
The Lord says that gatir bhartā. Gati means "Everyone is coming to Me gradually," gati. Gati means destination. "They're all coming to Me." And bhartā. Bhartā means maintainer. God is maintaining us. God is maintaining us, and He's giving us chance, "All right. You come this way, or that way, that way. That's all right. Come gradually, gradually. That's all right." Gatir bhartā prabhuḥ. Prabhu means He is the Lord. Nobody can be equal... Otherwise there is no question of worship. If you think that "I am God," so there is process of worship also: the, I mean to say, ahaṅgrahopāsanam. Just like we, devotees, we offer flowers to the Lord, they take the flower and offer to themselves. We offer the garland to the Supreme Lord in the, on the statue or the form of Lord. They take the garland and put on his own neck. You see? So the question is that if you are God, then why you are worshiping, why others not worshiping you? You are worshiping yourself. So what kind of God you are? Everyone worships, "Oh, I am the Lord. I am everything."
Life is going on. "I have become befooled, so I don't want that my son will be intelligent. Let him become befooled. Let him become befooled." This is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), repeatedly chewing the chewed. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). But from the Bhagavad-gītā we understand that our ultimate goal of life is to reach Kṛṣṇa or the Supreme Lord, gatiḥ. And bhartā. Bhartā means maintainer. Maintainer. He is maintaining everyone. That's a fact. There are 8,400,000's of species of life, and, out of which, human society, human beings, are a very small number, say, about 200,000 species of life. Balance eight hundred, two hundred thousand species of life, they are animal and aquatics, birds, beasts, uncivilized men, so many species of life. They have no economic problem. They have no economic problem.
Just like you consult some book, doing something. Just like we do every day. What is the postal rate? I do not know. This is a parcel I have to send. So at once I consult book. The direction is there, postal guide is there, and I do the right thing. Similarly, when we forget our acti..., what is the destination of life, then we have to consult. This is the direction. The Lord says, gatir bhartā prabhuḥ sākṣī: "I am the destination. I am your maintainer. 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."
Pradyumna: Translation: "The Supersoul is the original source of all senses, yet He is without senses. He is unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living beings. He transcends the modes of nature, and at the same time He is the master of all modes of material nature."
Prabhupāda: Now we can see, these are contradictory. Sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitam. He's the origin of all senses, but He has no senses. Sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ sarvendriya-vivarjitam. Asaktam: He has no attachment, but at the same time, sarva-bhṛc ca, He's maintainer of everyone. Nirguṇam, without any qualities. Guṇa-bhoktṛ ca, but He is the enjoyer of all qualities. So this requires elucidation, how these contradictions are adjusted. This requires knowledge.
Pradyumna: Although the Supersoul appears to be divided among all beings, He is never divided. He is situated as one. Although He is maintainer of every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours and develops all.
Prabhupāda: Avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). This is another statement of Bhagavad-gītā, that the Lord, Supreme Lord, he is situated in everyone's heart, hṛd-deśe, particularly pointed out. Hṛd-deśe means "in the heart". Hṛt means heart. So modern medical science, they see that the energy is coming from the heart and as soon as the heart stops to work, it is said that the body is dead. So here also the same thing is confirmed. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). They cannot say, explain, why the heart stops, but here we get the explanation that as soon as the soul, both the soul and the Supersoul, leave this body, then it is only a lump of matter only. "Dust thou art; dust thou beist." It is developed from these material elements, five gross elements and three subtle elements, but so long... It works as long as the soul, the spirit soul and the Supersoul, remains.
He is the maintainer. You cannot get anything without His mercy. There may be ample supply of necessities of life by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, and there may be scarcity. So they are now complaining about overpopulation. There is no question of overpopulation. Kṛṣṇa is quite competent, able to maintain everyone. But as you become godless, as you become disobedient to the laws of God, there will be restriction. You cannot have full supply of necessities of life. That time has already come. All these rascals, godless rascals, they are now suffering.
The only remedy is to become devotee. He is bhartā. He can maintain many millions. There is no question of overpopulation. He can maintain. Bhartā. But nature will not supply. Nature will restrict supply if you become godless. Therefore nature is very strong, strict. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). He'll restrict supply.
If we say that "This is a civilization of rascals," it is not very strong word. Actually, they are rascals. They do not know the value of life. And the real problem of life. Simply like animals, they are eating, sleeping, having sex life and dying. That's all. This is their life. So one has to learn.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtim (BG 13.24). You must learn what is this living entity. That also we do not know. Prakṛti. This body is prakṛti. And the living force which is within the body, that is puruṣa. And there are two kinds of puruṣas—the living entity and the Supersoul, Paramātmā. Ātmā and Paramātmā. The ātmā is creating his own field of activities. Paramātmā is observing only, "What you are doing?" These things we have already discussed. Upadraṣṭā anumantā. The paramātma-puruṣa is upadraṣṭā, overseeing your activities. You want to do something, but without His permission, you cannot do. Upadraṣṭā anumantā ca bhartā. He is the maintainer.
Therefore a devotee, when he understands thoroughly that "Here is one Supreme Person, who is the leader, who is the controller, who is the maintainer of everything," then he surrenders unto Him and becomes His devotee. You see? We, Kṛṣṇa's devotee, we are not fools and rascals. We have got our reason. We have got our philosophy. When we know that Kṛṣṇa is actually the supreme controller, the Supreme Person, the supreme maintainer, then we surrender. Then we become Kṛṣṇa devotee. It is not blind. It is not blind. We are strongly convinced that that one person is the Supreme Person. Therefore we surrender. We are not blind followers. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravar..., iti matvā budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8).
Budhāḥ. Budha means one who has understood thoroughly. So therefore he can become... One who has understood thoroughly Kṛṣṇa as the supreme controller, he is guru. He is guru. Otherwise one cannot be guru. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128). Who can (be) guru? Guru is not artificial thing, "Guru Mahārāja," "this Mahārāja...," no. One who has firmly understood that Kṛṣṇa is the original cause of everything, He is the Supreme Person—nobody can remove him from that firm convictional position—then he is guru. Otherwise he is not guru. Guru is not so easy thing. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8). One who has understood Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, the supreme maintainer, the Supreme Person, everything, only one, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19)—that is guru. But otherwise, he is not guru, one who has not understood Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128). One who has understood Kṛṣṇa as the supreme controller, the Supreme Person, the supreme maintainer, and everything, the supreme, ultimate, then he can become guru.
Similarly, our position is dog. We must understand it. We cannot live independently. It is not possible. Every living being. Therefore, in the Vedic injunction is nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God and the living entities, they're... Both of them are living entities, being. But what is the difference between God and living entities? The living entities are maintained by God, and God is the maintainer. That is the difference. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We cannot maintain ourself. God maintains. Therefore, according to the Christian principle, they go to the church to beg bread from God.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
That is our relationship. God is also a person like us. We are also persons. Nityānām, cetanānām. We are also living entities, and God is also a living entity, a person. But what is the difference? The difference is God is maintaining everyone, and we are being maintained. That is the difference. We are all persons. Just like father in the family. Father is also a person, and the children, they are also persons. But what is the difference? The father maintains. Similarly, we are all children of God, children of Kṛṣṇa. He is the maintainer. So what is our duty? To feel obliged. That is our duty. That is dharma. Not that you manufacture some dharma, type. Real dharma is you try to understand what is your relationship with God and then act accordingly. Your life is perfect.
So sarva upādhi, when you become completely freed, no more thinking like American, Indian, brāhmaṇa, śūdra, no... "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave His identification in this way: "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a śūdra, neither I am a king, neither I am a vaiśya, neither I am a sannyāsī. I am nothing of this." Because this material designation, varṇa-āśrama. Four varṇas, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and four āśramas, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. So anybody must be within these eight categories. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "I don't belong to any of these categories." Nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir na ca yatir vā. Then what you are? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). "Gopī-bhartuḥ, the maintainer of the gopīs, gopī-bhartuḥ, and the master of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa, pada-kamalayoḥ, lotus feet—I am His servant, dāsa, and his servant, his servant, his servant, his servant, his servant, his servant, in this way servants' servant."
So that is Kṛṣṇa's special favor. Ordinarily, this is the formula. This formula. What is that? Dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ. This is the ordinary formula. Ataḥ pumbhir, pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. It is based on the varṇāśrama division. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Everyone must have perfection, but people are not interested what is the perfection of life. Neither they know what is the position of perfection. The perfection is hari-toṣaṇam, to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It doesn't matter what you are. If you are brāhmaṇa, by your activities, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā, by your austerity, knowledge, you satisfy Kṛṣṇa, the Sup..., Viṣṇu, the Supreme... Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, the same. Viṣṇu-tattva..., Kṛṣṇa is the origin of viṣṇu-tattva. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Kṛṣṇa says. He is the origin of Viṣṇu also. Sarvasya. Because in the creation, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara. The origin of original demigods of this creation. Brahmā is the creator, Viṣṇu is the maintainer, and Maheśvara, or Mahādeva, or Lord Śiva, is destroyer. The three deities in charge of three departmental activities. So Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. That means He's the origin of Brahmā, He's the origin of Viṣṇu, He's the origin of Lord Śiva. Ahaṁ sarvasya pra..., mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. So therefore, here it is said, hari-toṣaṇam. If we satisfy Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He includes everything. Sarvasya prabhavaḥ. You do not require to satisfy separately other demigods. There is no need.
"I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a gṛhastha, I am not a vānaprastha," everything, all the eight varṇāśramas, He denied. "I don't belong to any group." Then what You are? "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant—one hundred times down the servant." Of who? "The maintainer of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa." A pure devotee does not belong to any group, and he wants to become the lowest servant, not the first-grade servant. That is pure devotion.
So this is false. Even if you become very much proud that you are a very learned brāhmaṇa or very advanced sannyāsī, that is not your freedom. You are not yet liberated. You are still in conditional life. Then? When you become liberated? That is stated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). This is liberation. Gopī-bhartuḥ, the maintainer of the gopīs, Gopījana-vallabha. Kṛṣṇa's business is how to please the gopīs, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-rañjana. As the vṛndāvana-vāsīs, they have no other business than to love Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Kṛṣṇa has no other business than to please the gopīs and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Gopījana-vallabha. So how...? Why Kṛṣṇa is so much attached to vṛndāvana-vāsīs? As soon as there was some difficulty—we read it from Bhāgavatam—as soon as there is some fire... The vṛndāvana-vāsīs, they do not know anyone but Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa devours the fire. As soon as there is torrents of rain, Vṛndāvana was going to be overflooded, Kṛṣṇa immediately came to their rescue and lifted the Govardhana Hill: "Come under Me."
Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). In the śāstra it is said that He's offered respect by Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. They are the topmost demigods. There are demigods. Above the human beings, there are demigods. As we are humans, being above the lower creatures, lower animals, similarly, above us there are demigods. And the most important demigod is Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva. Lord Brahmā is the creator of this universe, and Lord Śiva is the destroyer of this universe. And Lord Viṣṇu is the maintainer. Lord Viṣṇu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. So for the maintenance of this material world there are three guṇas, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So each one of them has taken charge of one department. So Lord Viṣṇu has taken the department of sattva-guṇa, and Lord Brahmā has taken the department of rajo-guṇa, and Lord Śiva has taken the department of tamo-guṇa. They are not under the influence of these guṇas. Just like a, the superintendent of jail. He's not a prisoner; he's controlling officer. Similarly Lord Śiva, Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Brahmā, although they are controlling each department, they are not under the controlling department. We may not commit mistake.
If people understand that this is a religious movement... No. Religious movement is different thing. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... Kṛṣṇa. It is not our manufactured ideas. Kṛṣṇa speaks in the Bhagavad-gītā to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious in every way. He's suggesting how to live, annād bhavanti bhūtāni; (BG 3.14) how the division of the society should be made, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ; (BG 4.13) everything, social, political and... Political also. He is enthusing Arjuna, "You must fight. They are... They have committed so much injustice upon you. So you must fight. Don't consider that he is your brother, he is your..." Even when Arjuna said, "Yes. This is all right. I'll fight with my enemies, but how can I kill Bhīṣmadeva? He is not my enemy. He's my maintainer, my grandfather. We lost our father at early age. He took care. How can I kill? How can I kill my teacher, Droṇācārya?" But Kṛṣṇa supported that "You must kill them." "Why?" "Because they have taken the wrong side. Because Bhīṣmadeva, in spite of his becoming so learned, still, he has gone to the side of the Duryodhana, and simply for matter of getting some money, maintenance."
So ṛṣabhāvani-dhrug rājanya. Avani-dhruk. Dhruk means rebellious. Actually a, a king should be representative of God. Representative of... The king's honor, in every country, kings, king is honored very gorgeously. Why? He's also human being, and the citizens are also human beings. Why the king is so honored? Just like spiritual master. A spiritual master is honored. Not only honored—in the śāstra it is said, nāvamanyeta karhicit. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). The spiritual master should not be, I mean to say, taken as ordinary human being. And the king also, practically we see, that we do not treat a king or a president like ordinary human being. What is the reason? What is the reason? The reason is that the king... King's another name is naradeva, "God in human form." Naradeva. So king is honored because a king is supposed to be representative of God. Therefore he's honored. His business is... Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is maintainer, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God means the supreme living being. Nityo nityānām. We are also living beings. We all living beings in different forms, 8,400,000 forms. We are all living beings.
So those who are in the bodily concept of life, they are working for their bodily sense gratification. But if we consider philosophically, we'll see that even this body does not belong to me. Therefore it is a very important word, pārakyasya. From the very beginning. The body was given by father and mother. So if anyone creates something, so that thing belongs to the creator. If the father and mother has created this body, then from the very beginning the body belongs to the father and mother. And actually, in the childhood, as the father and mother says, "Sit down here, eat this, don't go there," everything is controlled by the father and mother, and originally given by the father and mother. So how we can claim, "This is my body"? From the very beginning. Then somebody maintains you. Suppose you are working in office, in a factory. So actually that body belongs to him, the maintainer. Just like a dog. The master maintains it, and the dog's body is meant for the service of that master. As soon as the master indicates, "You do this," immediately he does it. A dog has no independence, practical. So in this way the body belongs to the master. In the beginning, body belongs to the father and mother. Then, if you grow up, then body belongs to your country. In this way, go up to the death point, and after death also, the body belongs to others.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- vaṁśaṁ kuror vaṁśa-davāgni-nirhṛtaṁ
- saṁrohayitvā bhava-bhāvano hariḥ
- niveśayitvā nija-rājya īśvaro
- yudhiṣṭhiraṁ prīta-manā babhūva ha
- (SB 1.10.2)
Translation: "Sūta Gosvāmī said: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the maintainer of the world, became pleased after reestablishing Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira in his own kingdom and after restoring the Kuru dynasty, which had been exhausted by the bamboo fire of anger."
Prabhupāda: The two words, vaṁśaṁ kuroḥ... Vaṁśa means dynasty of the Kurus. Another word, vaṁśa-davāgni. Vaṁśa means bamboo. So this dynasty is like bamboo. One bamboo, automatically, many bamboos grow side by side. So this dynasty also grows like that. One man, one woman, united, they beget children. They beget children. In this way, dynasty expands. So the expansion of dynasty and the bamboo growing, practically the same thing. Bamboo, they are also living entities, and another thing is davāgni, forest fire, davāgni. The bamboos, when they collide by air, there is heat. Electricity is generated, and the fire takes place. That is the cause of forest fire. Nobody goes to set fire in the forest. Nowadays, of course, in your country they are doing like that. But generally the forest fire takes place by this collision of the bamboos.
We have seen it. You have also seen. Sometimes in season, there is so much mango supply that they rot on the ground. Nobody cares to take it. So supply is not in your hands. You cannot supply by factory. You can manufacture bolts and nuts, not rice or ḍāl or ghee or mango or fruits. So supply is... Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. What is the difference between God and ourself? We are also living entities, God is also living entity. Nityo nityānām. I have several times explained this. Just like Kṛṣṇa, what is the difference of Kṛṣṇa? You have got two hands; He has got two hands. He has got two legs; you have got two legs. So the appearance, Kṛṣṇa is equal or in quality. But the difference is that He maintains everyone, and you are maintained. You are now maintainer. You cannot maintain even your family, what to speak of maintain everyone. But God maintains everyone. Eko yo bahūnām, bahūnām. Bahūnām means many, unlimited. Unlimited number of living entities are there. There are millions of elephants in Africa; He is maintaining. At a time the elephant eats about forty kilograms. And who is supplying food? He is eating. The small fish in the ocean, he is also eating. A small ant within the hole of your room, you are not supplying any food, but they are... They have got their family, their friends and everything. Sometimes they come out in hundreds. (laughter) Who is maintaining? Therefore eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti: Kṛṣṇa is maintaining, God maintaining.
The Kali begins with this animal killing. That is Kali-yuga. Meat-eating. Therefore, to avoid the influence of Kali we have to give up this habit. The four things are Kali's disciple, friends. We have already discussed this. So one friend is this meat-eating problem, the butchers, Kali's friends. And the liquor distiller, he's also Kali's friend. And the gamblers or the gambling house maintainer. And prostitute house maintainer. These are friends of Kali. Now you will find all over the world these things are very prominent-clubs and butcherhouse and liquor house and gambling house. Therefore the whole atmosphere is Kali.
So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. We become purified. This is purificatory process. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purification. On account of impure life, we are embarrassed with so many designation, impure life. So we have to become designationless, no designation, sarvopādhi... "I am not Hindu. I am not Mussalman. I am not Christian. I am not brāhmaṇa." This is designation. Even sannyāsī... Caitanya Mahāprabhu, therefore, nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir yatir vā, He described Himself, "No, I am not kṣatriya. I am not brāhmaṇa. I am not sannyāsī. I am not gṛhastha. I am not vaiśya." simply negation. He simply said, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: (CC Madhya 13.80) "I am the servant of servant of servant of the gopī-bhartuḥ, the maintainer of the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa."
So we can enter into the spiritual world, the spiritual sky. The spiritual sky is there. Sanātana. That is eternal. Sanātana. Everything eternal there. In the material world they are, everything, temporary, asat. And everything in the spiritual world, that is called sat. Oṁ tat sat. That is spiritual world. So the Vedic injunction is asato mā sad gama: "Try to transcend from this asat, material world, to go to the spiritual world, sat." Oṁ tat sat. That is actually our business. In the human form of life this is the only business: "How to transfer me to the spiritual world." Sanātana. "Because I am sanātana." Jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Jīva is sanātana, eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The jīva is never destroyed after the destruction or annihilation of this body. He is eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So this is our business, that "I am eternal. As Kṛṣṇa, God, is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), and I am part and parcel of sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, so as Kṛṣṇa is eternal, so I am also eternal." The Vedic mantra says that nityo nityānām. Kṛṣṇa is nitya, eternal, and we are plural number, nityānām. Cetanaś cetanānām. Sat cit... So as Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, so we are also sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. The difference is: Kṛṣṇa is the maintainer, Viṣṇu is the maintainer, and we are maintained. We are not maintainer.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is educating people that "You are not this body, not this mind, not this intelligence, but above this. You are spirit soul." So Kṛṣṇa confirms that mamaivāṁśa. So if Kṛṣṇa is spirit, supreme spirit, then you are also supreme spirit. But the only difference is that He is the supreme; we are subordinate. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti... (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is Vedic injunction. He's also living entity, we are also living entity, but He is supreme and we are subordinate. That is the difference. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. This is our position. This is self-realization. When you understand this, that "Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, or God, whatever you say, He's the whole spirit soul, and we are fragmental portion of that spirit soul, and He's the maintainer; we are maintained. He is the predominator; we are predominated," So this is first realization. This is called brahma-bhūta. And if you make more advance in brahma-bhūta stage, then maybe after many births you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is the, ver... Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. When one is perfectly jñānavān, wise, then his business is vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Then he can understand that Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything. That realization required. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So we should take it very seriously. Unfortunately, although Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in India, and there are many so-called students of Bhagavad-gītā, but they're interpreting in their own way, misleading people. Don't be misled in that way. Take Bhagavad-gītā as it is; then it will automatically act. The medicine, as directed by the physician, you should take. You should not manufacture your own way of doses. Suppose physician says that "You take five drops of this medicine, mix with water and take it." You have to follow. If you say, "No, let me be cured immediately. Let me take hundred drops" or "one drop." No. That will not help you. Similarly, you should read Bhagavad-gītā as it is prescribed by the physician, Kṛṣṇa. Then you will benefit. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says personally that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). This yoga system is avyaya, eternal. Kṛṣṇa is eternal, and Kṛṣṇa's words are eternal, and you are also eternal. This is our position. Kṛṣṇa is eternal and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), Kṛṣṇa says. Na jāyate na mriyate va kadācit, you are never born, never die. Kṛṣṇa also nityo nityānām. We are all nityas, eternal, but He's the supreme nitya, nityo nityānām. We are plural nitya; He is singular nitya. So what is the difference between this plural and singular? The singular maintains all these plural, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He is the maintainer and we are maintained.
So that is stated in the Vedas, that God is also a living entity like us, as we are living entities, nityo nityānām. We are plural number; He is singular number. Then why He is singular number? Why not plural number? And what is the difference between singular number or plural number? That is also Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That eko, that singular number is supplying all the necessities of life of all this plural number—that is God." He is maintainer, maintainer. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhā... We have got different types of demands on account of our different types of body. And who is supplying these necessities? That is God. That is God. Very simple definition: eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Find out somebody who can supply the necessities of everyone—He is God. Is it very difficult to find out who is God? This is simple formula: eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We become charitable persons, but have we got any means that "Anyone who comes, I can give charity"? No. That is not possible.
"You are claiming to be representative of Dharmarāja, Yamarāja." Yamarāja is Dharmarāja. So Viṣṇudūta knows that they are representative. So he challenged. The Viṣṇudūtas challenged the Yamadūtas, that "You are accusing us that we are interfering with your business which is entrusted unto you by the Dharmarāja, the maintainer of dharma. Would you kindly explain what is dharma and what is adharma?" It is very intelligent answer. Yūyaṁ vai dharma-rājasya: "If you are actually representative."
Yes. Just like in your country the real policy—to continue the Vietnam—means they cannot manage these hippies, and they are trying to send them to Vietnam and kill them. That's all. That is the policy. They cannot manage. They cannot make them sane and normal condition. They have no such policy, neither they do know it. So what to do? "Blow him. We cannot manage them." Therefore they are continuing. That's all. This is the policy. Do you think? Eh? What do you think? This is my suggestion. "Unwanted persons, let them be finished." Just like this Marshall Fox did. "Unwanted refugees? Blow them." And killing and blowing, oh, this is very easy thing for the animal-eaters, for the maintainers of slaughterhouse. I hear that these Naxalites have taken to slaughterhouse to learn how to kill. Do you know that? Somebody was telling. Yes. Your husband was telling. So these Naxalites, they are taken to the slaughterhouse and they are taught how to kill. Therefore they do not care. Immediately beating by rocks, and as soon as he falls down, they go away, just like slaughterhouse. They are taught. And the military men, they are also taught like that, to become cruel. A very horrible position in this Kali-yuga. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa-nāma koro bhāi āra saba mithyā. You take shelter of Kṛṣṇa; otherwise so many things will happen. (re: tape recorder:) So stop it. (end)
So the father's property everyone can enjoy, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). Just like these children, father, mother, whatever gives, "My dear child, you eat it." Similarly if we think in that philosophy, our process, this Deity worship, the father or the supreme maintainer gives us prasādam, we take it. Actually fruits, flowers or grains, it is given by Kṛṣṇa. We cannot produce it. So how nice system it is, that "Kṛṣṇa, it is Yours, You have given us. So first of all You eat." This is love. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Kṛṣṇa can have sumptuous food. He is the maintainer of everyone. So this is how good feeling, very reasonable. Any man with some sense, he'll take it very seriously, "Yes, everything given by God, Kṛṣṇa. So let us offer it first of all to Kṛṣṇa." And there is no fear that Kṛṣṇa will eat everything and then we shall have nothing to eat. It is not like that. Kṛṣṇa's eating is a different way. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti.
So because Your incarnation is for them, now You become pacified so that they may also become pacified." Brahmādayaḥ sattva-mūrteḥ. Sattva-mūrte. They are... Sattva-mūrte means devotees. "All, they are devotees," sakta-mūrte. Tava vidhi-karā niyoga-kartā: "And they are Your faithful servant. They are Your faithful servant. They are demigod. They are not disturbing." In this way... So to glorify the devotees of the Lord is more pleasing to the Lord. Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhaktaḥ pūjyābhyadhikaḥ. If we... Just like we say, nanda-nandana, ayi nanda-nandana. We don't say..., Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not say directly, "O Kṛṣṇa." He says, "O the son of Nanda." Kṛṣṇa is very much pleased. Just like Nanda Mahārāja is supposed to be maintainer of Kṛṣṇa, so He takes pleasure when His devotee's names is there. Just like we say, "Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So Rādhā's name is first. Why? Nobody can be better devotee than Rādhārāṇī. So as soon as Rādhā's name is there, Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. So that is the way. So if we glorify the devotees, the character of the devotees, before the Lord, He's more pleased than to glorify Himself, He directly.
So this bhakti process is to acknowledge the supremacy of God. He is the maintainer of everyone, as it is stated in the Vedic literature. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Eko. Eko. That one, He's also living entity like you and me. Man is made after God. Therefore God has got two hands, two legs; therefore you have got two hands, two legs. Imitation. So that eko, that one, is the maintainer of these many so-called gods. We are also gods in this sense because we are part and parcel of God. Just like a particle of gold is also gold, but that does not mean that the particle of gold is equal to the gold mine. That is the real understanding of philosophy. We are gods undoubtedly. In which way? Qualitatively. God is gold. Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore we are also gold. But He is big gold. He is the greatest gold. God is great. We are smallest gold. And if we understand this philosophy, then we become naturally submissive and our constitutional position... And then our prayer as subordinate, submissive, it is very nicely placed, and God accepts, and then our lost friendship is reestablished. That is the highest perfection of life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached this philosophy, prema pumārtho mahān, that if you want success of your life, then try to achieve your lost loving relationship with God. Then your life is successful. If you want to have success otherwise, that is your defeat.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Translation: "My dear Lord, You alone manifest Yourself as the entire cosmic manifestation because before the creation of this cosmic manifestation You were existing, and You exist also after the annihilation. Therefore, between the beginning and the end, You are the maintainer. All these things are being done by Your external energy through the action and reaction of the three modes of material nature. Therefore the conclusion is that whatever is existing, it is You only, externally and internally."
Prabhupāda:
- ekas tvam eva jagad etam amuṣya yat tvam
- ādy-antayoḥ pṛthag avasyasi madhyataś ca
- sṛṣṭvā guṇa-vyatikaraṁ nija-māyayedaṁ
- nāneva tair avasitas tad anupraviṣṭaḥ
- (SB 7.9.30)
Very interesting. This is realization of God. There is difference, varieties; at the same time they're one, unity in variety. So in the Brahma-saṁhitā also it is stated, eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. There are many millions of universes, jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means this universe, and koṭi means millions. Don't think this is the only universe. There are many millions' universes. In God creation there is no limitation. Everything unlimited. Even this universe, to us it is a great, wonderful thing. We do not know even what are there in the four corners of this universe, millions and millions of stars, millions of planets, millions and millions of oceans, mountains, and what to speak of living entities? Everything unlimited.
Kṛṣṇa, not only He's supplying, He's also begging. Just like He became a beggar to Bali Mahārāja. Vāmanadeva. Bali Mahārāja conquered the three worlds and the all the demigods became very much perturbed. So Kṛṣṇa as Vāmanadeva went to Bali Mahārāja as a beggar, "Mahārāja, you are very charitable. Will you kindly give Me three feet land?" So Kṛṣṇa, although He is the maintainer of everyone, sometimes He takes the part of a beggar. He's not beggar, but He begs to benefit the, I mean, the charitable. Who is giving in charity, he is benefited. Just like Bali Mahārāja, he gave everything to Vāmanadeva. Sarvātma-snapanam. There are different devotees. Out of these nine kinds of devotional service,
- śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ
- smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
- arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
- sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
- (SB 7.5.23)
So Bali Mahārāja took part, he cultivated ātma-nivedanam, giving everything to Kṛṣṇa, whatever he had. So, prāṇair arthair. And Kṛṣṇa says, yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat. Everyone has got some disposition to give in charity, everyone.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Now our point was that how to see Kṛṣṇa in everything? Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By these blunt, material senses, we cannot appreciate, or we can see, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It has to be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). One must be relieved from all designations. So long one thinks that "I am Hindu. I am Christian. I am Muhammadan. I am this. I am brāhmaṇa. I am śūdra. I am kṣatriya. I am man. I am woman. I am black. I am white." These are all designations. One has to become free from all these designations. That is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. If you see God, Kṛṣṇa, from the Hindu angle of vision, if you see God from Christian angle of vision, then you cannot see God. That is not seeing God. You have to become freed from all these designations. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us, nāhaṁ vipra na ca nara-patir na yatir vā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a vaiśya. I am not a śūdra. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a gṛhastha. I am not a brahmacārī." Then "What You are?" Because within these eight categories, we are living. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I don't belong to all these categories." Then "What You are, Sir?" Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs."
Therefore I can offer You something." No. Kṛṣṇa is not exposed to anyone except to the devotees. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Kṛṣṇa is covered by yogamāyā. He's not revealed to any, anyone, except to the devotees. There are many other instructions in the śāstras. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). That I explained. Kṛṣṇa is not approachable by our these blunt senses, material senses, with designation. Unless one is freed from all designations. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructs, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a śūdra, I'm not a kṣatriya, I'm not a brahmacārī, I'm not a gṛhastha, but I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, who is the maintainer of the gopīs." Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsa (CC Madhya 13.80). So Kṛṣṇa is not visible to the atheist class of men. Kṛṣṇa's only visible to the devotees. And the devotee sees Kṛṣṇa and nothing but Kṛṣṇa, and twenty-four hours. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is... A devotee sees Kṛṣṇa while he's worshiping only, and other times, he's not seeing. No. He's seeing twenty-four hours.
Liberation, mukti,... Mukti means to be situated in his own constitutional position. That is mukti. So our constitutional position is eternal servitorship of Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). So if we can simply understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Let me again engage, be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service," and if he's actually engaged, then immediately he's liberated. So devotees are already liberated. Those who are actually serious. Mukti svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. This is the definition of mukti. Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpam. We are acting at the present moment anyathā. Anyathā means somebody's thinking that "I am the maintainer of this family. I am the minister of this state. I am this. I am that." So many. Upādhis. So when we give up these designations, then that is mukti. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena-nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). And so long we are designated, we don't care for Kṛṣṇa, we care for society, friendship, love, country, philanthropism, this "ism," that "ism," that is our bondage.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Nitāi: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose secondary part is the Viṣṇu lying in the ocean of milk. That Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the Supersoul of all living entities and the maintainer of all the universes. Śeṣa Nāga is His further subpart."
Prabhupāda:
- yasyāṁśāṁśāṁśaḥ parātmākhilānāṁ
- poṣṭā viṣṇur bhāti dugdhābdhi-śāyī
- kṣauṇī-bhartā yat-kalā so 'py anantas
- taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye
- (CC Adi 1.11)
So all these Viṣṇu descriptions beginning from Kāraṇodakaśāyī, Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is producing universes... Then next Viṣṇu is Garbhodakaśāyī, means the same Mahā-Viṣṇu entering in each and every universe. Then again, the same Viṣṇu, for maintenance of this material world, is lying on the kṣīrabdhi, ocean of milk. And the same Viṣṇu, Kṣīrabdhiśāyī Viṣṇu, is maintaining not only these universal affair, but also He is entering in each and every living being's heart, even within the atom. This is the expansion of Viṣṇu-tattva, Viṣṇu-tattva within this material world. So just imagine.
So what is the difference between the plural number nityas and singular number? Now, eka. Eka-vacana, singular number leader, God... Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That is the difference, that we are living entity and Kṛṣṇa, or God, is living entity, but Kṛṣṇa maintains all other living entities; we cannot maintain even ourself. And we find difficulty especially nowadays to maintain even a family. That is the difference. And still, as a rascal, I claim that "I am God. I am God." Nobody can claim unnecessarily that one is God. First of all prove that you can maintain all the living entities. You cannot maintain yourself even. You beg from door to door, and how you become God? Very simple question. Because in the Vedas (it is) said that eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That one, singular number leader, He maintains all other living entities." That we have got practical experience. He is maintaining within the sand so many crabs. He is maintaining so many ants in the hole of your room. He is maintaining millions of elephants in the African jungle. So out of 8,400,000's of forms of life, mostly 8,300,000 species of life are being maintained by that one maintainer. And some of us so-called civilized, we are trying to maintain ourself. Therefore nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is also consciousness. He is conscious. He is not acetana. Acetana means there is no consciousness. He is conscious, and we are also conscious.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly says that jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108), two words. Svarūpa. Svarūpa means original, constitutional position. That is svarūpa. Mukti means just like one is diseased, and there are many symptoms of disease. So when one becomes free from the disease, the symptoms disappear. Similarly, mukti means that we have lost our original constitutional position. Because here Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that the real position of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So our position is servant, subordinate position. That is the Vedic injunction also. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme leader, supreme maintainer of everyone. That is our position. We are maintained, and Kṛṣṇa is maintainer. We are predominated, and Kṛṣṇa is predominator. This is our relation. How(?) Caitanya Mahāprabhu describing the constitutional position of the living entity, svarūpa. Svarūpa means original position, and mukti means svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. This is the Vedic injunction. Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpa. Now we are acting differently.
Once it is extinguished; once it is light. Similarly, there is creation, there is maintenance and there is annihilation of this material world. Now, these three functions are controlled by three guṇāvatāras, qualitative incarnation of the Supreme Lord. What are they? Now, Viṣṇu... Viṣṇu is the incarnation of the modes of goodness, and Śiva is the incarnation of the modes of annihilation, and Brahmā is the in-charge. Brahmā is secondary. Brahmā is the secondary creator. First of all, the everything is, the principle, the material principle ingredients and the guṇas and the everything is created by Viṣṇu. Then, the secondary creation, with those ingredients, all these planetary system, everything, is created by Brahmā. So Brahmā is also a secondary creator. And then Viṣṇu maintains. Just like to a carpenter you give wood and planks and materials and screw and other thing, and the carpenter makes a very good cabinet, and you maintain that, similarly, this brahmāṇḍa, the secondary creation, is Brahmā, and Viṣṇu is the maintainer, and when it is to be destroyed, it is destroyed by Lord Śiva. These three guṇāvatāras. Brahmā, viṣṇu, siva-tāṅra guṇa-avatāra. They are incarnations of Kṛṣṇa's guṇa. So in other words, it is to be understood that these three guṇas, they are also coming from Kṛṣṇa, three guṇas. So therefore, for Kṛṣṇa, there is no such distinction.
Now, He is the maintainer of... Whatever we are enjoying, it is due to His mercy. In the Kaṭhopaniṣad, er, Māṇḍūkyopaniṣad, it is stated, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Now, He is the supplier whatever we want. So as pālana-kartā, as the maintainer, as the Supersoul, He is supplying. He is supplying whatever you want: "All right." So we should not approach God as supplying agent. That is the lowest stage. He is supplying even to the cats and dogs. Then what is the difference between human being and the cats and dogs? Just like a small child, he is supplied all necessities by the father, but when the child is grown, he wants to serve the father, similarly, to make God as order-supplier, "O God, give us this. Give us that..." God is giving. You ask or not ask, He will give you because, after all, you are all children. So He takes care of His children. But you may say that "Why the childrens are differently treated? Somebody is supplied sumptuously, and somebody is not. Why this difference of treatment?" That difference of treatment is also for good. How? Just like a mother has got five children. One of them is suffering from fever, is ill. Now, very nice foodstuff is prepared. All the children come, and mother is supplying. And when the feverish child comes, "Oh, you don't sit here. You cannot take." "Why?" "Oh, you are diseased. You cannot take."
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
So these planets are covered by the brahma-jyotir effulgence. So here it is prayed that hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasya apihitam. Apihitam means covered. Just like you cannot see the sun globe on account of this dazzling sunshine, similarly, the Kṛṣṇa planet, here you have the picture. From the Kṛṣṇa planet the effulgence is coming out. So one has to penetrate this effulgence. That is being prayed here. Hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasya. The real Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, His planet is covered by the Brahman effulgence. So the devotee is praying, "Kindly move it. Wind it so that I can see You really." So brahma-jyotir, the Māyāvāda philosophers, they do not know that beyond brahma-jyotir there is anything. Here is the Vedic evidence, that the brahma-jyotir is just like golden effulgence. Hiraṇmayena pātreṇa. This is covering the real face of the Supreme Lord. Tat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṇu. So, "You are sustainer, You are maintainer. Kindly uncover this so that we can see You actually, Your face."
Festival Lectures
And what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Kṛṣṇa says, "One who surrenders unto Me. One who comes to Me and surrenders, 'My dear Kṛṣṇa, I now understand that You are my eternal protector, You are my eternal friend, You are my eternal maintainer. I forgot You; now I understand. So I come to You and surrender. Please give me protection.' " This is called śaraṇāgati. So he is wisest man, and he continues to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). What is that mām? If Kṛṣṇa says, "unto Me." So "unto Me," Kṛṣṇa is everything. Because He is the Supreme Lord, therefore He is everything. But what sort of? Vāsudeva. That form of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva means the son of Vasudeva. That means the Kṛṣṇa of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam who appeared Himself as the son of Vasudeva, Vāsudeva. Son of Vasudeva is known as Vāsudeva. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). And Vāsudeva is all-pervasive. Whatever we see, whatever we experience, that is expansion of Vāsudeva's energy.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So far the fire quality is concerned, God and we are the same. So we can understand, we can study God by studying ourselves. That is another meditation. But it will be perfect when we understand that "Although qualitatively I am a sample of God or the same quality, but still, He is the great, I am the small." That is perfect understanding. Anu, vibhu; Brahman, Para-brahman; īśvara, parameśvara—this is perfect understanding. Because I am qualitatively one, it does not mean that I am the Supreme. In the Vedas it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). We are nitya, eternal; God is also eternal. We are living being; God is also a living being. But He is the chief living being; He is the chief eternal. We are also eternal, but we are not chief. Why? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Just like we require a leader, similarly, He is the supreme leader. He is maintainer. He is providence. He is providing everyone's necessities. We can see that there are elephants in Africa. Who is providing them food? There are millions of ants within the hole of your room. Who is feeding them? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kaman. So in this way, if we realize ourself, that is self-realization.
Initiation Lectures
In the dictionary, English dictionary, God means Supreme Being. So Supreme Being, He's also living being. He's not a dead stone. The difference is that He is the maintainer, and we are maintained. He is the ruler; we are ruled. This difference we have to understand. And He is the proprietor; we are servants. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy is this. That is a fact. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). So this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is being spread all over the world for the peace of the world, for the peace of the mind, for the peace of the society. So take it very seriously. It is very authorized. It is not a concocted speculation, it is fact. And it is happening so. Now these American boys and girls who have come, spending thousands of rupees here... And they have no such distinction that "Here is Indian. He is African. He is brāhmaṇa. He's kṣatriya." Why? Because they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
General Lectures
So we are worshiper of the original Absolute Personality of Godhead, Govindam. Govindam. Go means senses, go means cow, and go means land. And vindam, vindam means who gives pleasure—the pleasure potency of all these three things, senses, cows, and the land. The land. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. The proprietor of all land, the maintainer of all land, to give pleasure to the people of all land, is Govinda, Kṛṣṇa. Govindam. And He is the protector, and pleasing to the cows. You have seen many pictures of Kṛṣṇa, He is loving cow. Why cow is loved by Him? Why not another animal? There are many other animals. Why particularly cow? Because cow protection is the most important business of the human society. In offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa, it is said, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Person, who is the protector of the brāhmaṇas and the cows." Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca jagad-dhitāya. The first qualification is that He protects the brāhmaṇas and the cows. Next, He protects the whole world. Jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇa. And He is Kṛṣṇa, govindāya, this Govinda.
So it is understood from any source of scriptural injunction that the Supreme Lord, or Kṛṣṇa, is the maintainer of the individual living entities, and it is the duty of the individual entity to feel obliged to the Supreme Lord. This is the whole background of religious principle. Without this acknowledgement, there is chaos, as it is happening in our daily experience at the present moment. Everyone is trying to become the Supreme Lord, either socially, politically or individually. Therefore there is competition for this false lordship and there is chaos all over the world, individually, nationally, socially or collectively. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to establish the supremacy of the Absolute Personality of Godhead. The human society is meant for this understanding because this consciousness makes his life successful. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new introduction of the mental speculators.
These, our present senses, are very blunt, imperfect. It is to be purified by sevonmukha, being eager to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa. Then our senses will be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means without any contamination. At the present moment our senses are contaminated. I am thinking in so many different consciousness. I am thinking in consciousness of nationality, community, society, friendship—so many ways—but without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore our consciousness is impure. We have to be freed from all the designated consciousness. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not a brahmacārī. I am not a gṛhastha." In this way He denied His identity to all these eight kinds of forms and stages, varṇāśrama. Then He said that gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, who is maintainer of the gopīs." This is the identification of Caitanya (CC Madhya 13.80).
That service to the Lord should be without any desire, material desire. Spontaneous. "God is great. He is my supporter, maintainer." We should always remember that. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Actually, God is supporting. Now, at the present moment in India, especially in this part, there is scarcity water. Why? If we are independent of God, we can take advantage of the sea water. There is sufficient water. God also supplies water from the stock of sea water. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). One who cannot understand immediately the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, he can try to understand Him by His different potencies. Just like He says that "I am the taste of the water." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, taste of water. Or the sweetness of water. So there is sufficient supply of water in the oceans and the seas.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: The man or not man, there are living beings, varieties; we simply do not see the man as a living being. We see there are varieties of living beings, beginning from water up to the higher planetary system. There are different forms of living being, we have several times repeated. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, like that, nine millions, ah, nine hundred thousands forms of body within the water; then plants, trees, creepers, insects. So all of them are living beings. God is concerned with all of them. Why man is created? Every one of us in different form we are created. Or exactly not created; we are part and parcel of God. In one word God is the father of all living entities. So the simple relationship is that God is maintainer, we are maintained. This is our relationship. In the material world, as a man may have more than one wife, so similarly God has two prakṛtis, or subordinate energies—material and spiritual. So in the material world the material nature is the mother, God is the father, and varieties of living entities, they are all maintained by the father, supreme father. This is the conception of universal brotherhood. And if we understand our relationship with God as father and son... There are so many sons. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-yoniṣu. All different forms of life, the mother is material nature, and God says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "And I am the seed-giving father." So that relationship should be known, and if we act according to that relationship, there will be actual peace and prosperity and advancement of all knowledge. That is wanted.
Prabhupāda: This is religion. Therefore I was talking in this morning that accept God as the supreme father and the material nature is the mother and we living entities, in 8,400,000 forms, we are all sons of God. So everyone has got the right to live at the cost of the father. The father is the maintainer—that is natural—and we are maintained. So every living being should be satisfied in the condition given by God. Man should live in his own condition, the animal also should live in his own condition. Why the man should encroach upon the rights, living right of other living entities like the animals? No. Nobody should encroach upon other's right. Everyone is son of God. Let him be maintained by the orders of God. That is ideal life, family life. All living entities are the members of the same family. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi' anācāra: just live in the family of Kṛṣṇa without violating the rules and regulation. Then it is family life. Or without violating the orders of God. Just like in the family the father is the chief man, and the sons can live very happily by being obedient to the father. There is no trouble; father will give all supplies and necessities if we remain obedient to the father, and all the brothers can live peacefully. A very common example. But they will not do that. They will encroach upon others' jurisdiction. That is the cause of disturbance: obeying..., disobeying the orders of God.
Prabhupāda: That he does not know. As soon as we train ourself, that just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a śūdra, I am not a sannyāsī, I am not brahmacārī." By negation. "I am not, I am not, I am not." Then what is your actual? That gopī-bhartuḥ kamalayor dāsa-dāsānu: (CC Madhya 13.80) "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the maintainer of gopīs." That means Kṛṣṇa. "That is my real identification." So I have, so long we do not identify as the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, there will be so many varieties of identification, and bhakti, devotional service, means to become purified from all this false identification.
Hayagrīva: He says, "I can only gaze with wonder and awe at the depths and heights of our psychic nature."
Prabhupāda: Psychic nature means so long you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious there will be varieties of psychic nature, because we are changing constantly to different bodies by transmigration. So we, we are accumulating varieties of experiences. But if we don't change, remain fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then one identification we have got—that "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. My duty is to serve Him." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73), as Arjuna realized after studying Bhagavad-gītā. "Yes," naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā. "Now I have revived my real consciousness and I will act as You dictate." That is final.
Hayagrīva: He feels that the only thing that keeps modern man..., that will keep modern man from simply dissolving into the crowd is, he says, "We must ask, 'Have I any religious experience, an immediate relation to God and hence that certainty which will keep me as an individual from dissolving in the crowd of humanity?' " So one's relation with God assures one of one's individuality.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone is individual. God is also individual. So one individual is subordinate to the chief individual. That is the Vedic version. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13), God is also individual being, but He is the Supreme Being, and we are individual being, innumerable. So the difference is that the supreme living being is maintaining us, and we are being maintained. That we should understand. The same example as I gave, the father and the children in the family. The father is maintainer and the children are maintained. This is the real conception of philosophy. The mother is the material nature and father is God, and we are all children. We have got rights to enjoy the father's property, but not encroaching upon others', but as it is allotted by the father. "You sit down here, you take this, that's all," that, that much right I have got. I do not transgress the order of the father; then it is peaceful situation.
Hayagrīva: So that's the end of Jung. (end)
| Page Title: | Maintainer (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 08 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=70, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 70 |